A Little Scare


Friday, August 9, 2003

8:30 PM

"Jenna I don't want to hear it," Amanda said as she gathered up the
supper dishes and put them in the sink. "It doesn't matter what you
say because the answer is still no."

"But Mom-" Jenna said, a pleading tone in her voice.

"In the first place you're too young-" Amanda began.

"That's not true!" Jenna said. "All of my friends will be going."

"-and in the second place you're still grounded," Amanda said as she
filled the sink with warm water and suds. "For a week and that week
includes Saturday. And don't tell me again that all of your friends
are going because I spoke to Lisa's mother and I know for a fact that
she's not going either."

"Well we'll practically be the only ones," Jenna said. Amanda said
nothing in reply, just started scrubbing and rinsing the plates. Maybe
if she just ignored her Jenna would give it up, Amanda thought to
herself. That faint hope was dashed with her daughter's next words.

"Mom please-Moby's going to be there, The Blue Man Group, David Bowie,
even The Avalanches. Please?"

"I said no," Amanda said.

"I promise I'll do anything you want," Jenna said. "I'll vacuum the
house-I'll even dust. Ple-a-se?" The last `please' was drawn out into
three syllables. Amanda sighed, wishing that Lee was here with her
instead of out of town for the night.

"The answer is no," Amanda said. "Now one more argument and I'll
ground you for another week-is that clear?"

"Yes," Jenna said, looking down at her feet, "but it's still not fair."

"Jenna Stetson," Amanda said. "I want you to go upstairs, take a
shower and get into your pajamas. I'll make us some popcorn and when
you're ready you can come down and we can watch those movies we
rented. Okay?"

"I don't feel like watching movies," Jenna grumbled. "We rented silly
ones anyway."

"Fine," Amanda said. "Then I'll watch the movies and you can go
straight to bed. It's your choice."

The expression in Jenna's dark eyes was venomous. Without another word
she whirled around and stomped up the stairs.

"And don't slam the-" Amanda called out as the thud seemed to shake
the entire house.

"Door," she sighed.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Amanda it's not the first teenager you've raised," Dotty said. "They
all go through stages, you know that. Remember when Philip licked the
flagpole at school because one of the other boys triple-dog-dared him?
Middle of winter and we had to call the paramedics to get his tongue
unstuck. And he was 13 at the time."

"I know, Mother," Amanda sighed, holding the cordless to her ear as
she put away the last of the dishes. "It just seems different with
Jenna. I mean, I know the boys went through their stages but it wasn't
like this."

"Daughters are different," Dotty said. "I remember some times I went
through with you."

"Mother I was never like that!" Amanda said. "Was I?"

"Well I remember one time when your Grandmother stayed for a week,"
Dotty said, "And one night you wanted to watch The Rat Patrol but she
wanted to watch The Roger Miller Show and you-"

"I threatened to run away to Debbie Ann's forever," Amanda said,
wincing slightly at the recollection. "I remember now." She froze as
the sound of Jenna's piercing scream filled the house.

"Amanda what was that?" Dotty asked.

"I don't know," Amanda said. "Mother I have to go-I'll call you right
back." She pressed the cancel button on the phone, leaving it on the
coffee table. Her heart racing, Amanda dashed up the stairs, taking
two at a time. The scream came again-from the bathroom.

"Jenna?" Amanda called. There was no reply. Amanda opened the bathroom
door. Jenna was standing in the middle of the floor, her hair dripping
wet, naked except for a towel. Her face was pale and her eyes were
brimming with tears.

"What is it, sweetheart?" Amanda said. "Why did you scream?"

"There-" Jenna said, pointing towards the window with a shaking
finger. "I just got out of the shower and there was a –a sound outside
the window-I opened the shade to see what it was and there-there was-"

Amanda could see that Jenna was shivering now. Thinking fast she
grabbed Lee's white terrycloth robe that was hanging on a hook and
wrapped her daughter in it.

"Sweetheart it's okay," Amanda said, holding Jenna by the shoulders.
"You're safe. Just please tell me what you saw."

"A man," Jenna said "He was right outside the window-he smiled at me
and said `hey'. I screamed and he disappeared."

Amanda looked outside the window and into the night-she couldn't see
anything now, but that didn't mean there wasn't someone. What should
she do? Amanda's mind was racing.

"I wish dad was here," Jenna said.

"I know," Amanda pulled her still-trembling daughter into a tight hug.
"I know you're scared, Jenna, but you're safe."

"But what if it was Gary?" Jenna said.

"Sweetheart Gary Johnston is still in prison," Amanda said, giving a
inward shudder at the thought of that man and what he'd tried to do.
"He'll never hurt you again, I promise."

"He could've escaped." Jenna said. "What if he did?"

"Someone would've told us," Amanda said, putting a lot more confidence
than she actually felt into her voice. Her arm still around Jenna, she
led her back to her bedroom, making sure the shade on Jenna's window
was drawn.

Just then the doorbell rang.

Jenna's eyes widened in fear.

"Sweetheart, I'll just go answer the door," Amanda said.

"Mom you can't," Jenna said. "What if it's the man?"


"I don't think he'd ring the doorbell," Amanda said. "It's probably
one of the neighbors who saw something. Stay here, shut the door and
I'll be right back-I promise."

"Okay," Jenna whispered.

The doorbell rang again as Amanda came downstairs. "I'm coming!" she
called out. Amanda unlocked the front door and opened it, peering out
in the night. At first she couldn't see anyone.

A little late for neighborhood kids to be playing a prank, she thought.

"Pssstt!" The sound came from the bushes. Amanda went outside, coming
face to face with the dark haired man who was crouching behind them.

"Augie?" she said, noticing that that the informant's clothes were
caked with mud and that his face was scratched. "Just what do you
think you're doing?"

"Is Lee around?" Augie said. "I have some information for him."

Amanda shook her head. "He's out of town," she said, crossing her
arms. "Care to tell me why you were peeking through my bathroom window?"

Augie's tone became defensive. "Hey I wasn't trying to peek on
anyone!" He said. "I was just trying to find a way to tell Lee the
information you know, quietly-without causing a scene."

"Well you definitely failed there," Amanda said. "Do you know that my
daughter is up in her bedroom absolutely terrified?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Stetson," Augie said. "But I had the ladder up to
the window and was trying to push it open when all the sudden the
shade opens and there's a girl-I mean, your daughter. I tried to talk
but she started screaming at me-if the ground wouldn't have been muddy
I might've really hurt myself when that ladder fell, you know?"

Amanda shook her head in exasperation. "Never mind," she said. "What
did you want to tell Lee anyway?"

"It really needs to be told to Lee directly," Augie said. "Plus I
might need some help-I'm opening a new mud-wrestling bar so I'm a
little short of money at the moment. Unless you'd care to help out?"

Amanda shook her head. "No that's all right," she said. "I'll tell Lee
you want to see him. Goodnight, Augie."

"Goodnight, Mrs. Stetson," Augie said. "Oh and tell your daughter I'm
really sorry." Amanda stood and watched as the informant vanished
into the night, and then she went back inside.

"Jenna?" She called out as she went up the stairs. "Everything's okay
now-you can come out." Amanda knocked on the door of Jenna's
bedroom-when she didn't receive a reply she pushed the door open.
Jenna was lying curled up on the bed, still wearing Lee's robe but now
wearing the Garfield nightshirt underneath. In her arms she held her
Scarecrow doll.

"Hey," Amanda said, sitting on the bed beside her daughter, rubbing
her back the way she used to do when Jenna was a baby. "It really is
all right."

"What about the man at the window?" Jenna said.

"He was an - associate of your father's," Amanda said. An associate
that Lee would probably slaughter once he heard what Augie had done,
she added silently. "He just wanted to give him some information,
that's all. He didn't mean to scare you."

Jenna sat up slowly, putting the Scarecrow doll back on the bed and
wiping her eyes. "That's a pretty strange way to give information."
she said.

"Well he's a pretty strange man," Amanda said.

"Mom, about earlier," Jenna said. "What I said about the concert and
everything and the way I acted-I'm really sorry. It was stupid to get
upset over something like that. If anything had happened tonight-"

"Sweetheart, I really do understand," Amanda said, pulling Jenna into
another hug. "And I want you to know that I love you."

"Even when I'm being impossible?" Jenna said.

"Especially when you're being impossible," Amanda said. Pulling out of
the embrace, she looked into her daughter's eyes. "I'll always love
you, Jenna-no matter what."

"I love you too," Jenna said. "Mom- do you still want to watch those
movies we rented?"

Amanda smiled and stood. "Come on then- I'll make the popcorn."

"And root beer floats?" Jenna said.

"Why not?" Amanda said. "After tonight I think we deserve a treat."

Questions

Saturday, August 10, 2002

11:30 AM

"Mom you're not answering my questions," Jenna said.

Amanda placed the laundry basket on top of the washing machine, taking
the clothes out of the dryer. "Sweetheart, I'm answering all the
questions that I can," she said. "I can't tell you what I don't know."

"So why didn't we call the police?"

"Because the man was an associate of your fathers'," Amanda said. "He
didn't mean any harm, I told you that. He was very sorry."

"So if he hadn't been an associate we would've called them?" Jenna said.

"Yes of course we would call them," Amanda said. They left the utility
room and Amanda placed the laundry basket on the family-room sofa,
folding the clothes as she spoke. "Jenna if anyone had been trying to
hurt or frighten you know we would've done everything necessary to
protect you."

"I know that," Jenna said. "But you and dad make movies, right?"

"Right," Amanda said.

"So that man works on movies too," Jenna said. "Right?"

"Sort of," Amanda said.

"Well why couldn't he just phone, then?" Jenna said. "I still don't
understand why he went up the ladder to the window to give Dad some
information."

"Sweetheart the –movie business has some very strange people in it and
that man is one of them," Amanda said, struggling for the right words
under her daughter's piercing gaze. "I can't explain why he does what
he does. I don't understand it myself. I'm not even sure I want to
understand it. But that's all I can tell you. Okay?"

"I guess so," Jenna muttered.

"Why don't you go upstairs and clean your room?" Amanda said.

"Fine," Jenna said. Amanda could hear her daughter muttering something
as she went upstairs.

Once Jenna was gone Amanda sank down on the sofa, looking at the TV.
The news was on-something about an attack on the Metro early this
morning but Amanda's head was too full of thoughts to concentrate.
They were going to have to tell Jenna something soon, she knew. They'd
been putting it off now for far too long. Just then the telephone
rang, the caller ID indicating the name and number. Turning the volume
down on the set Amanda picked up the phone. "Hello Lee," she said.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Francine opened the door of the Q Bureau. Lee was on the phone, his
feet on top of the mess of his desk.

"I finished the debriefing, Amanda," Lee said. "Just catching up on
some paperwork but I should be home soon. How's Jenna?" There was a
pause, and then Lee's voice rose several octaves. "He did what?"
Another pause. Francine watched as Lee's expression hardened.

