Part Five
 

After breakfast the boys went out into the backyard to kick around a soccer ball they found in the garage to expend some pent-up energy. Amanda and Dotty cleaned up the small kitchen and dining room while Lee and Deputy Royce stepped outside for some fresh air and to chat.

"Seems like your family is adjusting nicely," Deputy Royce commented as he and Lee stood out on the front porch.

"Yeah, so far so good," Lee answered with relief. "However, I'm going to need to run out and pick up some necessities. I didn't have time to pack yesterday…"

"I'd prefer to keep you under wraps until they pick up the shooter from yesterday," Deputy Royce replied.

"That could take a while. All you've got to go by is a vague description of the car," Lee complained as he looked down at the clothes he was wearing for the second straight day. "Considering the summer heat, I'll be rather ripe in these clothes by noon."

"Actually, I didn't want to get your hopes up, but the incident you told me about yesterday was reported by quite a few people who were involved in a near collision with a car with blown out windows," Deputy Royce asked with a furrowed brow. "Sound familiar?"

"Did they get the plates on the other car?" Lee asked with hopeful intrigue.

"They got a partial and trust me, we're working on tracking every lead down. How about you make out a list of what you need and I'll have somebody pick it up for you - just in case?" the Marshall suggested. "I can have it here in a few hours."

Lee cringed at the thought. He remembered back to when Amanda had lent him an old plaid shirt that had belonged to Dean. That was all he needed now was for someone to go shop for him. "As much as I appreciate the offer, I'd rather handle that task myself. I won't argue that we need to keep the family on a tight leash for now, but I am a trained agent," Lee reminded the Marshall. "I can keep myself out of trouble."

"All right, after we go over the paperwork with your family I'll let you run out for some essentials," Royce advised then with a stern look added. "You need to make it quick."

"No problem, I hate to shop," Lee advised him and totally understood Royce's reluctance to allow him to leave his protective custody with the shooter still out there. Lee was confident they hadn't been followed to the house last night, so what could go wrong? He'd be careful and make it a quick trip. "I really appreciate it."

"I'm expecting a courier to come by this morning with paperwork we need to go over with the family as well as a family car a little more comfortable than the van over there," the deputy advised him. "That way the car can't be traced back to you, your wife or the Agency."

"How are you coming on a bigger house?" Lee asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the small brick house.

"You don't want much, do you, Scarecrow?" Royce replied, sarcastically.

Lee shrugged innocently, but he worried that the novelty of the small house would soon wear off and the boys would become restless and underfoot. "If it were only for me, this place would be fine. It'll be tough to keep the kids from killing each other in a few hours with such close quarters."

"When the courier gets here I should have details about the other house," he answered glancing at his watch. "He should be here any minute now. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up until I've got all the details. You know how the government can be… promise you one thing and delivers another."

"Yeah, I've noticed that once or twice," Lee chuckled.

Lee leaned against the house and watched in calm silence as the occasional car drove up the street, birds would dart from tree to tree and the squirrels would scamper across the lawn looking for a nut or seed. It was still early in the morning, but he couldn't help but notice that this quiet, well-established neighborhood was a lot like the one he lived in before his parents were killed. He sighed heavily at the fond memory. He reflected upon the vast changes in his life over the last 24 hours, knowing by now word about his secret marriage to Amanda had probably raced across the Agency quicker than wildfire. He had mixed emotions as to whether he was glad to have avoided the firestorm, but in a way he'd like to have seen the burning look of shock and surprise on some of his co-workers faces.

A van drove down the street and pulled into the long driveway and a second car parked in the street. "The courier and your new set of wheels, Scarecrow," Deputy Royce advised cheerfully as he stood up and began walking toward the driver. "Hopefully this means some good news about your house."

Lee nodded and watched from his position on the front porch as Royce met first with the courier accepting the keys and then walked out to the street and met a woman with a large manila packet. Lee leaned forward, pulling a long, thick blade of grass from the lawn that had escaped the lawn mowers blade and sat down on the old porch. He placed the thick husk of grass between his teeth and chewed on it in frustration. It was hard for him to take a back seat in an investigation. He knew they were in good hands and that Deputies Royce and Gibbons were following procedure to the letter, but it didn't make it any easier to let other people make decisions that would affect the lives of his wife and family.

A few minutes later Royce came back to the porch and sat down next to Lee. "Good news," he announced. "You can relocate to your new house this afternoon."

"May I?" Lee asked as he nodded towards the packet the deputy held in his hand.

Royce nodded and watched as Lee opened the package. "Everything in there to your satisfaction, I hope?"

Lee thumbed the through the myriad of paperwork and pictures, pausing now and then to study specific documents and information carefully. "The house looks like it's a nice place. Where is it?" Lee asked curiously.

