As hotels in Istanbul went, the Istasyon Park was a winner. In addition to zero evil henchmen within its walls, the bathroom was twice the size of her tiny en suite at home. She turned the shower on almost past bearable and stripped off. Her arms and back were covered in cuts and scratches from rolling around in the garbage. The bruise under the ribs on her right side was well on its way to being enormous. As she scrubbed down, the gash in leg positively screamed, Even so, Amanda regretted that she couldn't just fall asleep under the spray.
Every article of clothing she'd entered the hotel wearing was destined for the garbage can. Amanda checked the pockets in her ruined jeans and only found the three hand-made bracelets and her ticket stub from the ferry. Amanda pitched the ticket and put two of the bracelets in her makeup bag. However, she carefully wrapped the purple one around her left wrist and knotted it securely.
After half-heartedly toweling her hair and dressing in a clean t-shirt and shorts, Amanda rejoined the men. Weary didn't begin to cover her current state. She hoped this wouldn't take long.
Lee took her by the arm and spoke so only she could hear. "I'm going to hit the shower. Hank is going to see to your leg and then you can get some rest. Is that okay?"
"If you trust Paul, then I do too."
Lee nodded and shot their guests a loaded look. "I really do appreciate the assist guys." Lee grabbed a couple of things from his bag and hit the shower.
Amanda took the chair against the wall that Lee had just vacated. She'd had a good look at the cut in the bathroom. It was angry - clearly a swim by the docks hadn't done it any favors. Luckily, Hank's first aid kit was way better than average, and she believed she was in good hands. Hank laid out his supplies and apologized in advance, telling her she needed stitches.
"Had them before. If you can, make them pretty."
"You'd be surprised how many times a guy in BDUs has said the same thing to me."
Amanda smiled at that but couldn't quite make herself laugh with them. She tipped her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. Hank sat down on the floor at her feet and narrated as he worked. Lidocaine spray helped a little, but it wasn't pleasant. Hank cleaned it thoroughly and started to sew it up.
Lee's showered fast, and he appeared less than ten minutes later in just his jeans.
Mendoza whistled and moved to give Lee the chair closest to his partner. "Man, Lee, you look like you got trampled by cattle."
Amanda agreed. "You're not far off." She tried to ignore the work on her leg as she cataloged her partner's many bruises. The one by his waist was vibrant red and purple. But for being a little lower and farther over, and a quarter the size, it matched one she had. However, the one that particularly occupied her lay between his shoulder blades – a complete impression of an adult-sized shoe. "Good heavens, Lee! Did you get a look at yourself?"
"Mirror was all fogged up." She could read in his posture and expression that it was time for more aspirin, or something stronger. She could relate.
"Henry?" Amanda began, leaning forward to inspect his progress. His stitches were tiny and even, which was more than she could ask for. "You do nice work."
"Thank you, ma'am." The tops of Hank's ears turned red.
"Lee will deny it, but he might have cracked a rib or two."
"Bruised." Lee corrected. "Snitch."
Mendoza laughed. "Hank, you have any pharmaceutical assistance in that bag of yours?"
"I do."
Hank tied off the last stitch and covered his handiwork with a sterile dressing. Finally, he drew up a syringe and injected her in the quad with penicillin. "Mrs. King, I'm used to stitching up people that look like Paul. You have much nicer legs than he does, for what it's worth."
Since he was still sitting on the floor, she palmed his face and kissed him on top of the head, right in the middle of his blonde flat top haircut. "Thanks for not giving me Frankenstein stitches."
"The pleasure was all mine, m'lady," Hank said as his entire face blazed red. He shook a couple of Tylenol 3 out of a little bottle and placed them on the table. Once he applied antiseptic to a few more of their scrapes and a bandage on her elbow, he packed up his supplies.
Paul dragged Hank to his feet. "We'll bring breakfast in the morning."
Thanks were exchanged again, and Paul and Hank departed.
