5' ( epilogue) Chapter
"Lee here. cell is empty! dammit!!!"
" I may know where to find him, look on the plant.
Lab, I start to get them out then I come"
The laboratory was located in the basement
He took the stairs and entered the door marked with the letter S
(Schlachthof)
he stopped, heard voices coming from inside, recognized Klaus's.
He took the syringe with the antidote from his pocket and kept it handy while waiting for Schröder's signal, slipped the flat mirror
under the crack in the door-he saw him.
He was standing there beside his brother (Tied to a small chair) and holding a gun pointed at his brother's temple as if he was
waiting.
Schröder arrived, Amanda also arrived with Brigitte.
Schröder signaled Brigitte to follow him...
they went forward and then to the right following the perimeter of the laboratory, which on that side and also the side behind it had glass windows from half a
height.
They crawled so as not to be noticed, and when they arrived at the back Schröder gave the signal
Lee injected himself with the serum. after which he heard the glass pane shatter, opened the door just enough and threw in the canister of paralytic gas
then went inside.
Schröder lunged at Klaus, who lost his weapon.
But brandishing a dagger he struck Schröder in the arm, Brigitte grabbed, Klus by the legs but he wriggled out and pinned her to the ground.With one
hand on her throat while with the other she grabbed the gun, which was nearby
" Well, you lie down on the ground or I will put a hole in her brain. Come on, that's right everybody stop."
He stood up. reached Lee and delivered two powerful kicks to his left side. "Ouch, damn you" Get up Scarecrow ..you want more perchance? I'll
I'll settle this right now!"
"No ok ok I'm getting up"
"come on! and you guys don't make any false moves or I'll put a hole in your brain"
He struggled to get up clinging to his brother's chair. "Now sit here, next to your brother, you still...put your hands on the
armrests!"
He pressed a button and steel bracelets and anklets locked his limbs.
Lee felt intense pain in his side, he almost felt faint, he feared for his wounds
although, fortunately he felt no blood dripping down his side.
" Well, now let's see let's do the count, who shall I kill first you two?
" But ..by the way ..weren't you already dead?"
" Eh you know ... carte blanche takes everything."
He was about to hit him with the butt of the gun but from behind came a powerful blow to his head and he collapsed unconscious on the ground.
Behind him appeared the silhouette of his savior...smiling who, with outstretched arms merely said " Elementary Watson."
"Amanda!!!"
The Stetson brothers were released even though Michael was still under the effect of the paralyzing gas.
"Amanda but did you take the 'antidote?"
" I did, but yours is about to expire...
Let's hurry up and get out."
Lee and Schröder took Michael under their arms and led him outside, Brigitte and Amanda tied Klaus to the chair and
gagged him after which they went outside.
They walked out of the Stasi offices and shortly afterwards Micháel opened his eyes.
" But...you...you are here...then it is true that you are not dead!!!"
" Never have I been more alive, a little bruised, but alive," he said bringing his hand to his aching side.
They hugged each other.
" Let's postpone the celebration until later, we still have to go out."
Come on let's go, defilade, not all together.."
They shuffled through the crowd and were about to gain the exit when gunshots echoed through the 'air...
" Close...close the damn gate that's an order!!!"
No one could carry out the order though,
the guards had scattered to avoid being overpowered.
More shots were fired in the air and people were screaming and pushing to get out...
They saw him coming.
" Scarecrow stop or I'll go on a killing spree!"
He stopped and looked at Schröder and Michael.
"On my Three ..one,two... Lee advanced two steps toward Klaus placing himself behind the few remaining people ...The other two one to the right and one
to the left ...and ..Three.
In unison they brought the already loaded gun into position and cold-cocked Klaus, there on the forecourt.
Turning around they left amidst festive shouts,
leaving behind checkpoint Charlie.
They rejoined the company at the hotel.
Now it was Michael who was holding his suffering brother up to the room.
"It's over big brother."
"With my job..it's never over..but let's enjoy a few moments of serenity."
" I'm going to take a shower big brother, you get some rest...tonight we celebrate until late night." Embracing Glenda, they left the
room.
" Hey Amanda...they're cute together, aren't they!"
"Yes... Come on, let me look at your side now, see if it's okay."
She lifted his shirt and removed the Gauze
"mmhh!!!"
" Well?!"
" It's not bleeding, but it has swelled a little."
" A little how much?"
"A little much...I think we'd better get it looked at... There's a nice subcutaneous hematoma."
" With all the stitches it could have hit, right there!!! dammit."
