Lee had stopped by his apartment and quickly showered before rushing over to the hospital to check on Amanda. He hoped he'd be able to speak with her this time. They had a lot to discuss . . . to work out. That last thought gave him hope; something he hadn't felt in a couple of weeks.
As he exited the elevator and walked the now familiar sterile hallway toward her room, he noticed the head nurse that had scolded him earlier that day had just left Amanda's room and was coming his way. He smiled shyly at being caught twice in one day. She seemed focused on the man in front of her and when she made eye contact with Lee, he saw her head gesture toward the other man.
Once they had both passed him, Lee realized the man had perfectly fit the description that the nurse had given of the man who had left the envelope for Lee that morning. Without thought for his previous mission, he quickly ran after the older gentlemen and nearly lost him as the elevator doors were closing. Lee jabbed at the button to keep the doors from closing and then just when he thought he lost his target, the doors opened allowing him entrance. Without a word, Lee flashed his badge and escorted the man out of the small space before gesturing toward a small meeting room to the left of the bank of elevators.
The two men stared at each other, as they sized up the other. Lee was first to speak, "You were the one that gave me the file on Friedman." His voice left no room for denial.
The other man gave a single nod.
"Why," Lee questioned.
"You needed to know the facts. Your clearance could only get you so far," he quipped.
"Who are you? Why do you even care?" Lee demanded.
"It doesn't matter who I am, Scarecrow. You have the answers to put those involved away for a very long time," the grey-haired man stated without feeling.
Between the older man's bluntness and controlled demeanor, images of his uncle, the Colonel, flashed in his mind. This man was definitely career military. That thought triggered Amanda's description of her handler to spring to mind. "You're Klein," Lee blurted out. "Or Ward, depending on who you ask," he scoffed.
"My name doesn't matter. What matters is that you arrest the people that have eluded the intelligence community for the past fifteen years, and that nearly killed your partner . . . twice. You –"
"What's your interest in me and my partner?"
"I know all about you and Mrs. King. You work well together. You trust her and you don't trust many. Why you'd follow her blind . . ." the stoic man trailed off.
"Why all the subterfuge, Ward? Why not just give the evidence to the authorities?"
The other man's laugh seemed to have erupted of its own free will despite his controlled behavior and he cleared his throat. "Those idiots? They wouldn't know evidence if it jumped up and bit them in the ass. No, it needed to be handled by someone who knew what they had and would take care to see those involved punished to the fullest extent of the law," his hand slapped the table for emphasis.
"You care about her," Lee was astonished at his realization.
"She's one of my agents, I was obligated—"
"She was your agent but not for the past fifteen years. She only reported to you once you threatened my safety. You played on her feelings and her relationship with me. You knew she wouldn't have done it otherwise, even when you threatened her safety," Lee groaned inwardly. Why did he just realize that now, now that he'd been so awful to her, only adding to her guilt.
"I did no such thing," Ward growled. "I did what I had to do to expedite the results. Keeping you two together was essential to keep you alive, Scarecrow and the byproduct of that partnership is one of the highest case close rates in the intelligence community," he rapped his knuckles against the table and stood to leave. He reached for the door handle and then turned back to look Lee in the eye, "You have a very special partner in Amanda. Don't screw it up, Scarecrow."
Lee could only nod his understanding before the other man left the room. The way Amanda had described her handler, Lee had gotten the distinct impression that Ward only held contempt for his talented partner. The realization only helped Lee put the pieces together. That man cared for Amanda like a father would a daughter and whomever asked Ward to team Amanda up with him, cared for Lee in the same way. And thanks to Ward, he knew exactly who that person was.