Billy’s Case Files
By Ermintrude
See part one for disclaimers
Part 12
Double Agent October 15, 1984
Billy threw down a couple more antacids and chewed stoically. Well, so much for the hope that Operation Sandstorm had been safely forgotten. If that book was published, it was the end of his field unit, and possibly a good portion of the Agency. Everyone who had been named in the book would have to be given new identities and relocated, from Billy on down. That would be a major blow to the counterintelligence community, and it would take years to rebuild after such a major disruption. Some of the people would take it pragmatically. Francine would probably be happy to be relocated to New York, Chicago or LA. Lee Stetson would be a great agent anywhere he was posted. Or would he be as great without his partner? Mrs. King and her family would have to be placed in witness protection and relocated, and she would have to sever all ties to the Agency. Civilian auxiliaries didn’t get special treatment in these situations. She probably wouldn’t even get to choose where they went.
This sort of thing was what made Billy’s job difficult. Supposedly they all understood the risks, but when actually faced with being given new identities and relocated, most people were less than enthusiastic.
He sighed and sent up a short prayer, that something—anything—would happen to make that book go away.
After Double Agent October 15, 1984
At his desk, reviewing up the case file, Billy was glad the book had been destroyed. They had managed to recover a few partial pages, but even after a thorough search, that’s all that had turned up once the fire had been extinguished. It was certainly best that way. If it did still exist—even in some vault—there was always the chance it could get out, and the whole problem would just start all over again.
And Mrs. King and her family were still living in Arlington—so that little nightmare never came about. This was why it was best to just go with the facts—act on what was real—and not play ‘what if’. Certainly contingency plans had to be made in situations like this—but more often than not—those plans never came to fruition. He smiled—the whole unit was safe and sound—or as safe and sound as they could be in the never ceasing war against the enemies of the US. And they would continue to do their jobs. So Billy chalked up another good day. And as long as the good days outnumbered the bad ones—he would keep coming in and doing the job.
Before The Legend of Das Geisterschloss October 22, 1984
Billy was in his office when the phone rang. “Melrose.”
It was Scarecrow. “Billy, I need you to get Amanda over here to Salzburg right away.”
“What’s going on, have you made contact with Emily Farnsworth yet?”
“No. She’s missed her last three check-ins, she hasn’t been seen since noontime yesterday, and she left a phone message at her hotel to hold her luggage—she told them she’s gone on to Vienna.”
“But she sent for you—to meet her in Salzburg.”
“Yeah—she told the hotel to hold her things for her niece from America—Amanda King.”
“I see. I guess I’ll call Mrs. King and have her leave on the next available flight. You think Amanda can help find her?”
“Billy, Emily wouldn’t have mentioned Amanda unless something she knows will help find Emily. They spent that time together last summer sightseeing. That has to have something to do with it.”
“But Mrs. King doesn’t know Emily Farnsworth is MI-6. She thinks the woman is the wife of a British diplomat.”
“But Emily knows Amanda is Agency—and that is why she asked for her. She thinks Amanda can help me find her—I’m sure of it. Please Billy—I need Amanda here—Emily needs her here. We need to find her—the next round of talks starts in three days. We need to plug that leak before then.”
“All right, I’ll contact Mrs. King, and let you know when her flight will arrive. I’ll be in touch. Melrose out.”
Billy hung up the phone, and then sat back in thought. ‘I guess Amanda made quite an impression on Emily Farnsworth if she’s asking for her help on this case. Somehow Amanda will have the knowledge to crack the case—something Amanda knows that Scarecrow doesn’t.’
He smiled and shook his head. “Amanda is certainly a remarkable woman, and it seems Mrs. Farnsworth recognizes that, too. And now it also seems that Scarecrow is beginning to appreciate his partner’s skills as well. He sounded a bit desperate. Still, Emily is one of the few friends in the business Scarecrow has. She mentored him in his early days, and somehow they made a strong connection. I know they keep in touch—they even manage to visit now and again whenever either is in the neighborhood. So I’ll send Amanda to Salzburg and hopefully she and Lee can crack the case. Hell, with the three of them on it—they can’t fail!’
Charity Begins at Home October 29, 1984
Amanda had come out to the stables to talk to Billy. She was concerned that Lee had been gone a long time. Billy talked to her, and urged her to get back and cover the bar. Amanda was worried about Lee’s safety and she tried to communicate that to her boss.
Billy was reassuring. “I understand you all the time, Amanda. It bothers me…a little. But I do understand.”
“Yes sir, thank you sir.” Amanda left.
Billy watched her make her way back to the bar. ‘I do understand you, Amanda. More than you realize. You’re worried Lee has gotten into trouble, and you want to go check on him. But your place is at the bar—to cover for your partner. Scarecrow is resourceful—the man can take care of himself.’
He settled back to watching the event from afar. ‘Carling London is dead. Someone killed him—probably to stop him from bidding on whatever Jerry Perrine has up for sale. I hope Scarecrow can find out what it is. It would be great if we could nail Perrine—the man has flaunted his dealings for years. He buys and sells shady merchandise right under our noses—all at his ‘invitation only’ events—and we’re powerless to stop him. Until now. Once again, Mrs. King’s suburban life has given us an in to a place where we haven’t been able to go before now. Seeing her at the gate yesterday was certainly a stroke of luck. I’m amazed she manages to work with us part-time and yet she still has time for her PTA, and bake sales and these charity events. She manages to make the most of her time—and raise her sons and maintain a home for herself and her family. I wonder if the woman ever gets any time for herself. Still, it’s to our advantage that she manages to fit it all in.’
As Billy watched the proceedings, he mused further. ‘I wonder…if she was to become a full-time agent—she probably wouldn’t have time for those extra activities. Not with the irregular hours and sudden out-of-town assignments every field agent deals with. Would she be able to take care of her boys as well as she does now? Her mother is a big help there. And the boys are growing up—they should be able to manage on their own for longer periods of time. Still—teenagers need more attention—even though they sometimes resent a caring parent.’ He sighed. ‘She has a few more years before she has to jump that hurdle. Still—she’s a whiz at most everything else, dealing with two teenage boys should be a piece of cake for her.’
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.