"Come on don't complain..it could have been worse."
" Yeah..and I still haven't said Thank you my love! How many times I must have told you..if it wasn't for you..well you got it!!!"
"I'll call now, I'll get a doctor to come"
"Wait a minute... Michael is doctor, call me him...well better let him take a shower first!!!"
" No dear...first business then pleasure"
He opened the door again, knocked on the one in front
"I think you should look at a patient before you delight in Western vices, Dr. Stetson"
"I'll be right there, I'll put some clothes on."
" I sincerely hope I'm not always disturbed at the best of times, big brother!"
"We've only just met but already you're talking like you've had a brother all your life!
Ha ha ... Ouch!!!"
"Stay down good big brother!!!
" It's easy for you..but the skin is mine!!!"
They all laughed, except Lee.
They spent the next two days together
walking the streets of West Berlin.
Not missing, as promised, was a visit to the Dorotheenstadt cemetery.
"Mah...is my name there?"
"Yes here is the child they replaced with you, and whom Mom and Dad had to painfully say goodbye to thinking it was you."
"Gee!" a tear escaped him." Hei What is it Michael?"
" I was thinking about Mama Margaret...
They wouldn't tell me where they laid her down!"
"You know what we can do...let's put a flower each here...as a symbol, it will be from now on the place in her memory."
"Yes!!! Good idea."
Three days later at Berlin airport
"So do you really have to go back to America?"
Eh I guess so! What are you going to do?"
"I'll go to Lienz, his mother's house is quite big and then ... I was offered a good job at the A ö BKH in Lienz."
"But that's great ..but will you come and see me?"
"Let me settle in and then I swear on the first round of vacation I'll come..we still have so much to talk about.
Yes..I also want you to take me to mom and dad's grave."
" Will do "
"Goodbye Lee, thank you, thank you for coming "
"Don't mention it ...I was so excited I wanted to leap out of the hospital bed and come right away ...but within 5 minutes of finding out
I was poisoned ...and I almost died."
" Yes they told me."
The loudspeaker announced the flight
"Passengers on flight 7711 to Washington Dulles are requested to proceed to the boarding gate"
"Well I'll try to come as soon as I can, you in the meantime try not to get killed, okay!"
" Promise. Bye Michael, bye Glenda take care of him."
"Promise, bye."
They took their seats on the plane.
The plane took off.
Lee, sitting by the window looked, silently, at Berlin below them.
Amanda, also, without saying anything, held his hand and gently stroked it and looked at him.
His eyes were glazed over, his throat and apple contracted and then relaxed at short intervals.
Amanda squeezed his hand.
He turned away.
"Geez Amanda, do you realize what happened!!! A brother-I have a brother!"
"Yes my dear, that's wonderful! How are you now,
how is your hip?"
" It hurts a little but the joy in my heart now is so great that it almost makes me forget everything I've been through!...
Dresden, the ambush under the house,...gee do you realize .they even sent a commando of three goons to take me out.!! and then
...what happened in the hospital and then Berlin..."
"Yeah honey, you've really been through some
good ones."
" Ah one thing, in the midst of all this mess I was forgetting but..my "Vette"
do you know what happened to it? I know I wasn't very lucid but before I blacked out I saw a chilling sight!"
"Yep! maybe I think only part of the passenger side was saved! I guess they had the department people take it away.
but that's all I know, unfortunately."
she clutched him tightly.
"Damn it!"
"Come on don't think about it, they'll give you another one, maybe even nicer."
" You don't understand, it's important to me!"
"Take it easy, don't think about it and now try to get some rest."
" Yes, maybe you are right...I have to get in shape quickly...I don't think Smyth
will want to give me many more days off...by the way how did you get him to come all the way to Berlin? Do you know how he
he thinks about 'personal matters'?"
"Simple, he doesn't know anything about it. Billy had total command of the office while he was on vacation and so, with a phone call to the higher-ups, he got
obtained approval, after all it was a matter of recovering an American citizen who had fallen into enemy hands."
- laughing - " Well, I guess we'll hear some good things when he gets back! Now I only have one thing on my mind you know...I hope Michael will be able to soon
to take some vacation time, we still have so much to catch up on...we need to catch up on lost years."
"Yes, I can imagine, honey. but now just relax and get some sleep."
" Yes dear" He closed his eyes and, shortly after, fell asleep."
After a 9-hour flight, after a stopover in Madrid, they arrived in Washington.
" Well boys I'll take you home now...I wouldn't want to..."
" oh Billy I don't think anything else can happen to me now, come on. I think I've "given" enough, don't you think?"