"That son of a-" he said, his fist clenching. "Don't worry, Amanda,
I'll deal with him. I love you. Tell Jenna I love her too, okay?
Bye." He hung up the phone.

"I brought you these additional dossiers," Francine said, placing them
on the desk.

"Thanks," Lee said, standing up and putting on his jacket. "I'll look
at them later, Francine-I've really got to go.

"Everything all right at home?" Francine asked.

"It will be," Lee said. "Once I've dealt with a certain individual."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Fine," Jenna said again to herself as she pushed open the door to her
room. "I'll just go and clean up my room like a good little girl and
not even ask questions about this-or the 15000 other things in my life
that no one else will ever explain." The room really was kind of a
mess though-mom was right on that. Jenna made her bed, arranging her
stuffed animals and her throw pillows. She knelt on the floor,
gathering up some stray papers and books. Jenna opened one of the
drawers to stuff them in there and that's when she saw it. The other
books and papers fell from her hands, forgotten, as she reached into
the drawer and pulled the object out.

It was a small composition book-the cover carried a picture of The
Washington Monument. Jenna had bought it with some of her pocket money
on a school trip last year. The pages were all blank except for the
first page where she had started to use it for English class. The five
parts of a story were written there: Exposition, Rising Action,
Climax, Falling Action and Resolution, along with a little graph that
Jenna had drawn. She tore out that page and threw it in the wastepaper
basket staring at the blank page that sat in front of her. A purple
gel pen was lying on her dresser-Jenna reached up and grabbed it,
bending over the notebook. In her best script she wrote one word
across the top line:

Secrets

Underneath that word Jenna started a list:


1. Dad & Mom both very good at fighting.
2. Dad with a gun? ?

Jenna crossed out number two –lots of people had guns-that wasn't
unusual.

3. Weird trips taken.

Weird trips? Jenna thought. Maybe she should cross that one out
too-after all, filmmakers probably had to make trips to all kinds of
places.

But not in the middle of the night after a weird phone call, Jenna
thought of the few times that had happened. Maybe she should leave it
in after all.

4. Being there to rescue me when I was kidnapped.
5. Being there to rescue me when I was locked in the locker room.
6. Shooting at the people when I was shot.
7. Fighting someone with a sword during The Nutcracker
8. Dr. Pfaff (film company with a psychiatrist)
9. Not EVER able to go to work on Take Your Daughter to Work Day.
10. Able to open a locked door? Without key?
11. Rescuing me from Mr. Frere (Dennis Johnston).
12. What kind of person would climb in a window to give Dad
information instead of calling or knocking on the door?


Jenna stared at her list. Was there really something there, she
wondered, or was she just kidding herself and letting her imagination
run away?

"Freeze!"

It was dad's voice-loud enough to be heard even with the window
closed. Jenna went to her window, carefully pushing the curtains
aside as she watched the scene playing out below. Dad was standing in
the backyard, facing another man-tall with dark hair that seemed kind
of familiar. Trying not to make a sound, Jenna carefully eased the
window open.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Lee," Augie said as he turned around. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"After the way you frightened my daughter I very much doubt that," Lee
said, watching in satisfaction as the other man's face paled. "Come
back for an encore, Augie?"

"Lee that was an accident, I swear," Augie said. "Just a
misunderstanding. I didn't mean to do anything."

"Maybe not," Lee said, walking forward until Augie was flattened
against the wall of the house. Lee grabbed the front of the man's
shirt. "But if you ever have another accident like that again you'll
regret it. Understand?"

"I understand," Augie croaked.

"Good," Lee smoothed out the front of Augie's shirt and straightened
his tie. " Now what was the information you needed to give me?"

"I'm going to need some cash," Augie said.

"Don't push it," Lee said.

A soft noise from above made Lee look up-he could see that Jenna's
bedroom window was partially open. Was Jenna there, listening? Lee
couldn't tell, but he couldn't afford to take any chances. He looked
at Augie.

"I'll meet you somewhere later," he told the informant. "We can talk
then."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Oh my gosh," Jenna whispered. "Oh my gosh oh my gosh." Her heart
was pounding wildly and her hands were shaking. She took deep breaths
but they didn't seem to help.

Had Dad seen her? She didn't think so but she couldn't be sure. And
what had just happened? Jenna had no idea, but she was going to try
her best to find out. Under her list in the notebook Jenna wrote out
one more word:


Investigate.

Discoveries


4247 Maplewood Dr.

Saturday, August 10, 2002

11:50 AM

Jenna peeked out the window again. Her dad and the other man-Augie –
they were still there. She kept very still, not even daring to breathe
as she listened. Their voices were low but she could still hear if she
really concentrated...

"What does later mean?" Augie was saying . "Lee this is urgent-I
don't think it can wait much longer, you know?"

"Fine," Dad said with an audible sigh. "Meet me over at the Abingdon
Elementary playground in about a half-hour. All right?"

"I'll be there," Augie said. "And I'm telling you-this is big."
Jenna watched as the other man sprinted over the fence and
disappeared. She let the curtain fall and sank down onto the floor,
still shaking.

Investigate. That's what she'd written in her notebook and that's what
she was going to do. Jenna had no idea what her dad was doing, but she
was definitely going to try and find out. Taking the gel pen she
wrote a little bit more:

Step One: Follow Dad.

The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs startled her. Hastily
Jenna closed the notebook so the only thing now showing was the cover
with the Washington Monument. There was a light tap on the door.

"Come in," Jenna called out.

Dad opened the door. "Hey there," he said.

"Hey," Jenna said, trying hard to sound casual. "Did you have fun in
Boston?"

"No mostly I was bored," Dad said, sitting on the bed. "Work stuff,
you know."

But she didn't know, Jenna thought as she sat beside her dad, looking
at his profile. She was just beginning to realize how much she really
didn't know at all. Out loud she said. "I know."

"Bought you a new t-shirt, though," Dad said. "I thought maybe soon we
could all go up to Boston for the weekend-you'd love it. They have a
really nice aquarium there."

"That would be fun," Jenna said.

"Your mom told me you had a little scare Friday night, " Dad said,
looking at her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jenna said. "I mean it sounds silly now but for one minute
I thought it was Gary-that he'd come back and-" her voice faltered
slightly and Dad squeezed her hand.
"-but once I found out who it was I was okay."

"You sure?" Dad said. "No nightmares?"

"No nightmares," Jenna said. "I just thought it was a little strange,
that's all."

"Well he's more than a little strange, Jenna," Dad said. "I'm sorry he
frightened you." He squeezed her hand again and gave her a kiss on
the forehead before standing. "I've got an errand to run but I'll be
back soon-try not to get too bored cleaning your room, okay?"

"I'll try," Jenna said.

"Oh and shut your window," Dad said. "Your mom has the AC running-we
don't want to air-condition the entire neighborhood. I'll see you
later, munchkin."

"See you later," Jenna said. Once Dad was gone she closed her eyes
briefly, taking a deep breath. He hadn't suspected anything-at least
she didn't think that he had. Now the next step was to follow him.
Abingdon Elementary was only one street over but with her Mom here
sneaking out of the house wasn't going to be so easy.

The Agency

11:58 AM

"Anything more on Red February?" Billy said.

"Nothing yet," Francine said. "All that we've been able to find out
so far is they're planning something big."

"That's a bit of an anti-climax, isn't it?" Billy said. "The fact that
they're planning something big is a given, Francine. What we need to
know are details. How about Lee? He's working on the case-did he find
out anything in Boston?"

"Boston was a dead end," Francine said, "But Lee just called-he has a
meeting set up with Augie Swann. He's not certain, but it could have
something to do with Red February-they are the hottest ticket in town
at the moment."

"Let's hope he's right," Billy said, wiping his hand on his forehead
and popping another antacid pill. He wasn't sure what was getting to
him more, the heat and humidity or the tension. "After 9-11 we cannot
afford to take any more chances. We need to know something and we need
to know it soon."

Abingdon Elementary School

12:10 PM

Jenna's muscles were beginning to cramp from staying in this crouching
position so long. She was hot and sweaty, her red t-shirt sticking to her skin.

Her tennis shoe was sopping wet-she'd stepped in the ditch while cutting across.

Despite the summer heat, the water had been freezing cold.

Something tickled as it crawled up her leg. Jenna looked down at it and

had to bite her lip to stifle a shriek.

Some investigator I'd make, she thought dryly. I get afraid of a
little ladybug. Impatiently she brushed it away. Picking up the
binoculars that Jamie had given her two Christmases ago Jenna watched
as her dad stood in the playground next to the swings, checking his
watch every couple of minutes. Just then Augie came running up-he had
something rolled up under his arm- it looked like a paper of some
sort. Dad and Augie were talking, but Jenna was too far way to hear
any actual words.

What could they be up to? She wondered.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"I'm sorry if I'm a little late," Augie said, breathing hard as he
spoke. "But I needed to get the merchandise from my apartment-sort of
a token of goodwill, you know."

"The merchandise?" Lee said. "Just tell me what all this is about,
Augie-I haven't got all day-and stop turning around like that. You're
making me dizzy just looking at you."

"Just trying to make sure they're not following me," Augie said. "I
wouldn't put it past `em."

"Who?" Lee said.

"Red February," Augie said. "They contracted me to procure something
for them at a very good price. Only I started thinking that they
might not honor their end of the bargain."

"Really?" Lee said, letting sarcasm creep into his voice. "Whatever
gave you that idea?"

"They just seem a little unstable," Augie said, apparently oblivious
to Lee's mockery. "So anyway I thought maybe I should offer it to you."

"I'm not paying for it," Lee said. "I've told you that already."

"Come on Lee," Augie said. "I went through a lot of trouble to get
this, you know-this is huge."

"Let me see them first," Lee held out his hand. "I want to make sure
what I'm paying for."

Augie handed him the papers and Lee carefully unrolled them. He
studied the documents silently for a moment.

"These are plans for the Metro," he said, looking up at Augie.
"They're a matter of public record."

"Not these plans, Lee." Augie said. "These plans show the secret
entrances for workers and government individuals in case of
evacuation. And this other paper here shows a detailed map of all the
ventilation systems."

Despite the August heat Lee felt a chill go through him as he looked
down at the blueprints. He could think of several reasons why Red
February would need this information and none of them were good.
Taking a bill out of his wallet he handed it to Augie.

"One hundred dollars?" Augie said. "My information is worth more than
that, Lee-I'm a man with expenses."

"Here," Lee said, taking another hundred out. "That's it, Augie."

"Bye Lee," Augie said. "Take care."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Jenna's mouth felt dry, the cramp in her legs forgotten as she watched
the scene below. She wasn't sure what she had seen, but it gave her a
sort of trembling and sick feeling in her stomach. What exactly could
dad have been doing? A dozen different ideas were racing through
Jenna's head, each one worse than the last. Numbly she watched
through the binoculars as Augie left. Dad rolled up the paper under
his arm and after a moment he left too.

A sharp sound, like a branch breaking, made Jenna jump slightly and
shook her out of her thoughts. She had to get home and fast, too,
before she was caught or missed.

