And We All Fall Down
By M.C.Hart
Chelbingo@yahoo.com
Chapter 1
Lee Stetson had had one of the worse days of his life. Dr. Smyth had rode him none stop, refusing to listen to anything he had to say concerning Operation Nutshell. Billy had tried to deflect the older man’s anger, but had been unsuccessful.
Smyth has never liked Lee Stetson from the moment he had been transferred to the Washington branch of the Agency and he never would. Everyone knew how Smyth felt. He thought Stetson was a maverick, a loner and would eventually be the downfall of all around him. Smyth just wanted him out, regardless of the reason.
Lee didn’t like Smyth either and he knew his overpowering dislike for the man and his actions only intensified the problem. But at this point he just didn’t care anymore. Not tonight, he had had enough!
Stetson had stood and took the verbal dress down from Smyth in Billy’s office, keeping his mouth shut just as Billy had ordered him. He had taken it, but he wasn’t going to take it anymore.
Smyth had no right trying to lay the blame on him for the failure of Nutshell. He hadn’t been actively involved in the sting operation at all until last night. He had been called in as back up, nothing more. That the encrypted data information had been lost, retrieved by the wrong agent, wasn’t his fault. He had done his job. Billy had ordered him to watch the back of the building. Lee had done that.
He had taken down the two that had tried to escape. Unknown to anyone a third had slipped onto the roof, through the sky light and rendezvous with a helicopter that appeared out of no where. When Lee had realized what was happening, he had tried to prevent him from escaping.
He had almost gotten killed trying to stop the man when he was kicked in the face and lost his grip on the chopper. That he had fell fifty feet, bruising his ribs and nearly giving himself a concussion hadn’t mattered in the least to Smyth. The encrypted data was gone and he blamed Lee. Nothing Billy Melrose could say would change the old man’s mind. Lee was at fault.
Stetson stormed out of IFF, squealing the tires of his sliver corvette as he sped away in a cloud of smoke from burnt rubber. Billy had tried to calm him down, had tried to smooth things over, but it was impossible. Smyth had placed Stetson on suspension. Lee had never been on suspension! Smyth had demanded his gun, his I.D. everything that was associated with the Agency.
Billy’s eyes had nearly popped out of his head when he heard this. Lee had exploded. But Smyth was firm and more than willing to ask security inside to back up his demands. He forbid Stetson to even enter the building until his suspension was up. When Lee had inquired tight-lipped as to the length of his suspension, Smyth had simply smiled and informed him that he would be in touch.
Lee had then been escorted out of the Agency and to the lobby of IFF, by armed guards. Francine Desmond had watched wide-eyed, along with everyone else in the Agency bullpen as he had been accompanied out. None understood what was happening, least of all Lee. He had left Billy to argue in his defense in the small office, but knew it was a lost cause. Whatever agenda Smyth had, he knew he was going to get the blunt of it. The man hated him plain and simple.
* * *
As he sped through the city streets, no destination in mind, Lee forced his mind to think logically over what had just happened. As much as he disliked Smyth, there had to be a reason behind his actions. Lee just couldn’t believe this was all personal. If so, Smyth would have pulled something like this years ago. Why now? And why over something that clearly was not his fault?
Slamming his hand roughly against the edge of his steering wheel, he vented his building frustrations. This was just so stupid! Suspension, I’ve been put on suspension! He still couldn’t believe it.
Realizing he was pushing his corvette much faster than the posted limit, he backed it down quickly, scanning the area. He had to get out of this car, all it was going to do was get him a ticket or worse. As mad as he was, he had enough sense to know he didn’t need to be at the wheel of his car right now.
Giving the wheel a quick jerk as he hit the brakes, Lee spun the corvette around in the middle of the street. Without hesitation, he pulled over in a nearby parking space and turned off the engine. Taking a deep breath, he clutched the steering wheel tightly with both hands and closed his eyes.
Think Stetson. Think.
All he could hear was the constant roar that resounded from his heart, encompassing his entire body in the small compartment of the corvette. He couldn’t concentrate like this. He was too frustrated and angry over what had recently taken place. Wrenching his door open, he surged out of the car and stormed up the small glade.
He needed air.
Hands balled into fists, he quaked with barely controlled anger. How am I going to get around Smyth and get my job back? What was Smyth playing at? There has to be something!
He stopped on the small arched bridge that spanned the gently rolling, bubbling brook below him and grabbed hold of the rough stone balustrade. The sun was high in the sky, it’s rays glistening and glimmer off the splashing water, flickering like diamonds in a spotlight as he focused his attention on the sparkling water.
He had to relax, to force the anger away and think about what happened. Regardless that he kept telling himself that, he found his own words difficult to follow. Taking a deep breath, he forced the issue anyway. While others walked steadily past, talking and laughing, couples holding hands, nuzzling together, Lee Stetson stood rigidly, fighting a small war in his body for control.
* * *
He spent the entire afternoon going over his movements, the past cases he had worked on in the last month, the pending cases they were considering, anything and everything he could possibly think of that would or could have anything to do with his suspension.
He had come up empty handed.
There was no linking evidence from one to the other. No thread that could be tied to something or someone he had associated with in that time frame, or any prior time. He just couldn’t figure it out. He was frustrated, but more mystified at this point.
Now that the shock of what Dr. Smyth had done was wearing off, Lee was more rational. And by being rational, he knew that he wasn’t going to be able to accomplish this on his own. With his connections to the Agency and it’s cornucopia of information restricted, he had to have help.
Billy would have his hands tied due to his position. Lee wouldn’t expect him to put his career and neck on the line over this. He had a family to consider. He wouldn't ask him to do that. Francine he did consider. She was very ingenious when it came to digging out buried facts better than anyone he knew. But again, Lee wasn’t sure if he should implement her into his plans.
Dr. Smyth would be looking for him to try something like that and more than willing to drag anyone else down with him if need be. His attitude in Billy’s office had made that abundantly clear to him this afternoon. Smyth knew Lee and Francine were friends, so she would be his obvious choice for an inside assistant.
He had to find someone that Smyth wouldn’t suspect, or at the very least, would be low on his list. Several names flashed through his mind, until he hit on the most obvious. Lee found himself smiling softly, regardless of the afternoons revelations. He knew just who would help him without passing judgment.
* * *
Billy Melrose sighed as he opened the door to his office. His day had been horrible. And to make matters worse, ever since Scarecrow had been so abruptly escorted from the building, Billy hadn’t been able to get into contact with him. And that bothered him. It bothered him a lot.
Billy knew Lee was being set up for something, Lee was the fall guy in a much grander project. He just didn’t know what as yet. But he was going to find out. He refused to lose one of his best agents over something so apparently stupid as this. Smyth had the upper hand for now, but only for now. Billy needed to let Lee know that he was still fighting for him and not to do anything drastic that would make matters worse. But he couldn’t get a hold of him.
Motioning to Francine, Billy stepped back into his office. If the indirect approach didn’t work, try the direct approach, his father always said. Billy planned on taking his advice. Smyth said Lee couldn’t have any contact with the Agency, he didn’t say the Agency couldn’t have contact with Lee.
Loopholes had their moments.
A young blonde haired woman stepped into his office, a look of bewilderment on her features, as Billy sat back in his chair. “Shut the door, please.”
Francine did, then turned to him, speaking before Billy had a chance. “What’s going on Billy? Why did Smyth have Lee escorted out under armed guards?”
“Sit down, Francine,” Billy instructed pointedly. “What I’m about to say, must stay between the two of us. This is strictly confidential.”
Francine nodded, sitting down. She was more than willing to find out what was going on. She had never expected to see Lee being thrown out of the Agency, nor had many of the others, from the talk that filtered around the water cooler all day. It had taken them all by surprise. It was a well-known fact that Lee and Smyth rubbed each other the wrong way, for years. She just couldn’t imagine what would cause Smyth to take such drastic measures.
“Now what you saw take place today, in my opinion was completely un-called for…” Billy paused, giving her a look. “Lee has been suspended for an undetermined amount of time.”
“What? Why?” Francine blurted out. This is insane!
