Chapter 6
The penetrating silence of the Q-Bureau disturbed Amanda's fleeting concentration as she attempted to read a case file for the third time. Repeatedly her eyes left the text to gaze around the room in a futile search for her missing colleague. Her mind had certainly registered his absence, but her heart refused to accept the obvious. Lee Stetson was neither present or accounted for and hadn't been for quite some time.
Reminders of him beckoned to her everywhere she looked. His daily planner sat on the window sill, where he'd tossed it in his haste. Its dog-eared pages lay tightly closed, a silent testimony of scheduled appointments, unacknowledged and unmet.
The cactus dish garden was holding its own, safely displayed on the file cabinet. Its prickly spurs threatened retribution to any unsuspecting agent that came too close. More than once, it had attached itself to the seat of Lee's pants when the plant had been carelessly left in the very spot reserved for his derriere.
Amanda's fingers delicately stroked the smooth surface of his solid oak desk, now dusted and polished to perfection by her practiced hand. The rituals of clearing away the clutter and meticulously organizing the files had helped to exorcize the phantom worry that shadowed her every thought of Lee. There was now a reverence about her work, as she treated his familiar belongings like sacred relics and offered wordless prayers of petition for his safe return.
Closing the folder, she pushed her chair back and began her solitary waltz around the small office. No doubt about it, she'd picked up her pacing habit from Lee. Preparing to make coffee, her eyes were drawn to the gallery of photographs that lined the wall over the file cabinets and book cases. She studied the lanky, somber faced kid in the high school athletic shots of Lee's youth. "You were a heartbreaker even then," she declared to the tall, handsome boy in the pictures.
Absently feeding the fish, she stared longingly at the telephone. It was so tempting to place yet another call to her boss to ask for an update on Lee's status. However, she'd already committed to memory the words of his measured response. "I'm sorry, Amanda, but I have no information to report."
The click of her high heels against the hardwood floor mocked her inertia. She couldn't bear another minute cloistered in the silent office. Abandoning her faithful vigil, Amanda grabbed her purse and switched off the light. Mr. Melrose might not be ready to summon her, but she was ready to confront him with her questions and concerns. Hopefully, he wasn't mired in a high level meeting or a national security crisis, because it was time to boldly make her presence known.
The Agency's Mrs. King might be a civilian employee, but she had been partnered with Lee in ways that defied the usual interpretation of the role. She knew him better than anyone, and she had a definite need-to-know about his welfare.
SMK-SMK-SMK
Poised for action, Amanda confidently knocked on the door to William Melrose's inner sanctum. Her quick mind expertly composed a passionate speech, but belatedly registered the closed blinds and low hum of voices. Realizing she'd picked the wrong moment to intrude, she was about to walk away when the door suddenly opened.
The somber face of her boss glowered accusingly. "I'm in a meeting," he barked. Then softening his tone, he relented. "Be quick, Amanda. I only have a second."
"Sorry to interrupt," she apologized. "It's about Lee, sir." Her planned speech suddenly took flight. "I, um, I'll just return when you aren't busy." She nodded shyly and started to retreat.
"Please, wait." The kindness in Billy's voice brought her up short.
Amanda stared at him in confusion. "Sir, I can come back," she said in a rush, but something in his solemn brown eyes made her pause.
"No, it's good timing, Amanda." In silent invitation, he opened the door wider. "Actually the meeting concerns Lee, and you should probably hear what I have to say." He gently touched her arm as she eased past his sizable bulk and stepped into the office.
Amanda hesitated when she saw the grim faces of Francine Desmond, Dr. McJohn, and Dr. Pfaff. Everyone politely greeted her and then averted their eyes. Whatever revelation was about to be shared, it most certainly was not good news. Nodding toward the group, she slipped her quaking hands beneath her thighs and quietly took a seat.
Mr. Melrose wasted no time in getting to the point. "Amanda, I'm in the process of briefing everyone on Lee's overseas assignment. I'm sorry you were in the dark, but you certainly understand the rules."
"Yes, sir," she whispered, faking a calm she didn't feel. With the presence of the Agency doctors, she could guess a health issue would be part of Lee's status report.
Billy held her gaze as he continued his explanation. "Some of us know that Stetson has been on a top secret mission in Hungary. We've just received word from the Petrak family that he's seriously ill and unable to escape the country."
Amanda's eyes flickered closed as she absorbed the shocking news. "Sir," she managed to croak in her raspy voice. "Is Lee going to be okay?"
He silenced her with a wave of his hand. "We don't have a lot of details, but hear me out, people. From what we can piece together, Lee was captured by an enemy agent and involved in some kind of auto accident. A member of the Hungarian Resistance found him in rough terrain and hauled him to a hospital. When word reached the Petraks, they moved him to a more secure location."
"Do we have a status report on his injuries? What about his prognosis?" Dr. McJohn put pen to paper, ready to jot down more information.
Billy shook his head. "What we have is very sketchy. Apparently, Lee was in pretty bad shape when he was found. Reference was made to a concussion, blood loss and broken ribs. He received very limited medical attention, and now he's holed up in a Budapest apartment. The message indicated his condition is deteriorating daily. Complications have developed, including probable pneumonia."