"Northeast of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The property's a little bigger than this one. The house is only a few years old. It's got four bedrooms, two and a half baths and an attached garage," Deputy Royce added. "I'm sure you'll find it a lot more spacious."

"Harrisburg's not too far. You guys do good work," Lee complemented with a forced smile, relieved in some ways to be moving to a bigger house, but he wasn't certain why the knot in his stomach had yet to subside.

"Shall we show the pictures of the new house to your wife and family, Scarecrow?" Royce suggested as he stood up once again and took the package back from Lee.

"Might as well. I'm not sure how long Phillip and Jamie will be able to entertain themselves with just a soccer ball!" Lee laughed, trying to give the appearance of composure as the two men went back inside the house. "Amanda, Dotty," Lee called out. "Deputy Royce would like to go over some details with us."

Dotty turned off the television set and Amanda put down what she was doing in the kitchen. "Did you want me to call in the boys?"

"No," Lee shook his head as he watched them out in the backyard playing soccer. "We'll fill them in later."

They all sat down around the table and Deputy Royce took charge and got right down to business. "I'm sure you'll all be pleased to hear that we have made arrangements for a larger house. The place will be ready for you to move in this afternoon," he announced as he took out of few pictures and handed them to Amanda. "A courier has just dropped off a new Dodge Caravan. I'm certain it will be more comfortable than what you arrived here in yesterday."

Amanda smiled over to Deputy Royce after glancing at the pictures of the house. "The house looks lovely. A lot bigger than what we're used to," she stated in a subdued voice, then passed the pictures to her mother.

"Oh, Amanda, a two story colonial! It's lovely - and there's a pool. The boys will certainly enjoy that!" Dotty prattled delightedly.

"I'm certain you'll find it more than comfortable," Deputy Royce answered, then got right back to business as he pulled out more paperwork from the packet. "There are some questions we'll need you to fill out so we can document your files properly. The medical forms will be the most important: allergies, medications, any special ailments."

"That shouldn't be a problem. I have the boys' medical records with me. For the most part they don't have any serious medical conditions and all their vaccinations are up to date," Amanda advised as she glanced over at Lee knowing he'd retrieved the bag from her closet. "I've kept a bag in case of emergencies for a while now."

"Good, that's one less thing we'll need to worry about then," Royce nodded before continuing on. "We have created new identities for each of you - including your sons, Mrs. Stetson. It's extremely important and undeniably difficult to shed your old persona, but you need to take on your new identities as quickly as possible. The government will do whatever is necessary to enable your safety. Our goal is to see that Pablo Menendez ends up back behind bars where he belongs, but your individual security will depend upon how well you can assume your new roles."

Amanda thumbed through the information Deputy Royce had provided. Her face began to scowl. "Wait a second," Amanda complained, staring at the page with a new name and background. She glared at Lee while shaking her head, then angrily stared at Deputy Royce. "Exactly how long do you plan on stashing us away for?"

"As long as it takes, Mrs. Stetson," he replied with the standard government-issue answer.

"Mr. Royce, I'm no fool. I've worked for the Agency for quite some time now. How long are we talking…days…weeks…" she inquired, then swallowing hard she choked out, "or are we talking longer?"

"The retrial is set for the beginning of November. We're expecting the trial to take a couple of weeks - tops. If all things go as planned, the trial should be over before Thanksgiving," he answered proudly.

"Thanksgiving!" she shouted in disbelief. "Lee, you said we needed to pack for a couple of days. Did you know how long we were going to be gone for?"

"Amanda, please," Lee hissed, trying to diffuse the situation but a sense of dread started to overcome him as the knot in his stomach tightened further. "I needed everyone out of that house ASAP."

"I don't believe you kept this from me," she snapped angrily.

"I thought you understood when we got here. I introduced you to Deputy Royce from the Marshall's Service. The Agency doesn't handle Witness Protection - that's the Justice Department's job and the U. S. Marshall Service oversees that part," Lee reminded her, but he could see from the scowl on her face that she was irate not only with the situation, but with him as well.

"Mrs. Stetson, I assure you that the government will spare no expense to make sure that you and your family is not only secure, but comfortable in your new accommodations until the trial ends. We'll arrange for a shopping trip to purchase whatever clothes or personal items you need until other arrangements can be made to retrieve some of your more personal belongings from your house in Virginia. The most important issue here is that Pablo Menendez is sent back to prison where he belongs and your family is no longer in danger."

"And what if he gets off?" she countered harshly.

"That's highly unlikely, Mrs. Stetson. I assure you the case against him is very strong. Our conviction rate is almost 90%," Deputy Royce advised her proudly.

"What about my sons and school? The new term starts in September," she reminded him bluntly.

"Mrs. Stetson, the house is located in an excellent school district," Deputy Royce assured her. "It was chosen over a couple of other houses because of that fact."