Billy held up his hands, trying to calm her now. “Lower your voice please,” he said patiently. “This was as much of a shock to me as you. Smyth is trying to lay the blame on Lee for the failure of Operation Nutshell. I’m still trying to figure out how Smyth can rightly pin this on him…”
“Lee wasn’t even involved in Operation Nutshell,” Francine retorted. “That was Matherson and Deterick’s case. Lee was back up just like I was. You called him in yourself.”
“Yes, I know this,” Billy continued. “But Smyth is using the hypothesis that since Lee was there when the encrypted data literally flew out of our hands, he’s the one it gets pinned on.”
“Lee nearly got himself killed trying to retrieve that encrypted data,” Francine all but growled. “If he hadn’t landed in that dumpster, he would have broke his neck. Does that sound like someone that was just putting on an act? I can’t believe Smyth actually thinks he’s involved with that data getting lost.”
“It’s idiotic at best, I know,” Billy agreed with her. “But there has to be a reason for Smyth to use this to get Lee out. Something’s just not right here Francine. Lee’s been fingered as someone’s scapegoat and we have to find out why. Was it something he’s uncovered recently? Something he’s getting to close to? I don’t even know if any of his cases relate to what went down last night.” Billy sighed, shaking his head.
“But I do know one thing. We are going to get to the bottom of this,” he said firmly. “Now this is what I want you to do.” Billy leaned forward, positing his arms on his desk. “I need you to be the go between with Lee. He’s been forbidden to step foot in here again until Smyth lifts his suspension. I’ve tried to call him several times but he’s not answering his phone. I need to be in touch with him.”
Francine nodded her understanding. “You want me to go to his apartment.”
“Yes, I do. I want the two of you working on this together. Go over all the past cases he’s been involved with, no matter how remote that involvement might seem. Even if he was just consulted on something. It doesn’t matter. If he heard about it through the grapevine, I want to know,” Billy instructed firmly. “I want you to back track all his contacts and see if you can find any connections to last night.”
Francine nodded.
“But most of all, I want you to find him and tell him not to do anything stupid, Francine. I mean it; I know how Lee thinks. He’s pissed and he’s going to try and make things right. If Smyth catches him around here… I’m not going to be able to stop what might happen. You know as well as I do how Dr. Smyth and Lee feel about each other…”
“I think the whole Agency knows…” Francine admitted.
Billy sighed. “That’s exactly why I want him to lay low until this gets straightened out. I don’t want to lose one of my best agents over this.”
“I understand, sir,” Francine said quickly.
“Good, now as soon as you get off, I want you over at Lee’s apartment. You tell him to start answering that damn phone of his,” Billy growled roughly. “Keep this under your hat. If Smyth finds out what we’re doing, it could be our butts as well as Lee’s,” he warned as Francine rose.
“This is a need to know situation, and from my perspective… only you and I need to know,” Francine returned smiling. “I’ll call you when I’ve made contact.”
Billy nodded as she turned and left, leaning back in his chair. So many things could go wrong with his little plans. He and Francine could easily be throwing their professional lives away with this little stunt. But regardless of the fact, he still felt good about what he was doing. He knew if he was in the same situation, Lee would bend over backwards to help him. That’s what friends were for.
* * *
“Mom, what about the Zoo?” Philip asked of his mother who was finishing the dishes. “They have a snow leopard there and I could study it.”
“Philip, are you planning on sleeping at the Zoo?” his grandmother inquired, giving him a look. “Snow Leopards are nocturnal hunters. How are you going to learn anything about their habits by watching them lay around those cages and sleep all day?”
“Mother, how are they going to hunt in a cage?” Amanda returned, with a sigh. “Philip, we’re just going to have to go to the library and see what information we can find. I’m sure they will have a documentary on snow leopards, and if they don’t the librarian will be more than happy to point us in the right direction.”
“But if I can get pictures of a real snow leopard it will give me extra credit points,” Philip stated, shuffling his pages in his hand. “If you take me to the Zoo, I can get my pictures.”
Amanda smiled, laying her hand on her son’s hair. “You’re just begging for a trip to the Zoo, young man. I’ll tell you what… the next day off I have, we’ll pack a lunch and make a day of it.” Philip’s face lit up with excitement. “But, until then, I want that paper written,” Amanda warned, pointing a finger at him. “You’ve got two weeks, let’s do a really good job.”
“Okay, mom. Thanks!”
Philip shot out of the room as Dotty shook her head. “You’re spoiling those boys, Amanda. All they have to do is ask, and you jump,” she scolded lightly, finishing wiping down the sink.
“I do not Mother,” Amanda returned giving her a look.
“Yes you do. Look what you did today. You spent the only day you’ve had off in two weeks picking up Jamie’s scout uniform and sewing his patches on…”
“I do those things because I want to Mother…” Amanda interjected. “I love my boys, I unlike their father chose to spend time with them.”
“That’s not what I was implying Amanda and you know it,” Dotty returned defensively.
“Then what were you implying?” Amanda asked.
Dotty looked at her, then sighed. “I wasn’t implying anything dear. Let’s just forget the entire conversation, shall we. It’s not important.” She reached out, patting her daughter’s arm affectionately.
Amanda smiled. “It’s forgotten,” she agreed.
“Good. Now, I’m going to get the boys rounded up and ready for bed while you finish in here,” Dotty said with a smile.
Amanda nodded, then turned back to her mother as she headed out of the kitchen. “Oh, Mother?” Dotty turned back around, looking at her expectantly. “If they are being spoiled, isn’t it only right that we do it?” Amanda asked in a teasing voice.
Dotty grinned. “I suppose so.”
Then with that, she disappeared upstairs.
Amanda turned back to the drainer of dishes, smiling. Her mother was right, she was spoiling the boys, but it was her privilege and she enjoyed doing it. Nothing was more important to her than her boys. She was proud to be such a big part in their lives.
She had no more picked up a plate to dry when she heard the hinges of the back door open. Quickly setting the plate back down, she hurried over toward the door. She knew she had locked it after the boys came in from playing. The fact that it was opening now, meant only one thing…
“Lee… I wish you wouldn’t pick my locks…” she said sighing as Lee Stetson ducked his head inside.
“Is the coast clear? Can we talk?” he asked in a low voice.
“For now,” Amanda breathed. “Mother is upstairs getting the boys ready for bed, but she’s going to be back down soon.”
“I need to talk to you, this is important Amanda. Let’s go for a drive. I need your undivided attention and I don’t want to be sneaking around your mother.”
Amanda took a deep breath. “It’s really important?” she asked hesitantly. “I’ve still got to…”
“Really important. I need to talk to you…” Lee repeated, looking at her.
“Agency business?” she questioned.
“Yes and no. I’ll explain in the car,” Lee admitted, not wanting to go into the explanation of what he wanted to tell her in the middle of her patio. “I’m parked down by the curve, make up an excuse.”
With that he ducked back out, shutting the door behind him. Amanda groaned softly, locking the door in his wake. Make up an excuse. He knew how she hated lying to her mother. But the tone in his voice had sounded serious. Discarding her now useless dishtowel, Amanda grabbed her purse off the counter and called up the stairs as she stopped at the base.
“Mother, I have to go out for a little while,” she called up the steps. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Not waiting for a reply, Amanda hurried out of the house, not necessarily wanting her mother to confront her on exactly where she was going.
* * *
“They suspended you?” Amanda squeaked, wide eyed.
“Smyth suspended me,” Lee corrected softly, glancing at her a moment, before returning his eyes to the road. His eyes were hard and intense, but Lee never let the anger that was festering in his soul reach his voice. He had to stay calm about this. Just thinking about that man and what he did rattled his chains. He wanted to throttle Smyth, but knew in his heart he wouldn’t. That was not the way to handle this, it would be the juvenile way out and Lee was much too mature to stoop that low.
“Lee, that’s not right,” Amanda said, shaking her head. “It wasn’t your fault the data was lost, you tried your best to stop them.”
