4247 Maplewood Dr.

            Lee had made it to Amanda’s house in record time. He and Billy had gotten the word from the surveillance van had received the signal that Amanda was being taken. As he drove into the driveway, he saw another car pull to the curb. As the man exited the car, Lee saw that it was Det. Marks. Lee had been about to draw his gun but when he saw the visitor he relaxed his grip and covered the move by straightening his jacket. It wouldn’t be appropriate for a filmmaker to be armed.

            Lee watched as the detective walked up to him. “I’m Det. Marks of Metro Police. I’m looking for Amanda King. I have a warrant for her arrest.”

            “A warrant for her arrest? On what charge?” Lee asked.

            Marks replied. “Who are you and what are you doing here?”

            Lee just wanted to get in the house and check on Amanda. “I’m Lee Stetson, Mrs. King’s friend and her boss.”

            “Mr. Stetson, I’m going to ask you to move aside while I execute this arrest warrant.” Det. Marks began to push by Lee but he stood his ground.

 “Let me go in with you. She trusts me and she won’t make a fuss while this nonsense, whatever it is, gets cleared up. Besides, I can call her ex-husband, he is an attorney.”

            Marks thought for a moment and allowed Lee to precede him to the door. Lee knocked and tried the door. “Amanda!” He called. “Where are you?” Silence welcomed him throughout the house. Lee walked into the kitchen and looked around. He knew Amanda would leave him a note if she could. He had checked with the surveillance team, her tracker had her in the neighborhood still. Lee looked at the refrigerator and saw the blue triangle with the note under it. He looked around and saw that Det. Marks was searching the living room. Lee removed the note and slipped into his pocket. Lee found another note on the counter along with her purse.

            “I’m sorry. I can’t face what I have done to my family. You won’t see me again. Amanda”

            Lee looked at the note closely. ‘It looks like Amanda’s writing,’ Lee thought ‘but she’d never write anything like that.’ He called to Det. Marks. “Look at what I found on the counter.”

            Marks examined the note and addressed himself to Lee. “I’ve seen notes like this before. It looks like she has run off or decided to do something drastic.”

            Lee studied the detective trying to get a read on him. “She wouldn’t do anything like that. She’s not that kind of a person.” Lee wanted to get rid of the detective so that he could read her note. “Look, she is obviously not here.”

            “Maybe I’ll just take a look around the rest of the house.” Marks stated.

            “Then maybe I’ll come with you to protect Mrs. King’s privacy and rights.” Lee shot back.

            A quick reconnoiter around the house proved that it was empty. But before long, noises came from the kitchen as Phillip and Jamie arrived home from school. Lee looked at Marks and realized that he wanted the Boys as far from him as possible right now.

            “Grandma? Mom? Anyone home? Lee?” He heard Jamie shout.

            Lee walked down the stairs as the Phillip and Jamie moved to the kitchen for a snack. Lee saw that the fake note from Amanda was still on the counter. He needed to get it before either of the boys read it. Lee managed to grab the note before they had a chance. He wanted either to get Det. Marks or Phillip and Jamie out of the house as soon as possible.

            “Hey, Fellas.”

            “Hi Lee, where’s Mom?” Jamie asked obviously curious as to why Lee was there in the middle of the afternoon.

            “I’m not sure right now, guys.” Lee answered truthfully. The boys looked between their mother’s boyfriend and the stranger.

            “Guys, this is Det. Marks. He needs to talk to your mom.”

            “What about?” Phillip queried with his mouth full of chocolate chip cookies.

            “Work stuff.” Lee replied. “Look why don’t you guys go upstairs and do your homework? I’m sure someone will be home some.”  He hoped that Dotty would be home soon. Amanda didn’t like for the boys to be home by themselves for too long.

            He pulled Det. Marks to the door. “Look like I said before, she’s not home.  So maybe you should leave.” Lee held the door open.

            “Fine, but I’ll keep an eye out for her.”

            “You do that.” Were the last words Lee uttered before he shut the door. Once the door was shut and the boys were in the kitchen, Lee pulled out Amanda’s note to him. He read it again. She must have had only a couple of seconds to write it. “4251, he mused, “what does that mean?” He walked outside and saw the Wagoneer pulling in the driveway behind his car. Lee hurried over to help Dotty.

