In Limbo

Chapter 72

That same morning, a short time after Lee and Amanda left the Agency, they arrived at her home, and upon entering, Amanda called out, "Mother? Lee and I are here!"

Dotty came out to the foyer from the den a moment later, stating to both cooly, "Hello Amanda...Lee...Would either of you care for coffee?"

Glancing nervously at one another and then at Dotty, they replied, "Sure."

Dotty made a motion for them to follow her as the three made their way to the kitchen, and Dotty asked Lee, "You still just take cream, not sugar?"

Lee nodded, and clearing his throat, answered, "Y-Yes, Ma'am..."

Dotty gestured to the kitchen table replying, "Fine. Please sit down...Both of you."

But when Amanda offered to help, Dotty stated firmly, "Amanda, I'm more than capable of getting coffee for the three of us. Please go sit."

Amanda nodded, responding quietly, "Yes, Mother," as she went to sit next to Lee at the table, wondering just how upset her mother really was...

-SMK-

As Dotty came to the table a few minutes later, carrying the tray of coffee, cream, cups, spoons and condiments, and went to put the tray down, Lee quickly got up to pull out her chair for her.

Dotty nodded to Lee once she was seated, commenting simply as she looked at Lee and Amanda intently, "Thank you...Now, I called you both here because I feel that this "holiday" that the boys and I experienced yesterday was much more than that. First of all, you and I never signed a permission slip for Phillip for a skateboard contest, and secondly, Amanda, you would've told me if it was an IFF all expenses paid trip, like the one we took to Germany, correct?"

Amanda nodded quickly, remarking, "Yes, of course I would've, Mother...Look, we have some things to tell you about how all this got started, okay? Now, look...I only found out this morning what really happened, and-"

Immediately, Dotty put up a hand, replying, "Stop! If this is going to be one of your yarns, I simply don't want to hear it-"

Lee, puzzled, asked Amanda, "Yarns?"

Amanda answered, "Tall tales-"

Lee shook his head responding, "As in-"

With an exasperated sigh, Dotty commented to Lee, "Stories, or lies, to be perfectly blunt."

Then looking at Amanda, Dotty said evenly, " Amanda Jean...Ever since you were a little girl, your father and I did our very best to love you, and raise you the best that we possibly could, and we also taught you to always tell the truth, no matter how hard or painful it might be, right?"

Amanda, with a swallow, nodded, answering softly, "Yes, Mother, but-"

Dotty stopped her by stating quickly, "No! No buts, Missy...I want you to start by explaining just how that man who spouted nursery rhymes throughout the day with us is connected to you! I kept asking him what this adventure we were on was about, and all he would say is, "All in due time." What did that even mean? Was it some sort of game to him, that we were taken from our neighborhood and all that we knew? We had absolutely no clue where we were going, and when or if, we would return! What sort of person does that? I mean-"

Lee put up a hand, remarking firmly, "Dotty, stop!"

Dotty, surprised, answered, as she looked at Lee, "I was speaking to my daughter, Lee, so if you'll please let me finish-"

But Lee shook his head and taking Amanda's hand, and giving it a gentle squeeze, replied firmly, "No, I'm sorry, Dotty, but you'll have to hear us both out. Now, we understand your concern, and we're sorry you and the boys went through an ordeal yesterday, but the main thing is that you're all safe, correct?"

Dotty nodded slowly, commenting as she looked first at Lee, and then at Amanda, "Yes, but even so, I would like some answers, and right now, I have a sinking feeling that somehow, I'm not going to like what I hear..."

-SMK-

As the three sat with their coffee, Lee began, "Dotty, the man who took you and the boys for your unplanned excursion happened to be the head of our agency, Dr. Austin Smyth...But don't worry...He's being brought up on kidnapping charges, along with some other federal charges that were filed by the Agency's Security Review Board yesterday, and-"

Dotty, putting up a hand, queried to Amanda, "Wait-I thought your boss was Mr. Melrose?"