Lee sighed, pulling the corvette over to the curve, tuning the engine and lights off quickly. “I know, Amanda,” he said quietly, turning in his seat toward her. He laid his arm on the back of his chair, so he could face her, curling his leg around. “Someone is trying to set me up. I just don't know who or why,” he admitted.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day. If this were personal, Dr. Smyth would have done something like this years ago. There’s never been any lost love between us. But I don’t think that’s it…” He shook his head in frustration and fatigue as he gestured with his hand. “I don’t know if Smyth is actually involved or just being manipulated, but someone is trying to get me out of the picture and I need to know why.”
Amanda frowned, listening to him. She could see the barely controlled anger in Lee’s features. She knew him well. They had been working together for three years. “Would this have something to do with the cases we’ve been working on? I don’t see any connections off the top of my head. None of them have been all that…”
Lee cut her off.
“I’ve thought of that too, but I can’t come to any firm conclusions. Our cases haven’t been all that major…nothing serious.” He shook his head. “I just don’t get it Amanda, Smyth won’t even let me near the IFF building. I’m completely banded from the Agency until he decides I can come back.” Lee closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the glass panel of his window. “It just doesn’t make sense,” he whispered.
“Lee, we’ll clear this up,” Amanda returned, trying to ease his mind as she reached out and touched his knee tenderly. “I know you didn’t do anything wrong, so does Billy. Just tell me what you want me to do and I’ll try my best to help.”
Lee’s breath caught in his throat when he felt the gently caress of Amanda’s hand. His gut twisted into the delightful lump he always felt when he brushed against her. An energetic tingle erupted from where her nails contacted the material of his trouser and spread quickly throughout his entire body. God, does she even realize what’s she doing to me? he wondered softly.
Of course not, Lee corrected himself almost instantly. She’s trying to be friendly, reassuring, nothing more. I’m putting too much into this, regardless of how good it feels. Then just as quickly, her hand was gone and the connection broken. Lee fought the urge to exhale roughly. Her touch had been magical regardless of it’s original intent. He missed it already.
Lee Stetson sighed, then opened his eyes, trying to get his mind back on what they were talking about. His feelings for Amanda King had to be put on hold for now. “Okay, but understand… you can’t tell anyone that you’re helping me… or even talking to me, Amanda. Not even Billy or Francine. It could get you into real trouble if it gets back to Smyth and I don’t want that,” Lee confessed quietly.
Amanda nodded. “Mums the word. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”
Lee smiled softly, giving her hand a small squeeze and leaned forward. “This is what I want you to do…”
***
Francine was baffled and more than a little worried. She had been looking for Lee all evening. Once she left the office, she had went immediately to his apartment and got no answer. Troubled that he might be inside and just not answering the door, Francine took things into her own hands. Letting herself in with her trusty lock pick, she looked around only to find absolutely nothing that would show Lee had even been there today.
From there, she had hit all his favorite hang outs, but again, came up empty handed. It was like Lee Stetson had dropped off the face of the earth. How was she suppose to relay Billy’s message if she couldn’t find Lee?
Frustrated, she sat in her car, keeping a watch on his apartment building and waited for him to return. She had tried everything else, now all she could do was be patient and wait for Lee to show.
***
Lee pulled his corvette up in front of Amanda’s house, killing the lights before he even came to a stop. “I’m sorry to keep you out this late, Amanda,” he whispered sincerely, giving her a small smile as he turned off the engine. “But I really didn’t know who else to turn to.”
“I’m glad you felt comfortable enough with our friendship to come to me. That means a lot Lee,” Amanda returned in a small voice looking at him, but lowering her eyes.
Why did she insist on doing that? Lee wondered momentarily. As long as we’ve known each other… as much as we’ve been through, doesn’t she feel relaxed around me? Lee wasn’t sure if he was ever going to understand his relationship or his feelings for this housewife turned spy. She had a tendency to infuriate, astound, and nearly knocked him off his feet, all in the same instant.
Lee found himself just as confused about his and Amanda’s relationship as he was with the current situation he was in. He was drawn to her. Wanting to spend time with her outside of work. It was bizarre. Like now, even though he knew Francine would have been the more logical choice for an accomplice, he had chosen Amanda King.
Lee didn’t know what she was doing to him, was she weaving her imaginary web of housewife seduction on him? He knew it sounded odd to even him, but it was the only way to describe it. He had found himself over the past months, turning down dates with prominent women in his life… well, and they had been prominent women in his life, just to spend time with Amanda.
He liked Amanda… no more than liked. He was completely smitten by her. What amazed him was that he didn’t have the slightest desire to go out with the other women that kept calling. He’d listen to the messages, then simply erase them without batting an eye.
He just wasn’t interested.
What he was interested in was the woman sitting beside him in his car. A woman with two children, living in a suburban area, with a hum drum life of clipping coupons and running errands. That was what he wanted, and who he wanted, but Lee had no idea how to tell her. He had never felt so inadequate around a member of the opposite sex before in his life, but he felt like that around Amanda.
Lee reached out and slowly tipped her chin upward, making her look at him. “Thank you,” he said softly. “Be careful tomorrow. I don’t want you getting caught Amanda.”
Just kiss her, he thought suddenly. Looking at her beautiful face, glowing in the radiance of the street light, he had to fight the impulse to lean over and do just as his heart wanted. Just kiss her.
The silence around them was almost deafening and Lee found himself leaning toward her without realizing it until it was too late to turn back. Amanda stared at him, her eyes drawing him into her very soul. It would be so easy, so delicious to taste her full, wet lips. Lee could hear her heart beating in time with his as his body closed the distance between them to mere inches.
“Lee…” Amanda whispered, her breath caressing his face with warm sensual desire. He could smell the gentle sweetness of her perfume, lingering along her neck and blouse, encircling his entire soul with its fragrance. So easy… she wanted the kiss as much as he wanted to give it.
Lee closed his eyes, and… leaned past her to open the door.
He couldn’t do it.
Lee felt Amanda’s dejected exhale as his body pressed momentarily against hers. I’m sorry, he thought softly. With a quiet grunt, he pushed the door opened; “You should go inside before your mother gets concerned.” He raised up quickly; moving back to his side of the car as Amanda nodded.
“Yes, I suppose I should… she is such the worrying type…”
She wouldn’t look at him again. Lee mentally kicked himself in the butt for his evasive move. Why didn’t you just kiss her? he screamed at himself. Amanda was fumbling to undo her seat belt; her fingers were refusing to cooperate. He reached over to help, popping the snap quickly.
“Thanks…” she muttered sliding out of the car.
Snaking his hand out at the last moment, He grabbed her arm gently, not willing to let her go just yet. “Amanda…” his tone was low, hesitant. She stopped instantly and Lee froze again. “Be careful, I’ll come by tomorrow when you get home.”
“Okay…” Amanda returned nodding, then quickly shut the door, moving into the house.
Lee sat silently watching her disappear into the front door, then leaned forward, and gently hit his forehead onto the steering wheel several times. “Stupid, stupid, stupid… what’s wrong with you Stetson?” he whispered. “Why can’t you just tell her how you feel?”
***
Lee stepped into his apartment, sighing as he pitched his keys on the table. He had made a total fool of himself with Amanda before he had dropped her off. How was it that she was the only woman he knew that made him feel like a quivering mass of jelly when he was around her?
That wasn’t normal for him.
He was used to being able to manipulate women to his desires, not fold under pressure. This would really cramp my playboy style if it ever got out, he thought ruefully. But who would ever know? He hadn’t been out on a date in months.
Shaking his head in wonderment, Lee slid out of his suit jacket and pitched it onto the nearby chair. He was preparing to lift his shirt out of his pants and get comfortable when he heard a hard knock at the door.
Frowning, Lee glanced toward the clock. “Who the hell is coming over at almost one in the morning?” he muttered, stepping to the door with trepidation.
His hand automatically slid to where his gun normally rested in the waistband of his pants before he caught what he was doing. Little protection a hand full of air would be, he thought looking through the eyehole. To his surprise and relief he saw Francine standing at his door, a soured expression on her face.
“What are you doing here?” he asked confused as he opened the door. “A little late for social calls, don’t you think?”
Francine brushed past him as if she owned the place, stalking inside. “Where the hell have you been?’