Disillusioned

Saturday, August 10, 2002

12:15 PM

Augie was just leaving the school grounds when a dark-haired man
stepped out of the bushes, grabbing his arm. Augie tried to pull away
but despite his graying hair and aging appearance this man was much
stronger than he looked.

"Mr. Swann," the man said. "I’ve been waiting for you."

"Hello Mr.- Mr. Necci," Augie stammered. The man put his arm around
Augie's shoulders, squeezing tightly, almost painfully.

"I keep telling you, Augie, call me Franco. After all, we're friends,
aren't we?"

"Sure, we're friends," Augie said.

"Do you have what I need, my friend?" Franco said. "The Metro plans?
I have been very patient."

"I'm still trying, Franco," Augie said. "But it's a little difficult
right now-there was some sort of security leak so they've tightened it
to the point where you need a pass and I lost mine, so it's-" Augie's
voice broke off as Franco Necci suddenly jammed a gun into his
midsection, causing him to double over in pain.

"You're lying," he said. "I know you gave it to that American agent
Scarecrow. Did you think I wouldn't be watching you?"

"I wasn't trying to double-cross you," Augie croaked. "But he
threatened me-you know how it is."

"I know that you're a despicable coward," Franco said, dragging Augie
upright by his collar. "But maybe you can redeem yourself by telling
me all you know about the Scarecrow-where he lives, where he may have
taken those plans, and what you know about the child."

"Child?" Augie said.

"A girl up near the trees with a pair of binoculars," Franco said.
"Pretty little thing, light brown, maybe blond hair, watching you the
entire time. I figure she must be a friend of yours?"

"Are you kidding? I don't have any kid friends," Augie said.

"Well maybe she's a friend of the Scarecrow, then," Franco said.
"Perhaps even his child? You know more than you're telling me. I can
see it in your eyes. "

"You're wrong, I don't know anything," Augie said.

"Yes you do," Franco said. "And I'm going to do whatever it takes to
get that information out of you and retrieve my plans, Mr. Swann.
Count on it."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Once she was back in her own backyard Jenna bent over, her hands on
her knees as she breathed in through her nose and out through her
mouth, trying to slow her racing heart. Sweat dripped from her
forehead and her legs ached but at least she'd made it. Had someone
really been following her? Jenna wasn't sure, but she hadn't been
willing to stick around and find out. She shut her eyes, trying to
will the image of Dad and that man Augie out of her mind but it didn't
work.

What could they have been doing out there? Jenna wondered. She tried
to think of a good reason, some excuse for what she'd just seen. Jenna
couldn't believe in a million years that her dad could possibly be
involved in anything bad or wrong. Could he? And if he was did Mom
know? Maybe she was part of it too. They did work together after all.

No! Jenna thought fiercely. It couldn't be true -there had to be a
good reason for this.

"Jenna Leigh Stetson-just what do you think you're doing?"

The voice startled her. Jenna looked up into her mother's angry face.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Just tell me where you were," Amanda said, looking at her daughter,
who was sitting on the sofa drinking a glass of ice water. "That's the
very least you can do."

There was a brief silence. "I went over to Lisa's house," Jenna said.
"I hadn't seen her all week and I just wanted to talk to her."

"To Lisa's house?" Amanda repeated. "You were only grounded for one
more day, Jenna. Couldn't you wait?"

"I guess not," Jenna said. "I'm sorry, Mom."

"I'm sorry too, sweetheart," Amanda said. "I'm sorry that I'm going
to have to ground you for another week, but you haven't given me much
choice."

"I know," Jenna said, staring down at her hands as she clenched and
unclenched them.

Amanda wasn't sure why exactly, but every instinct she possessed was
screaming at her, telling her that something was very wrong.

"Jenna look at me," Amanda knelt beside her daughter. She put a finger
under Jenna's chin, gently lifting until Jenna's gaze was even with
her own. "Is there something going on that you want to tell me about?"

"Mom, I-" For just one moment there was an almost pleading look in
Jenna's eyes-but it quickly disappeared. Jenna shook her head.

"No- there's really nothing to tell," she said.

"Do you know how worried I was when I couldn't find you?" Amanda said.
"When I went up to your room and you weren't there I thought-well you
don't want to know what I thought."

"I'm really sorry." Jenna said.

"If there's a problem we can handle it together, you know that,"
Amanda said. "You don't ever have to face anything alone."

"Like I said, there's nothing," Jenna said. "Really."

"Fine." Amanda stood. "I want you to go upstairs, take a shower, get
into some clean clothes and finish cleaning your room. Your father's
at the office now, but when he comes home we'll all have a long talk."

Jenna stood. Without another word she went up the stairs. Amanda
sighed as she heard the bathroom door slam.

"Just what is going on here?" she whispered. But there was no one
who could answer.

Conclusions

Saturday, August 10, 2002

1:40 PM

Billy sighed as he looked at the Metro blueprints sprawled across his
desk. "I was afraid of this," he said. "I was hoping it was just
coincidence, but there has to be a connection here."

"A connection with what?" Lee said.

"In the past few weeks there have been thefts at several chemical
laboratories across the US," Francine said, handing Lee a folder.
"The chemicals by themselves are relatively harmless, but our Agency
scientists tell us that when combined they can form an odorless,
colorless and deadly nerve gas."

"To attack the Metro?" Lee said.

Billy nodded grimly. "The 1995 attack on the Tokyo subway killed
around 12 people," he said. "If they used the ventilation systems and
these secret entrances to spread the gas it could potentially kill
hundreds, maybe even thousands. I'm putting you and Amanda on this-we
really need our best team on the job."

"I'll call Amanda," Lee said.

"You do that," Billy said. "And check up with Augie again-I have a
feeling he might know more than he's telling us."

1:45 PM

Jenna had been up in her room for nearly an hour without even so much
as a peep from her. It was so unlike Jenna that Amanda had just about
made up her mind to go upstairs and talk to her when the phone rang.

"Hello," Amanda said.

"Hey Amanda, it's Julia. How are you all doing? It's been quite a
while."

"It certainly has," Amanda said. "We'll have to get together soon-is
your husband having one of his famous barbeques soon?"

"As long as he promises not to set the backyard on fire," Julia said.
"I still can't get grass to grow on that patch he damaged the last
time. Listen, I just called to see if Jenna's coming to Lisa's pool
party on Monday. We sent out the invitations over a week ago and I'm
just calling everyone who hasn't confirmed yet."

"I'm sorry, Julia," Amanda said, feeling a slight pang of guilt as she
remembered looking at the lavender envelope printed with balloons,
putting it in the miscellaneous category and promptly forgetting about
it. "It's just been a really hectic week-plus Jenna's been grounded."

"That explains why we haven't seen her," Julia said. "Usually she's
over here so often that I think we must have a second child. Will she
be able to make it?"

"I don't know," Amanda said. "It looks like she'll be grounded this
next week too, so I'm just not sure."

"Teenagers, huh? Well I certainly hope she can," Julia said. "You
know Jenna's been here for every birthday since they both were in
diapers."

"I'll see what we can do, Julia," Amanda said. "Maybe I can make an
exception for-wait a minute-you said you haven't seen her? Jenna
didn't come over this afternoon?"

"No," Julia said. "Was she supposed to?"

Amanda's mind was racing, trying to fathom the reasons for Jenna lying
about her whereabouts. "Don't worry about it," she told Julia. "I'll
talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," Julia said. "I'll put Jenna on the guest-list just in case.
Bye Amanda."

"Goodbye," Amanda said. She had barely hung up the receiver when the
phone rang again.

"Grand Central Station," she said.

"What?" Lee said.

"Just a little joke, the phone never seems to stop ringing sometimes,"
Amanda said. "So what's up?'

"Nothing good," Lee said. "Billy wants us both on this job. How soon
can you be down here?"

"About an hour," Amanda said. "Just give me time to drop Jenna off at
mother's house and I'll be there."

"Can't Jenna stay at home by herself? She's done it before."

"Not this time," Amanda said. "She snuck out. I caught her sneaking
back in and then she lied to me about where she'd been."

"She lied? That doesn't sound like Jenna."

"Well sneaking out doesn't sound like Jenna either. Frankly I don't
know what's going on." A sudden noise made Amanda look up. For a
moment she thought there might have been someone at the top of the
stairs. Had Jenna been listening? She couldn't be sure.

"Amanda?" Lee's voice sounded worried.

"I'm fine, Lee," Amanda said. "I'll see you at the office in an hour."

"And don't worry about Jenna," Lee said. "We'll talk to her together
later on-get this all straightened out. I love you. "

"I love you too," Amanda said. Hanging up the phone she went upstairs.
"Jenna?" she called out. Jenna's bedroom door was closed. Amanda
pushed it open. Her daughter was lying on the bed writing something in
a notebook. At Amanda's entrance she quickly closed the notebook and
pushed it under her pillow.

"You're supposed to knock," she said.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Amanda said. "But your father just called and
I need to go into the office. I'll drop you off at Grandma's house on
the way, okay?"

"Can't I stay here?"

Amanda shook her head. "No, after this afternoon you really can't."
She fully expected her daughter to give her another argument; instead
Jenna just sighed.

"Okay. Just let me find my shoes and I'll be down in a minute," she
said. Again Amanda was struck by that feeling that there was
something very wrong here, something she was missing.

"I'll be downstairs," Amanda said. "I love you, Jenna." She was
rewarded by a brief smile.

"Love you too, Mom" Jenna said.

4:30 PM

"I made you some popcorn ," Dotty said, coming into the den with a
large plastic bowl. "And I figured you could use some company too."

"Thanks Grandma," Jenna said. She was curled up in a corner of the
sofa, her knees drawn to her chest and her eyes fixed on what was
happening on the screen. "Where's Captain Curt?"

"Out on his boat," Dotty said with a sigh. "I think he still misses
Florida where the beach was practically in our backyard."

"Do you ever miss Florida?" Jenna asked, taking a handful of popcorn.

"Well it was beautiful-especially in the winter and spring," Dotty
said. "But there's a few things they forget to put in those tourist
brochures."

"Like what?"

"Things like the bugs, the lizards and the crabs," Dotty said. "Do
you know that they have love bugs that fly together when they mate?"

"Really?" Jenna said.

"I'm serious," Dotty said. "One day we drove to Kissimmee and
thousands of them flew into the grill of our car-it looked like
something out of a horror movie. Also I can't begin to tell you what a
shock it was to open my front door one morning and see two crabs
sitting right on my front doorstep-just about scared me to death."

"Well I'm glad you came back," Jenna said. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, sweetheart." Dotty said, looking at the television
screen. "Just what is this we're watching?"

"Some TV movie I think," Jenna said. "This woman married this man but
she didn't know that he was in the Mafia and now his whole family's
hiding in this big house."

"How could she not know?" Dotty said.

"I guess she loved him," Jenna said. "You don't want to question
people you love."