"Who's caring for him?" The alarm in Francine's voice mirrored Amanda's concern for Lee.
"That's just it," Billy replied. "There's no one to stay with him around the clock. The Petraks are doing what they can, but they have to keep a very low profile."
Amanda ran her nervous fingers over the pleats of her skirt as she fought down her rising anxiety. "Sir, will the Agency send medical personnel?"
Francine cut her off. "Amanda, please! You know, as well as I do, we can't fly into an Eastern Bloc country with a team of medics. By now the whole country could be looking for an American spy. Lee knows the risks."
Seeing the glare of the others, Francine toned down her rhetoric. "Of course, we want to help Lee, but the question is how."
Dr. McJohn rose to his feet. "Our man needs a hospital, but that probably won't happen until we can get someone to stabilize Lee and help him escape from Hungary. In the worse case scenario, he may have serious head trauma, severe blood loss and massive infection. I'm also concerned about possible internal injuries, not to mention the respiratory problems of pneumonia. If the only medical care available is bed rest, vodka and an occasional visit from the Petraks, then he could be in very dire straits."
Billy retrieved his handkerchief and mopped the perspiration from his brow. "If Lee is alone much of the time, I doubt that he's getting much of anything."
"What Scarecrow needs is some bedside bombshell to play nursemaid," Francine offered with a tight laugh. "A nice buxom blonde would be just what the doctor ordered."
"Oh, are you volunteering to go, Francine?" Amanda sucked in her bottom lip, too late to stop the biting quip at the blonde's expense. Embarrassed, she hung her head as Francine's eyes shot daggers at her from across the room.
The section chief dismissed the verbal sparring with a roll of his eyes. "Actually, we do need to get some kind of nurse to Lee, and soon. He's much too ill to ride this thing out alone."
"Yes," McJohn added. "And we have to get medications to him. If he has a bacterial infection, antibiotics should have been in his system yesterday."
"Sir, just how responsive is Lee? Is he awake. Is he eating?" Sitting ramrod straight, Amanda waited for some word of reassurance.
Billy's shoulders sagged with the weight of his worry. "Apparently he's sleeping all the time, and the Petraks can barely rouse him to drink. I just hope he hasn't given up."
Dr. Pfaff rested his forearms on his knees and peered over the rim of his reading glasses. "That's the part that concerns me the most. Psychologically, he's probably feeling pretty hopeless and abandoned. He's going to need a familiar face from home, as well as nursing care."
Amanda didn't hesitate. "Sir, when can I leave for Hungary?"
"I beg your pardon?" Billy either doubted her intent or was testing her resolve.
Moving to the edge of her seat, Amanda attempted to be perfectly clear. "Lee needs me. I belong at his side."
Billy gazed at her with pure admiration. "Mrs. King, thank you, but I'm afraid that's more than I could ask of you. It would be very dangerous for you to go alone, and, as Francine pointed out, we can't send a team." He moved to stand by Amanda's chair and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I promise, we'll send someone."
"But, sir . . ."
Before Amanda could mount a convincing protest, Francine rose from her seat and commandeered center stage. "I would be on the next transatlantic flight if I thought I could help Lee, but as you most certainly recall, I was already mistaken for Magda Petrak. Besides, no one would confuse me with Mother Teresa. I'm afraid nursing is not one of my strong suits." Francine's eyes rested on Amanda. "Our resident housewife gets my vote. She's the natural nurturer among us. Lee always said, 'Mrs. King has motherhood carved on her bones'."
Amanda acknowledged the comment with a shy smile. Francine may have her pegged as a hovering mother or nurturing aunt, but she'd go undercover as Lee's grandmother, if it would save his life. Despite her embarrassment, she felt empowered by the ringing endorsement. "Mr. Melrose, please don't underestimate my ability. I do have nursing skills, and I certainly have experience caring for people. This assignment would be right down my alley."
Billy listened, silently nodding his head in agreement with each persuasive argument.
"Sir, you know I've been trained by the best, and I hope, by now, you trust my instincts in the field."
"I do have confidence in your abilities, Amanda, and I realize you'd go to the ends of the earth to help Lee, but I don't want to send you behind the Iron Curtain." His voice trailed off as he rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.
Dr. Pfaff leaned forward and pinned Melrose with a determined gaze. "Mrs. King is the best person to give Stetson a fighting chance. He trusts her implicitly, and she has a unique connection to him emotionally. Just having her there will lift his spirits. And furthermore, she is the most likely candidate to gain his cooperation. He isn't going to accept the medical orders of just anybody."
Dr. McJohn stood in front of Amanda and began to formulate a plan of treatment. "I want you to inject him with broad spectrum antibiotics. Don't let anyone give him penicillin. He's allergic to it. No aspirin! It could burn his stomach. As much as he may need a transfusion, I'm afraid it's too risky, what with the world blood supply being contaminated with viruses - especially the new AIDS virus. I will give you supplies . . . ."