Amanda stood up and walked over to the window and watched Phillip as he ran circles around Jamie with the soccer ball.

Lee watched her closely, not sure what to do. "Amanda," he called out with a slight tremble in his voice. "I know this isn't what either of us ever wanted to happen, but we don't have much choice. For the boys' sake…"

"That's what I'm worried about, Lee!" Amanda snapped in frustration as she turned away from the window and faced the three people in the dining room. "How much can I expect the boys to take?"

"It'll be hard on them, but kids are resilient," he argued, but his voice was clearly unsteady.

"Moving from place to place as a child left some rather large scars with you," she reminded him. "How many times have you told me you hated moving from base to base? At least you never had to pretend you were somebody you weren't! What happens to Phillip and Jamie King?" With that said Amanda glanced around the room, obviously shaken. She felt like she was suffocating. She needed air. Finally Amanda rushed past the dining room and escape out to the front of the house.

Lee ran his hand nervously through his hair. He glanced apologetically at Deputy Royce, but didn't know what to say.

"Do you want me to go talk to her?" Dotty asked in an anxious whisper.

Lee shook his head, but he couldn't find his voice. He slowly stood up and followed his wife out the front door. He closed the door behind him to give them some semblance of privacy. Amanda was sitting on the top step of the porch staring straight ahead, but she didn't turn when he sat down beside her. He put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but she pulled out of his grasp. He let out a long slow breath, not sure what to say or do. Finally he tried to find the words to get through to her.

"I kept trying to apologize for this; I thought you understood," he admitted sincerely. "It'll be tough on the boys, I know. I hate this, but the safety of this family is the most important thing. There's no other way."

"Getting shot at yesterday was bad enough, but now we're going to have to tell them to forget their home, their friends, their identities?" she reminded him in a lost voice. "They have to vanish into thin air and become totally different people! I'm not sure I can handle this, how can I expect them to?"

"They're both great kids, Amanda. I bet Phillip won't have any trouble making new friends and Jamie - it might be a good thing for him. You keep telling me how much he's starting to come out of his shell, maybe this is just what he needs, a fresh start," Lee stated, hoping she would agree, but knowing the issue she brought up was relevant. He worried about the boys too, knowing it would be a tough and challenging situation, but he also knew there were no other options.

They sat on the porch for a few moments before either of them spoke. Amanda stared straight ahead and asked one more question. "What about Joe?"

Lee's jaw dropped; he'd never even given as much as a brief thought about Joe. Joe King was most likely working in his EAO office building in DC totally unaware that his children and ex-wife had hastily retreated from Arlington. Finally given the idea some thought Lee swallowed hard then answered. "He'll be told why the kids are gone; he'll understand. I'm sure he'd rather know they're someplace safe," he answered with little emotion.

"The boys are at an age where they need their father. They were just starting to reconnect with him," Amanda declared adamantly, her anger still completely apparent in her voice.

"Joe's never been a big part of their lives, Amanda, by his choosing I might add," he reminded her in a brusque voice, but the topic of Joe had always been an edgy subject. He tried to keep his voice even as he continued. "It wouldn't be the first time he'd been out of their lives for a few months so don't worry about it."

"Since when is it your place to make decisions for my sons?" Amanda snapped furiously as she glared at her husband.

"Think about it, Amanda, even if the Justice Department agreed to relocate Joe, I doubt that he'd want to leave his job with the EAO to start all over again, someplace else," he rationalized tenaciously. "If the boys need anything I'll be there for them, I promise you that." He glanced at his wife tentatively, waiting to see her reaction.

"You sure have an answer for everything, don't you?" she snapped harshly. "You've got this whole thing figured out!"

"I love those boys as much as if they were my own," he answered defensively. "You know that!"

"Convenient how you finally pushed Joe out of the picture," she observed with an acerbic tone as she stood up and started to walk away.

"That was a cheap shot and you know it," Lee spewed, offended at her tone and losing his patience. Then he gritted his teeth knowing she had a right to be upset about the situation and he didn't want his past jealousy of Joe King to come between them now. He reached out for her shoulder once more. "Amanda, come on. You know I'd never do anything to come between the boys and their father."

"Don't touch me," Amanda shouted in a bitter voice as she pulled away. "You've always been jealous of Joe. Maybe you aren't doing this to hurt the boys so much as your doing it to make sure he's out of my life!"

"Amanda, please - you know that's crazy!" he argued as he reached to comfort her once again.

"I told you not to touch me," she protested angrily. "I don't think it's crazy, I think it's deceptively convenient for you. I guess you were right years ago when you told me you were poison. Maybe I should have left you alone back then. Take some of your own advice and leave me alone!"

