Chapter 11

Amanda sat on the cold cement floor, leaning against the wall. She didn't care about the dead bugs, blood stains or other disgusting things on the wall anymore, she was too exhausted. The rabbit hallucination was there again. That was good, she preferred him to the spiders. She took a deep breath to try to control the hallucinations again. After a time, Lee appeared in a tux carrying champagne and flowers. She smiled, he always looked great in a tuxedo. While he was comforting, this time it was tempered by the disappointment of knowing he wasn't real.

"Oh look at you," she said. "You're overdressed."

"It's a very special night and I've got a very special question." He said with those adorable dimples.

"Oh, come one. I know you're not really here," she responded flatly. "My mind is playing tricks on me." While Lee remained, his expression became more serious.

"Don't give it up, Amanda. Remember how much I love you."

"Don't give what up?" Amanda was confused. What was he trying to tell her? Then something strange happened. His expression hardened uncharacteristically.

"Do you know her?' He said. She was confused. Know who?

"Do you know her?! Do you know her?!" Birol was shouting at her shoving a picture in of a woman. "I think you've seen her before!" She slapped her again. Amanda believed she recognized her from the airport, but just as Lee told her, she said nothing, she would not give it up. Almost as if a punishment, he grabbed her beloved diamond heart necklace and ripped it from her neck.

"Oh no," she said. It was the one thing that had that kept her tied to reality. She was now angry, frightened, and the lack of sleep was making the hallucinations worse. Birol left the room only to immediately return with the smelly hood. He grabbed her by the neck pulling her to her feet before throwing it over her head. She was forced out of the room and as she was trying to regain her balance she ran into a corner hearing a crack and felt an immediate sharp pain on her side. They forced her down some stairs where she stumbled and knocked into walls, exacerbating prior bruises. She was once again being transported to another location.

The hood was ripped from her head. To her surprise there were a couple of cots in the room and a desk with a chair. There were slats on the windows, but much better the boarded up ones in the prior rooms. She laid down an a cot completely drained physically and emotionally. She would rest for a moment, then resume to try to find a way out.

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Lee obtained intelligence from Night Crawler, however, it turned out to be a trap.. Despite Amanda not saying anything about Mara, Phyllis had identified her as Night Crawler to Birol. Using this knowledge, Birol used Mara to provide Lee the location of his eventual capture. Lee was distraught, but everything changed when Birol threw him into a room. He couldn't believe his eyes. Amanda! There she was in front of him.

Amanda jumped up from a cot. Another hallucination, this was a new one as he was in coveralls.

"Amanda!" He called.

"Oh, Hi," she said, as if she'd just run into him at a coffee shop.

Lee rushed to her, pulling her close.

"Oh, this is getting pretty good now," she said groggily. This was wonderful as this one even felt real..

"Oh, are you alright?" Lee asked her, looking into her eyes. Clearly, she'd been drugged.

"Oh, yeah, you know I can actually feel you. I think this is the best hallucination I've had yet." Forget the damn rabbit with the hat, this was amazing. She felt his arms around her, finally, this was all she needed until Lee found her. Without words, Lee held her face and pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. His heart raced. He wanted nothing more than to just hold her in his arms. Amanda felt his lips pressed against hers, it was intoxicating and so vivid, why couldn't all the hallucinations be like this. "Oh Wow!" Amanda said as he broke from the kiss.

"Amanda," Lee told her, "it is me. It is really me."

"Oh, it's not…" Amanda touched his face, it felt so…wait, it was real!

"No, go on, feel it, it's me. It's really me." He held her hands to his face.

"It is you? "

"Yes"

"It's you? You're here? Hello!" Amanda said. She jumped into his arms! They held each other as if the rest of the world had fallen away. Suddenly, they were interrupted by Birol bursting into the room, gun drawn. He threatened he would was ready to sell Amanda to the Libyans if Lee did not give him a full list of his sources and fronts. He gave them an hour.

When he left, Lee held Amanda in his arms. He had her back. He didn't care what he had to give up, she was with him once again. Lee fully looked at her for the first time, his fingers lightly tracing the bruises on her face and neck. "Amanda, What did he do to you?" Amanda would see his eyes getting wet and his cheek twitching with anger. "I swear to God, I'll kill that son of a bitch".

"It's ok," Amanda told him. "You're here. You found me. The bruises will heal. I'm just so happy you're with me." She pulled him in again. "I'm sorry I'm shaking," she said. Lee let the anger subside for a moment to take care of Amanda.

"I didn't notice, we must be shaking together." He said, "Turn around" he gently instructed, facing her the opposite direction as he pulled out her necklace her took off Birol and put it on her. Amanda saw him but something over hear head. Her necklace!

"It'll need a new clasp, but I think it will hold for now," he told her as he fastened it on her again.

"How are Mother and the boys?" She asked.

"They don't even know a thing," he reassured her.. He explained how Billy had agreed to keep them out of it unless Birol went public or it dragged on. Amanda felt instant relief that she would not have to put them through another situation like Stemwinder, only worse.

"Kristen and I went to the house, yesterday." Lee explained.

"You saw Mother?"

"Yeah, Kristen went back to tutor Phillip last night to check in on them and keep some normality." Lee explained further.

"Oh good," Amanda said.

"In fact, she's been a big help," Lee explained. "I actually made her part of the A-TAK team."

"You did?" Amanda was really surprised. Lee had only really met Kristen during the Zhmed defection matter, but had not gotten to know her since like she had.