"Maybe but I'd rather not take any chances."
They reached Arlington shortly after ..they were almost in front of the house as much as Lee looked straight ahead
" But...that... is a mirage!!! Tell me I'm not dreaming!!!"
the car stopped in front of the house, He got out of the car
and saw her.
" My God, I can't believe it!! but it can't be her!"
" It's really her Lee, believe it, you know our mechanic is a wizard!"He scrutinized her closely, running a hand over the bodywork.
" But you can't even tell where she did the repairs!"
" Well more than repairs he had to do real part replacements . however he did an excellent job."
" I guess I owe him at least a couple of dinners!..but tell me ..you guys knew that right?"
" Why do you think I came all the way here. Never would I have missed this scene!"
"Billyyyy.!! Thank you, thank you for everything ..I know what you have done for me these days. How can I ever repay you ??!!"
" You just get your strength back then I'll make you pay them back ..what do I know .. maybe with some good extra shifts. ha ha ha"
" Mah !!!! Ok ok but we'll talk again.Thank you."
"Come on now get in the house, I can't stay here and babysit you all night"
"Sure, go ahead!
"bye Billy, thanks"
" Hi Amanda...and you watch him take it easy and rest and ..no late nights tonight!" said Billy winking at her.
"Oh Billy, I'm so tired I'm going to collapse as soon as I put my head on the pillow."
"That goes for you too Hawk."
" Yes Sir! Come on come on let's go inside!
Everything is off, you say they will be asleep already?"
"Well it's 11 p.m., come on let's go inside!"
He slipped the key into the keyhole and they entered.
"As soon as Amanda turned on the lights.
festive shouts went up in the hall.
" Welcome back!!!"
Waiting for them, in addition to Dotty and the boys were Michael and Glenda.
" You,...voi...here..how is that possible!! we said goodbye to each other in Berlin I .me "
"Dear brother you forget perhaps that you had a stopover..well I took, right after, another flight, special thanks to Uncle Clayton , and
as you see, here I am "
" Ha ha I'll correct you right away little brother...watch how you address him; you must call him Colonel!!! You will know him!!!!
" But you didn't have to ..."
"Work? as it happens, I only have to start in seven days, so we have some time to spend together."
They hugged each other.
"Apparently it's evening of surprises, but this is the best one ever Michael!"
"Wait until the end of the week, when you've had to endure it for seven days, then you'll tell me if you're still happy with this
surprise, 'brother-in-law'!"
"Glenda!!!!!" Muttered Michael, feathering her hand on her B-side.
" Come on guys, we need a toast."
" Yes Dotty, I think you are right."
" To Lee and Michael! cheers!"
"Wait, so ...raise your glasses, here's one more shot, one more ...Perfect!"
"Oh Jaime, that's enough now, the flash is making my eyes red, I'll look like a zombie in those pictures."
"They will be wonderful, my love, you deserve some joy . Well guys now everybody to bed it's very late, let's leave them alone for a while, they will have some
a few things to tell each other, just 36 years to catch up on."
Everyone defected; Lee and Michael, glasses in hand, reached the living room took a seat and began to chat,
chatting for several hours, until tired, they fell asleep, side by side, on the sofa.
It was 6 a.m. when the alarm clock rang;
Jamie reached out his hand and turned off the alarm clock, got up, and after putting on his glasses, looked for his book to proceed to review chemistry, in
preparation for the test.
" Man I left it on the cabinet in the kitchen!"
He opened the door and walked up the flight of stairs when he saw them.
He retraced his steps, picked up the camera, and then gently knocked on Mom's door.
Amanda opened her eyes.
" Yes who is it?"
Jaime entered.
" What's wrong Jaime, are you not well? but...what are you doing with...?"
"Sshh mom come, there is something you really need to see, be quiet."
He got up, they went down the stairs quietly.
"Look mom, aren't they gorgeous!!!?"
He began to take pictures, taking care to remove flash and sound.
"Yes, absolutely! But what are you doing awake?"
" I had to take the book down to review, when I saw them, I couldn't help but call you.
Geez mom, but they look identical, face-wise, I mean, except for height...we finally found someone who will give Lee a good
lesson in basketball, Michael told me he used to play basketball and he's coming to play with us on the court."
"Yes, that's true, but now take the book and let's go back up before they notice us.
Let's let them rest, they've had a rough few days and they deserve some peace and quiet."
"Yes mom."
Retrieving the book, he joined Mom and, hugging each other, they returned to their rooms."
The end.