What Lies Beneath—Chapter Two

Chincoteague Island, VA

Monday, September 2, 2002

12:35 PM

A perfect day. Christy leaned back on her towel, propped up on her elbows, watching as a seagull whirled and swooped in the cloudless blue sky. She breathed in deeply, inhaling the smell of saltwater that blew in from the ocean and trying to force herself to relax. .

It didn’t work.

“I remember when you and your father used to do that.”

Christy looked at her Mom in confusion. “Used to do what?”

“Look down there.” Christy’s eyes followed her mother’s pointing finger. A man and a little girl—no doubt father and daughter, crouched by the shore with a bucket. They were making castles, Christy realized—packing the sand into a bucket and then turning it upside down. A smile spread across her face.

“Yeah,” Christy said. “I remember doing that.”

“You were about six years old the last time we came here,” her mother’s tone was wistful. “You and your dad had cotton candy, built sandcastles and you even got to ride a pony. All that was before—”

“Before the arrest,” Christy repeated. The castle that the little girl and her dad had built was growing bigger now—they even had a moat. What they didn’t know that soon the tide would come in— destroying the castle until all that was left was a memory.

Memories. Christy’s smile faded.

“Mom?” she asked.

“Hmm?”

“Do you know where dad went? He’s been gone a while.”

“To look at the art show on the boardwalk,” Mom told her. “And to get some lunch for us. Don’t worry—I’m sure he’ll be back soon.”

“I’m sure he will too.” Christy tried to sound confident. It was true that she hadn’t seen Dad in a while but she was pretty sure he wasn’t an art lover. And no matter how hard Christy tried she couldn’t shake that phone call from her mind. “Mom—can I ask you a personal question?”

“You can ask me anything, honey—you know that.”

“Why didn’t you leave Dad? You know, after he got arrested and all. You could’ve gotten a divorce.”

Her mother sighed. “Oh I don’t know—I certainly did think about it after he was caught embezzling all those funds from his company. You were part of the reason, I guess.”

“Part of the reason?”

“Well I knew he’d be getting out in a few years,” Mom said. “I hated the idea of leaving you in a broken home without a father. And as much as I hate to admit it, I—”

Her mother left the sentence unfinished. Overhead the seagulls squawked.

“What do you hate to admit?” Christy asked.

“That I still love him,” Mom said. “You’d think after everything that happened I wouldn’t but your Dad has a certain charm—he’s very easy to forgive.”

“That’s true,” Christy said. Mom reached over and took her hand.

“I know it won’t be easy, Chris,” she said. “But I believe your dad really wants to change this time—with a little effort we can make it work—can’t we?”

The father and daughter by the shore were still building their castle, making their towers even taller.

“Sure,” Christy said. “We can make it work.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

“About time, Gambit.” Basayev spoke as he heard the soft footsteps behind him. “Do you have the goods?”

“Of course I do—everything right here.”

“Let’s have it, then—I don’t have all day.”

“What a surprise—neither do I.”

The next sounds Basayev heard were popping sounds—almost like a popcorn machine, but a popcorn machine didn’t—a searing pain spread across his back and chest, all throughout his body and he fell forward, gasping for breath. His blood stained the sidewalk, creating a small puddle and his limbs twitched convulsively. Slow measured footsteps walked around him and then stopped—Basayev looked up at the blurred face of the man who now loomed over him.

“Say goodnight,” Gambit said softly.

Another popping noise. Basayev felt a pain in his head, his body growing numb as darkness began to overtake him, robbing him of feeling altogether.

SMK SMK SMK SMK

4247 Maplewood Dr.

7:00 PM

“Come on, Jenna,” Lee half-led, half-carried his daughter down the hall towards her bedroom. “Next time you really should try to sleep on the plane.”

“No—can’t sleep sitting up,” Jenna’s words were slightly slurred. “—take a shower?”

“You already took one,” Lee told her. “Your mom helped you get into your nightshirt—don’t you remember?”

“Sort of,” Jenna frowned. “But I think I’m kind of sleepy.”

“Yeah I think you’re right,” Lee said. “Now you just lie down and get some rest—you have a big day tomorrow.”

Lee pulled the blankets up over his daughter, tucking her in. Jenna frowned.