Lee didn't know how to deal with his wife's anger. "Amanda…" he called out but she didn't even pause as she brushed past him. Instead, she opened the front door, stormed back into the house. Lee winced as he heard the door slam loudly behind her. It felt like the house was shaking, but Lee actually realized it was his body that was trembling. He leaned against the brick wall of the house to help steady his badly battered feelings...

Deputy Royce came out to the front porch a few minutes later. "Are you all right?" he asked Lee.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lee answered with an unconvincing nod before turning away and mumbling something inaudible.

"The first few days are always the hardest. Maybe now would be a good time for you to run into town and pick up the essentials you needed. Let everyone cool down," Royce suggested as he glanced at his watch. "There's a department store on Main Street where you should be able to get anything you need. If you go down the street and make a right at the stop sign, then follow that to the traffic light and make a left. You'll find the place a few blocks down on the left."

"Great," Lee answered in an absent voice, barely listening to his directions. He was so absorbed in his own thoughts. He just needed some space and time to sort things out. Being part of the family was what he'd wanted for so long, but now it seemed awkward and he felt out of place. He slowly walked to the garage and climbed into the old work van.

"I'll see you later, then," Deputy Royce called after him in a friendly voice.

Lee followed the road to the stop sign. Instead of turning right as he was instructed to do, he turned left away from town and the department store that he'd been given directions to visit. Lee wasn't lost; he knew where he was going. He had to return DC.

End Part Five
 
 
 
 
 

BLACK PESOS - Part Six
 

Amanda sat in the front passenger seat as Deputy Royce drove on endlessly to the new, bigger house in Pennsylvania. The radio was blaring rock music that Phillip and Jamie had begged him to turn on. The boys were enjoying it as they jammed along with the music playing air guitar and drums like they were in a rock band. Amanda was just happy it kept them occupied in what felt like an interminably long ride and the noise kept the chance for normal conversation at a minimum. Her mother sat in the very back, reasonably quiet and with the truth finally out in the open, the never-ending barrage of questions had seemed to end - at least for now. She hoped, but wondered how long it would continue.

Lee was conspicuously absent from the van. Amanda's mind weighed heavily on that issue. She'd heard the old van back out of the driveway just a few minutes after their argument and assumed, at first, that Lee was going into town for a brief shopping trip to purchase some necessities. However, after several hours elapsed, she realized that probably wasn't the case. Amanda noticed the numerous calls that Deputy Royce had made on his cell phone before their departure. She couldn't hear what he was saying, but he was obviously annoyed by Lee's sudden disappearance and was anxiously trying to track him down.

The Dodge Caravan finally turned off the highway and into an upscale residential neighborhood. Normally she would have made mental notes of the street signs and where he was turning left and right. Despite her training, she was too lost in her own dismal thoughts and paid little attention to the numerous turns that he made before the van finally slowed down. He pulled into the long empty driveway of the two-story colonial and turned off the engine of the car.

"Oh, Amanda, it's more beautiful than the pictures," Dotty gasped with pleasure as she glanced around the property.

"Yes, it's a lovely house," Amanda managed to choke out, but her heart sank when she realized the other van that they had borrowed which Lee had driven off in earlier was no where to be seen. She'd hoped that Lee would've met them there after his shopping excursion. She's prayed that they'd just missed each other. Maybe he was just minutes behind them, she tried to convince herself, but Amanda knew better.  Lee hated to shop. He would have been in and out of the store in record time. Clearly, Lee hadn't left to go shopping. Her harsh words had effectively driven her husband away - only she couldn't go to look for him.

The family had piled out of the van as had Deputy Royce. "Amanda, are you coming?" Dotty called to her as Amanda sat motionless in the car, staring into space.

"Oh… yes. I was just…" Amanda's mind went blank trying to come up with an excuse. All she could think of was Lee and the hurtful things she'd accused him of earlier. She hoped he knew in his heart that none of this was his fault - she'd lashed out at him in anger and uncertainly. Her imagination ran wild as possible scenarios ran through her mind. Had he run into trouble in town? Had he gone back to DC and to the Agency? Had the shooter or even Pablo Menendez crossed his path?

"Staring!" Dotty replied unaware of her daughters true concerns. She opened the van door and tugged on Amanda's arm. "Come on, dear, I'm dying to see what it looks like inside. Wouldn't you like to see it too?"

Amanda nodded and closed the door to the van, glad her mother thought she'd been staring at the house. She had to admit it appeared very inviting from the outside and much bigger than the little brick house they had stayed in last night.

"Right this way," Royce announced as he unlocked the front door to the house and ushered them inside.

Phillip and Jamie rushed about the large furnished house enthusiastically. Dotty took her time absorbing everything a little more leisurely than her rambunctious grandsons. She admired the wood floors as well as the furnishing, touching the fabric on the sofa delicately before she walked out of the living room and into the large kitchen. She smiled her approval and was nearly bowled over as the boys raced back into the room.