"Well if you marry someone you should at least find out what they do
for a living," Dotty said. Suddenly a helicopter appeared on the
screen, gunmen firing on the people below. She looked over at Jenna,
noticing how hands clenched, her whole body tensing as she watched the
action on the screen.

"Darling maybe you shouldn't be watching this," Dotty said, knowing
Jenna's experiences with real guns.

"I'm fine," Jenna said. Suddenly a dark-haired woman fell to the
ground, a red stain spreading rapidly across the front of her sweater.
Dotty heard her granddaughter's sudden sharp intake of breath.

"Oh my gosh," Jenna said softly. Dotty decided enough was enough.

"Jenna I'm going to change the channel," she said, grabbing and
clicking the remote. "I happen to know there's a nice dance program on
PBS that you might enjoy more."

"That's fine," Jenna said. "I'm really okay, I just, I- didn't
expect that to happen. Everything looked peaceful at first."

"Well if someone gets mixed up with the Mafia I guess that's what
they have to expect," Dotty said.

They both sat there in silence for a few moments, watching a group of
people on the screen dancing to `Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy'.

"Grandma, how would you know?" Jenna suddenly said.

"How would you know what?" Dotty said.

"If someone in your family was like a gangster or in the Mafia or
something. How would you know?"

"How on earth do you expect me to answer a thing like that?"

"Just answer," Jenna said.

"Well if they have relatives called Uncle Sal or Big Tony that's
probably a dead giveaway," Dotty said.

"Grandma I'm serious! How would you know?"

"Jenna I really don't know," Dotty said. "Luckily I don't know anyone
with gangsters in their family-and neither do you."

"No I guess not," Jenna said.

"Is there something you want to tell me?” Dotty asked.

"Well there's this friend of mine," Jenna said. "She's been noticing
her parents doing some really strange things and she told me about it.
And I just thought-"

"That they might be gangsters?" Dotty chuckled. "Honestly-you have an
imagination just like your mother's."


SMK SMK SMK SMK

Across the street from the house a blue van was parked. In the van sat
two men-their eyes trained on the house.

"I say we go in and take her now," the younger man said. "There's just
one old woman, Uncle-she wouldn't be any trouble."

"One old woman, Rudolpho?" Franco said. "I'm just one old man-do you
think that I'd be no trouble? Suppose she's armed? What then?"

"I'm only saying-" Rudolpho began.

"Well I'm saying that we wait," Franco said. "Those plans are vital to
our mission. We wait until the Scarecrow's child is alone, and
unprotected. Then we strike."

Breakpoint

Saturday, August 10, 2002

Swann's Mud Wrestling Bar and Grill

6:35 PM


"I'm Elsie Little," the blond woman spoke in a soft voice. "Augie's
fiancée. It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Stetson. Augie's told me
so much about you."

"He has?" Lee said, raising his eyebrows.

"Of course," Elsie said. "Augie says that you're one of his closest
friends."

"Well that's certainly one way of putting it," Lee said. "This is
Amanda-she's my wife and partner."

"Nice to meet you, Elsie," Amanda said.

"Can I get you anything to eat or drink?" Elsie said. "It's on the
house."

"Thanks for the offer," Lee said. "But what we really need to do is
speak to Augie-it's kind of urgent."

"He's not here," Elsie said. "I was sort of hoping you knew where he
was, Mr. Stetson-I haven't seen him since this morning and I can't get
an answer on his cell phone."

"Can you think of where he might have gone?" Lee said.

Elsie shook her head. "No, but I hope he gets back soon-we're supposed
to have dinner tonight with my parents at nine-they're flying in for
the occasion."

7:45 PM

"Maybe Augie got cold feet and ran off," Lee said as they turned onto
the street heading for Dotty's house. "It's happened before-I can't
tell you how many fiancées of his I've met in the past."

"Maybe," Amanda said. "Except this time he made her a business
partner-I don't think he'd do that to a woman he was planning to dump."

"No you're right," Lee said. "Which leaves only one option-that Red
February found out he sold those plans to someone else."

Amanda nodded. "So what then?"

"Hard to say," Lee said. "Franco Necci's seventy-five years old but
from what I hear he still rules that organization with an iron fist.
He'll do anything to get those plans back."

"Meaning?"

"I don't know," Lee said. "But he's bound to try something soon-we
need to keep our eyes and ears open."

There was a blue van parked across the street from Dotty's house-it
pulled away just as Lee pulled into his mother-in-law's driveway.
Something to worry about? Lee didn't think so, but he noted the make
and model just in case.

"What are we going to say to Jenna?" Amanda said.

"Just tell her that we know she's lying," Lee said, running one hand
through his hair. "If she wasn't sneaking out to see Lisa, I want to
know exactly who she was sneaking out to see."

"It sounds crazy," Amanda said, "but I'm almost afraid of what the
truth will be."

Lee's hand squeezed her own. "Amanda whatever it is we'll deal with it
together. Right?"

"Right," Amanda managed a small smile. Hand in hand they went up to
the house.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Lee decided to start the questioning off slowly –if he caught Jenna
off-guard she might tell him the truth instead of another lie. Looking
at his daughter's sullen expression in the rearview mirror he wasn't
too sure it would work. The Agency had published at least 15 manuals
on interrogation; not one of those explained how to interrogate your
teenage daughter. Maybe when this was all over Lee would write that
manual himself.

"Did you have a nice time at your grandmother's, munchkin?" Lee said.

"It was okay," Jenna said.

"What did you do?" Lee said.

"Just watched a movie and a dancing show, ate some popcorn." Jenna said.

"Sounds like fun." Lee said.

"I guess," Jenna said.

"Your mother tells me that you left the house without permission
today." Lee said, watching Jenna's facial expressions closely as he
drove. "That you went over to Lisa's house? "

"Yes," Jenna said. "I'm really sorry-but I hadn't seen anyone all week
and I was lonely."

"Jenna that's a lie," Amanda said. "I spoke to Lisa's mother and she
says you were never there."

There was a long silence.

"But I was there," Jenna said. "Maybe Lisa's mom didn't see me but I
was there, Mom. I swear-"

"Don't make things worse with another lie," Lee said. "Just tell us
where you went."

"Sweetheart wherever you went- we can handle it," Amanda said. "Please
tell us."

Another long silence.

"I can't," Jenna said.

"You can't?" Lee said. "What do you mean you can't? Of course you
can. Do you want to be grounded for two more weeks instead of one?"

Jenna shook her head, her dark eyes brimming with tears. "I'm sorry,"
she said.

They pulled up to a red light. Another car pulled up behind them. A
blue van. Lee couldn't tell exactly but it looked like the same make
and model as the one that had been in front of Dotty's house. He and
Amanda exchanged glances; he knew she'd seen it too.

"Jenna get down," Lee said. "Lay down flat on the seat."

"But why?" Jenna said.

"Don't ask why. Just do it," Lee snapped. Thankfully Jenna did as she
was told. At that moment the light changed. Lee gave an inward sigh of
relief as the blue van turned in the opposite direction.

Maybe I'm becoming paranoid, he thought to himself.

"It's okay," he told Jenna. "You can get up now."

"What was all that about?" Jenna said.

"Just someone we were trying to avoid," Lee said as they turned onto
Maplewood Drive.

"Who?" Jenna asked.

"It's kind of hard to explain right now, sweetheart," Amanda said.

"You always say things like that," Jenna said as they turned into the
drive. " My whole life, every time I ask a question, and it's not
fair." Her voice was shaking now. "I don't think I'm the only one
keeping a secret. Am I?"

To that Lee and Amanda had no reply.

"Walls Come Tumbling Down"

Monday August 12, 2002

4247 Maplewood Drive

1:30 AM

"Can't sleep?" Amanda asked as she came downstairs into the family
room. Lee was sitting on the couch, going through a photo album.

"No, I guess not," Lee said with a sigh. Amanda curled beside him on
the couch.

"Me either," she said. Lee put one arm around her, pulling her close.

"I was just looking at these baby pictures of Jenna," he said. "I
swear the first week that we brought her home from the hospital we
must've gone through about three rolls of film. We have pictures of
her sleeping, having a bath, pictures of everyone holding her-look
even Beaman's in a photo." The expression on Lee's face was wistful.
"Things were so simple back then."

"I know," Amanda said. "The older they get the more complicated it is."

"Speaking of complicated, how is Jenna?"

"Sleeping last time I checked," Amanda said. "Before that I don't
know-she wasn't exactly talkative."

"That's an understatement," Lee said. "I think she's said maybe two
words to us since Saturday night. And she still hasn't told us where
she went when she snuck out."

"Well why should she when we haven't exactly been forthcoming with her?"

"That's different and you know it," Lee said. "Amanda the sneaking
out-this could involve her safety. I still want to know where she went
and who she saw."

"But why haven't we told her about us?" Amanda said. "It's not like
we haven't had opportunities."

"I know," Lee said.

"We started to tell her that one time after she was shot."

"Yeah but then there was the bone infection-all those tests-" Lee
rubbed his hand over his face. "And then after all that Dr. Pfaff
thought we should just wait awhile-and I guess we just kept on waiting."

"-and putting it off." Amanda said. "Afraid of the risk, her
reaction- Let's face it, we're chicken."

"All right then, let's do this," Lee said. "Tomorrow evening after
dinner we'll sit Jenna down and tell her the whole truth."

"Right," Amanda said.

"This time nothing is going to stop us," Lee said. "No
interruptions-nothing."

They looked at each other for a moment.

"We'll pencil it in," they said in unison.

9:30 AM

Of all the mornings for this to happen, she thought. Amanda held the
basket brimming with dirty clothes and stared in dismay at the
semi-flooded utility room. Just then the phone rang. Amanda put the
basket on the countertop and went to answer it.

"Hello Lee," she said.

"Amanda can you get down to the office right away?" Lee said. "We
might have a lead on the location of those stolen chemicals."

"It might take a while," Amanda said. "The washing machine's backed up
and the utility room is flooded."

"Flooded?" Lee said. "How flooded are we talking about here?"

"Oh it's not bad, just a thin layer of water," Amanda said. "The thing
is that I'm going to have to take the rest of the clothes to a
Laundromat."

"Is it vital?"

"Well if you want to have towels to shower with tonight I think so.
It'll only take me an hour."

"Okay," Lee said. "Well meet me here when you get through with that.
What are you going to do about Jenna?"

"Not sure," Amanda said. "Mother called me earlier-she has a salon
appointment and then she's meeting a friend for lunch. Don't worry,
I'll think of something."

"See you in an hour," Lee said. "I love you."
"Love you too," Amanda said.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Jenna?" Amanda knocked on her daughter's closed door. "Sweetheart?"

"Come in," Jenna called out. Amanda opened the door. Jenna was curled
up on her bed, clutching a pillow to her chest. Her eyes were
red-rimmed and slightly puffy-a sign that she'd been crying recently.
Amanda sat down on the bed.

"That was your father on the phone," she said. "There's a little
emergency at work so I need to go into the office-"

"Mom it's okay," Jenna said. "Really. I'm not going to run off or
anything-it's not like I have anywhere to run to."

