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Day 8
“Come on, fellas! The bus’ll be here in ten minutes. You need to eat your breakfast.” Amanda yelled up the stairs. Mornings were always hectic. No matter how much they prepared the night before, they always seemed to be running late. Today was no exception.
“They need to wake up earlier, if you ask me,” Mother said. Her gaze was fixed on the small portable television on the island as she ran her hands around the mixture in the bowl in front of her.
Amanda glanced at the TV and shook her head. Cooking lessons. Mother could get engrossed in anything. The boys stampeded into the kitchen, and she guided them to the table. “Have a seat, fellas.”
“We don’t have time!” Phillip whined.
“We can’t be late. I’m supposed to help Mrs. Farmer at the crosswalk today.”
“You’re such a brownnoser!”
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Boys, enough. No name-calling, Phillip. Now, eat your cereal. The bus will be here any minute.” As she headed for the coffeepot, the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Oh. Hi, Dean.” Noting her mother’s raised eyebrow, she turned her back. “I’m sorry, what was that about rain? Wow, thirty-five percent chance of rain, huh? Yes, I know how you hate to leave your car out in the rain.” She rolled her eyes. Times like these she was glad she kept their relationship platonic. He was just too…too…normal! “Um, sure. I can take you to the station. No, no trouble at all. Right, I’ll be by to pick you up in twenty minutes.”
After hanging up the phone, she rushed up the stairs to the front closet and grabbed her coat, pulling it on as she hurried back to the kitchen. She took the fresh cup of coffee from Jamie and kissed the top of his head.
“You’re going out like that?”
“I’m just taking Dean to the train station. He needed a ride at the last minute, something about rain.”
“I thought you two were just friends?”
“We are, Mother. Friends can do favors for each other.” She grabbed her umbrella and purse and headed out the back door. “Mother?”
“I’ll see the boys off, don’t worry.”
“Thank you. Be good, boys, and have a good day!”
“Bye, mom!”
“See ya, mom!”
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As the sun came up, Lee ran toward the train station, hoping to blend into the crowd and lose his Russian counterparts before handing off the package. When he’d temporarily lost the Russians earlier, he had telephoned the Agency for assistance. He’d been ordered to make the exchange with Special Agent Guthrie, who he’d find on the New York bound train and wearing a red hat. Nice and easy hand off. Now, if he could only lose these guys.
After dodging under several train cars, he made his way to the platform. Hell! The Russians were still with him. How could he get the package to Guthrie with “Tweedledee ” and “Tweedledum ” on his tail? He’d have to think of something and fast. Spotting the train, he remembered Munich in ‘81. When he was rendered incapacitated, he’d used a civilian to make the exchange. It had worked then; so, why wouldn’t it work now? He tried to straighten his appearance and searched for just the right person.
Suddenly, he caught sight of her. She looked wonderful, her face devoid of makeup, so fresh and young looking. What was she doing here? Was she wearing her nightgown? He shouldn’t involve her in this. But what choice did he have?
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“Whoa! Excuse me!” She felt strong arms grab her and turn her around, forcing her to walk in the opposite direction. Was she being mugged in early morning rush hour?
“Just walk with me!”
“I certainly will not…” She ducked her head and pulled away from this crazy person.
“Please! I’m in trouble.”
Why did that voice sound so familiar? She looked up into his eyes. “LEE! What on earth are you doing here? You scared me to death!”
“I’m sorry, Amanda. If I had any other choice…”
“What are you talking about? How did you know I’d be here? Did you call the house?”
“Listen, Amanda. Just take this. Get on the train. It’s a matter of life and death!” She stared at him in disbelief. “Hand it to the man in the red hat.”
“Is this for real?”
“Just get on the train, hand it to the man in a red hat. You can get off at the next stop. I’ll call you later.”
Seeing his serious expression, she boarded the train, but watched him from the steps. As she looked on in horror, two large men in suits chased him down and tackled him onto a luggage cart. The two goons pummeled him, and she silently cheered when he was able to get in a few good jabs. When he was no longer in view, she climbed the steps of the passenger car, repeating what he’d told her, as if it were a mantra. “Man in the red hat. Man in the red hat.”
“Tickets!” The conductor’s voice reverberated in her ears.
‘Oh my gosh!’
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Later that afternoon, 4247 Maplewood Drive, Arlington, VA
“I’ll get it!” Amanda yelled up to her mother. “Hello?”
“You didn’t do what I told you!”
“There were twenty-five men with red hats on that train!” she said, in a harsh whisper, glancing toward the stairs.
“So, where is it?”
“I still have it. What are you involved with, Lee?” A million ideas flooded her mind, all involving illegal activities.
“Meet me at the Potomac Plaza in one hour. Can you do that?”
“Yes, see you then.”
“Bye.”
“G’bye.”
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Potomac Plaza, One hour later
Amanda pulled up to the hotel and handed her keys to the valet, as he opened the door for her. He handed her a parking slip, and she nodded politely.
Walking into the beautiful entryway, she was astounded by the elegance of the room and the chic people milling about. There must be some sort of costume party going on. She could think of no other explanation why adults would be wearing such strange get-ups. Why hadn’t he told her to dress accordingly?
Just then, a lady stopped and took her coat. “I’ll take that.”
Amanda nodded, took the plastic chip, and thanked her.
As the woman ushered her coat away, she heard her name called from the staircase to her left. Looking up, she saw the devilishly handsome Lee Stetson in a tailored black tuxedo. No man should be allowed to look that good. “Hello, Lee.”
He took her arm and led her into the ballroom. “I thought this would be a nice change of pace from our usual encounters. Anyway, we're among friends, so it's a safe place to talk.”
Amanda stared at the many strange costumes--women with antennae on their heads wearing ball gowns, men in tuxedoes wearing knight’s helmets and rabbit heads. “These are your friends?”
He nodded and guided her over to the refreshment table. “Would you care for some pâté?”
”No, no. I'm not hungry. No, no. No, thank you.”
A tall, beautiful woman sauntered up to them, wearing silver, bobbing antennae. “Hi, Lee.”
“Celeste.”
“Want to dance?”
”No, I'm sorry. Um, I'd like you to meet Amanda King. Celeste van Kreswinkle.”
“Hello.”
“Oh, that's marvelous. You came dressed as a housewife. Oh, that's nutty.”
Amanda smiled politely at the woman and then looked to Lee to rescue her.
“Would you like to dance?”
“Yes.” Amanda breathed a sigh of relief and allowed Lee to lead her to the middle of the dance floor.
“How did you know I’d be at the train station this morning?” she whispered into his ear, as they danced.
“We have our ways.”
She laughed. “I thought only Nazis and spies said that?”
“Well, I’m not a Nazi.”
To Be Continued…