The Bomb 15

SMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMKSMK

When they rolled onto the grounds of the old Chesapeake Pipe Factory, Lee thought about the last time he'd been there just a few months prior. He and Amanda, even though she wasn't supposed to be there, had gone to stop a man who was trying to steal classified and declassified documents from J Edgar Hoover's files to sell.

Shaking his head, he remembered her literally backing her car into the path of his hostage's car. He didn't know too many women like Amanda and it killed him what had been done to her by some faceless, monster who wasn't worthy to breath. 'Well,' he thought to himself. 'He won't be breathing too long, if I can help it.'

They arrived at the factory just a few minutes before eleven. Lee and Billy stepped from the car and opened the back door. Reaching in, they drug a seemingly very injured woman from the back seat and started marching her in the direction, given them, by the man they had in custody.

All three agents were aware of the eyes on them, from both sides, and they made sure to make as few missteps as possible. Lee and Billy were not gentle to Francine and she kept her head down, making sure to groan appropriately from time to time.

Once they reached the side of the building, a man, dressed as they were and wearing a mask similar to theirs, stepped out of the shadows and greeted them. "You have any problems?" He asked the two masked men before him, as they gripped the swaying woman between them.

"No." Billy answered not wanting to say too much for fear he'd notice the difference in voices.

"Good." The man nodded. "Come on, then. Boss is waiting for her."

Lee and Billy exchanged glances as they followed behind, dragging Francine with them.

The man led them down the side of the side of the long brick building and to a flight of stairs. Swiftly he climbed to the upper level and waited, somewhat impatiently, while the trio of agents, playing their parts to the hilt, clambered up behind him. "Go on in." The man opened the door for them. "The boss is anxious to get this over with."

When they entered the dimly lit room, they saw a man near the one lone window, of what had probably been a small office. His back was to them, and he didn't turn when he heard them come in, but instantly Lee recognized him.

"I'm glad you're on time," the man said without looking away from the window. "Stetson should be here anytime now. He won't wait until midnight."

"You're right, he won't." Lee snarled as he ripped the mask from his face and rushed towards the man, tackling him to the floor.

At the sound of a large thud created by the man, when he fell, a door, on the opposite side of the room, opened and two men came in, guns raised. Billy let go of Francine and immediately went for his own gun. But one of the goons was on him before he could clear it and Billy had to side step him then bring all of his, not inconsiderable, weight down on him, to keep from being shot.

Francine, seeing the other man running towards her, took a step backwards but instantly felt the door, behind her. Seeing only one opportunity to fell him, she allowed him to close in, before raising a knee to his groan and a well-sharpened heel to his instep. He went down without too much protest.

As Billy and Francine were struggling with their own villains, Lee pulled the man he was fighting with, up by the scruff of the neck and punched him as hard as he could. Most men would've crumpled with the force of the impact, but not this one. This one returned the blow and took off, running madly from the room, through the door left open by his men.

Lee was on his heels in a second and quickly caught up with him, just as he reached the far wall. Grabbing him by the jacket, Lee spun him around and punched him again, and again and again. The man was, by this time, fairly well out of it. But Lee didn't seem to notice, when he raised his fist to hit him yet again.

He might have continued until the man was beyond redemption, had Billy not reached him, taking his arm before he could land another blow. "Lee, Lee. It's over." Billy said loudly and sternly. "It's over. Let him go."

For several seconds the two froze in place, Lee refusing to release the man and Billy refusing to release Lee's arm. "Don't you think Amanda would like to see you at her side, instead of in a jail cell?" He asked Lee quietly.

That worked to get through to the angry and anguished agent. Taking a ragged breath, Lee let go of the already senseless man and watched disinterestedly as he slid down the wall, to fall on the floor in a lump of misshapen flesh.

Billy held onto Lee's arm for a moment longer, needing to make sure he didn't go for the man's throat again, before finally, he relinquished his arm and stepped back. Looking down at the now unconscious villain, Billy thought he recognized him, despite Lee's attempts at reorganizing his face. "Is that…?"

"Yeah," Lee answered in disgust. "It's Adolph Jurganson."

TBC