"Oh sweetheart," Amanda said, giving Jenna a hug. .

"So what's the emergency at work?" Jenna asked.

"Well it's kind of complicated."

Jenna sighed. "I guess I didn't really expect an answer- just thought
I'd ask."

"Is there anything you'd like to tell me?"

"It's not about not liking too," Jenna said, looking at Amanda and
then looking away again. "I just-I don't think that I can."

Amanda kissed the top of Jenna's head. "Jenna there isn't anything you
can't tell me-whatever it is I can handle it."

"Not this," Jenna said. She looked on the verge of tears again. Amanda
decided to let the matter drop for now.

"Jenna we'll talk about this later." she said. "I'm going to the
Laundromat before work-the washing machine's backed up again." Amanda
eyed the pile on the floor. "Are these your clothes? You know you do
have a hamper."

"I know I do," Jenna said. "I just keep forgetting about it. Is the
utility room under water again?"

"Sort of," Amanda said, picking up Jenna's clothes. "It's not too
bad-just stay out of there and I'll call the plumber later on. Take
care, sweetheart-I love you."

"Love you too," Jenna said.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"It's just strange, Mother." Amanda used her shoulder to hold the
cell phone to her ear as she sorted through the clothes in the basket,
laying them out on the table. "I think she wants to tell us, but she's
afraid."

"I bet she'll tell you when she's ready," Dotty said. "She's like you,
Amanda-and you could never keep a secret very long."

"I don't know about that," Amanda said. "I think she's more like Lee
in that respect-I just wish I knew how to break through to her."

"Something's definitely bothering her," Dotty said. "She was over here
Saturday asking me about gangsters and the mafia-she even asked me how
I would know if someone was a gangster."

"Gangsters?" Amanda repeated the word. As she picked up a pair of
Jenna's jeans a notebook fell out. Must be one of her school
notebooks, she thought, idly leafing through it-must have picked it up
by accident. Most of it was empty except for the first few pages,
which were covered in Jenna's distinctive purple-pen script.

"Well we were watching some ridiculous TV movie," Dotty said. "That's
probably where Jenna got the idea-the thing was she seemed to be so
serious about it. Then when I asked her what was wrong she told me
some story about a friend of hers whose parents were doing some
strange things."

"Hmmm?" Amanda said as she started to read the notebook. Her mother
continued to talk but she tuned her out. As Amanda turned past the
first page and looked at the second, it suddenly felt as though it was
very hard to breathe. The world seemed to spin for a moment and she
clutched the notebook so hard her fingers grew numb.

"Oh my gosh," she whispered.

"Amanda are you listening to me?" Dotty said.

"Mother I've got to let you go," Amanda said, hurriedly stuffing the
clothes back into the basket. "Something just came up- I have to call
Lee right way. Talk to you later."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"She did what?"

"She followed you, Lee." Amanda sped down Glebe Road towards
Maplewood. She never usually used her cell phone when driving, but
this was an exception. Her heart was pounding loudly in her ears and
the hand that gripped the steering wheel was trembling.

Please let me get there in time, she prayed silently.

"And she saw Augie give me the plans," Lee said. "No wonder she's been
so-poor kid, what she must have thought-"

"Believe me, she thought the worst," Amanda said.

"I can imagine. Amanda, if she was watching me and Franco Necci was
watching Augie, then he might have seen her too. That means she might
be a target."

"I know," Amanda said. "That's why I'm going back there right now. We
have to bring her inside-it's not safe."

"I'm right behind you."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Lee hung up the phone as he got into the Corvette and gunned the
engine, tires screeching as he drove out of the parking lot. He was
praying the same silent prayer that Amanda was-that he wouldn't be too
late.

If anything happens to Jenna, he thought, it will be all my fault.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Jenna was lying on the couch downstairs, trying to focus on some old
game show about newlyweds. One of the wives seemed to hate her
husbands' answers-it seemed like he couldn't do anything right.

"Next time we do it my way," the woman told her husband after they
lost the third round. Her husband's face was red as a cherry and Jenna
felt sorry for him.

Suddenly she heard a thumping noise, coming from upstairs. That thump
was followed by a slightly louder thump-it sounded like something was
being knocked over-the house almost seemed to shake. .

"Oscar is that you?" Jenna called out to her cat as she went up the
stairway. She thought that he'd been sleeping, but maybe he'd woken up
and decided to play. Last time his play had broken a vase that had
belonged to Grandma –Mom hadn't been at all happy about that.

"Did you break something else, little kitty?" She said. The thump
came again-it was her bedroom –Jenna got a sinking feeling, wondering
if Oscar had broken the unicorn statue. She'd made it for summer camp
three years ago-the only time that her artwork had ever turned out right.

"Oscar just please calm-" Suddenly a thick hand wrapped around her
shoulders and grabbed her from behind. Jenna screamed, struggling
violently but it did no good. She was pulled backwards and lifted off
the ground like a rag doll.

"Ready to play, little girl?" a voice murmured into her ear.

Revealed

Monday, August 12, 2002

10:30 AM

Amanda's maroon Taurus was already in the driveway as Lee pulled up to
the house. The blue van-the same kind that he'd seen last Saturday
near Dotty's house-was parked across the street and it appeared to be
empty.

They haven't left yet, he thought. That meant there was still time.
But where was Amanda?

Lee parked behind the Taurus and got out, holding his gun ready as he
approached the house. The door was wide open. He closed and locked it
softly behind him as he entered. The TV in the family room was
blaring, some kind of game show.

"Maybe you didn't hear me before, Howard," the angry looking woman on
TV was saying to a man who looked as though he wished the earth was
swallow him whole' "Next time we do it my way." Lee scanned the
room-nothing out of place and no signs of struggle.

From upstairs he heard it- the sound of a thump followed by a muffled
cry. Heart pounding, Lee made his way slowly up the staircase and
down the hallway.

"-should know better than to try and fight me, little one," a
heavily-accented voice was saying. The voice came from Jenna's room.
"Maybe you need another lesson, eh?" The door to her room was
slightly open-through the crack Lee could see a very large dark-haired
man towering over his daughter, who was crouching on the floor, both
arms covering her face protectively.

"Please," Jenna said. "No-don't-" she gave a shriek as the man grabbed
one of her arms and yanked her roughly upwards, pulling her back
against him and holding her in a chokehold.

"Now," the man said, taking a syringe out of his pocket. "Some of
this and you won't be any trouble at all." Deciding he'd seen enough,
Lee kicked open the door.

"Alright," he said, leveling his gun at the man's head. "Let her go
now." But instead of letting go of Jenna the man pulled her closer,
tightening his arm against Jenna's neck until she gasped.

"I said to let her go!" Lee cocked his pistol.

"I wouldn't do that, Mr. Stetson," the man said. "You shoot me and
I'll crush her windpipe before I hit the ground. I might be dead but
so will she." His grip tightened. "Do you really want to take that
chance?"

Tears were running slowly down Jenna's face as she looked at Lee-an
angry looking red mark covered one side of her face.

"Drop it," the man said

"Daddy?" Jenna whispered. The pain and confusion in her voice tore at
him-this was all his fault. Slowly Lee lowered his gun.

"On the floor," the man said. "Kick it away." Lee did as he was told,
his eyes never leaving his daughter's face.

"Just let her go," he told the man. "Please. She's no threat to
you-she's got nothing to do with this."

"On the contrary," Franco Necci came into the room. He was holding
Amanda with her arm up behind her back and a gun to her head. "Jenna
is the one that we came for, Scarecrow, but it looks like we've got
the whole family as a bonus." Shoving Amanda towards Lee, he walked
towards Jenna.

"What happened here?" Franco said, touching the side of Jenna's face,
chuckling as she flinched.

"She fought me when I tried to drug her," Rudolpho said. "I had to
teach her a lesson."

"Well I don't think the drugs will be necessary anymore," Franco said,
smoothing Jenna's hair. Lee swallowed hard. "She's too frightened to
cause us any more trouble, aren't you?" Lee felt Amanda's hand slip
into his-he knew she was feeling the same thing.

"Get them into the back of the van and tie them up," Franco said. "We
don't have any more time to waste."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

The back of the van felt like an oven, the air very hot and close.
Ruldolpho pushed them inside. Franco followed his nephew, keeping the
gun trained on them. The floor of the van was covered by a dirty
mattress and a blanket. They had been planning to take Jenna, Lee
thought, drug her and keep her in here—he fought to control his
growing rage.

"Sit," Rudolpho said. "Over against the wall. I know it's hot but you
won't be in here that long." Lee and Amanda sat, Jenna in between
them, and Rudolpho proceeded to tie their wrists and ankles.

"Not giving me any fight now, are you, Jenna?" Ruldolpho said as he
tied Jenna's ankles, pulling the rope tight with a sudden yank. "Maybe
you did learn your lesson." Jenna said nothing. Lee could see that
her dark eyes were wide, the pupils slightly dilated and her breathing
slightly faster than normal.

"Did you learn your lesson?" Rudolpho asked, leaning closer to Jenna.
"Answer me!"

"Enough," Franco said. "We don't have time for this foolishness,
nephew. Time to go." The van doors closed, leaving them in semi-
darkness-the only light coming from a skylight just overhead.

"Jenna?" Amanda said. "Sweetheart I know how scared you must be, but
we will get out of this." Jenna said nothing in reply. Her silence was
really starting to frighten Lee.

"Munchkin, please just talk to us," he said. But instead of talking
Jenna closed her eyes and began a rhythmic rocking back and forth,
whispering to herself.

"My name is Marcie Ann Johnston, My name is Marcie Ann Johnston, My
name is Marcie Ann Johnston-"

Dear Lord- a flashback. "Jenna," Lee said, raising his voice over her
whispers. Dr Pfaff had taught him this technique after Jenna's
kidnapping a year and a half ago and he could only pray that he was
doing it right. "Jenna open your eyes. Please open your eyes-open
your eyes. Jenna!"

"Can't-" Jenna said. "I'll get hurt again. I don't want to get hurt-"

"You won't get hurt," Lee said. "Your Mom and I are the only ones here
right now. You won't get hurt. Just open your eyes and turn your head
to the left –look right at me-that's it," he said as Jenna looked at
him, her eyes focusing- "Just concentrate on breathing in and out-just
like me." He wasn't really sure how long they sat there doing this,
but after a while Jenna's breathing began to slow.

"Mom?" Jenna said. "Where's Mom? Is she here?"

"I'm right here, sweetheart." Amanda said. Jenna turned her head,
looking at her and then back to Lee again. Her eyes suddenly filled
with tears again, spilling down her cheeks.

"It's okay to cry," Lee said. "I'm sorry you got mixed up in this-it
never should've happened."

"What am I mixed up in?" Jenna said. "What's going on? That other man
called you Scarecrow -Are you gangsters?"

"No munchkin, we aren't gangsters," Lee said. "This isn't exactly the
way we wanted you to find out the truth-we should've told you long
before this."