"Yes I did. She was actually the one to blow the case open," Lee explained further. "It turns out Phyllis was Beamon's girlfriend."

"What?!"

"Yeah, apparently Efraim had not seen her photo and was not aware Phyllis was part of Karbala. Her picture went up after the Dulles Airport mission. Kristen only saw the it after you were taken when she was in the Q Bureau with Francine."

"Wait a minute," Amanda said. She was still feeling the effects of the drugs and was certain she was not comprehending this correctly. "Efraim was dating Phyllis?"

"Yeah," Lee went on. "Kristen saw them together at some bar near the Capital after work a few weeks ago. When she saw the photo, she recognized her. Looks like Phyllis was using Efraim to gain information."

"Oh my gosh," Amanda was trying to take it all in.

"To top it off, when she saw I was going rip apart Beamon, she stepped in and shoved Beamon and yelled at him about serving up the Freshman candidates on a platter to terrorists so I wouldn't punch him."

"Oh no,"

"Beamon was terrified," Lee laughed, "and Billy was furious, until he understood what she was doing. She really cares a lot about you."

"I guess she does," Amanda said thoughtfully, grateful for her new friend.

"I think she also cares about us," Lee continued. "She gave me advice on Jamie from the perspective of a step child."

"I guess she likes you too," Amanda giggled, then turned somber. "I just hope you get the chance to try it."

"I know." Lee said pensively. "I need to make out that list."

"You can't do that, you'll destroy everything you've done."

"I'm not going to let him sell you to the Libyans."

"I'm not crazy about that part either. But you got here in time, I knew you would."

"I hoped to get here in time under better circumstances" Lee said as he knelt down in front of her."We might not make it out of this one," Lee said.

"Yeah, I know it really stinks," she replied hanging her head in defeat.

It may have been the adrenaline, or the relief at finding her, or just exhaustion, but Lee knew at that moment he wanted more to his life. When he looked at her he felt the butterflies again, the excitement. Moreover, he was tired of hiding and pretending, very poorly it turns out, that he didn't love her. He knew Amanda wanted them to have that full life as well. Right there, in that moment the sun peaked through the slats in the boards in the windows like a sign. It was time for a new beginning. He wanted to wake up every morning with this beautiful woman laying beside him in their bed.

He lifted her chin. Amanda saw something in his eyes. There was a twinkle with something else, she could't quite make out. Something had changed. Lee's excitement churned when he thought about what he wanted to do. More importantly, nothing in his life had been more clear.

"Amanda King, you are the best, the bravest, the smartest, most beautiful woman I have ever known."

"I love you," Amanda said, with tears in her eyes. But nothing could have prepared her for what he would say next.

"Then will you marry me?" With the release of those words, Lee felt as if he'd been freed from the bonds that had held him captive for years. A new life was rolling out before him. That is, if she said yes.

Amanda's breath caught in her chest. Did she hear the right? Please, or please, don't let this be another hallucination. "Will I marry you?" She breathed. She needed to make certain she was not dreaming, that it was real.

Lee nodded at her with a smile spreading across his face.

"Oh yeah, I'll marry you." She said. "We're the luckiest two people on the face of the earth." She squeaked out while tears streaked down her cheeks. Her heart soared. While they had talked about moving their relationship forward, never did she think he was ready to discuss marriage.

They shared another passionate kiss and stared into each other's eyes. They were trapped by a lethal terrorist, but found solace with each other.

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Fortunately, the scheme worked out between Lee, Francine and, unbeknownst to them, the Habib Brothers. A couple hours later the door burst open and Birol entered the room throwing a semi-conscious Mara on the cot on the opposite side of the room. Magda Petrak followed him into the room. Birol found the list Lee had completed and was prepared to shoot them. Lee looked over Magda who gave him a knowing look.

Neither he nor Amanda moved from the cot. They remained in each other's arms. Nothing else mattered.

Suddenly Magda pulled a canister out of her jacket, pushed a button releasing smoke. This was his chance. Lee jumped up and fought with Birol. He wanted to kill him for what he'd done to Amanda. Once he had Birol where he wanted him, he pummeled him with wild abandon. "You son of a bitch, how dare you treat her like that." He screamed and might have killed him but for the ZAP gas. Billy and Yuself stepped in to handcuff Birol whose face was a bloodied mess.

Amanda felt kind of woozy and the room started to spin. Lee joined her on the cart. "I don't feel so good," she said.

"You're not going to be able to move for a bit. We just need to get comfortable. It only lasts about 20 minutes."

"It better last longer than that."

The two sat there frozen for several minutes. After a bit Amanda felt she could move, but had a terrible headache. It didn't matter though. She was safe in the arms of the man she loved. The man who wanted to marry her.

"How are you feeling?" Lee asked her.

"My head hurts, but I really don't care." Amanda said. Then, as she realized she was no longer in danger, the full gravity of the last few days washed over her and she started to cry. "Just hold me." She said as she openly sobbed letting loose the trauma she had endured.

"Forever," Lee said, as he held her to him. Billy came back upstairs to find Lee holding Amanda as she wept. Lee shook his head at Billy to let him know now was not the time. Billy nodded back, turned around and walked out. His heart warmed to see Lee being so openly affectionate with Amanda. He walked downstairs as paramedics from the Agency hospital arrived. Francine then pulled up. "Are they ok?" She asked Billy.

"Amanda's pretty shaken up. She needs a few minutes."