Amanda walked around and tested her leg. To be fair, it didn't feel much less awful, but it looked a heck of a lot better. "I'm going to go finish up in the bathroom."
"I'm going to lock up and call Billy." There was a chain, a bolt and a deadbolt on the door and Lee used them all. For good measure, he tipped one of the wooden chairs from the table up under the door handle.
Lee's call was answered almost immediately. Since there was zero chance the KGB had known they were squatting in a motel room earlier, they had spoken openly on the motel phone. But Lee had rented this room well over a day ago, and even though the room was swept, there was no guarantee someone wasn't listening further down the line. Also, Mendoza would surely file a report overnight, so what Lee couldn't tell their boss now, Billy would surely know by morning.
"How are you two?" Billy asked. Lee could hear the concern in his boss's voice. From the sound of the call, Billy was on speaker, which meant Francine was likely also in Billy's office.
"Pretty tired and beat up. Ready for a change of scenery," Lee said, honestly.
"Do you have everything you need?"
"Yeah, we had friends visit tonight. They took good care of us. They just left, and we're all locked up tight and about to get some sleep."
"I have your return itinerary," Francine piped up. "You're going back through London. 12:10 p.m. flight tomorrow. You gain two hours flying back, so you land a little after 2 p.m."
About that time, Amanda opened the bathroom door. Lee waved her over and held the handset between them. She heard Billy's voice.
"Your favorite aunt has offered to put you up for the weekend. She's been missing you both and petitioned for a visit. She's sending someone to pick you up at Heathrow. After a stop off at her office, you're off to her house in the country. You fly back here on Tuesday."
Amanda looked surprised but nodded a very firm yes.
"Amanda says that sounds good. We'd love to. Thanks, Billy."
"Amanda's close enough to hear?" Billy asked.
"Yes, sir, I'm here," she answered.
"I know you were…in the middle of a couple of projects when you left," Billy said. "Francine checked in on them today, and all is well."
Lee caught her eye. Phillip and Jamie.
Amanda's expression went from carefully neutral to eyes misted over with tears in a heartbeat. She quietly cleared her throat and squeaked out, "Thank you, Francine."
Five thousand miles away, Francine shot Billy a look of genuine concern. "You're very welcome, Amanda," Francine assured her. "I promise I will keep an eye on things until you get back."
Lee knew it was time to wrap up. "Billy, I think we're going to turn in. We'll talk more tomorrow."
"Check in before your flight, will you?"
"Will do," Lee promised. "Thanks to both of you. So good to hear your voices."
After the call, Amanda turned out the lights. Lee changed into pajama pants and a t-shirt, and brushed his teeth. He left the bathroom light on and cracked the door. In the narrow shaft of light, he could see she was already under the covers, facing away. Everything about her posture said she needed space.
Granted, space meant something different now. At the beginning of their partnership, the intimacy of sleeping side-by-side was miles outside of Amanda's comfort zone.
Last night, however, she had carried out a 20-minute pre-slumber party conversation about everything and nothing before she yawned, graced Lee with a smile that would register on any breathing man's EKG, and closed her eyes eighteen inches from his nose. She had drifted off long before him, so preoccupied was he with an overwhelming awareness of her.
In a way, they had changed places. Her adorable awkwardness was a distant memory, instead replaced by a warm, confident partner who leaned into their time together and trusted him entirely.
In contrast, he lived in terror that having earned her complete confidence, he'd somehow let her down. After a solid five minutes of studying every aspect of her lovely face, he'd made himself close his eyes and match her breath for breath, until he finally drifted away.
What a difference a day made.
Lee knew if Amanda wanted to talk, she would, so he gingerly stretched out on his back and waited. What came next turned out to be nothing. In the near dark he watched and listened. Even her breathing was barely audible, like she was trying to avoid notice. But at least she was close enough to touch, even if he wouldn't. And completely safe.
Exhaustion finally overtook him.