SMK: The Ties That Bind - Chapter 1
Day 1 – At the Agency:
"Scarecrow! In my office. Now!"
"Excuse me, Frank." Duffy nodded his head as Lee turned toward Billy's office. "What's up, Billy?" A bit concerned because he'd been summoned so early in the morning, he went in and closed the door. He'd hated leaving Amanda asleep in their bed, but when Billy calls at six o'clock in the morning, you come.
Francine stood gracefully from her chair and walked over to the desk without making eye-contact. "We got this from encryption this morning." She set a small recording device on the desktop and pressed play while he settled himself in an armchair and crossed his ankle over his knee.
Romantic music filled the office. "Hmmm." Lee rubbed his finger below his lip and glanced up in time to see the questioning looks on Billy's and Francine's faces. "Oh, nothing," he waved off their curiosity. "Must be popular music is all." Lee glanced again at his co-workers wondering why they both looked uncomfortable. It was making him uncomfortable.
Through the device came the distinct sound of a cork popping out of a bottle and something being poured into glasses.
"Here's to a quiet, romantic evening with the just two of us."
"Yes, and to no work tomorrow, so we can sleep in."
Lee froze and slowly looked up at Billy as they listened to the glasses clink. He knew exactly where this recording was headed. A soft sigh came from the device and floated on the air.
"I really needed this tonight, Lee."
"Hmmm. Me, too, Manda."
Francine reached over and shut off the device before the recording revealed any more.
"Seriously, Lee?" She demanded. "This is a new low even for you!"
"Francine," Billy tried to interrupt, but Lee was too upset to let her words slide off his back.
"What's that's supposed to mean?"
"Well, I mean, come on, Lee. Amanda? Really? It's not like there aren't plenty of women around who are more your speed, though I admit…" She looked him up and down. "…your speed seems to have decreased the last couple of years."
"What?" Lee gasped incredulously.
"I mean, it's obvious you've been strangely fascinated with her for years – though I can't say I understand why." Francine propped a hip on the corner of Billy's desk. "She's hardly your type."
Lee pointed at her. "I've had enough of your put-downs, Francine."
Undeterred, Francine continued. "I know! You couldn't stand that she broke things off with you. Unbelievable. Huh! I thought she had more sense than to think she'd be able to hold on to you when women much more beautiful and exciting couldn't. I guess I'll have to rethink my opinion of her."
"That does it, Francine." Lee's palm slapped Billy's desk. "Amanda's a saint when it comes to throwing off your barbs, but I'm tired of the way you insult her day in and day out."
"My, my. Protective, aren't we?" Francine rolled her eyes. "What in the world you see in that little..."
"That little what, Francine?" Lee's voice lowered ominously.
"...mouse..." She looked defiantly into his eyes. "...I'll never understand. She can't possibly be that…interesting."
He placed his hands on Billy's desk and leaned toward her. "Mouse? No, Francine. Amanda is the smartest, sweetest, bravest, most loving, most beautiful, most amazing woman I've ever known…"
Francine snickered. "Don't forget the most boring."
"…and she's absolutely exquisite in...Backgammon." He knew he'd gone too far with that last one, but he also knew it would shut her up. He wasn't disappointed. As Francine sputtered for a come-back, he turned to Billy. "Can I talk to you..." He swiveled his head back toward Francine and glared at her. "…alone?"
"Fine," Francine walked toward the door. "I only saved your butt on this one. Just remember that." She opened the door, turned to glare at Lee, then slammed it on her way out.
Lee walked toward the bookshelf on the opposite wall. Running a hand through his hair, he turned back to Billy. "What the hell is going on here, Billy?"
"I don't know, Scarecrow, but I could ask you the same question."
Lee dropped back into the armchair, propped his elbows on his knees, and held his head in his hands. "Well, Billy, I'd say that recording is pretty self-explanatory." He looked up at his boss. "I'm assuming it goes on for a while?"
Billy came around the desk and leaned his backside against it. "You would assume correctly."
"Where did it come from, Billy?" A thought struck him, and he looked up at the ceiling. "Ah, wait a minute...how many people have heard this? Amanda's going to be mortified."
"That's where Francine saved your butt, Scarecrow. She just happened to be subbing for someone in encryption early this morning and found the tape waiting in the inner-agency mail in-box. Don't worry; we're the only three who know about it."
Sigh... "At least that's something..."
"If anyone else had gotten their hands on that recording, Dr. Smith would have already listened to it and beat a path to my door ordering me to reassign Amanda to a different partner. Now, I've encouraged your relationship with her because it's made you a better agent...a better man even. But I'm just not sure how much longer you can keep it under wraps."
Billy reached over, fast-forwarded the recording, and pressed the play button. A mechanical voice came through the speakers. "Gotcha, Scarecrow. Let's see how well you function without your Mrs. King."
Lee shot up out of his chair. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"Calm down, Scarecrow." Billy turned the machine off.
"Calm down?" Lee pointed a finger in Billy's face. "That sounded like a threat!"
"Sit," Billy insisted through clinched teeth. Lee stared at him for a moment, then expelled a breath and obeyed. "Now, look," Billy sat in the chair next to Lee. "Everyone knows that when partners work together a lot in the field, things can get a little…intense. You and Amanda work together all the time, and it's obvious the two of you are emotionally close. From the very beginning, there's always been some kind of, I don't know, electrical charge between the two of you that's nearly palpable. It wouldn't be all that surprising to anyone if boundary lines got a little blurry."
"No, Billy..."
"I'm not saying that's what happened, Scarecrow; I'm saying that can be your story if this gets out."
