As Amanda drove away from Mrs. McMurty's, Lee's first objective was to ditch the jeep and his second was to find a pay phone. He directed her to hide the jeep among the other cars in the nearest grocery store parking lot. With a "shoot to kill" order circulating with his description and the report of a stolen jeep, he couldn't afford to be seen with the vehicle. They used their jackets to conceal the rifles, sliding the barrels into one sleeve and wrapping the rest of the jacket around the stocks. Leaving them in the back of an open jeep to be stolen wasn't an option. Bundled together inside their two jackets, the rifles were awkward to carry, but not obviously weapons. If he actually succeeded in this crazy scheme, he might live to regret it – stolen weapons, threatening military guards, a stolen vehicle and destruction of government property. Oh, well, a few more reprimands would make his personnel file more interesting reading.
They entered the store and he headed to the pay phones. Bus schedules were posted near the community bulletin board in the lobby and Amanda quickly scanned the sheets to determine which bus would arrive next at this location. She took one of the schedules for that bus route, and joined Lee at the phones. He called Leatherneck first and arranged to meet him a few stops away. Bus travel was never the quickest way to get anywhere, but the anonymity of a public bus might be decisive in avoiding detection by anyone engaged in a D-1 manhunt. Then he called Billy to arrange a meeting for 11:30 at Rock Creek Park. That gave him an hour to get away from the jeep, get the suicide watch and the car, and sneak into the park. He knew Billy would wait for him if his meeting with Leatherneck ran late. They bought breakfast from a fast food place near the bus stop, partly because they needed the food and coffee, and partly because they needed the right coins for the bus.
Both of them kept watch for agents, law enforcement or military, and were relieved when the bus showed up on time. Amanda sat beside the window and Lee kept his head averted. Few people were on the bus at this hour. The driver would remember them, if he was questioned. Lee was feverishly reviewing the information Billy had provided at his check-in, weighing the merits and methods of various options. They exited at the designated stop, crossed the street, and walked down an alley between a pawn shop and a peep show. Trash skittered on gusts of wind. Traffic sounds and barking dogs reached them from beyond the fences on either side of the alley. At the other end, they had a short wait. They embraced for warmth and comfort, propping the rifles between them. Amanda nestled her head on Lee's shoulder, savoring his scent and his strength. Leatherneck pulled into the alley and the agents released each other.
"Thanks for coming, Leatherneck." Lee spoke brusquely as the marine exited the blue sedan from the Agency motor pool and handed Lee the keys. Lee opened the trunk of the car and placed the rifles inside, handing Amanda's jacket to her.
Leatherneck's customary drawl was absent as he responded to the sense of urgency. "Morning, Ace, Mrs. King."
Amanda's soft greeting in return lacked its usual cheer and the grim expression in her eyes was another ominous clue that the circumstances were worse than he had imagined. He swallowed hard – his mouth suddenly dry. Shrugging into her jacket, she eased away from the men to a position near the end of the alley that would allow her to watch for anyone approaching them. Psychologically, it also allowed her to keep her distance from Lee's choice to commit suicide rather than suffer a prolonged death. Leatherneck opened the box, spreading the contents on the hood of the car.
"Is this for you or someone else?" Until now, the supply master had not speculated on the possible uses of this deadly device. The tension radiating from Lee and Amanda was enough to make Leatherneck suspect the worst. His sudden suspicions were confirmed when Lee started rolling up his shirt sleeve.
"All right, then. Let me fit it to your arm." The device had to be positioned carefully to place the small needle directly above a vein, and snug enough that it would not be shifted. He had sent buddies on missions where chance of return was minimal. He knew he should be able to set aside personal feelings and respond to the situation as a professional. However, Amanda's tightly controlled emotions were evident even at a distance, and his usual professional stoicism was faltering.
As he made preliminary adjustments to the length of the watch band, he ventured a quiet question, "Do you want to tell me what this is all about?"
Lee's eyes were fixed on Leatherneck's work, while his mind skipped ahead solving the next several problems. It took a moment for him to hear the question, and several more moments as he decided whether to answer it. Up to now, he had protected his friend by giving him limited information. Leatherneck's participation in customizing the fit of the watch and activating its deadly mechanism couldn't be disguised. Having more information would help him if a Review Board required any defense of his actions.