"Before what?" Jenna said. "I don't understand. You've always told me
that you worked for IFF making movies."

"No IFF is just a cover," Amanda said. "What we really do is work for
the federal government, gathering intelligence."

"Intelligence?" Jenna repeated the word. "Do you mean that you and
dad are spies?"

"Well we don't actually say the word spy," Lee said.

"But that's what you are, isn't it?" Jenna said. "You and Mom?"

"Yeah, that's basically it," Lee said. Jenna said nothing for a few
moments, staring straight ahead, and for a moment Lee was worried that
she was having another flashback. If he and Amanda could only hold
her, he thought, they might at least be able to give her some comfort.
But the ropes around his wrists didn't seem to be budging no matter
how much he struggled.

"Sweetheart?" Amanda said. .

"I'm okay," Jenna said. "Well maybe not -okay but-I mean I knew there
was something going on since I was little because so many strange
things kept happening-I guess I never thought about spies. That's what
this is all about?"

"Yes it is," Lee said.

"And that's why that man Augie came to the window Friday night," Jenna
said.

Lee nodded.

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Jenna said. "I kept asking you
questions and you never said."

"Oh Jenna I really -I don't know," Lee let out his breath in a whoosh.
"There were so many times we were going to tell you but then you were
kidnapped, there was the trial, Dennis Johnston- and the thing with
your leg- we didn't think you needed to be burdened with any more stuff."

"Wait- that had nothing to do with spies, did it?" Jenna said. "The
kidnapping?"

"No not at all," Amanda said. "But the agency we work for-they helped
us to find you."

"You rescued me," Jenna said. "But what about now? Who are these guys?"

"Franco and Rudolpho Necci are terrorists," Lee said. Even in the dim
light he could see Jenna's face grow paler. "A group called Red
February. Augie was going to sell them some plans that they could use
for an attack, but he decided to sell them to me instead."

"Sweetheart when you followed your father to the school you must have
been spotted," Amanda said. "That's why they came after you."

"How did you know I followed him?" Jenna said.

"I found your notebook this morning with your laundry-I must have
picked it up by accident." Amanda said. "That's why we came back to
the house."

"So I guess walked right into this," Jenna said, her voice trembling.
"Pretty stupid, huh?"

"Not stupid," Lee said. "No, if we'd told the truth you wouldn't have
had to follow me. I always thought the less you knew the safer you'd
be, but I was wrong." He paused. "Jenna. I'm so sorry."

At that moment the van came to a halt.

"What are they going to do to us?" Jenna said.

"I don't know," Lee said. "But your mom and I won't let anything else
happen to you, not if we can help it."

"But how can you stop them?" Jenna whispered. Right now that was one
question that Lee had no answer to.

The sound of footsteps crunching on gravel came closer. The door to
the van was flung open, sunlight spilling in.

"Have a pleasant trip?" Rudolpho said. He climbed into the van. Lee
noticed how Jenna's body tensed and she shrunk back against the wall
as the man came closer.

"You didn't answer me, Jenna," Ruldopho knelt, untying their ankles.
"It's not polite to ignore a man when he asks a question. Your father
should have taught you that. Did you have a pleasant trip?"

"No," Jenna said.

"It's also not polite to be rude," Rudolpho yanked Jenna up by her
bound arms, causing her to cry out. Still holding her arms he lifted
his hand. "Maybe you do need another lesson after all."

"No!" Amanda cried out.

"Don't you touch her again," Lee said, his teeth gritted, struggling
to his feet. Rudolpho laughed.

"And what are you going to do about it?" He said, running his hand
roughly across Jenna's already bruised cheek and down her neck.

"Come over here and find out," Lee said. "Unless you're afraid to take
on someone your own size."

Franco entered the van. "I keep telling you, Rudolpho, there's no time
for these games. Take the two women inside the house now-they can
keep our Mr. Swann company."

"Dad?" Jenna said.

"It's okay, munchkin," Lee said. "I'll get us out of this." His eyes
met Amanda's, seeing love there, and the faith that she had in him. .
Lee watched mutely as his wife and child were led from the van.

"As for you, Mr. Stetson," Franco said "If you ever want to see them
alive again you're going to retrieve those plans for me."

"What do you want me to do?" Lee said.

"We're about ten miles outside of Bethesda," Franco said, untying
Lee's wrists. "You're going to take the van and go to your office."
He took a card and the keys from his pocket, handing them to Lee.
"Once you have the items in your possession contact this number and
I'll give you instructions on how to proceed from there. Follow my
instructions to the letter and both Jenna and Amanda will remain
unharmed."

"You better hope so, Franco," Lee said, "Because if anything happens
to either of them-there won't be any place where you or your nephew
can hide. I just want you to know that."

Endgame


Monday, August 12, 2002

2:30 PM


"The fabrication department is drawing up a version of the plans for
you to give to Necci," Francine said. "By the time he figures out
they're fakes, you and your family should be well out of there."

"That's if everything goes according to plan," Lee said.

"Lee," Francine touched his arm. "We're going to have the best
possible team to back you up on this- I promise that we'll get them
both out safely."

"How is Jenna holding up?" Billy said.

"Not too well Billy," Lee said, running one hand through his hair. "At
least Amanda's there with her this time, but she's been through too
much already."

"I still can't believe she followed you," Billy said. "Actually with
Jenna being Amanda's child maybe I can believe that. And you told her
the truth?"

Lee nodded. "But I don't know how much of it she's actually processed
yet," he said. "She wasn't exactly in the best frame of mind to hear
the news. Billy if something goes wrong-"

"It won't," Billy said firmly. "You have to believe that."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"I have the plans, Franco," Lee said. "What now?"

"There's a warehouse at the intersection of Water Street and M
Street," Franco said. "That's where we'll make the exchange."

"Jenna and Amanda will be there?"

"They'll be there," Franco said. "No tricks, Mr. Stetson. I don't have
to remind you of what will happen to them if you try anything."

Lee's hand tightened around the phone. "And I don't have to remind you
of what'll happen if any harm comes to them," he said. "Now let me
talk to my wife."

"Nice try, Mr. Stetson, but that isn't part of our deal. I expect you
at the warehouse within the hour." With that the phone went dead.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

6:30 PM

The room they'd been locked in was almost as hot as the van itself.
The only light came from a small window high in the ceiling, and now
that dusk was falling, that light was growing dim. There were two
cots-Jenna and Amanda rested on one and Augie on the other. Jenna
was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest. She had spoken very
little since they'd been untied and thrown in here. Amanda sat beside
her daughter, her arm around Jenna's shoulders- pulling her
close-trying to give her some comfort.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Mrs. Stetson," Augie said. His face was
bruised, one eye swollen shut and there was a large cut on his
forehead. "I didn't mean for it to turn out this way."

"I know you didn't, Augie," Amanda said.

"What's with the kid?" Augie said. "Doesn't talk very much, does she?"

"She's just scared," Amanda said, rubbing Jenna's back and hoping to
God that was all it really was.

"I understand," Augie said. "I'm kind of scared myself. I don't know
if I'll ever see Elsie again. She's a real sweet lady too, you know?"

"I know," Amanda said.

There was the sound of a key being turned in the lock and then the
door opened. Franco Necci stood there, holding a tray which carried
three bowls.

"Some food while you wait," he said, putting the tray on the floor.
Then he left, locking the door back behind him. Augie took his share
while Amanda retrieved hers and Jenna's.

"Here, sweetheart," Amanda said, handing a bowl and spoon to Jenna. .
"You really need to eat something."

"I'm not hungry," Jenna said, her voice low.

"I know you're not," Amanda said. "But you haven't eaten since this
morning and you really need to keep up your strength."

Jenna took the bowl and spoon. "Actually I didn't really eat this
morning," she said. "I was too upset-mom, did you know this was
oatmeal?"

"Yes," Amanda said. "Now eat-that's an order."

Jenna raised spoon to her mouth, wrinkling her nose. She took a bite.
"Oh yuck -It doesn't even have sugar in it."

"Eat," Amanda said.

"I don't blame you, Jenna." Augie said. "I hate oatmeal too."

"Just three more spoonfuls, sweetheart," Amanda said, shooting Augie a
look.

Jenna dipped her spoon in the bowl. "Mom, what's going to happen to
us?" she asked suddenly.

"I don't know," Amanda said. "But I do know that your father won't
rest until he finds a way out of this."

"You've been in these kinds of situations before, haven't you?" Jenna
said. "With dad?"


Amanda nodded. "A few times," she said. "Why?"

"Do you ever get used to it?" Jenna said. "You know, so you're not
scared? Because I've been trying not to be, but I'm still scared."
Amanda saw Jenna's hand begin to shake, the spoon hitting the side of
the bowl. Quickly she took the bowl and spoon from her and pulled her
daughter into an embrace.

"Jenna listen to me," she said. "It's okay to be scared, but this time
you're not alone. I promise you we'll do everything we can to get out
of this. Just try and believe that."

"I'll try," Jenna said.

Just then the door opened and Rudolpho stood there, holding a gun, an
unpleasant smile on his face. Amanda's arms tightened protectively
around Jenna.

"You're both going on a little ride now," he said.

SMK SMK SMK SMK


A little ride. Those words echoed in Jenna's head as they bumped
along in the back of the van. It was dark in here now-much darker
that before. Jenna's wrists were tied again, the rough-feeling ropes
cutting into her skin. She'd completely lost track of how long they'd
been in here, but she didn't guess that it really mattered.

`We're going on a little ride, Jenna. Would you like a little ride?"

Jenna could remember Gary saying that, his voice frighteningly gentle,
the cold of the gun barrel running up her cheek. Despite the
mugginess of the evening Jenna was beginning to shiver.

"Jenna?" the voice sounded like it was coming from very far away. It
took Jenna a moment to realize that it was her mom's voice.

"Sorry," she said. "I'm here."

"Sweetheart I got my ropes off," Mom said. "I'm going to loosen yours
so you can slip out of them if you have to, okay?"

"Okay," Jenna said. She felt her mother's hands loosening her bonds.
There was some pain there, but it seemed distant-almost like it was
happening to someone else. The van came to a halt. Next thing Jenna
knew Rudolpho was yelling at her pulling her up and taking her out of
the van.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Mr. Stetson?"

"I'm here, Franco," Lee said, stepping out of the shadows. "Where are
you?"

"Right here."

As Lee's eyes adjusted to the light he could see several figures
moving towards him. Franco holding Amanda by one arm, pulling her along.

And Jenna- Rudolpho was holding her in a tight grip, his large arm
almost crushing her thin shoulders as he half-led, half-dragged her
along. His gun was jammed right against the side of Jenna's head.
Lee was relieved to see that apart from the darkening bruise on one
cheek his daughter seemed to be relatively unharmed. But then he
looked into Jenna's eyes-there was a blankness there that frightened him.

"There's no need for that," he said. "Let Jenna go."

"It's insurance," Franco said. "I know you won't do anything to risk
your family's life. The plans, please."

"Here," Lee handed him the papers. Franco studied the plans briefly.