"No, Billy," Lee stated emphatically.
"Lee, do you have any idea when this might have been recorded?"
"Yeah, I know exactly when that was recorded." He looked down at his hands.
"Well?"
He looked up at his boss and ran a hand through his hair. "Last night."
Billy took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as he leaned back into his chair. "Well, that complicates things..."
"I'll say it complicates things! It means our apartment is bugged! Our bedroom!"
"Our apartment? Our bedroom?" Lee just looked at him then abandoned his chair and walked toward the door. Billy stood, too. "Where are you going, Scarecrow?"
Lee turned. "Billy, Amanda is there. She could be in danger."
"You know, I've got my suspicions, but just what is the exact nature of your relationship with Amanda?"
"Billy," Lee hedged.
"Scarecrow, sit down."
"Billy," Lee growled even deeper.
"Scarecrow, We've got to talk about this."
"What?" he snapped as he resumed his position in the chair.
"I want you to distance yourself from Amanda."
"What?" Lee shook his head. "No..."
"I mean it, Lee."
Lee stood and walked back to the bookshelf. He turned and pointed his finger at Billy from across the room. "No, Billy."
"Lee, what is going on here? You've dated half the younger women in this agency. You've never acted like this before."
"Aw, come on, Billy. You know this isn't like that."
"Yes, I know it. But if I'm not mistaken, nobody else knows what to think. Get in an argument and make it a good one. Make sure people hear it." Lee looked up at the ceiling, blew out an incredulous breath, and shook his head. "Then have her request to not work with you anymore."
"I'm not going to distance myself from Amanda, Billy. Not even at work." Lee shook his head emphatically. "We're going to have to come up with a different plan."
"I can make it an order," Billy's suggestion hung in the air like a threat.
"I don't care if you write a bill and sign it into law. I'm not distancing myself from Amanda."
"What if I say I'll fire her?"
"Then my resignation will be on your desk in ten minutes!" Lee took a deep breath to get his emotions under control. "Come on, Billy. You know we work best together."
"Is this affair worth ruining your career over?"
"Billy, this is Amanda we're talking about!" His voice rose in frustration. "Are you really willing to make her the sacrificial lamb in all this?" .
"I'm not making her the sacrificial lamb; I'm trying to protect her," Billy replied calmly. "I'll assign her to work with another agent..." He held up his hand before Lee could interrupt. "...not permanently, just until we figure this thing out."
"No, Billy. Absolutely not." Lee paced back and forth across the office floor. "No. I don't trust anyone else to take care of her."
Billy's voice lowered with authority as he walked back to his desk. "I mean it, Scarecrow."
"And so do I!" Lee shouted back. "Damn it, Billy. I will not distance myself from my own wife! And if she's in danger, I'm certainly not going to entrust her safety to anyone else!"
Billy stared at Lee and sat slowly. "What did you just say?"
"You heard me, Billy." Emotions deflated, he took his seat again.
"Well, well, well. The legendary Scarecrow has finally been bagged. That explains quite a few things." Billy tapped his fingers on his desk. "When did this happen?"
Lee sighed and plucked at imaginary lint on his suit pants. "You know when Amanda got shot in California four months ago?"
"Yes..."
"Well, I didn't fly down there after it happened." His hand paused, and he looked up at Billy. "I was already there with her. It was the first day of our honeymoon."
"That vacation time you were so bent out of shape about."
"Yeah, that vacation time." Lee rubbed his hand over his face. "We got married that Friday and took off for California the next Monday."
"Oh, man..."
"No kidding." Lee looked down at his hands, remembering how closely he'd come to losing her. "Worst week of my entire life. I almost lost her then, Billy. I'll not lose her now. Not for anyone...or anything." He gave Billy a pointed look then stood and walked toward the door. "I've got to get home, Billy. I need to warn Amanda and find that bug. Then I need to find out who put it there and why." Hand on the doorknob, he turned back to Billy. "And when I do, they're going to regret ever being born."
"Alright, Scarecrow, but I want you both back in here by ten o'clock this morning. We've got some things to figure out."
Lee shook his head again. "I don't know, Billy. Amanda's not been feeling great. She's just not bouncing back from that bullet like she should be."
"Yeah, I'd figured that's why we'd not seen as much of her in the last few weeks."
Lee rubbed his hand up and down his face. "I came so close to losing her, Billy. The thought of bringing her back into the line of fire...is..." He didn't finish, just shook his head. "And I'm trying to make her rest so her body can fully heal."
"Didn't sound like rest last night..."
"Billy..." Lee growled.
Billy raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright," he smiled. "That was a cheap shot. Look, if she feels up to it, get her in here. This is serious, and we need to find this idiot fast."
"Yeah." Lee nodded and turned back toward the door. "Let me go check on Amanda. If she's feeling up to it, we'll be here. Otherwise, you may need to come to our place." He turned to open the door.
"Oh, and Lee..."
"Yes?" Lee turned back to his boss.
"Congratulations. You couldn't have picked a more perfect woman."
"I know." Lee smiled and made his exit.
Billy smiled to himself as he watched Lee stride through the bullpen. So, his suspicions had been correct after all. Now, he had to figure out a way to help them protect their marriage and at the same time keep the best spy he'd ever worked with...a spy made even better by an unassuming but extraordinary suburban housewife.
How in the world was he going to convince Dr. Smith that, in the case of Scarecrow and Mrs. King, the benefits of them working together even though they were married far exceeded the risks? He would have to tread carefully, but he didn't want this hanging over their heads like a ton of bricks that could fall at any moment. "Good for you, Scarecrow. Good for you both." He smiled again.
8