"Slow down, both of you," Amanda yelled at the boys, her frazzled nerves still not yet under control.

"Sorry, Mom," Jamie answered as he glanced out the kitchen window. His eyes opened wide as he realized there was a large pool. "Can we go for a swim in the pool?"

Amanda looked back towards Deputy Royce. "I can't think of a better way to cool off!" he answered affirmatively.

"You don't have your bathing suits," she reminded them.

"I've got my cut-off," Phillip advised her with pleading eyes. "Junior here has a spare pair of shorts."

"Don't call me Junior!" Jamie complained as he punched his brother on the arm.

"Boys!" Amanda warned.

They both stopped and looked at her with guilty faces then pleaded together. "Please, Mom?"

"All right, go on. I guess we'll have to get you both a new swim suit," she answered reluctantly. "Just no horsing around."

The boys raced upstairs to change and Amanda could hear them arguing over which room would be which boys' bedroom. Amanda scowled and sighed before beginning the climb up the stairs to mediate the argument. Before she could reach the landing the boys had already settled it for themselves and were changing in different bedrooms.

Amanda glanced down the hallway and walked into what appeared to be the master bedroom. She meandered into the room, noticing it was considerably larger than her bedroom back in Virginia. She opened the closet doors and smiled at how spacious they were but then frowned at their emptiness. She'd never felt so alone in her life. Lee should be here with her yet she drove him away.

She tried to push the dark thoughts to the back of her mind as she continued her exploration of the master suite. Amanda wandered into the master bathroom and observed his and her sinks with ample room for toiletries and a Jacuzzi tub, as well as a recessed shower. Quite the dream bathroom, yet despair overwhelmed her. She hated the reason they were forced to live in this house, but Deputy Royce hadn't exaggerated. This house was more than accommodating. She walked back into the bedroom and sat down on the bed; her shoulder's slumped and without realizing it, tears began flowing freely from her eyes.

"Amanda, are you all right?" Dotty asked in concern as she stood in the hallway.

Amanda wiped her eyes and swallowed past the lump in her throat. She nodded.

"This house is beautiful, sweetheart. Why are you crying?" Dotty inquired anxiously as she entered the room and sat down next to her daughter.

"I guess I'm overwhelmed by everything," she sniffled. "I'm supposed to be a professional and look at me, I'm a mess. You and the boys are taking this so well."

"Right now this is an adventure for them," Dotty cautioned as she put a comforting hand on her daughters' shoulder. "I'm sure in a couple of days once the pool becomes less of a novelty you'll hear some grumbling."

"You're probably right," Amanda nodded then turned to look at her mother. "You haven't said much about being in this situation - other than you like the house."

Dotty smiled at her daughter and pushed a stray wisp of hair from her face. "For several years now, Amanda, you've had me tied up in knots wondering what really was going on in your life," Dotty began to explain. "All the crazy excuses you used to give me, the odd hours, how many accidents with the car?"

Amanda grinned slightly. "You're not angry with me for hiding all this from you?"

"I didn't say that," Dotty warned in a rankled tone. "I'm still a little… annoyed that you and Lee eloped. I would have liked to have been there when my only daughter got married."

"We wanted you there," Amanda assured her mother in a reflective voice, "but we were afraid…"

"I understand and I guess in a way it's a relief to know that you were on the right side of the law. After what happened last September… I was beginning to have my doubts," Dotty explained, honestly.

"I can see where you might have had your doubts," Amanda replied forcing a smile.

Dotty patted her daughter's shoulder. "The important thing is we're all safe and together."

Amanda blinked back tears at her mother's statement. "That's just it, Mother. We're not all together. I don't know where Lee is… I don't think Mr. Royce knows where he is either."

"But he said Lee went to get some personal things…" Dotty mumbled.

Amanda glanced at her watch. It was after four in the afternoon. "Lee left almost six hours ago."

Dotty shrugged. "He's probably taking his time shopping. I'm sure there's a lot of things he needs. Deputy Royce told us it could be more than a week before they can arrange for our clothes and more personal items to be retrieved from the house. I bet he'll be here before you have dinner on the table."

Amanda wiped a stray tear from her face. She didn't want to alarm her mother and she certainly didn't want to tell her mother the hurtful things she said to him. "You're probably right, Mother, he'll probably be starved since he missed lunch. I guess I'd better see what's in the kitchen to make for dinner."

"Would you like me to help?" Dotty suggested.

"No, Mother, but thanks anyway," Amanda answered as she heard splashing in the pool. She glanced out the window briefly shaking her head. "How about you keep an eye on the boys and make sure they don't drown one another."

Dotty laughed and Amanda smiled as they left the bedroom and headed back downstairs.