“I’m not a little girl anymore.”

“I know.” Lee kissed her forehead. “Good night.”

“Night Dad.” Jenna‘s eyes slowly began to close. “Don’t forget to leave the light on, okay?”

“I won’t.”

SMK SMK SMK SMK

“How’s my goddaughter?” Billy asked. “I hope the vacation did her some good.”

“It did.” Lee balanced the cordless against his shoulder as he transferred clothes from the suitcase to the washer. “She’s not one-hundred-percent yet, but she’s getting there.”

“Good to hear, Scarecrow.” Billy said. “Look—I know you and Amanda have two days of vacation time left but I’m going to have to ask you to cut it short—I need you first thing tomorrow morning.”

“Why?” Lee asked. “What’s going on?”

“I can’t say too much more over the phone,” Billy said. “But two agents under deep cover have been killed within the past week—it looks as though it might be the work of Gambit.”

“Gambit?” Lee asked. “But how? He hasn’t been active in years.”

“Lee if I knew the answer to that I’d have this case solved by now. This is a priority situation. I need you and Amanda on this case immediately.”

“I understand, Billy—we'll be there tomorrow morning.”

Tuesday, September 3, 2002

7:30 AM

"Gambit," Amanda repeated. "Now there's a name I hoped I'd never hear
again."

Lee sipped his coffee slowly, letting the bitter liquid slide down his
throat. "Believe me, I know."

Amanda poured pancake batter into the frying pan. "Are they sure it's
him?"

Lee nodded. "Pretty sure. The MO's the same as last time, the same
calling card left beside the bodies—"

"A chess piece," Amanda said. "I remember. Did Billy give you any more
details?"

"No, not over the phone," Lee said. "Gambit's a mercenary,
Amanda—he'll do just about anything for the highest bidder."

"And we still don't even know what he looks like." Sliding a spatula under
the pancakes, Amanda flipped them over. "Lee the last time he almost—"
Her voice caught slightly. Draining the last of his coffee, Lee rose
from the table.

"Hey," he wrapped his arms around his wife. "It isn't going to be
like the last time—this time we will catch him—I promise. As long as
we're together—"

"—we can do anything." Amanda leaned back against him.

"See? Great minds do think alike, Mrs. Stetson." Lee bent his head down, his lips brushing the side of her neck.

"And great minds are thinking that Jenna's pancakes will be burned
unless I get them out of the pan." Amanda said teasingly as
she pulled away. "Time for other things later, Stetson."

"I'll hold you to that. Where is Jenna, anyway? I haven't
seen her all morning."

"In the bathroom."

"Are you sure she's all right? She's been in there a
long time."

Amanda transferred the pancakes from the pan to a plate. "Jenna's
fine—she's just experimenting with makeup—I let her borrow some of
mine."

"Makeup?" Lee choked out the word as he poured himself a fresh cup of
coffee. "Don't you think she's just a little too young for that?"

"Lee—she's thirteen," Amanda said. "Before you know it she'll be
fourteen—"

"Don't remind me—"

"Look, if it makes you feel any better most girls her age have been
wearing makeup for over a year."

"It doesn't make me feel any better." Sitting down at the table
again, Lee grabbed the sports section. "What does she need makeup for
anyway? She's a beautiful girl without it."

"Well it's mainly to cover up the mark on her forehead."

"What—that little mosquito bite?"

"Try telling her that—Jenna's convinced it's huge," Amanda said. "And she said that she
didn't want to spend the whole first day of school looking like she had a zit, so—"

"I understand," Lee said. "I just don't know if she's ready for
that—for makeup."

"What you really mean is that you don't know if you're ready for her
to be wearing makeup." Amanda set a plate and a glass of orange juice
on the table.

"That too." Lee took another sip of coffee. In his mind he could
still see a five-year-old Jenna wearing a pink dress and matching shoes as she
skipped across the kitchen floor, backpack in hand. Had it really been
all that long ago?

"I'm going to kin'garten today, Daddy!"

"I know, munchkin."

"Dad?"

Lee looked up to see his daughter, not five years old anymore, wearing a blue shirt and jeans, staring at him with concern in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Jenna asked. "I called your name three times before
you answered."

