AMANDA

"Okay Dagger One, the soldiers are gone." Amanda said into the walkie talkie. She took a deep breath as she set the walkie on her lap. So far so good she thought. Maybe this will go smoothly and no one gets hurt. Her stomach was in knots all morning as they set up the van and headed out. She wished Beamon and Duffy were with her in the van but they were needed elsewhere for this mission. She trusted Robbins and Jefferson. They were good agents and they were already established as cameramen for the news station. She knew they wouldn't let anything happen to her. She felt a bit of pride in herself earlier as she called in the contact and talked to Phyllis about the plan. Birol's people agreed and let her sit back in the van…out of danger. Lee made her swear she wouldn't get out once she settled back in. Being a part of the operation was one thing…willingly putting yourself out there to be kidnapped or shot was another.

She looked behind her and saw Lee's Vette making its way towards her. She sighed with relief seeing him. Having him there was a comfort for her. He was her partner…her protector. Nothing would happen to her as long as Lee was there. She smiled as she thought of all of the times Lee Stetson put his life on the line to save hers. She loved him so much. She secretly hoped that he would propose soon. She was surprised when she saw Edna DeAngelo walk into the Q Bureau and leave a packet for Lee. It was regarding his pension and finances. Edna even said "When a bachelor starts thinking about his pension, bring on the rice!" The look of shock and a tiny bit of fear on Lee's face when he walked in and saw Edna standing there, made Amanda smile. She didn't want to read too much into it but she knew. He was finally ready. She knew she would say yes the second he asked. She was going to spend the rest of her life with Lee. Mrs. Lee Stetson. It had a wonderful ring to it. Amanda Stetson. She chuckled to herself as she thought "Eat your hearts out Steno Pool ladies! Scarecrow is mine!" She felt like the luckiest woman in the world.

She looked out the window and saw Lee getting out of the Vette. He walked over to her and leaned his hand on the side of the van.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She nodded and said "I'm okay." Lee turned away from her and she watched as the other agents gathered around Lee. They slowly entered the building. It was eerily quiet for a few moments and then she heard a massive spray of gunfire.

She sat up in the driver's seat and glanced in all of the rearview mirrors. She saw him. A figure lurking towards the passenger side door. She knew it wasn't Lee. She reached for the walkie and yelled out "Dagger Two! What's your status?" as the passenger door swung open. Amanda sat frozen as she recognized Adi Birol himself. He climbed into the seat and pointed a gun at her. She tried to open her door but he grabbed her arm and shouted. He glared at her and ordered her to drive. She had no choice. There was nowhere to go. Lee wasn't anywhere. For a split second she wondered if he was hurt. Where was Lee? she wondered. She looked straight ahead and realized there was nowhere for her to go without Birol shooting her. Sitting in the car wasn't the safest place to be after all. Birol had her.

Reality snapped Amanda back as Birol shoved his gun hard into her side. It hurt. She started the van and pulled away from the warehouse glancing one last time at Lee's corvette. Her last link to him.

Birol began barking directions at her. She prayed she would see an Agency car somewhere along the route. She didn't spot any. Where were they? Shouldn't they be following us by now? Do they even know that I was taken? Is Lee okay? She took a quick breath and tried not to think of Lee. If she did she'd get emotional and that wouldn't be good. Birol could use that against her. She needed to stay calm.

They pulled down an alley where she saw a gold sedan at the opposite end waiting. A woman with blonde hair stepped out. Amanda recognized her as one of the soldiers from earlier. Birol jumped out of the van and ran to Amanda's side. He pulled her out with no care if it hurt her. He again jammed the pistol in her side as a black hood went over her head. She could feel someone tying her hands together as well as handcuffing them. Tears started welling up in her eyes as Birol pushed her inside which she could only guess as the gold sedan.

She could hear him and the blonde woman yelling at one another. Amanda strained to listen.

"Are you crazy? Kidnapping the news reporter! We'll be all over the news! We have got to get out of DC!"

"She's no reporter. Stetson was there. It was all a setup to capture me. Just as I thought. She's an agent...and more importantly… She's Stetson's lover."

"How can you be so sure of that!?"

"She was at the airport. She screamed his name. Scarecrow will give me what I want…or I will find someone who will."

Amanda could hear both of them getting into the car and it starting. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself. She was still alive. That was something. Just stick to your cover Amanda. She kept repeating herself. Lee will find you. He won't rest until he does. He loves you. She blinked a tear away as she heard Birol say something to her.

"I said," What's your name? Who are you?"

Amanda swallowed and said "I'm Amanda King. I'm a reporter for CSN. What's going on?"

Birol laughed. It made Amanda's blood turn cold and she shivered.

"Oh Amanda. We both know that you're lying. You and Stetson thought you had me back there, didn't you? Well, I plan on using you. I'll trade you for Scarecrow's source. Let's see where his loyalties truly lie. With you…his lover. Or with Nightcrawler…his source."

Amanda had no idea what day it was…what time it was. She had no idea how long she had been kidnapped. It seemed like forever. Birol refused to let her sleep. He would barrage her for hours about who she was…why she was lying. He loved playing mind tricks on her. He was hoping she would slip up. Even though Amanda felt she couldn't go on there was no way she was going to give Lee up. She wouldn't give the Agency up. She was now a federal agent and no longer the goofy housewife they all thought she was. She was tougher than anyone ever guessed. She would do whatever she had to do to protect her cover, the Agency and Lee. Her thoughts were always of Lee when Birol wasn't around. She knew Lee would come for her. She pushed her thoughts of her mother and the boys aside. She knew that they would be okay. The Agency would see to that. She missed them terribly. She just wanted to go home.

She laid down on the little cot that was in the dingy room. This was another new room for her. It was the seventh or eighth house Birol had kept her in. They had driven for a long time to get to the first prison, as Amanda called them. Birol would let her lay down and just as she would start to fall asleep he would come in yelling and kicking her. He slapped her awake and then the hours of interrogating would start. He would then stick her arm with a needle full of something and she would wake up in a completely different room. She cringed thinking about Birol slapping and kicking her. She knew she had bruises everywhere. She was grateful that's all he had done to her. She knew that once Lee found out about the torture she endured by Birol, Lee Stetson would have no issues killing him.

Lee. She saw him. Several times. She wasn't sure if they were dreams or if she was awake. It didn't matter to her. It was Lee. They were talking to one another. He would tell her that he was coming for her. He loved her so much. He even showed up in one hallucination wearing a tuxedo saying he had an important question to ask her. She in turn told him that she was okay. She knew he had to be out of his mind with worry. She sighed as she reached for her necklace. She always would pull on it when she was nervous only to discover that it wasn't around her neck. Birol. He took my necklace! Oh no! She thought as tears began to pool in her eyes. The boys had worked so hard saving for the money to buy her the dainty heart necklace. She started wearing it shortly after and it sort of became her signature piece of jewelry. She prayed she would get it back. It meant so much to her. A token of her boy's love for her.

She covered her eyes and ran her hands over her face. She couldn't think about the boys. She had to get some rest before Birol came back. He mentioned something about selling her to the Libyans. Won't that be a ball of fun? She sighed. Come on Amanda. Focus and rest. Lee will be here…soon.

She had just closed her eyes when she heard the door to the little room creak open. Someone was being shoved into the room. The door immediately slammed shut. She jumped from the cot and sighed "Oh Hi" to the figure coming towards her.

The next thing she felt was Lee Stetson's arms wrapped tightly around her. He had found her.