*** *** *** ***

Lee drove past Amanda's neat little house on Maplewood Avenue. Everything appeared as it should be, but appearances could be quite deceiving. He thought about stopping to check inside, but finally decided against taking the risk. Lee's silver Corvette still sat conspicuously in front of the house. He made a mental note to ask Billy to drive it back to IFF's parking garage for safe keeping until… he shuddered at the thought of living in a strange house for the next few months.

"You need to keep your wits about you," Lee reminded himself as he began to drive back to Georgetown.

He circled the area around his apartment several times before he felt secure enough to stop. Lee parked the van a few blocks away and pulled an old baseball cap onto his head, lowering the visor to shield his face. He got out of the van and began walking briskly back towards his apartment. His senses were on high alert as he kept a watchful eye on the traffic and pedestrians around him, finally arriving at the deserted back entrance to his apartment building.

Lee disappeared into the building and noticed his pulse was racing despite the fact that he was certain he hadn't been detected. His job was much more complicated since he met and fell in love with Amanda King. Now he was also responsible for her, correction, their family's safety as well. He took a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves before he made his way to the stairwell and walked up to his floor. He pushed opened the fire door and it squealed loudly. "So much for covert operations," he grumbled to himself, but the hallway was clear. He surreptitiously hurried to his apartment door, put in his key, turned the lock and slid inside without another sound.

"Whew," Lee whispered with relief as he sagged against the front door. He scanned his apartment quickly from his viewpoint at the door. Everything appeared to be how he'd left it the morning before his life had changed forever. There was little evidence of the modifications in his life at his apartment. His coffee cup was sitting on the table, stale and cold. His dry cleaning hung from the door, still needing to be put in the closet, the newspaper on the table that had yet to be read. Lee sighed heavily before he continued casing his apartment in an uneasy silence. Every instinct in his body told him to be extremely cautious.

Just as he went to open the door to his bedroom the silence was shattered. Lee's heart was in his throat and his hand tightly cocked on his gun before he realized it was the phone's shrilling ring scolding him. He walked over to his phone and wasn't surprised to see the number five blinking the number of messages on his answering machine. He guessed that the Agency as well as the US Marshall's would be looking for him. His machine picked up on the fourth ring to answer call number six.

"Scarecrow, this is Billy!" the voice growled in an urgent tone. "If you're there pick up now, damn it!"

Lee stood at the phone, uncertain as to whether to follow the instructions of his supervisor. He didn't want to tip off anyone that he'd returned to DC. Could Pablo Menendez have tapped his phone he wondered? He certainly had the money; did he have the resources too?

"Scarecrow, you've got to know you're in a lot of danger. You need to come in," Billy Melrose pleaded. "Scarecrow, if you get this message call me back - any time. It's not just you anymore. You have a wife and family…"

Billy certainly knew what buttons he could push to get results and Lee grabbed the receiver. "I'm here, Billy," he whispered into the phone, still not totally certain his apartment was secure.

Billy shouted angrily. "Are you trying to make Amanda a widow?"

"You heard, huh?" Lee admitted nervously.

"Yes, I heard, Scarecrow. I think even the janitor here has heard by now, but that's not the issue. You need to be somewhere secure. What the hell do you think you're doing out there playing the 'lone wolf'?"

"I needed to pick up some things," Lee defended awkwardly. "I didn't have time yesterday…"

"Nothing's worth risking your life for. The Marshall service thought you went to the store. Only they search every store in town and couldn't find you. You're in a lot of hot water with them at the moment," Billy raged angrily. "I'm sending a car to pick you up right now."

"Yeah, Billy, I hear you. I guess I wasn't thinking…" Lee answered now that he had a chance to reflect on his argument with his wife earlier in the day. He knew Amanda had only lashed out at him in anger.

"Apparently you've been doing that a lot lately!" Billy scoffed angrily. "We'll talk about this when I see you face to face. Grab whatever you need and be ready in five minutes. Just stay put - and that's an order!"

"I'll be ready," Lee answered and winced as he heard Billy slam the phone down on the other end, obviously irate.

Lee shook his head before returning the phone to its cradle. He glanced at his watch mentally making note of the time. He knew an Agency car would be downstairs promptly to whisk him to safety and anonymity for the next few months. He needed to pack some clothes and most importantly, now that the world knew he was married, he wanted Amanda to have her engagement and wedding rings.

He again headed to his bedroom and as he cautiously pushed the door opened he immediately sensed something was wrong. He remembered clearly making his bed before he left for work the previous morning. Amanda hated when he left it unmade and he never knew when they'd have a chance for a few moments alone. He made it a point to always make his bed. However, his pillow now had a flat indentation where someone had obviously rested their head. The bedspread was also rumpled. His years of living with the Colonel had taught him how to make a bed crisp that would bounce a quarter off of it. Clearly someone had been here.