            “Lee, dear, what are you doing here? Where’s Amanda?” She looked over his shoulder to see if Amanda was there.

            “I’m not sure Dotty.” Lee replied. He looked around and the house sign caught his attention ‘4247’ he thought.  “Uh, Dotty, the boys came home while you were gone. I sent them to start their homework.” Lee helped Dotty in the house with her groceries and asked “Dotty, who bought that house a couple of doors down.”

            Dotty thought for a minute. “I think her name is Alexandra Montgomery. I don’t know what she does. She certainly hasn’t done much to the house. You know there is so much to be done to the garden.”

            Lee was barely listening. He needed to call in. “Dotty, do you mind if I move the Wagoneer? Now that you’re home I need to get back to the office.”

            “Of course not, Lee. I’ll move it. But aren’t you going to wait for Amanda?”

            “She’s not here.” His voice sounded flat even to him.

            Lee pulled out of the driveway and drove past 4251 Maplewood Drive. He saw the tail of a gray sedan in the garage. He got on the phone to Billy. “They have her, Billy.” Lee told him without preamble. “She managed to leave a note.”

            Billy heard the underlying tension in his agent’s voice. “Lee, stick with the plan.”

            “We don’t know what they may be doing to her.” Lee gave voice to his fears.

            “Scarecrow, nothing has been done to hurt her,” reasoned Billy.

            “So far.” He muttered.

            Billy chose to ignore that comment. “Does Williams and surveillance still have her?”

            “Her tracking device is still working.” Lee confirmed. “Although as predicted, it can’t narrow to within 100 yards. Oh, and Billy, there is a gray sedan in the garage.” Lee tried to ignore the tightening of his stomach at the thought of his wife being kidnapped again.

            “If they move her we will be ready. Go back to the surveillance van and watch them.”

            Lee had Williams move the surveillance van to within visual distance of 4251 Maplewood Drive. He was not going to miss Amanda’s exit from that house. “Come on, Amanda. Give me something. I hate waiting.” Lee muttered as he watched the monitors.

4251 Maplewood Dr.

            “I hate waiting.” Alex echoed as she watched Amanda. “You know Amanda, this is quite an opportunity for you. I understand the gentleman who has expressed an interest in you treats his property very well. I understand he missed acquiring you before. I personally don’t like this kind of retrieval, too messy. Ah well, you can’t hear me anyway.” To Amanda all the pieces were falling into place.  The trilling of the phone pulled Alex away from the couch. Amanda strained to hear the conversation. She risked opening her eyes a little to see where Alex was. She had her back to Amanda and was talking on the phone. “Yes…it was not beyond my abilities. That is what you are paying me handsomely for…Yes; we are ready for the transfer. Okay...Nightwave…give me the coordinates…Columbia Island Marina…got it. 11:00 tonight. …You’re going to be there? But I thought you weren’t going to leave the island.  Yes, full payment or no transfer.  Bearer Bonds, please….Yes, she is in good condition…no harm has come to her…we will be careful. Thank you, goodbye.” She sighed as she hung up the phone. “That’s it. Time to pack.” She strode to Amanda and checked her pulse and looked in her eyes. “Strong and steady. Good, she is still out.”

            When she heard Alex ascend the stairs, Amanda struggled to move her body. She felt like she was trying to move through molasses. ‘Lee must be around’ she thought ‘I need to get to him and give him the information. Whoever the buyer is going to be there tonight. What a chance to catch this man.’ Amanda heard the back door opening. Soon a face came into her line of sight. “Lee.” She managed force the words out of her mouth. “leave now. Trafficker tonight. Boat. Columbia.”

            “Are you sure?” He asked.

She managed to nod slightly. “Then, I’m not going to leave you.” Lee began to pick her up her motionless body.

            “No! The plan. Lee, please.” She tried to convey the depth of her conviction in her eyes since she could not articulate her words.

Lee looked deeply into her brown eyes and knew he had to leave. “I love you.” He whispered against her lips.  He turned away and did, Amanda knew, the hardest thing for him to do. He left.

As Lee moved around in the shadows of the house again and headed back to the van, Amanda allowed a few tears to fall. She knew she was risking her life but this was a chance to do what they had been forced to leave undone.