20 chapter

Amanda woke up early, after spending a practically sleepless night, Ivan's words resounded in her head, "the feeling that the scarecrow has for you, will kill him", and if it were true? What if Lee trying to protect her lost her life for her? , sadly he looked out the window, Lee's car was empty, nobody was visible inside, they had probably gone to freshen up to face the day.

Lee and Fred went to the van where the agents of the agency were stationed, Billy and Francine, the time to cool off, have a bite to eat and Lee immediately returned to the car, today would have been a difficult day, he hoped in his heart that everything was fine, but his instinct was on the alert, Ivan kruschenko had not proved to be correct, holding Amanda hostage, he didn't trust him, he looked towards his room, but he didn't see any movement, knowing her, he knew she was probably upset by Ivan's words, absolutely had to clarify with her that for no reason in the world would have given up the feeling just blossomed between them, of course it would not have been easy, he did not really know how to deal with his family, especially jamie and Philip, but surely Amanda would have helped him, then c 'they were the agency and the missions, no it wouldn't have been easy at all, but they wouldn't have given up like Ivan, he wouldn't have made his error and in his heart he knew that he would fight with all his strength for Amanda and for himself, together they would have overcome everything, united.

Ivan kruschenko, he was very upset, today was the big day, he would finally meet his daughter, he was also worried, who knows if the family could accept his past, he also had to take a serious decision, live in America or return to Russia? If he had decided to stay the agency would have forced him to apply for political asylum, after all it was the only legal way to stay on American soil, he could have lived near his daughter, but surely the agency would have asked for his collaboration, a complicated situation, sighing he decided he would think about it after he met her.

The morning passed quickly, Amanda ate breakfast in the room, she didn't want to talk to Ivan anymore and refused the invitation to go down to the dining room, so one of the guards brought her a sandwich, but she barely tasted it, now she was just missing meeting with Ivan's daughter, and finally she could go home.

At 2.00 pm on the dot, Lee Stetson, Billy Melrose, Fred Fielder and Francine Desmond showed up in Ivan Kruschenko's garden and with them, or rather behind them, Kate, Bruce and Beverly were a little scared.

Around the team, lurking in the perimeter of the house, twenty officers who had the task of protecting them, after about five minutes, Amanda and Ivan, with 4 guards of the KGB, presented themselves for the appointment.

Lee shouted: "Kruschenko your family is here, let Amanda go!"

"Scarecrow !! First I want to talk to Kate!", Ivan's daughter bravely stepped forward, "Dad! I'm here, please, can we sit down and talk calmly? Please, even if we've never seen each other, Mom he told me so much about you, I would like you to know your granddaughter and my husband, I wish we could be together, please Daddy, let Ms. King go !!! ", hearing those words from his daughter, Ivan had no more doubts he already loved her, his granite heart crumbled when he heard the word dad, he shouted to his agents "all arms down! It's an order !!, Mrs. King, forgive me for holding it, it's free to go," everyone they relaxed, everything was going well, they lowered their arms and prepared to enter the house, it was over, Amanda and Lee looked at each other, a smile appeared on their faces, a common thought, now they could be together and talk, after these days finally away she would come home and Lee would invite her to dinner with him alone.

Suddenly the hateful little black lady Ludmilla appeared from nowhere, she had a gun in her hand, her face was deformed by the hatred she felt, she turned to Ivan, in a cold voice she said: "I have remained faithful to you all these years, I have you given my youth, my body, my devoted and absolute love, and now you abandon me and betray me and our motherland for an insignificant American woman you have never seen !! I am your cursed family !! And if not I will have your absolute love, then you will have to suffer as you are making me suffer now !! ".

Blinded by hatred he turned to Kate and Beverly with the intention of killing them both, immediately Lee took his gun and with a double somersault tried to cover it with his body, Kate and Beverly, but at the same moment Amanda threw herself on the child, Fred ran close to Bruce, dropping him to take him off the shooting line, and Billy and Francine fired, but Ludmilla also fired two shots before being hit and seriously wounded on the ground.

Ivan rushed towards Ludmilla, "damn !! What did you do !!", she looked at him with contempt and with a last breath said "now you will suffer forever", closed his eyes dying, leaving him angry and desperate.

Amanda had embraced the child protecting her with her body, "are you all right, little one?" , Crying the terrified child replied yes, a voice shouted "ground agent !!, ground Agent !!!, Ommiodio Lee !!, He was hit ???, He tried to call his name but he couldn't, the words could not come out of his mouth, he suddenly felt weak, a fierce pain in his shoulder almost made her miss him and as darkness fell on his mind, he realized that she was the agent on the ground.