As Lee reached for his gun under his coat jacket a man stepped out of his closet and began firing at him and Lee dove to the floor near his bed for cover…

End Part Six
 
 
 

BLACK PESOS - Part Seven

The boys played in the pool while Dotty sat under a big shade tree nearby. She kept one eye on them and the other in the latest romance novel she had luckily thought to bring with her. Amanda inspected the large pantry and couldn't have been more satisfied. After taking note of what was available she began preparing a light dinner. She tried to ignore the kitchen clock that ticked noisily across the room as she shaped the hamburger meat into patties, but despite her best attempts her eyes were drawn to it. It was now almost six and still no Lee.

"Where are you, Lee?" she whispered anxiously, then looked around to make sure Deputy Royce hadn't overheard her. She was relieved to find him sitting in the living room. He had a way of making himself conveniently scarce. Amanda appreciated that, but assumed that he guessed that her argument with Lee in the morning had driven him away.

She turned her attention back to dinner and searched through the freezer and found some frozen french fries. As she rummaged through the cupboards looking for a pan to put them on she was certain she heard the phone ring. She wasn't sure at first if it was a cell phone or the house phone. Another glance in Deputy Royce's direction answered that question as she strained to hear him speak.

"You found him?" he sighed with relief in a quiet voice… "Where?… What happened?"

Before Amanda realized it she was standing over the Deputy, her mouth dry with anticipation of the news. From the pieced together information she knew something happened, but she couldn't figure out what.

"Where are they now?… What do you mean you don't know?… What's his condition?" he asked urgently.

With those three words Amanda's world went dark as she collapsed to the floor.

She wasn't sure how long she was unconscious. She assumed it was only a few seconds, but when she awoke she found herself lying on the couch in the living room. Deputy Royce had placed a wet towel over her head and elevated her feet. She tried to sit up when everything started to spin on her.

"Just lie still," Deputy Royce ordered as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her down. "Do you want me to call your Mother?"

"Oh my gosh, no! What happened?" Amanda groaned weakly.

"You fainted," he answered.

"No, that's not what I mean. Lee? You found him, didn't you? Is he all right?" she blurted out quickly as she pulled the damp towel from her forehead and sat up despite the Deputy's request. She needed to hear the truth about her husband.

"Yes, we've located him. He went back to DC," Royce explained without going into detail.

"Is he all right?" she demanded.

"I think so," he mumbled.

"You think so? Either he is or he isn't!" she cried nervously. "Which is it?"

"I don't have all the details yet," he expounded as he stared at her intently. "I had another… situation that needed tending to."

Amanda's face turned a bright red with embarrassment. Here she was supposed to be a professional and she'd caused more trouble today than her mother and two sons combined. She looked up at Rick Royce sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that, but I really am fine. Now, please, tell me what happened to Lee."

"All I know for sure is that there was an incident at his apartment earlier this afternoon," Deputy Royce answered vaguely.

"An incident? What exactly do you consider an incident?" she inquired doggedly.

"There was a shooting, but that's all I know," he explained calmly.

She put her hands up to her face in horror and closed her eyes tightly, wishing she could start the whole day over again. "Do you at least know that he's alive?"

"Let me make some phone calls. As soon as I have answers I'll let you know," he promised firmly.

Amanda nodded, but her face was again devoid of color. She needed to know her husband was all right and she wanted to know now…

*** *** *** *** ***

Lee was on the floor tucked almost under his bed for protection. The shooter had the advantage at first as the shots rang out wildly through Lee's bedroom. He tried to position his body so he'd be the least exposed. He heard the first few slugs hit the wall before he felt a searing pain in his right arm. He grimaced in pain for a moment, but knew he didn't have time to check the damage or take close aim. He pulled the trigger of his gun several times in the direction of the closet, hoping to turn the tide of the assault. He needed time to regroup, knowing that without some action he wouldn't last another minute.

Finally the barrage of bullets whizzing at Lee ceased as suddenly as they had started, but the silence lasted only a millisecond. At first Lee wasn't sure what the noise was. Then he realized it was agonizing pain, but he wasn't the one screaming. The sound of the gunman screeching in pain engulfed the small room.

Lee, relieved at the break in the gun battle took a moment to assess his own injuries. He'd been hit just shy of his shoulder, but luckily the bullet had passed clean through his shoulder. It appeared to be just a flesh wound, although his suit jacket was soaked in blood. There was an entrance wound and an exit wound. He sighed slightly, knowing it could have been much worse. This wound he knew he'd survive.

Cautiously he moved himself from the protection of his bed, his finger still threatening on the trigger. He sat up ever so slowly to get a fix on where the shooter was, his eye roaming for the man's weapon. Only a few feet from him, just in front of his closet door there was a young Hispanic man cowering in a heap, screaming out in pain as he held his bloody arm. His gun lay on the floor a few feet from him. It was close enough for the shooter to reach it, yet the man was in such pain Lee doubted he could.