“Please come in… make yourself at home,” Lee returned sarcastically, ignoring her question.
“I’ve been looking for you all evening. Where have you been?” Francine demanded, glaring at him, standing in his living room possessively.
“I had things to think about… I got suspended today…” Lee returned, running his hands through his hair. “I really don’t feel like talking about it right now Francine. I need to go to sleep, I’ve been up for two days and with the added crap Smyth threw at me today…”
“I know, Billy told me what happened,” she admitted softening her tone. “We want to help, Lee… Billy and I… we’re going to do the best we can to find out what’s going on and get you off that damn suspension.”
“That’s not a wise move on your part, Francine,” Lee returned, shaking his head. “You and Billy just need to back off. Whatever is going down, they’ve fingered just me for now… let’s not give them a reason to include anyone else. I’ve got something I’m working on…”
“Billy said No,” Francine stressed in a hard voice. “He doesn’t want you any where near IFF. If Smyth finds out…”
“I’m not going to be anywhere near IFF,” Lee shot back. “I know what my restrictions are and I’ll abide by them, for now.” Francine frowned at his words. Lee closed his eyes, rubbing his face. His body was telling him to go to sleep and soon. He was exhausted, emotionally as well as physically.
“Look Francine, I’ve got something in the works. Just lay low for now, all right? You and Billy both, it’s better this way and I don’t have to be worried about you two getting implicated in anything.”
“Billy’s not going to like this, I don’t like it,” Francine returned crisply. “He’s tried to call you all afternoon. Where have you been?” she demanded again.
Lee was starting to get more than a little pissed at her and knew it was his exhaustion more than anything. He didn’t have to answer to her. What he did with his time was his business. “I went out, as in not at home,” he retorted. “I’m tired Francine, go home…”
“I don’t think…”
“Go home, Francine,” Lee repeated in a hard tone. “Tell Billy I’ll contact him when I can.”
Francine stood there, glaring at him as Lee pointed to the door.
“Go.”
“You’re making a mistake Lee. Billy is going to hit the roof when I tell him what you’re up to,” she threatened as she stepped past him.
“What’s he going to do? Suspend me?” Lee shot back.
“That’s not funny,” Francine growled, then slammed the door shut behind her as she barreled out of the apartment.
Lee squeezed his eyes shut, holding the bridge of his nose. The day was just getting better and better as it went.
***
Amanda King moved through the big double doors of the Agency and past the two security guards standing on each side. She tried not to appear nervous, but she couldn’t help it. She knew exactly what she had to do, Lee and her had gone over it extensively last night. He had taken her through step by step every procedure and the passwords she would need. He made her repeat them to him time and time again, until he was certain she wouldn’t forget them.
She wouldn’t, but she still couldn’t believe what she was going to have to do. The people in this office were her friends or associates at least and she was going to have to be deceitful with them, even Billy and Francine. Especially Billy, Amanda didn’t want to do that, Billy was a friend, but Lee needed the information.
Amanda knew that Lee’s professional life… his career rode on her ability to pull this off. She had to find a way into the file room without drawing attention to herself, lift the case files he requested and make copies of them with the mini camera he had given her last night.
Lee had given her all his access codes, hoping that Smyth hadn’t had time to change or lock them out yet. With his suspension being only a day or less fresh, Lee was certain the red tape would bog down any cancellations of his entry codes. They had to act fast, they had to act today or their window of opportunity might get slammed shut in their faces.
Amanda tried to keep herself occupied at her desk, appearing busy, but working little. She kept going over everything in her mind so as not to forget anything. Her plans were to slid out around lunch and make her way down the hall to the file room. Lunchtime seemed the most appropriate, people coming and going randomly. She doubted anyone would miss her.
Amanda’s opening came when she saw Francine rise from her desk and move out through the double doors. She nearly sighed in relief. Francine had been looking her direction all morning. Did she suspect? Amanda wondered worriedly. Have I already done something to draw attention to myself? If Francine knows, who else might?
Amanda forced herself to stop thinking like that. Francine didn’t know, she couldn’t. Amanda hadn’t done anything that deviated from her usual routine. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she rose slowly. Giving the mock impression that she was straightening her jacket, Amanda felt for the lump of the camera concealed in her lining. It was still where she had placed it this morning.
The hidden slit in the lining had been Lee’s idea. She would have never considered it herself; she would have just stuck the camera into her pocket or her purse. But Lee had insisted on being careful and so Amanda had done as he had asked. It was but a small part to a much bigger play she was about to undertake.
Stepping out the big double doors and down the hall, Amanda smiled and nodded to the few people she did meet. Her hands were suddenly feeling very claming and slick all in the same moment. She fought the urge to rub them against the fabric of her slacks. Buck up, Amanda. Lee’s relying on you, don’t you dare let him down. Taking a deep breath and trying not to appear as doing so, she turned the corner and closed the distance to her objective.
The Agency file room lay at the end of the corridor. Its red door was secured by an alarm system that required access through a small numerical pad near the door. This was the first of the passwords; Amanda would be required to use. She herself didn’t have the jurisdiction to be in side. All the files the Agency had on all the past and present cases were housed in that room. She had only been inside a few select times and Lee had been with her.
Now she was going solo, and under false pretenses. Please don’t let anyone see me, she thought softly, punching in the access code with shaking fingers. For a fleeting moment, she thought the code Lee had made her recite repeatedly was going to be rejected. The number sequence froze in the display box, then flashed at her ominously. Amanda considered fleeing down the hall for a millisecond, then to her relief the door popped open, swinging slowly in on itself.
Steeping inside, Amanda quickly closed the door behind her, scanning the room with darting eyes. She was alone! Relief flooded her stance momentarily as she basked in the knowledge that she had made it this far. Now she had to find the information Lee had requested.
Moving quickly to the filing cabinets, she began searching and scanning the labels. She had to move quickly, there were several she needed to view and time was limited. Jerking the cabinet open, Amanda fingered the files, pulling out the ones she needed and hurried to the tall hip level table behind her. Flipping the top file opened, she fumbled into her jacket, her shaking fingers enclosing around the camera. With one last glance around the room, Amanda King began her mission.
***
Lee Stetson by no means planned on spending his day waiting around his apartment for Amanda to bring him the information. There was too much to do, steps to retrace, contingency plans to make. He hit the streets early, hoping to get some sort of information from his contacts. Unless this was an inside job, Lee knew there should be some word on the streets concerning what went down. What other use would encrypted data have, but to be sold to the highest bidder?
Unfortunately, Stetson came up empty handed every time. It wasn’t that his snitches were holding out on him, they just didn’t have any viable information to pass on. They were just as stumped as Lee was.
By mid afternoon, he found himself outside the building where the sting operation had gone down for Operation Nutshell. Being unrewarded for his past endeavors, he decided to go back to the scene of the crime, as it were, and see what he could uncover.
He wasn’t holding this lead in high regard, other agents had already been over the abandoned warehouse with a fine toothed comb, but he had to give it a go. Maybe he would uncover something they had missed? He was after all more involved; he had been there the night it had all fallen apart.
He searched the area thoroughly both around where the two men he had jumped went down and around the main area where the encrypted data had been originally held. There was nothing, not even the slightest trace of anything useful. Frustrated, Lee stalked back around the side of the building and stopped dead in his tracks, looking down the small alleyway.
Something just didn’t look right.
Frowning he turned and studied the alley intently, trying to place what was out of place in his mind from what he remembered of the night before. As sudden realization dawned on him, he hurried back over to the building and climbed up to the roof just as he had the night he had tried to stop the helicopter.
He wanted to make sure he was right about this!
Grunting with effort, he pulled himself over the top of the edge. He hurried over to the exact same spot he had been in when he jumped on the helicopter. Looking down, over the edge of the roof his eyes widened.
It was gone!
Where had the dumpster gone that he had so conveniently fell into that night? If it hadn’t been there, he would surely have been killed from such a fall. There was no way it would have disappeared in one day’s time. Lee caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw a group of men working several hundred yards away in an adjacent building.