"Hold it people," Melrose roared. "I haven't agreed to send Amanda yet. She's my responsibility, and I value her safety as much as Lee's life." Regaining everyone's attention, he laid out his instructions. "Amanda, go home and work this out with your family as best you can. This is need-to-know only. I have to try to work out a scenario for getting you into the country directly. We will not be sneaking you across the border in the middle of the night. We either fly you right into Budapest with an iron-clad cover, or you don't go. Is that understood?"
"Understood, sir." Amanda nodded respectfully. She would salute if it would jump-start Mr. Melrose. Lee needed his partner, so she wanted to leave immediately.
Billy started to hold the door for her, and then changed his mind. Pivoting on his heel, he captured her attention again. "Oh, and one more thing." His eyes held Amanda's with firm resolve. "I want to be absolutely clear. The only focus of the assignment is caring for Lee. As soon as he's on the way to recovery, then you're on the next plane home. I don't intend for you to carry out his escape. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, sir, I understand perfectly." Amanda stood, waiting with bated breath for her boss's go ahead.
"If this is a definite go, we'll try to fly you out today." Billy pounded the air with his fist. "Even a direct flight takes nine hours. Then you need to get to the Buda side of Budapest where Lee is staying in an apartment. We can only hope you won't be too late." Everyone nodded in agreement as Billy gave his dismissal. "Okay, that's it, people. Meet back here at one o'clock this afternoon to confirm our arrangements."
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"Amanda, darling, what do you mean you have to pack for a trip?" Dotty fumed as she followed her daughter upstairs, shadowing her all the way to the bedroom. "Doesn't your boss know you are still recovering from an accident?"
"Mother, please, I'm fine." Amanda pulled her suitcase out of the closest and began emptying her lingerie drawer. "You know IFF sends me to Europe occasionally to scout for locations." The two moved as one, as Dotty examined every article of clothing that Amanda tossed on the bed.
"Well, where will you be, Amanda? When will you be home?" Holding up a dark green blouse and a pair of blue jeans, Dotty challenged the selection. "Honestly, Amanda, people take a gown to Europe, not their camping clothes. I take it you won't be going to Paris or Vienna?"
"That's correct, Mother. We'll be scouting some rather remote areas." The over-indulgent parental concern was not lost on Amanda.
Dotty continued to press for more information. "Dear, the clothes you're selecting are more appropriate for some God-forsaken place like Transylvania. If I didn't know better, I'd guess my daughter will be in Hungary, living with Gypsies."
Amanda choked, astonished that her mother had managed to unwittingly skim the outer edge of the truth. "Mother, Transylvania is in Romania. Besides, it's a communist country. Why, in heaven's name, would my boss want me to travel there?"
"I'm talking about Hungary, Amanda. I thought Transylvania was in Hungary." She shook her blonde head in confusion. "But I guess Hungary is a communist country, too." Dotty crossed her arms and raised a perfectly trimmed eyebrow for her daughter's benefit. It was clear her antenna had gone on high alert.
Amanda squirmed under the scrutiny. "Well, you were partly correct about Transylvania. It used to be in Hungary, but it now belongs to Romania." She tried to sidestep the parental roadblock, but Dotty planted herself right in her daughter's path.
"Please, Mother! No more questions! I need to finish packing."
"Humph." Dotty tapped her foot impatiently, managing to hold her tongue for a full thirty seconds. "So, I imagine you'll be in the Carpathian Mountains? They take in several countries and surround Transylvania. You will need your hiking boots and poncho if you're going to roam those rugged mountains."
"Mo-ther, I don't have time to play twenty questions with you. I'm running late as it is."
"Don't give me that, Missy. I know you have the right to your privacy, but a mother needs details about her child's plans."
Amanda held her breath and counted to ten before responding. "Mother, I'm not going to be in the Carpathian Mountains, nor will I be living with Gypsies. IFF told me to pack practical, comfortable clothes. We'll be traveling to many locations, all hours of the day and night. There is no need to look like American business men and women."
"Well, darling, you don't need to dress like communist peasants, either. You know what your grandmother always said. Dress for success."
Amanda shook her head, smiling at the treasured family words of wisdom. Pausing in her preparation, she reached out her arms to hug her mother. "Please, don't worry. IFF will keep you informed of any delays. Joe has volunteered to stay at the house until I return."
"Well, how does Joe feel about you running out on him? After all, Amanda, the man doesn't get to see you very often. I think he'd really like to spend some quality time with the mother of his children. You never know what may transpire between the two of you."
"Mo-ther!" Amanda slammed her suitcase shut. "Joe understands. He needs time with his sons, not his ex-wife." She grabbed a few items from the bathroom and threw them in her carry-on bag, along with an extra pair of shoes. "Now, I really do need to go. Give the boys a kiss for me and tell them I love them."
Dotty's frown softened when her daughter wrapped her arms around her tightly. "Be careful, Amanda. Remember to call me." With a heavy sigh she waved at the whirlwind hurrying out the door. "Honestly, that girl!"
Amanda turned to blow her mother another kiss. Glancing heavenward, she said a silent prayer that someday she could bring Lee home to meet her family.
To be continued