"I'm fine." Lee looked at her face closely—he could see that there was
makeup there, but it wasn't overdone. "You look—ahh—very nice today."

Jenna smiled. "Thanks. You can't see the spot on my forehead, can you?"

"No I can't see it at all," Lee said.

"Sweetheart, sit down and eat some breakfast." Amanda said. "Are you
walking to school or is your dad taking you today?"

"I'm not sure." Sitting down at the table, Jenna began cutting
pieces of pancake with her fork. "Christy and I always planned to walk
to high school together on our first day, but that was a while ago
before— before all the stuff that happened this summer."

"I'm sure she hasn't forgotten," Amanda told her.

Jenna's face clouded. "I don't know Mom—Lisa said that she was acting
pretty strange—maybe she's not even speaking to me now."

"I doubt that," Lee said. "But if she doesn't come to walk with you
I'll take you there myself. Deal?"

"Deal," Jenna repeated.

"So, are you excited about the first day?" Lee asked.

"More nervous, I think." Jenna took a sip of orange juice "I just hope
no one asks me what happened this summer—It's just so weird—I couldn't
tell them even if I wanted to."

"Just tell them about going to England," Lee said. "I bet no one else
has done that."

"That's true—most people around here only go to places like
Williamsburg, Nags Head or King's Dominion." Jenna poured some more
syrup on her pancake pieces before taking another bite. "And I can tell them
about learning to ride a horse and about Geoff—he was really cute. And
he promised that he'd email me too."

"Yeah you could tell them about all that." Geoff, Lee could feel his insides clench at the thought. When exactly had his daughter become so boy-crazy?

"Daddy, does my dress look okay?" Jenna twirled around for effect, her
blond pigtails flying.

"You'll have the prettiest dress in kindergarten."

Lee noticed that Amanda was looking at him strangely. He opened his
mouth to ask her why when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Amanda said.

Lee looked over at Jenna, who was staring out the window as she
finished her pancakes.

"Do you think you'll try out for the dance team this year?" he asked her.

Jenna looked at him. "I'm not sure, Dad—It's going to be a lot harder
than middle school and besides I've been out of practice."

"Still there's no harm in trying," Lee told her.

"That's true." Jenna took another sip of her orange juice.

"Sweetheart, Christy's waiting for you outside," Amanda called.

Jenna grabbed her backpack. "Better go—bye Dad—" her arms wrapped
briefly around his neck and she kissed his cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too, munchkin."

SMK SMK SMK SMK

"Sorry I didn't keep in touch much this summer," Jenna said as they
crossed the road, the crossing guard urging them along. "Things got
kind of crazy."

"Believe me I understand about crazy." Christy looked at
Jenna. "I don't know if Lisa told you, but things have been kind of
crazy where I am too."

Jenna chose her words carefully. "Well she told me something was going
on—she just didn't say exactly what."

"Yeah." Christy took a deep breath. "Remember my dad?"

"Sure I remember—he had that bus and he gave all the kids rides to
your parties and all." All that had been before they
were seven—before Mr. Blakeney had gone to prison for something— and
after that Christy hadn't said very much. "What about him?"

"He's out of prison—early parole for good behavior."

"Oh Christy, that's great!" Jenna said. Christy didn't respond at
first, looking away from Jenna and down at her feet. "Not great?"

"See that's just it, I don't know." Christy said. "I mean, I want to
be happy about it—I want us to be a family again with everything like it was before.
But I keep getting suspicious—I think maybe he's up to something but
maybe I'm just imagining it. You know?"

"Yeah, I know." More than I can say, Jenna silently added.
Aloud she said. "Maybe you're just worried that it will happen all
over again and he'll leave you and your Mom. That's natural."

A long silence. "Yeah, that's probably it," Christy finally said. "At
least I'm going to give him the benefit of a doubt."

They were nearing the high school. Jenna could see lots of other
people walking, chatting—so far she hadn't seen anyone else she knew
yet—most of these kids looked older—juniors at least. The sound of a
car's horn honking startled her.

"Yo—foxy freshmen!" a guy in a red convertible called out. Jenna
looked away, pretty sure that her face was bright red at this point.

"Creep," Christy muttered. "So—now we're freshmen. You ready for this?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

TBC