Working his way back to the pavement below, Lee moved toward them. “Excuse me,” he called, as he closed the distance. “I’d like to ask you gentleman a quick question.”
Three of the men in earshot stopped what they were doing and turned toward him. Lee gave them a quick smile as they looked at him skeptically.
It was unusual to see someone dressed so well, slacks and white shirt, covered in a light brown leather jacket, around this area. The men were looking toward Lee with a bit of trepidation. Was he a cop? And if so, what did he want with them?
“What kind of question?” The taller muscular man of the group asked, giving Stetson the eye. He was the bolder one of the group, and his buddies had made no move to speak or acknowledge the stranger.
“I was just wondering what happened to the big dumpster that was sitting over by that building the other night,” Lee said trying to keep his tone light.
“What dumpster?” the man asked, looking toward the building.
“There ain’t never been no dumpster over by that building,” one of his buddies volunteered, jerking his head. “That building has been vacant for over three years.”
Lee frowned. “I’m certain there was a dumpster there just the night before last…” he muttered. If not, I wouldn’t be standing here now.
“Don’t think so, Howie is right. There’s not been a dumpster over there since they’ve been in business. It use to be a plastic factory before they shut down,” The bold one admitted. “Then one day they just went and locked the place up, lock stock and barrel.”
“Perhaps I was mistaken…” Lee returned, knowing damn good and well he hadn’t. “Thank you for you time.” With a nod, he turned away, moving back toward his corvette. Why would there be a dumpster there conveniently on the night I take my fall? Had I stepped into a premeditated setup and didn’t even know it? But if so, why worry about whether or not I survive the fall?
With more questions on his mind then when he first started this little endeavor, Lee Stetson drove his corvette back into town, hoping Amanda was able to come up with more information than he had. He hoped she was being careful and not taking any unwarranted chances.
***
Amanda looked around the file room insuring that all was back in place and organized. She had what she came for and the camera was once again securely in place hidden in her jacket. Now she had to get down to the lab and give it to Davenport. Lee said he would know Amanda was coming and he’d take care of the film. If Lee said it was covered, then it was covered.
Once Amanda delivered the film to Davenport, he would get it back to her at a later point in the afternoon before she left. It sounded so simple and straightforward. They were spies after all. This is our job, if we can’t pull this off, then there is something drastically was wrong with the training system, she thought. She stopped herself, knowing she was the weak link in the chain. She hadn’t been trained; she had been learning as she went, with Lee as her mentor. But he had said she could do it. He trusted her, so Amanda has to trust in herself.
She could do it. She had come a long way since that first impromptu meeting in the train station with Lee Stetson. In the past three years she had taken control of her live and had a more positive, aggressive outlook. Even her mother had noticed.
Amanda could do it. She would do it.
With a deep breath and one last affectionate pat on the camera bulge, Amanda opened the door to the file room and stepped out. She no more than shut the door behind her when a voice rang out, nearly making her jump out of her skin.
“Amanda King! What might I ask are you doing in there? You know that is a restricted area!”
Amanda nearly swallowed her tongue as she jerked around to see the speaker barring down on her. “Dr. Smyth…” she managed in a weak tight voice. Of all people, of all times!
“Well, answer my question, Mrs. King! What were you doing in a highly restricted area without supervision?” he demanded, stopping just a few feet away. His eyes were like hot, burning embers searing her very soul with their intensity.
Amanda was stumped! Her brain just refused to come up with any rational thought, much less a valid explanation to his demands. “I… I… that is… I…”
“I asked her to return the Starbright file,” another voice interjected from behind her. “I didn’t realize it would be a problem. She’s been allowed access before, is there a new policy that I should be aware of?”
Amanda nearly fainted with relief as Francine stopped beside her, looking at Smyth. She couldn’t believe that Francine Desmond had come to her aid, but at this point she wasn’t going to argue.
Smyth glared at Amanda, then darted his eyes quickly to Francine as he digested her excuse. Francine was doing admirable, standing quietly and firm, looking him dead up in the eyes. She didn’t even flinch. Amanda wasn’t sure if she could have done the same. Something about Smyth just intimidated her to no end. His gruff, loud voice constantly made her jump when she wasn’t expecting him. It was nerve racking.
“Mrs. King is not allowed into the secure area’s without an escort, Mrs. Desmond,” Smyth continued after a few beats. “I do not want to see this happening again.”
“Yes sir, I apologize. I was just busy and it seemed logical to allow Mrs. King to take care of the filing,” Francine returned crisply.
Smyth gave them both a hard stare, then turned and continued down the hallway. Amanda slumped slightly, looking sideways at Francine. “I want to talk to you tonight after work,” Francine growled, then she too stalked off.
Amanda frowned. That was quick. She knew Francine couldn’t be civil to her for very long. It just wasn’t in her character. Pulling herself together after her near fright, Amanda hurried down to the lab to find Lee’s friend and drop off the merchandise. She would deal with Francine when the time came.
***
With a guilty sigh, Amanda rose from her desk. If she timed it just right, she could disappear from the office in the small crowd of co-workers and Francine would never see her. If she was quick and if she didn’t hesitate. There were a lot of ifs riding on her little plan. Stuffing the large envelope under her arm, Amanda swung her purse over her shoulder and headed out.
Just be inconspicuous, she thought mingling with the crowd. Francine is still in Billy’s office so if all goes well, I can get out of the building before she even realizes it. It wasn’t that Amanda was afraid of Francine, on the contrary, at this point in their association Amanda actually thought they were becoming friends. Well of a sort. Francine had stepped in and backed her up this afternoon when Dr. Smyth had nearly scared the life out of her, hadn’t she?
Amanda just didn’t want to face Francine right now. She thought she was fairly certain what Francine wanted to talk about. And Amanda had promised Lee she wouldn’t let anyone know she was helping him. He had insisted that Francine and Billy be kept in the dark so as not to implicate them in case things when awry.
Amanda understood Lee didn’t want anyone else taking the fall for him. She knew he hadn’t wanted to implicate her either, Lee had confessed that last night. But he needed someone on the inside.
Amanda was more than happy to be there for him. She was glad that he thought enough of her abilities to trust her with something this important. She just wished, Lee would be more open with her on other levels as he seemed to be concerning work.
On a more personal level.
Amanda sighed, moving slowly with the friends around her as she made her way out to the main lobby. Why do I have to fall for men that didn’t seem the least bit interested in me? Was it a family curse that I’m yet to be aware of? She had thought for certain that Lee was going to kiss her last night in the car. He wanted to, she knew he wanted to. So why hadn’t he?
She wanted to scream in frustration when Lee detoured and opened her door. They had been so close… she could feel his warm breath even still on her cheek. It had felt so sensuous, caressing and tickling her skin. It had made her entire body shake when she felt it engulf her. So close… they had been right there… inches apart… Lee’s lips looked so inviting, so powerful…
“Amanda!”
Amanda cringed slightly as the loud voice brought her out of her musings and back to the present. She knew the owner of that tone all too well. With a turn of her head, she saw Francine cutting her way through the small bunch of people, heading directly toward her. Amanda’s eyes flickered back to the doors and the outside world beyond. I was so close… just out the door and into my station wagon.
Francine was at her side almost instantly. “I thought I told you I wanted to have a word with you after work,” the blonde said sternly, giving Amanda a hard look.
“I’m really pressed for time Francine,” Amanda returned, continuing out the door and into the sunlight of the mid-March sky. “If this is pertaining to work, you should have said something earlier to me. I really don’t have the time right now.”
Francine gave a huff from beside her and Amanda had to fight the smile that threatened to break her features. “This isn’t about work and you know it, Amanda King,” she returned in a low voice.
Amanda moved onto the street and around to the drivers side of her station wagon, never slowing. Francine Desmond was following her almost like a puppy. “You want to exchanged recipes? I didn’t think you were the type Francine,” Amanda muttered, smiling now.
She knew she shouldn’t, but Amanda was enjoying making Francine squirm. “But if you really must… I think I have a meat loaf that will just make your mouth water…” she continued, looking back to the blonde who was fuming, as she opened her door, dropping her purse and envelope inside quickly. Amanda wasn’t sure if she could take Francine’s questions concerning the contents of the envelope once Francine spotted it.