Lee ran both hands through his hair and exhaled forcefully. His voice was harsh. "Yeah, you have a right to know. The short version is that I have been injected with a deadly disease courtesy of the KGB and we don't have an antidote for it. I will be contagious by midnight, and Billy's plan was to lock me up before I panicked and ran away. By submitting myself to the countdown on this watch, I hope he will let me stay free to fight for my life. It's my life, damn it. I should be allowed to fight!" His hands slashed through the air restlessly as he spoke. After a short pause to rein in his emotions, he continued. "If I follow Billy's plan, I'll be dead in another couple of days. But I can't passively accept my own death like that. So I plan to fight my hardest to save my life; or maybe I'll be dead before midnight. Either way, I'll go out fighting." He scuffed his foot through the gravel scattering rocks in all directions. "This watch is the guarantee that I'll die before spreading the bacteria. Set it for 11:00 tonight."
Leatherneck fought to stay focused on the task. He reminded himself that there was no benefit in anticipating either success or failure – just do the job. He called Amanda to join them so that he could demonstrate how to unlock the watch, and give her a chance to properly insert both keys. Best case scenario would be that Lee obtains an antidote and gets free of the threat.
Being the look-out had allowed Amanda to emotionally shift to a professional distance, handling the situation like any other dangerous assignment. She absorbed Leatherneck's explanations about the various controls and followed his instructions to unlock the watch. She pressed her lips in a thin line and focused on the possibility of setting Lee free from the deadly device. Leatherneck double-checked the time before starting the countdown.
Amanda objected, "Lee, isn't 11:00 overly pessimistic? If the race comes down to the wire, you might need every available minute. You aren't supposed to be contagious until midnight – 48 hours after that mugging."
"These things aren't that precise, Amanda. I can't take the chance of infecting you and exposing your family, and I know you won't leave before it's all over."
Amanda's fragile optimism stirred in the morning breeze. "Give us another 30 minutes, please. Just half an hour longer." She managed to keep her voice from pleading, but her eyes begged for his mercy. The loose tendrils of her hair waved around her tense face.
Lee looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. Nothing in his career had prepared him to deal with this. The complexity of impending death, a newly desperate passion for life, physical challenges, emotional landmines, diplomatic hindrances, mind-bending puzzles – his systems were overloaded.
How could he let go of her sooner?
How much of a risk could he take with her life?
"Okay, make it 11:30," he conceded, and then his voice became fierce, "but when this watch activates, you swear to me that you'll walk away immediately." He grabbed her hand and pulled their joined fist between their chests until they stood toe to toe. The intensity of his gaze and the tremors of his body telegraphed his vehemence. "There's no telling how long that bacteria will live in my body and I don't want you risking yourself or your family. Swear to me. Swear to me you'll leave." His voice was powerful and compelling - his fervor barely contained.
She had always surprised him by her emotional strength. Her slender body belied the fierce determination in her grip on his hand. She answered his intensity with her own. "I will fight with you until there is no hope left." Her voice rang with purpose and her eyes dared him to defy her. Her voice softened a fraction, "Then, I swear to you, I'll leave you and protect my family." She could not deny him the right to protect her to the end, but she would claim her place at his side until then. A stranger might have thought they were arguing, but Leatherneck recognized the language of love – the language of a love that was threatened.
Their ragged breathing was the only sound in the alley for some minutes as they gazed desperately and challengingly into each other's eyes. The sound of a distant siren broke the moment, and they remembered where they were and the "shoot to kill" orders that haunted Lee. The siren didn't sound threatening, but they had been in this alley too long.
"Get that watch on me, now, Leatherneck. I need to go meet Billy." Lee was impatient to finish. He held his right arm steady to allow precise placement.
Leatherneck made the final adjustments to activate the injection and snapped the watch closed. He caught Lee's eye and said, "You can count on me." A quick flick of his eyes towards Amanda was intended to communicate that he'd watch out for her, whatever happened. Then he took a step back and solemnly saluted, signifying respect and good luck in one crisp movement. He leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on Amanda's cheek. Then, he jogged to the far end of the alley and casually sauntered onto the main road without looking back.
"Let's go. I want to scout the site before Billy shows up. I don't want shooters hidden in the trees." And the day raced along with breathtaking speed.