DESPERATE MEASURES
Chapter One
TEN YEARS AFTER THE SERIES HAD ENDED
Amanda Kind Stetson was at her wit's end, worried about her husband Lee having gone on a special mission for Billy Melrose on the verge of retiring in a few months. Lee had gone to China along with two other agents searching for secrets involving a new supersonic plane for China to be sold to Russia even though the designer Lee Woo Chin wanted to defect to give it to the United States.
Lee Woo Chin had called the State Department and the White House with President Anthony Roberts answering. He will get Lee Woo Chin to the United States with agents Lee Stetson and two others to get him and his family to the United States.
It's been two weeks since Lee, Chin, and his family had disappeared on the face of the Earth. Amanda Stetson didn't know what to think anymore needing to stay stateside with her two sons Philip and Paul will be entering their second year of college at Harvard in Engineering and Science.
Her mother Dottie had died a few years earlier from diabetes. She had gone into a coma while her doctors weren't able to bring her out of the coma at the local Washington, D.C. hospital.
Amanda also had one other child from being married to Lee Stetson. She had a daughter even though Lee had wished for a boy once again. Her name is Catherine Ann Rose Stetson age ten years old in a private school in Maryland. Amanda was going to go see her daughter but decided to cancel due to the last two weeks with her husband gone.
WALKING INTO Billy Melrose's office.
Amanda was very determined to change Billy's mind regarding searching for her Lee in China. She did have two friends of hers in the mainstream Navy having to be Chinese and as well working undercover as agents for the United States government.
Billy had been reading a report from another agent having finished up having worked in California and Texas.
He raised his head to say the following. "NO! Amanda, I won't let you go on the case to help search for Lee and the others. I already have five other agents searching for Lee, Woo Lee Chin, and his family. I have been in contact with the Chinese Embassy and they tell me that they are helping us out with the search for the most part." He says calmly even though he knows that Amanda isn't listening to him at all.
Sitting down in front of her boss soon to be retiring. "Sir, I know this is hard for you. But I need to go and search for my husband no matter what." She related to him with her concern for Lee Stetson.
"Hey! I just can't afford to lose you as well having to be a full-time agent. It's bad enough I had asked Lee to go along with bringing Woo Lee Chin and his family to the United States."
With a shake of her head her hair up in a bun. Though her hair has turned slightly salt and pepper for the most part. "Sir, Billy, I need to do this by trying to find Lee." She stated in front of him.
"And what about your daughter Catherine Ann Rose? She will know that she can't afford to lose you as a mother along with Philip and Paul. Even though both of them will be entering into college." He had to say knowing for a fact he wasn't getting through to her.
"Billy, I do have only one other request when it comes to searching for Lee and Woo Lee Chin and his family?" she tells him straight out of the question.
Taking a sip of his hot tea sitting on the wooden table. "What's that Amanda?"
Thinking for a split second. "Sir, I would like to take Francine Desmond Edwards( married name) with me over to China to search?" she asked calmly knowing the fact that she would be going against his orders.
Billy pounded the table with her right hand to say the following to her. "NO! This is the final time I will say this to you, Amanda. There is no way will I let you travel to China to search for Lee and the others. Now get out of here to be with your daughter Catherine Ann Rose and make sure the boys will be alright?" he remarked with Amanda moving off her chair and saying nothing to him afterward.
However when Amanda was leaving the grounds. She was stopped by Francine Desmond Edwards with her husband Damion driving up to her in a blue buggy.
"Amanda, we need to talk now at your house. I heard through the grapevine that you want me to join you in China?" Francine said with her husband holding onto one of her hands for support.
"Francine, I don't know how you were able to find out?" she said with a lump developing inside of her dry throat.
"I have my ways, Amanda. If you're still interested in going to China, my husband will be joining us since he has several friends at the Chinese embassy?" Francine will say.
"Francine, I don't know what to say to you with the offer. However, I will be needing all of the help I can get with the traveling, passport, and most of all money.
Damion will say the following to her. "Don't you worry about all that? When we get to your house, I will show you everything I have gathered everything up for the trip. I understand the two gown boys are in college?" he asked with concern in his voice.
"They left a few days ago, Damion. As for Catherine, she is at a private school and will be back home in a few weeks for vacation. Hopefully, by then we will be able to find everyone." she said calmly.
"Alright, then we need to be quick about it with finding everyone. My sources have told me to start in Bangkok to meet with a source of mine." He reported to help make Amanda feel better.
"Great! Then let's get moving to my house and pack. I am very nervous regarding all this happening to Lee and the others." She responded with Francine putting an arm onto Amanda's shoulder.