“I don’t want your meat loaf recipe, I don’t want any recipes,” Francine hissed through her teeth. “I want to know how you’re helping Lee.” What was it about this woman that infuriates me so much? Francine thought, staring at Amanda.
“Lee? What are you talking about Francine?” Amanda asked, trying to make herself sound shocked and confused.
“I know you used his access code to get into the file room this afternoon. I saw you,” Francine returned in a low voice.
“Of course I did. I use it all the time,” Amanda tried to make light the thought that she had been seen. She hadn’t realized anyone was watching. If Francine knew, then who else could know? “I was working on the Fleeger case and needed to re-file some information. What’s unusual about that?” she asked, calmly.
“Fleeger case?” Francine hissed, giving her a look.
Amanda nodded. “Fleeger case… what are you talking about, helping Lee? I haven’t seen Lee since the day before yesterday,” she added, hoping it sounded honest. She hated to lie, but Lee had taught her over the years that a little white lie, to benefit another was acceptable. Amanda knew she was using up her quotas of white lies today alone.
Francine frowned. “Are you telling me the truth?” she whispered, harshly. “You don’t know about Lee?”
It was Amanda’s turn to frown or in the very least to fake one. “Only what I’ve heard around. The talk is that he and Dr. Smyth have had a go around again. I over heard Baker talking to Simpson this afternoon. “ Amanda shrugged slightly. “I assume it will blow over like all the rest. Is there something else I should know?” she inquired, lifting an eyebrow toward Francine.
“No… not that’s about it,” Francine muttered. If Amanda wasn’t helping him, then whom did he have on the inside? There had to be someone. Lee wasn’t stupid enough to try and break into the Agency alone. He wouldn’t.
“Well, if there’s nothing else… I really do need to be going…” Amanda returned, looking toward her car. Francine nodded absently; stepping away from the vehicle as Amanda climbed it. “See you tomorrow, Francine,” Amanda called rolling down her window as she started the engine.
Francine nodded absently; returning the wave that Amanda gave. Her mind was working overtime trying to figure out what Lee Stetson was thinking. Amanda closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she pulled away from the curve. She had done it. How she didn’t know, but she had gotten away without Francine knowing the truth.
Glancing down at the packet beside her in the car seat she smiled. The worse was over. She got the information Lee wanted, now all she had to do was find a way to get her mother and kids out of the house for a little while so she could get it to Lee. And Amanda knew just what to do.
***
Lee Stetson stood quietly inside his plush Washington apartment, staring out his living room window. Though his eyes looked across the cityscape, watching thundercloud roll in, almost boiling with anger across the sky, his mind was elsewhere.
He had come up empty handed today and was slowly but surely running out of safe options. He refused to lay down and take the wrap for this; he was going to find out what was going on one way or the other.
Lee knew what Francine had relayed to him. Billy wanted him to lay low and wait for them to come to his rescue, but Lee couldn’t do that. He still had a couple of avenues to look into before he took his investigation to the next level.
A more dangerous level.
Hopefully the information he had sent Amanda to retrieve would help shed some light, but if not he was going to take a small trip to the Agency himself and do a little digging. Dr. Smyth be damned. Lee knew the Agency like the back of his hand, the security procedures, and the shift changes. If he needed to get inside, he was going and nothing was going to stop him.
With the thought of the Agency, Lee’s mind turned back to Amanda King. He hoped he had done the right thing by recruiting her help. He had been worried about her all day. If Smyth found out what Amanda was doing, he’d come down on her hard, probably even fire her.
Lee wanted so much to pick up the phone and call Amanda’s house. But he knew that would be a mistake. What would I say if Dotty or one of the boys answered? What would I say if Amanda answered? Just calling to check up on you? That sounded lame, he thought softly.
How can I tell her I was worried about her, because I care for her? he wondered, to himself. Hell, I blew the perfect opportunity last night to kiss her, that’s not like me. What’s wrong with me? I could see the look in her eyes, she wanted the kiss as much as I wanted to give it, and yet I chickened out like a schoolboy on his first date.
Lee couldn’t understand the feelings coursing through his mind and body. Over the last couple of years, he had noticed the way Amanda looked at him, the way she seemed to constantly touch him. A caress here, a helping hand there, and just as suddenly, he realized he had been doing the same to her.
He had always tried to be polite and courteous, god knows that had gotten him in good with more women than he cared to count. But with Amanda it was more than that. He found himself wrapping his arm around her, laying his hand on the small of her back when they walked, leaning against her closer than necessary in the office, brushing shoulders in the elevator when it was only the two of them.
He had been flirting with his body language and never realized it until recently. It was as if his heart knew what it wanted even before he allowed his brain to acknowledge it.
And now look where I sent her. Into the lions den. How could I have done that too her? “I should have never asked her,” Lee breathed quietly.
Thunder clapped loudly, breaking the still silence, rattling the windowpanes with its intensity. Lee blinked as lightening flashed in the distance, bathing the city momentarily in its brightness.
Taking a deep breath, Stetson sighed, twirling the ice around in the glass held all but forgotten in his hand. It’s going to rain before the hour is out, he thought absently, watching Mother Nature building to release her wrath.
Glancing down at his glass, Lee muttered,” I hope you’re all right and home now, Amanda.” She had said she could call him when it was all clear. That’s the main reason he had returned home. He wanted to be here to receive the call, then head directly to Amanda’s house.
He knew Amanda wouldn’t call until after eight. She would get the boys fed, then settled in for the night. He knew her pattern well. Then he would have to wait until the house went to sleep and Amanda would let him in. They had been doing this for almost three years now he knew the routine.
Thunder boomed again, resounding and long as Lee brought his glass up, taking a deep drink. Grimacing, he made a face as the liquor rolled down his throat, burning a trail to his gut where it lay like a hot ball of fire.
He looked down at the glass distastefully. “Strong,” he muttered. The previous three hadn’t been so overpowering, he must have not been paying attention when he poured this a few minutes ago. With a shrug, he threw back his head, polishing off the contents quickly.
The phone rang an instant later.
He spun toward it, hand reaching for the receiver, before he stopped himself. Let the machine pick it up, Stetson, he chided himself quickly. You don’t know that it’s Amanda.
That was true, Billy had called six times and left six different messages. Each message sounding more frustrated and to the point. The last had simply said, “Pick up this damn phone, Stetson!”
By the third ring, the machine picked up and Lee was hoping with every ounce of his soul that it was Amanda. He didn’t even care if she got the information at this point. Lee just needed to know she was all right.
“Hey, baby. It’s Candy. I’m going to be in town tonight on a layover. I thought perhaps you and I could get together for a wild night. Call me sug,” a light sexy voice purred from the speakers.
Lee groaned, sinking down on the couch, closing his eyes. “I don’t think so…” he breathed, rubbing his eyes. The image of the tall blonde stewardess popped into his mind for a second, and then it was gone only to be replaced by Amanda’s smiling face.
“No, I don’t think so Candy,” Lee repeated quietly.
***
Francine Desmond sat outside and around the corner to Lee Stetson’s apartment building. She could clearly see his sliver corvette parked under the street light down the block so she knew he was home.
Relaxing back, she clicked her nails absently along her steering wheel, fighting the urge to go up and confront him again. Her professional side took over however; she knew she wouldn’t get any farther with him tonight than she had the previous night.
Lee said for her and Billy to stay out of it, but Francine couldn’t do that. Stetson needed their help whether he knew it or not and Francine was going to give it.
Billy had been making quiet inquiries throughout the day, not wanting to draw attention to himself or his efforts. Thus far, from what Francine knew Melrose had hit a brick wall.
That was bizarre.
Never in the many years Francine had worked for the Agency both domestic and abroad, had they never had anything. Someone some where was working overtime to bury information on this case and Lee Stetson along with it.
Thunder rumbled loudly as Francine glanced up toward the darkening sky. We’re in for one hell of a storm, she thought, seeing the first of many big rain drops splatter across her windshield.
