Co-Authored by Tracey Arcieri and Karen LaManna

Chapter 8

Dimitri and Ivan walked inside the ramshackle building, Lee immediately yelled from below, "Hey! Hey, who's there?"

Ivan squatted down to open the small door and instructed, "Mr. Stetson, you need to stop yelling. It will be over soon so save your energy."

Lee squinted in the bright light and tried to focus on the face looking down at him. It was vaguely familiar, but his brain was foggy, and he couldn't place it. "I know you," he stated enigmatically, his voice hoarse.

"Enough! We were told to check on him, nothing more!" Dimitri snapped at Ivan. Ivan glanced down once more at Lee before he closed and latched the door again.

Lee could do nothing but yell out once more, "Hey, come on! Don't leave me here! Hey! Hey!" He could hear the retreating footsteps across the floor fade away. "Damn!" he swore, partially under his breath. He coughed loudly, his chest starting to hurt from the lack of fresh air. He counted off steps to get back to the cot without having to feel his way across the room.

Lee sat on the edge and coughed again, this time a long spasmed cough. His eyes burned from the dust and mold particles floating around him. Each time he laid down, panic would set in. As soon as he stopped moving, he could hear the squeaks and shuffling of the rats from the corner.

Lee leaned forward and hung his head, his forearms resting on his knees. His head was pounding with the sound of blood rushing through his ears. His heart raced, although, he was sitting perfectly still. Dehydration, he thought, it must be signs of dehydration. Lee tried to remember the last time he had something to drink but his muddled brain fought him. He debated sampling the water dripping in the corner, but the fear of getting closer to the small cluster of squirming bodies prevailed. I can do this, I just need to stay calm and hang on a little longer. Amanda will know something is wrong, she'll convince Billy. I know she will. She always does. When I didn't show up for our hike and picnic she is going to know something happened to me. I can always count on her when it comes to keeping me safe. After all, she's my partner and that's what partners do. Lee rubbed his hands through his hair as one more thought crossed his mind. Who are you kidding, Stetson, Amanda King is much more than just a partner to you! She's your whole world, your light. Without her, you're surrounded by the darkness.

Amanda drove to the first address on the list and parked her car on the street. She looked in her rear-view mirror and sighed. "Come on, Amanda, you can do this. Just look around, act normal, pretend you're looking for your lost dog," she tried to boost her own confidence. She was pretty sure she could pull it off unless she bumped into Gregory himself. She climbed out of her car and glanced around before she moved toward the house. She didn't see any cars in the driveway, so she quickly moved toward the backyard. "Shoot!" she breathed. The small yard was fenced in on three sides with no additional buildings in the area she could see. She pulled the copy of the land survey from her back pocket and tried to orient herself. She quickly dismissed the potential of this property, because the corner where the structure was depicted on the land survey was now a swing set. She quickly jogged back to her car and drove toward the next address two miles away.

The second house was much like the first, the landscape having been changed since the last time the survey was done, the possibility of Lee being hidden there too slim in Amanda's opinion. She shook her head, pursed her lips in frustration and drove toward the third house on her list. The house was located at the end of a cul-de-sac that bordered on the edge of the Potomac Overlook Regional Park. Amanda drove down the street slowly keeping her eye on the both sides of the street. She neared the large Colonial style home, set back from the street and blocked by a large iron fence. She couldn't help observe the gated driveway was very out of place in the small neighborhood. Thinking this house had serious potential and the neighborhood wouldn't do well to hide her car, Amanda drove away and found a small restaurant about a half mile away where she could easily leave her car without fear someone would call the police for a strange vehicle in the neighborhood. She was going to stick to her story of searching for a lost dog as she walked back toward the house.

When she turned onto the street, she looked around for any neighbors that may be outside. The street appeared deserted, no one outside of their homes, very few cars in driveways. Amanda checked her watch then chastised herself, "Really, Amanda, it's a weekday. Everyone is probably at work." Behind her she heard the distinct sound of an engine, so she ducked her head and called out, "Come on, boy, come on." An older-model banged up van rumbled past her slowly. It stopped before the gate and one man climbed out to push the gate open as the driver slowly rolled through before the man closed the gate again. Amanda glanced toward him and waved in a friendly gesture as if she belonged in the neighborhood. The man waved back and as he turned, Amanda immediately recognized him. She never forgot Dimitri's face after he jumped out and grabbed her in the woods that Christmas Eve, but, she also never forgot his kindness. He'd made the trek to the car to retrieve the first aid kit that not only helped save Lee's life but Ivan's as well. Why would Dimitri be here… unless, Amanda thought as she walked toward the backyard of the house beside her. She tried to appear casual as she watched Dimitri close the gate out of the corner of her eye. She saw a child's treehouse in the backyard and quickly climbed up, hoping it was as sturdy as the one in her yard. From this vantage point, she was able to see over the fence and into the property next door.

In the distance, the church bells began to chime as Amanda watched the van roll slowly toward the house and came to a stop. Both men climbed out and to her relief, Gregory exited the building to meet them. She breathed a sigh of relief as she watched the men talk and although she couldn't hear them, she watched as Gregory gestured toward the back of the house and then again at the van.

"So, you both understand the plan? Tomorrow morning, we will transport Mr. Stetson from here to the old mattress factory in DC. There, you will wait until Kozlov is safely in our possession. Once Stetson has been eliminated, we will bring Kozlov directly to the Embassy where we will be welcomed with open arms, gentlemen," Gregory explained in detail, his smile growing larger as he spoke.

Ivan looked nervously at Dimitri as he said "Gregory, I still don't understand why."

Gregory narrowed his eyes at Ivan and stated, "You don't need to understand. You just need to follow orders. Remember, you won't get paid until the job is done. Stetson's a dead man and Kozlov is ours." Without waiting for a reply, Gregory turned and walked back into the house, leaving Ivan uncomfortably shifting from one foot to the other as he stared at his retreating form.

"Dimitri, I have a bad feeling about this," Ivan admitted quietly once Gregory closed the door.

"You think too much," Dimitri scolded him before he added, "We don't do what he says, we don't get paid. It's as simple as that."

Ivan shook his head and walked toward the back of the house, his hands jammed in his pockets, contemplating what was awaiting them the next day. He leaned against a porch rail and lit a cigarette, the tendrils of smoke drifted upward. Dimitri followed him, sat down and propped his feet up on the rail.

"Why is this bothering you so much. It's a работа, a job, nothing more," Dimitri scolded him.

Ivan took a long drag on his cigarette, the ash tip glowing bright red before he released it, exhaling a puff of grey smoke, "Do you remember that night in the forest?"

Dimitri waved him away with a flick of his hand, "Bah, one night doesn't change anything."

"Da, but that Mr. Stetson, he could have killed us. He would have killed us, of that I'm sure, but that woman with him, I keep thinking about her," Ivan explained.

"You're soft," Dimitri spit as he crossed his arms and looked toward the ramshackle building in the far corner of the yard, partially hidden by the trees.

Ivan flicked the cigarette out into the yard as he turned away from Dimitri. "I still don't like this."