"Very good," he said, slipping the plans into this jacket pocket.
"And now that I have these there's no need to keep any of you alive.
Rudolpho?"

There was a click as Rudolpho released the safety. Lee saw Jenna's
eyes close, a single tear running down her cheek. Franco removed his
gun from its holster and pulled Amanda closer, putting the gun against
her head.

"Your wife first, or your child," he said. "You decide."

There were several thumps and hisses, and suddenly the room was filled
with thick smoke. Amanda took advantage of the distraction to knock
the gun from Franco's hand while Lee punched the older man hard in the
stomach and then in the jaw. Franco fell to the ground and lay there,
unmoving.

"Lee where's Jenna?" Amanda said. For one moment time seemed to stop
as Lee whirled around, not seeing them-and then he spotted two figures
in the distance, almost obscured by the smoke.

"Amanda, you take care of Franco," he said. "I'll get them."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

Jenna's eyes stung, the smoke making it hard to breathe as she was
dragged along. She could see figures moving in the smoke and hear
people shouting.

"Faster, Jenna," Rudolpho murmured against her ear. "Or I take care of
you right here and now."

What happened next was a bit of a blur. All Jenna knew was that
something knocked her flat on the ground. Turning over, she watched
as a dark-clad figure straddled Rudolpho, hitting him until the large
man finally stopped moving. The dark figure got up and moved towards
her, kneeling down. Jenna tried to move away but she didn't really
have the strength.

"Jenna?" The figure said. It was her dad, concerned hazel eyes
looking into her own. "Oh thank God." He said. Suddenly Jenna was
pulled into a tight hug.

"Everything's okay now, munchkin," Dad was saying, his hand smoothing her
hair.. "It's all over. Everything's okay."

The last thing that Jenna remembered clearly was trying to stand up.
Her legs shook violently and a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm
her. A roaring noise was the last sound that Jenna heard before her
world went completely black.

Facing Fears-Part One

7:35 PM

"Jenna?" It was Dad's voice. His hand patted her cheek gently. Jenna
opened her eyes. She was lying on the ground. Her parents' faces
hovered over her. There were other sounds around her, other voices and
running feet-along with the faint smell of smoke.

"Sweetheart are you all right?" Mom asked.

"I don't know" Jenna said. Her body felt weird, her hands tingling
sharply-that same pins- and- needles feeling that she would get in her
feet sometimes after they'd fallen asleep. Something was wrong. Jenna
knew it but she couldn't figure out what. "What happened?" she asked.

"You tried to stand and you fainted," Dad told her. "Probably shock;
you've had a pretty rough time."

"Rudolpho and Franco?" Jenna said as memory flooded back. "What about
them? They're not-" she had a vague memory of someone-dad-hitting
Rudolpho, but Franco-

"Relax," Dad said. "They're both under arrest now-they can't hurt you
anymore."

"Do you think you could walk with our help?" Mom said.

"Yeah I think so." Jenna could feel hands supporting her back as she
tried to sit up. That's when she realized. Everything else felt
fine-except for her feet-no not just her feet but her legs--Jenna lay
back down on the ground. She swallowed hard, trying to fight her
growing fear.

"Jenna what is it?" Mom said. "What's wrong?"

"My legs." In spite of her best efforts Jenna could hear her voice
shaking slightly. "I can't feel my legs."

Dad and Mom exchanged glances. "Jenna I'm going to put my hand on your
right foot, okay?" Dad said. "Try and move it a little."

"I'm trying," Jenna said. "Is something happening? Is it?" Their
silence was scaring her. "Please just tell me." Again she tried to
sit up, but Dad gently pushed her down.

"Everything's okay, munchkin," he told her. "We're just going to take
you to the hospital and get you checked out. What I need from you now
is to be really still and try not to move at all. Can you do that?"

"Yes," Jenna said. She heard her dad talking to someone, his voice now
frantic-sounding in contrast to how calm he'd seemed just a minute
ago. Mom smoothed Jenna's hair back from her face.

"What's wrong with me?" Jenna said. "I don't understand."

"You'll be just fine, sweetheart," Mom unclenched Jenna's hand and
held it tightly. "Try not to worry." The next thing Jenna knew some
people were lifting her onto what felt like a board, putting something
around her head and neck so she couldn't move it. She felt the sting
of an IV being inserted into her hand and taped in place. Mom didn't
let go of her other hand the whole time.

"Into the ambulance-" a man's voice said. "Call Galilee General and
let them know we're bringing her in."

"Lee I'll ride with her," Mom said.

"Dad?" Jenna called out, suddenly anxious. She tried to turn her
head to see him but the soft restraints wouldn't let her.

"I'm right here, Jenna," Dad said. "I'll follow you and Mom to the
hospital. And don't worry-everything will be just fine."

The stretcher was put into the ambulance. Jenna could hear the sirens
as they sped down the street. Jenna thought they'd probably given her
a sedative or something-within a few minutes she began to feel sleepy,
her eyes closing and her mother's face blurring in front of her.


Galilee General Hospital

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

12:30 AM

"Lee would you just please stop pacing and stay still?" Amanda said.
"This isn't doing you or Jenna any good."

"Well what the hell else can I do?" Lee said. "They've been running
tests for hours now-so far they haven't told us one blessed thing."

"Well you were the one who told them to run every test in the book."

Lee ran both hands through his hair. "Amanda, I know what I did-but we
should've heard something by now."

"I'm sure we'll hear something soon," Amanda said. "We still don't
know what's happened."

"I know what happened," Lee said. "When I knocked over Rudolpho Jenna
fell too. Somehow she must have twisted her spine in the fall and
injured a nerve or something--I don't know." His head sank into his
hands. "If we'd come clean earlier this never would've happened. What
if she never walks again?"

Amanda rubbed his back. "At this point we don't know exactly how it
happened."

"Well isn't it kind of obvious?" Lee snapped. "I'm sorry, Amanda-I
guess I'm just stressed. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"I know how you feel, believe me," Amanda said. " But I just can't
shake the feeling that there's something we're missing here."

"Like what?" Lee said.

Just then the waiting room door opened. Dr Kelford entered, along with
Dr. Pfaff.

"How's Jenna?" Lee said.

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about," Dr. Pfaff said.

"And just what are you doing here?" Lee said to Dr. Pfaff.

"Lee-" Amanda said.

"I called him in for a consult on this one Lee-I think we might need
him. Just hear me out," Dr. Kelford said. "We've run almost every test
we can think of, CT Scans, blood tests, x-rays-and they all tell us
one thing."

"What's that?" Lee said.

"She isn't really paralyzed." Dr. Kelford said. "Not in the physical
sense."

"What do you mean, she isn't really paralyzed?" Lee said. "I saw her
with my own eyes. Jenna was terrified, she wasn't faking it."

"Not consciously, no" Dr. Pfaff said. "But her subconscious could be
doing it to her. Psuedoparalysis is generally a physical response to
an emotional trauma. You have to admit that Jenna's been through a lot."

"I don't know," Lee said. But then he thought back to Jenna's
flashback in the van, that terrifying blank stare she'd had when
Rudolpho had been holding a gun to her head--"You said you've run
almost every test-are you sure there's no physical reason?"

"There's one more test," Dr. Kelford said. "But we'd like you and
Amanda to view it yourselves."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"We can watch the test from here," Dr. Pfaff said as he led them into
a room. "This way we won't affect the results. The window is a one-way
mirror-she won't be able to see us."

Lee looked at his daughter. Jenna was lying flat on the bed in a
hospital gown, electrodes attached to her lower legs. The electrodes
themselves were attached to what looked like a small computer monitor.
Dr. Kelford was there, bent over the monitor. Even from this distance
Lee could see that Jenna's face was pale, the shadows under her eyes
nearly as dark as the bruise on her cheek.

"Poor thing, she looks exhausted," Amanda said. Lee took his wife's
hand, squeezing gently.

"Anyone would be after all the tests they've run," Dr. Pfaff said.
"Don't worry, Mrs. Stetson. After this she should be able to rest. The
results on this one will be conclusive.."

Dr. Kelford had his back turned now, saying something to Jenna, who
nodded. Kelford turned around and Lee could see that he was holding a
large needle attached to a cord.

"What is that for?" Lee said.

"The test is called an electromyogram, or an EMG," Dr. Pfaff said. "It
will test and record the electrical activity of her muscles-tell us if
she's really paralyzed. He's also running a nerve conduction test at
the same time -the electrodes on her leg will send out mild electrical
impulses to help to tell us if her nerves are damaged."

"Will it be painful?" Amanda asked.

Dr. Pfaff shook his head. "Probably not. The mind is a powerful thing.
If Jenna's subconscious is telling her she can't move or feel her legs
then she probably won't."

"Probably?" Lee said, looking at the size of the needle.

"Well sometimes an unexpected pain will cause the limbs to move," Dr.
Pfaff said. "Either way, that oscilloscope there-" he pointed to the
monitor "-will show a reaction."

"And if the paralysis is real? " Lee said.

"Very little or no reaction at all." Dr. Pfaff said.

Lee pulled Amanda closer to him. Together they watched as Dr. Kelford
inserted the needle into Jenna's legs at different points. Jenna
didn't move or show any outward response , but Lee could see it-a
definite reaction on the monitor. He turned to Dr. Pfaff.

"Tell us what we can do," he said.

Facing Fears: Part Two

Galilee General Hospital

Tuesday, August 13, 2002

1:00 AM

"I still don't understand," Lee said. "Psuedoparalysis? Why would this
be happening to her?"

"Well at this point I don't really know for certain," Dr. Pfaff said.
"But if I had to guess I'd say that her mind is trying to protect her
from something."

"By paralyzing her?" Amanda said.

"Look at it this way-not being able to move means that she doesn't
have to face or think about what's bothering her." Dr. Pfaff said.
"I'm going to need some more information. All I've heard is that she
was involved in some kind of hostage situation?"

"Yes," Lee said. "She and Amanda were both held. They'd been planning
to take Jenna alone, but when we showed up they changed their plans."

"I see," Dr. Pfaff said. "And did she experience any flashbacks or
panic episodes?"

"There was one," Lee said. "But I helped her through it."

"Are you sure there weren't any more episodes?" Dr. Pfaff said.

Amanda spoke up. "She was very quiet when we were being held in the
house-she seemed a little out of it but I thought she was just
frightened."

"It could've been fear, yes." Dr. Pfaff said. "Then again she could've
been dissociating all along." He looked down at his papers. "The
initial physical examination only turned up some bruising on her face,
arm, and shoulder area. Do you know if she was hurt or touched in any
other way?"

"Not while she was with us she wasn't," Lee said.

"And when she wasn't with you?" Dr. Pfaff said. "Was there any period
when she was alone with the kidnappers?"

Lee thought back to when he'd seen Jenna crouching on the floor of her
bedroom, her hands covering her head. "I don't know," he said finally,
running one hand through his hair. "I thought that he'd only hit her
but I guess he could have-everything just happened so fast." Thinking
about that man touching Jenna, hurting her in that way made Lee feel
cold and helpless inside. He felt Amanda's fingers wrap around his
own. "Do you think she was-- that's what might have happened to her?"