***
Amanda King sighed, for what seemed like the hundredth time in the last twenty minutes. “Mother, please,” she breathed as patiently as she could manage. “The boys have been looking forward to this for a week. Just take them. If you don’t leave soon, you’re going to get caught in the rain.”
“I still say you’re trying to get rid of me Amanda, why is that?” Dotty inquired, not letting the conversation drop. She didn’t mind in the least bit to take her grandsons to the movies, it was simply the way her daughter was acting that caused the pause.
Amanda had been acting strange for the last couple of years, ever since she had broken up with Dean. But here in the last few months, it had gotten worse. Coming and going at odd hours, Dotty swearing she heard voices downstairs, but when she would check it would only be Amanda.
Dotty had a suspicion that her daughter was secretly seeing someone. Why Amanda wouldn’t confess to this and bring him home was a mystery. And now, all of a sudden, Amanda wanted her to take the boys to the movies instead of herself.
“I’m not trying to get rid of you mother. I just have a lot of work to do tonight and I don’t want to disappoint the boys,” Amanda returned. “You saw the packet I brought home.” Which wasn’t a complete lie. She was going to work on the packet, with Lee.
Dotty gave her daughter a look, knowing full and well something more was up then just that. “Amanda, why don’t you just come clean, dear?” she asked patiently.
Amanda blinked her mind a whirlwind of possibilities. Did her mother know about her job? How could she have found out? What was she referring to? “I don’t understand Mother. Come clean?” Her voice sounded a bit weak, but Amanda held her mother’s gaze steadily.
Dotty sighed, “I know you’re seeing someone. Why in the world are you carrying on in such secrets? Ask the gentleman over for dinner, dear. I would love to meet him.”
Amanda nearly crumbled in relief. She began laughing a bit shakily as the tension left her body. “No… no mother. I’m not seeing anyone. And even if I was, why would I hide him?” she questioned. Dotty gave her a look as Amanda smiled. “Trust me… I’m not seeing anyone.”
“Very well. The boys and I should be back a little after ten. Would you like me to honk the horn as we pull into the driveway?” Dotty asked, giving Amanda a mischievous smile.
“Mother,” Amanda returned firmly.
Dotty just smiled sweetly, turning toward the coat rack. “Give your mother a kiss good-bye. We’re off to the movies,” she called to her grandsons.
“I’m not seeing anyone,” Amanda protested again, bending down and kissing first Jamie then Philip. “Be good for your grandmother, no throwing popcorn and don’t eat so much chocolate that it makes you sick,” she warned affectionately.
“Of course you’re not, dear,” Dotty returned smiling as she held the front door opened.
“We won’t, bye mom,” Philip called as he and Jamie surged out the front door. Dotty left Amanda with a knowing smile, then she was gone.
“Oh lord,” Amanda exhaled, touching her cheek. She wished her mother had been right. She wished Lee were just coming over to see her and not to get the material she had retrieved for him.
With a sigh, Amanda headed back into the living room and picked up the phone. Thunder rumbled around the house as she glanced out the nearby glass doors. It was going to be a wet dreary night. The rain had finally hit, large drops pelted the outside walk and panes of the patio doors in force.
***
Francine Desmond just turned on her wipers for the umpteenth time, washing the rain away. I might as well leave them on, the way it was coming down, she thought disgusted.
Just as she was considering calling it a night, thinking Lee would be out of his mind to go out in weather like this; she saw a figure huddled over sprint to his car and climb in.
“Well I’ll be damned,” she breathed with a small smile, starting up her car. “Where are you going on a night like this, Lee?”
Watching the corvette pull out and speed away Francine pulled out as well, smiling. “Let’s see what you’re up to, shall we? Going to see an informant or your inside accomplish?”
***
Lee Stetson wiped the water soaked hair off his face quickly, glancing in his rear view mirror. Yes, I’m definitely being followed. Rain battered down in a fury, making it almost impossible to see despite the frantically working windshield wipers. His eyes darted from the road, glistening wet from rain in the headlights, to the lights of the vehicle trailing, in quick repetition.
He had noticed the vehicle just a couple of miles from his apartment and was almost certain whoever it was had him under surveillance. The one thing Lee was not going to do was lead them to Amanda’s place.
With a determined scowl on his face, Stetson darted his eyes to the rain slick side streets. On coming traffic was all but non-existent from the down pour, most sane people stayed inside during storms like the one now pounding its force against the city.
A quick tug sent the corvette to the side as Lee hit the brakes, compensating for the slight spin he’d put the car into. Planting his foot into the gas, he sent the car speeding down a tight alley, tires squalling on the wet pavement.
Time to play a little cat and mouse, he thought smugly, watching the vehicle do the quick turn and follow.
***
“Oh no you don’t mister,” Francine muttered, surging after the quickly fleeing corvette. “You are not losing me.”
She cursed, jerking at the wheel, sending her vehicle yet again into an almost spin out. “I need to remind myself to beat the shit out of him when I see him again,” she hissed, stomping down on the accelerator as the corvette disappeared around the corner.
Rounding the corner nearly on two tires, Francine caught the dimming taillights from the corvette disappearing in the distance. He had to be flying to get that far ahead!
***
Lee shot through the city at break neck speed. He knew it was unwise to travel at such velocity in weather such as this, but he had little choice. The car that was trailing him, and yes it was a car, he could see that clearly now, was slowly losing ground. Periodic lightening flashes lit the surrounding area, giving Stetson a good look at the vehicle as it rounded the last corner.
It was a car.
He wanted them to lose him, but Lee wasn’t ready to lose them just yet. This might give him an opportunity to find out what the hell was going on. If he was being followed, they had to report back and he wanted the person they reported back to. He was going to get answers one way or the other.
***
Francine slowed her car to a crawl, scanning the streets and adjacent alleyways. He couldn’t have just disappeared! Lee had been pulling away from her for the past three out four turns, placing more and more distance between their cars. He was driving at insane speeds under these rain-drenched conditions.
When she had squealed through the last intersection, making a hard left to follow the quickly receding taillights of the vette, Francine righted the car only to discover an empty street stretched before her.
Instinct told her that he hadn’t sped away. Lee had ducked the vette somewhere hoping she’d give up the search and go on. Stetson was as practiced as she was, when it came to pursuit and evasion, now she had to find him. But that was part of the problem. This was Francine’s third trip and she had yet to spot his damn corvette.
The weather wasn’t making her job any easier, rain poured from the sky in buckets; sometimes so hard she could barely see the road before her. How am I suppose to spot him hidden, when I can barely make out the streetlight, bright roadway?
***
Stetson sighed, slumping down in his car seat. He had been sitting down the alley up against a huge dumpster, watching the car pass several times. He had wanted to get a good look at the occupant before deciding if he wanted to question the individual or simply follow them when they gave up.
Once he saw who it was that was trailing him, all thoughts left his mind. "Francine…” he groaned, closing his eyes.
So much for catching a break on who was behind this.
Francine was still monitoring his every move. Probably had my apartment staked out, he thought. Well, all that meant was that he was going to have to be extra cautious. If she wasn’t going to give up now, she wouldn’t give up until it was all over.
He waited a few moments, then started his car and slowly backed up. When he was sure he couldn’t be seen, he flipped the headlights on and sped away into the night. He’d just have to watch out for Francine, that’s all there was to it.
***
Amanda glanced outside, through the patio doors for what seemed like the hundredth time. Where was Lee? He should have been here thirty minutes ago, she thought concerned. She tried not to let her imagination get the best of her, but Lee has said he would be right over when she had called.
That had been nearly an hour ago.
It didn’t take that long to get from his place to the house. Hearing a car engine out front, Amanda hurried to the front of the house only to see her mother and boys pulling into the driveway.
“Oh, no,” she whispered, watching the car disappear into the garage. “This is not good… no, it’s not good at all.”
Amanda hurried back into the kitchen, spreading out a few of the papers, picking up a pen, trying to give the impression of being hard at work. The only thing she was doing however, was trying to figure out what she was going to do once Lee showed up. She didn’t want to just shove the packet into his hands and send him away.
She wanted to help him solve this.