Amanda remarked, "Yes, he's our Section Chief, but Dr. Smyth oversees the entire building-"

Dotty shook her head confusedly, answering carefully, "A section chief for a film company? Oh, I see... For different departments, like your travel bureau, and your location scouting...That makes sense, I guess."

Amanda shook her head and replied, "N-No, Mother. What Lee and I are saying is that it's an agency...For... Intelligence operatives...You see, I've been part of IFF- International Federal Film- which is our cover name- for the last few years, and got the job by accident. Do you remember the day I took Dean to the train station because he didn't want to leave his car out in the rain?"

Dotty shrugged stating, "Vaguely...I do recall thinking it was ridiculous that all you wore was your nightgown under your coat...I mean, what people must have thought when they saw you..."

Amanda, surprised at her mother's strange reaction to her admission, glanced at Lee, and then looking back at her mother, commented softly, "Well, someone here wasn't really paying attention to my attire when he asked me to help him that day..."

Dotty's eyes widened as they darted from Amanda to Lee, and back again she asked, "You mean, that's why you were late coming home from the train that day?"

Amanda sighed and responded, "Y-Yes, Mother...Lee needed me to get on the train and give a package to a man in a red hat...But, as it turned out, I never got it to him because there were twenty five men on the train, and I had no way of knowing which man to give the package to, so I wound up taking it home, and as the saying goes, the rest is history."

Dotty then queried with a peculiar look, "So, all the times you went in and out of this house at all crazy hours, was to help the Government? Why couldn't you just tell me? I would've kept it quiet-"

Lee sighed, replying, "Dotty, we know that, but we had to keep your family safe. You see, the more people that know about it, the more danger they'd be in."

Dotty nodded and asked Lee numbly, "Well, now that I do know a little of whatever this craziness is about that you've involved my daughter in, what are you going to do with me?"

Amanda shook her head as she clasped her mother's hands, stating incredulously, " Oh, Mother! It isn't a cop show! You'll be fine, I promise!"

Lee, nodding in agreement replied, "Amanda's right, because I'll make sure of it... Now, Billy Melrose will be here after the boys get home from school, and you just tell him what happened yesterday up until the time you got home."

Dotty asked bewilderedly, "That's it? I mean, we don't have to go to trial or anything?"

Amanda shook her head answering, "No, Mother...There will be a hearing for Dr. Smyth, but it's just for Agency personnel...And also, Mother, we're going to have to help you and the boys with self defense training eventually."

Dotty nodded and remarked slowly to Lee and Amanda, "I-I see. Well, while we're on the subject of the boys, what are your thoughts about what to tell them?"

Just then, the phone rang, and Amanda got up to answer it as Lee responded carefully to Dotty, "Um, actually, we haven't thought that far ahead...Everything is just happening all at once here, but we'll do the best we can as we go along here, alright?"

Amanda then answered, "Lee? It's Francine...They need you down at the office as soon as you can get there."

Lee sighed, and getting up, remarked, "Okay, I'd better go then."

Looking at Dotty, Lee stated sincerely, "Look, I know a lot of what we're telling you isn't making a whole lot of sense here, but we are going to keep this family safe just like we've been doing all this time, okay? I promise. See you later."

Giving Amanda a tender kiss, he answered, "I love you."

Amanda sighed commenting softly, "I love you, too."

As Lee went out the front door, Amanda queried to Dotty, "Well, Mother, I know that was a lot to take in, but I'll try to answer any questions you may have...So, is there anything you'd like to ask me?"

Dotty scoffed, and queried smartly, "Amanda Jean West...I was not born yesterday, and I did not just fall off a turnip truck! So, what I need to ask you is...Just what malarkey are you and that ridiculous"Mr. Secret Agent Man" trying to fill my head with?!"

Amanda swallowed hard thinking, Oh my gosh...

TBC