"I don't know," Dr. Pfaff said. "I really wouldn't jump to conclusions
before we know all the facts. Is there anything else I should know?"

"Yes. We told her the truth," Amanda said. "About us and our jobs."

"While you were being held hostage?" Dr. Pfaff said.

"We thought she deserved to know what was going on," Lee said.

Dr. Pfaff nodded. "I see. Not exactly the time I would've chosen, but
it was probably for the best. Jenna's a bright girl-I think she's
known that something's been going on for a while now."

"Well now that you've asked all these questions are you going to tell
us what we can do to fix this?" Lee said.

"There aren't any easy answers," Dr. Pfaff said. "But I think that
once we get to the bottom of what's bothering Jenna the
pseudoparalysis will clear itself up."

"And if it doesn't?" Lee said. "What then?"

"I doubt that will happen, Scarecrow, but we'll cross that bridge when
we come to it," Dr. Pfaff said. "Hypnotherapy has had some success in
these cases-I'd like to try that before we move to something more
drastic."

Lee wanted to ask what the `something more drastic' might entail, but
part of him was afraid to find out.

Dr. Pfaff looked down at his watch. "Right now I think Jenna needs
her rest," he said. "I'll be back in the morning. Take care and try to
get some rest yourselves."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Get some rest ourselves," Lee muttered as they walked into Jenna's
hospital room. "Like that's going to happen anytime soon."

"After this is all over I think I might sleep for a week," Amanda
said, walking over to Jenna's bed. The only noise in the room was the
steady beep and hum of the IV machine and the monitors. "At least
Jenna's resting."

"Only because she's wiped out after all those tests," Lee said. "I'm
getting pretty sick of seeing her in hospital beds, Amanda. She seems
to have a knack for finding trouble."

"Like someone else you know, right?" Amanda teased. Lee smiled
faintly. "Lee whatever's going on; we'll get her through this."

"Even if she was-" Lee couldn't quite bring himself to say the word.

"Even then," Amanda said. Lee wrapped his arms around her and Amanda
leaned her head against his chest. "Remember what you said to me even
before Jenna was born? We're in this together."

"I remember," Lee said.

"And as long as we're together we can handle anything," Amanda's dark
eyes looked into his. "Just remember that, okay?"

"I'll remember, Mrs. Stetson," Lee said, bending his head down as
their lips met in a brief kiss. .

There was a faint whimpering noise. Looking over at Jenna, Lee could
see that her fists were clenched, her eyes squeezed shut. She was
crying in her sleep-he realized-tears running slowly down her cheeks.

"No," Jenna whispered, "Please-" and suddenly Lee's chest felt tight,
like he couldn't breathe. Amanda bent Jenna's bed, her hand smoothing
the side of Jenna's face.

"Sweetheart, it's okay," she soothed. "It's just a bad dream. You're
safe now." Amanda kept repeating those words over and over like a
mantra. Lee watched as Jenna's body gradually relaxed and her
breathing became slow and even once more.

9:30 AM

"Jenna's doing pretty well this morning, Mother," Amanda said. "She
just had some breakfast and she's watching some TV- There was one
episode last night but it wasn't too bad-yes I'll give her your love.
I'll talk to you later." Amanda hung up the phone just as Lee came
around the corner.

"Pfaff's here," Lee said. "He wants us in the room when he talks to
Jenna-just in case."

"You ready for this?" Amanda asked him.

"I am if you are," Lee said. Hand in hand they walked towards Jenna's
room.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"I don't understand," Jenna said. "What do you mean I'm not really
paralyzed?"

"We've run all the tests," Dr. Kelford said. "There's no physical
reason that you can't move your legs."

Jenna felt tears stinging her eyes. "I'm not faking it," she choked
out. "I really can't feel my legs. I wouldn't lie. I can't believe
that you think I would."

"Sweetheart we know you're not doing this on purpose," Mom said. "But
your mind might be kind of playing tricks on you."

"So I'm crazy?" Jenna said.

"No one's saying that either," Dad said, but Jenna ignored him.

"That's why Dr. Pfaff's here." Jenna knew she was probably acting
like a baby but at this point she didn't care. "You all knew this and
you didn't tell me and now you think I'm crazy-"

"You aren't crazy, Jenna," Dr. Pfaff said. "And no one here is
accusing you of faking it. You've been through a lot for someone your
age-more than most adults will ever go through. This is just your
body's reaction to the trauma."

"My body's doing this without me knowing it?" Jenna said. Everyone
nodded. "Can we make it stop?"

"If we find out what's causing it," Dr. Pfaff told her. "With your
permission I'd like to try hypnosis. It's very safe and it might help
us get to the bottom of this."

"I don't know," Jenna said. She looked over at Dad. "You'll stay here
the whole time?"

"Your Mom and I aren't going anywhere," Dad said, grabbing her hand.
"But you're the only one who can make this decision, munchkin. What do
you want to do?"

Jenna took a deep breath before speaking. "I want to do it," she said.

10:00 AM

"How do you feel?" Dr. Pfaff said.

"Okay," Jenna said.  Lee  was still
holding her hand-he could feel her fingers twitching slightly in his
grasp. Amanda was on the other side, holding Jenna's other hand.

"I do feel cold though," Jenna said.

"Lee?"Dr. Pfaff said.Lee tucked a blanket around Jenna's legs.

 "Is that better, Jenna?"  the doctor asked. 

Jenna nodded. "Yes."  

" Good. Now let's go back to Monday
morning." he paused, and Lee could see Jenna's eyelids flutter. "Your
mom's just left to go to the Laundromat. What are you doing?"

"I'm downstairs," Jenna said. "Watching a game show on TV-it's silly.
There's a noise, coming from upstairs. I'm going upstairs to see what
it is-think it might be Oscar."

"Her cat," Amanda said in a low voice. Dr. Pfaff nodded.

"What happens next, Jenna?" he asked.

"I'm calling Oscar's name," Jenna said. "I'm worried that he's broken
something. Then a-a-" her voice started to shake as her breathing
quickened.

"Jenna," Dr. Pfaff raised his voice. "You're not back there-you're
just remembering. It can't hurt you now. You're safe."

"Safe," Jenna repeated. Her breathing began to slow again. "I'm safe."

"That's right," Dr. Pfaff said. "Now tell me what happens next."

"A hand grabs me," Jenna said. "From behind. I try to fight but it
doesn't-doesn't do any good. He's too big and I get lifted off the
ground-he calls me little girl-asks me if I'm ready to play."

Lee's hand tightened around Jenna's reflexively-part of him wanting to
go down to the jail, find Rudolpho and beat him to a bloody pulp.

"And then what happens?" Dr. Pfaff said.

"He pulls out a needle," Jenna said, her words coming out in a rush.
"He's going to stick it in my arm but I can't let him. I throw my head
back and hit his nose-he yells and drops me on the floor-I try to
crawl away but he grabs my ankle and pulls me back. That's when he
hits me on the cheek-he's yelling-saying I should know better than to
fight him. He grabs my arm and pulls me up, it hurts so bad- he still
has the needle and he tells me I won't be any trouble at all." Jenna
paused. "No matter what I did I couldn't fight him."

Lee had the feeling that they'd come to the root problem-from the
look on Dr. Pfaff's face it was clear he thought the same thing.

"You tried to fight them," Dr. Pfaff said. "That's more than most
people would've done."

"Trying isn't doing," Jenna said. "I couldn't fight-that's why I can't
go back home."

"Because you can't fight?" Dr. Pfaff said.

"Because it's not safe," Jenna said. "Gary took me when I was
outside-everything bad always happened outside. I thought the house
was a safe place but it's not-not anymore. When dad rescued my mom and
me I'd knew we'd have to go back to the house-and I couldn't. There's
just too much danger there now."

"Is it safer when your parents are home?" Dr. Pfaff said.

"I guess so," Jenna said. "I mean, they are spies. We still got taken,
but I think that was mostly my fault."

"Sweetheart what happened was not your fault," Amanda said.

"Would you feel safer if someone was home with you-if you weren't
left alone?" Dr. Pfaff said.

"Yes," Jenna said.

"And what if they installed alarms on all the windows?" Dr. Pfaff
said. "That way they would go off if anyone tried to open them."

"That sounds good." Jenna said, her body visibly relaxing.

"Would those things make your house feel safer?" Dr. Pfaff said.

"Yes," Jenna said. "A lot safer."

"Okay," Dr. Pfaff said. "Now on the count of five you're going to wake
up. You'll feel refreshed and relaxed, just like you had a good long
nap. One…two….three…four….five." On the count of five he snapped his
fingers.

"Is that all?" Lee said.

Dr. Pfaff shook his head. "No," he said. "But it's a good start."

Epilogue

4247 Maplewood Dr

Friday, August 16, 2002

10:00 PM

Lee poked his head into Jenna's room. Jenna was wearing a nightshirt
and curled up on her side, reading a book. "Everything okay in here?"
he asked.

"I'm fine," Jenna said, sitting up "Just reading before I go to bed-glad to be
out of the hospital."

"I'm glad you're out too," Lee looked down at the book. "Does reading
help with the bad dreams?" Lee said.

"A little," Jenna admitted, her face clouding slightly. "As long as
it's not a scary book. What's up?"

"Not much," Lee said. Jenna's Scarecrow doll was beside him on the
bed. Without thinking he picked it up. "I just wanted to see how you
were doing."

"I'm fine," Jenna looked down at the doll and then back up at Lee. "So
you're Scarecrow-is that like your nickname or something?"

"It's my code name," Lee said. "Someone gave it to me a long time ago."

"Does mom have a code name too?"

"No," Lee said. "But she never really needed one-your mother is one of
a kind."

Jenna was silent for a minute. "Those funny words," she said suddenly.
"Were they codenames? Remember when you'd take me to work when I was
little and let me stay in the lobby with Mrs. Marston? Everyone that
walked by would have to say a word before she let them in, like
whiplash or microwave or something."

Lee shook his head. "I'm amazed you still remember that," he said.
"Those weren't codenames- but it was a code word so they could get
into the building."

"That makes sense," Jenna said.

"Jenna I know you have a lot of questions," Lee said, taking her
hands. "Some of them I'll be able to answer but some of the
information will be classified so I can't tell you everything. And you
won't be able to tell anyone else about this-not your friends or
anyone. Understand?"

"I understand, dad, really. I just wish you'd told me sooner. I'm not
a little kid anymore-I can keep a secret."

"I know that and I should have told you-we would've avoided a lot of
problems," Lee said. "Do you have any other questions for me?"

Jenna shook her head. "Not now-I'm just sleepy."

"Okay," Lee kissed her on the forehead and stood. "Want me to keep
the light on?"

"Yes," Jenna said, crawling under the covers, the Scarecrow doll in
her arms. "Good night dad."

"Good night, Munchkin."