Her thoughts were quickly pulled back to the present by the front door flying open and three wet individuals hurrying inside.
“It’s raining so hard out there…” Dotty muttered, shaking the clear hair covering off, shutting the door behind her.
“What are you all doing home so early?” Amanda asked organizing the papers and sliding them back into the envelope.
“Oh mom, it was way cool,” Phillip exclaimed, grinning. He and his brother ran into the kitchen toward her. “We had just sat down when…”
“The lights went out!” Jamie finished with flourish. “It was pitch black in the whole joint!”
“Hey, I wanted to tell her dweeb, that’s not fair,” Philip complained giving his brother a look accompanied by a shove.
“Boys,” Amanda interjected sharply.
“The theater lost power,” Dotty supplied, stepping into the kitchen. “We’ve got tickets for tomorrow nights showing. Something about losing a transformer,” Dotty muttered.
“Oh well, that’s too bad,” Amanda returned frowning. “I know you two were so looking forward to seeing that movie.”
“We’ll see it tomorrow,” Jamie returned smiling. “This just gives us another day of anticipation.”
“I suppose so. I want you and your brother to go upstairs and get those wet clothes off,” Amanda instructed. “Put your pajama’s on and you can watch a little television before bed.”
“Okay, mom.”
“Thanks.” Came the replies as Phillip and Jamie stormed the stairs. Dotty turned away as well, still grumbling under her breath about the weather as Amanda looked out the kitchen window.
Where are you Lee?
***
Parking his corvette down the street and behind a row of shrubbery, Lee jumped out and ran through the rain toward Amanda’s house. Letting himself in through the back gate, he hurried to the back door, shaking his head and arms free of the clinging rainwater, under the protection of the porch roof.
An instant later, he dropped down flattening himself to the wall beneath the window. Dotty had just walked into the kitchen! I thought Amanda said she was alone, he thought frantically.
This was just great.
Now that he had finally managed to get here, Amanda’s mother and quite probably her boys were home too. He was going to have to wait until they went to bed.
Two options flashed through Stetson’s mind. Either run back to the car, getting even wetter than he already was, or simply wait here. Watching the rain pound against the ground just a few feet away, he sighed sinking to the floor of the porch.
He would wait here.
***
Amanda glanced at the clock on the wall nervously. It had been nearly three hours since she called Lee, where was he? To make matters worse, her mother sat across from her, working diligently on a cross word puzzle, reading glasses tucked just on the end of her nose. How was she going to get her family to go to bed without raising suspicions?
The boys wouldn’t be a problem, it was their bedtime now anyway, it was her mother that was the main obstacle Amanda had to conquer. She couldn’t have the older lady down here when Lee arrived. “Boys, turn off the television and give me a kiss, it’s time for bed,” Amanda called across the room. “You’ve had a busy day and tomorrow is going to be the same.”
“Ah, mom, ten more minutes,” Phillip complained, “It’s lightening really bad outside.” Jamie snickered, giving his brother a look. Phillip was milking the thunderstorm for all it was worth and everyone knew it.
“Bed time, young man. You know the rules. There’s nothing to be afraid of and you know it,” Amanda retorted, giving him a look. “Better luck next time.”
Phillip grinned as he leaned over giving her a quick hug and kiss. “You can’t blame a guy for trying,” he said smirking at his attempt.
“And it was a good try at that, now off to bed.” Amanda swatted him on the behind affectionately, then kissed Jamie who was waiting patiently for his turn. “Good night, sweetheart,” she whispered.
“Night, mom. See you in the morning.” Jamie disappeared up the steps after his brother almost immediately. All Amanda could make out was the quick thuds of their footsteps ascending the stairs at an accelerated rate.
Amanda sighed, sitting back on the couch only to notice her mother looking toward her over the newspaper. “You look tired, you should go to be as well,” Dotty suggested.
Amanda shook her head, forcing a fake smile. She wasn’t tired she was worried. She was worried about Lee and where he was. “No mother, I’m fine. I’ve still got some work to do before I turn in.”
With that said, Amanda rose and moved to the kitchen, only to hear the newspaper rustle as it was closed and the chair creaking slightly. She turned to see her mother turning off the small reading light she normally used at night.
“Are you going to bed?” Amanda inquired, trying to keep the lilt out of her voice. She couldn’t get that lucky could she?
“Yes, I believe so. I’m going to call it a night so I can stay awake tomorrow through the movie,” Dotty said with a soft smile. “Seeing people mutilated with chain saws is something one does not want to miss a minute of,” she teased sarcastically.
Amanda couldn’t help the smile that formed. “The boys appreciate you going with them and so do I,” she confessed.
“What’s a grandma for?” Dotty asked, closing her reading glasses carefully in her hand. “Don’t you stay up too late working. There’s not enough pay in the world to make up for lost sleep.”
“I won’t mother, see you in the morning,” Amanda called as the older woman headed upstairs. She sighed in relief as the sound of a door closing echoed down to her.
Hurrying into the kitchen, Amanda leaned over the sink, looking out toward the back gate. If Lee came in, that was where he would come from. He had yet to use the front door since their association began and Amanda didn’t see him changing his ways in the near future.
Jumping back in fright, Amanda covered her mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to break the quiet night around her when a face popped up on the other side, staring in at her. “Lee!” she hissed, giving him a dirty look, as she tried to get control of her senses. She hated when he did that to her and he knew it!
To his defense, Lee didn’t look like he had meant to scare her as badly as he had. He shrugged softly, then pointed to the back door. It was then that Amanda realized how he looked.
Her alarm was quickly replaced by concern. Lee Stetson was soaked to the bone. His hair was matted to his head, water dripping off the ends in small droplet, falling to his leather jacket. The jacket that was once a light tan, now looked almost dark brown to her wide eyes.
Amanda hurried to the door, throwing open the locks without hesitation. “Oh Lee, look at you! Come in here!” she commanded in a harsh whispered.
“I can’t Amanda, I’m soaking wet. I’ll get water everywhere,” Lee complained in the same tone, shaking his head.
“Water can be wiped up, get inside before you catch your death from the cold,” she insisted, pulling him in despite his protest. “Look at you. How long have you been out there?”
Amanda reached down, without realizing what she was doing tugging at the water logged pants leg of his trousers. They were sticking to his legs and felt as if they weighted a good five pounds.
“Couple of hours,” Lee muttered, holding his jacket together. He was shivering slightly beneath her touch, Amanda was certain of it. “Wasn’t too bad under the porch except when the wind shifted. I guess I should have gone back to the car…” Lee let his voice trail off as Amanda began tucking at his clothes. “What are you doing?” he asked confused.
“I want you out of these clothes, let go of the jacket,” she returned calmly, continuing her task.
“I’m fine, I’ve been wet before,” Lee protested softly.
Amanda gave him a stern look, refusing to back down. “Lee Stetson, will you or will you not take off these wet clothes? Don’t make me do it for you,” she warned. “You’re going to be sick if you don’t get dry and I will not be responsible for that.”
“How are you going to explain me sitting in your kitchen in nothing but a blanket if Dotty or the boys come downstairs?” he rebutted, holding his ground.
Amanda smiled at the picture forming in her mind. That would be intresting to see Lee in nothing but a blanket. “Well, I was thinking more along the lines of giving you some of Joe’s old clothes I still had, but if you prefer a blanket… I can arrange that as well,” she teased lightly.
Lee gave her one of his sideways looks.
“Get into the bathroom over there and strip. I’ll bring you some clothes and we’ll talk while I dry these.” Lee sighed as Amanda pointed him down the small hallway. “Go on,” she pressed softly.
“Has anyone every told you that you’re bossy?” Lee questioned, doing as he was told.
“Occasionally, but I tend to ignore it,” Amanda said smiling. “You’ll find the towels in the top cabinet. Dry off good."
“Yes, mother,” Lee breathed with a touch of sarcasm, but he had a smile on his face as he quietly opened the bathroom door.
Story Notes:
Disclaimer : I do not own these characters, nor do I get paid for the words I pen and the story webs I weave. My hats off to all the writers and actors that brought these fine characters to life.