"Don't move!" Lee ordered as he scrambled to his feet as quickly as possible. Lee kept his gun trained on the other man and kicked the gun far away from the shooter into the corner of the room. The man looked up at him with loathing eyes. His arm was mangled and bloody. Lee tried to access the man's wounds from a distance. It appeared that at least two shots Lee had fired had hit him. He didn't know for sure, but he guessed the one causing the most pain hit him at the joint near the elbow. The other bullet wound was somewhere near the armpit and the man was bleeding profusely.

"Máteme, por favor," the shooter begged for mercy as his face was quickly losing all color. "Por favor, please…kill me…"

Lee extended his arm, aiming at the man's heart from almost point blank range. His finger started to put pressure on the trigger of the gun. Lee glared at the shooter with hate filled eyes, but then eased off the trigger and let his arm down. He took a couple of steps backwards.

"Kill you?" Lee scoffed at the cowering man. As much as he'd like to kill the bastard he wouldn't. "You son of a bitch, I'm not going to kill you. That's the easy way out. I'm going to arrest you. You're worth far more to me alive than you ever will be dead."

Lee backed up towards his night stand and picked up the phone. He dialed 911, requested an ambulance and then sat on his bed wincing at the pain from his own arm. He then waited impatiently for reinforcements.

**** **** ****

"Scarecrow?" the familiar voice bellowed into his apartment.

"Back here, in the bedroom," Lee called out to his supervisor.

"What the hell?" Billy mumbled when he walked into Lee's bedroom. It was crowded with EMT's and a DC police officer. Lee sat on the bed as an EMT tried to dress his wound while two other EMT's worked expediently on a unknown Hispanic male over by the closet door. Bullet holes were visible in the walls and blood stained the carpeting, the bedspread and the doorway.

"Can I see some identification?" The officer demanded as Billy trampled in on the crime scene.

Billy flipped out his Agency ID, flashing his badge at the officer, but addressing Lee. "Are you OK?"

"I'll be fine," Lee answered his supervisor as he pulled away from the other EMT who was trying to take Lee's blood pressure. "Enough. I'm fine," Lee complained as he ripped the cuff off his arm. "Get this thing off of me and get him out of my apartment; would ya?"

The technician was about to argue with Lee, but then a look at Lee's face he acquiesced and backed off. He packed up his medical supplies and helped them load the shooter onto the stretcher.

"You'll find that this is actually part of a federal investigation," Billy explained politely to the DC officer. "I'll make sure you get a copy of the report, but we'll be taking over the investigation from here. You can do me a big favor by escorting the prisoner to the hospital until we send someone over to relieve you."

The officer jotted down Billy's ID number and dutifully exited Lee apartment right behind the EMT's.

"I just got off the phone with you fifteen minutes ago, Scarecrow. How the hell can you get into so much trouble in such a short period of time?" Billy questioned in a mixture of disbelief and relief that his agent wasn't more seriously injured.

"You said you'd be over here in five minutes," Lee quipped. "If you hadn't been late you could've enjoyed the party."

"Very funny. How's your arm?" Billy inquired again but didn't wait for an answer. "How about we let Dr. MacJohn take a look at it."

"It's just a flesh wound; I'll be fine," Lee answered, not wanting to make a fuss over it.

"The way I look at it, Scarecrow, is you can either go down to the emergency room or we can let Dr. MacJohn look at it. Since I'd like to get you off the streets before anything else happens I suggest you choose the lesser of the two evils," Billy lectured sternly. "You've already got a lot of explaining to do to the Justice Department about leaving protective custody not to mention I'd like to know what just happened here. So come on, let's go…"

"I've got to pack first," Lee persisted. "I came here to pick up some things and I'm not leaving until I get them.

"Scarecrow, I need to get you under wraps." Billy started to argue.

"Billy, please," Lee pleaded. "I won't have another chance to do this - maybe for a couple of months…"

Billy rubbed his temples anxiously, but allowed his agent a little leeway. "What can I do to get you out of here faster then?"

"My suitcase is in the back of the closet. It'd help if you grabbed it for me and a clean shirt. I only need a few other things," Lee proclaimed as he walked into the bathroom to tend to his arm.

Billy carefully stepped into the closet, trying to avoid the pool of blood that had soaked the rug. A few seconds later he came out carrying a suitcase. He placed it on a chair in the far corner of the room and put the clean shirt on top. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Not really," Lee answered as he finished putting a makeshift bandage on his arm. He put the clean shirt on and walked over to his dresser. "Can you just give me a few seconds… to pack?"

"Yeah, no problem, Scarecrow. I need to make some phone calls so we can get a team over here to tag the evidence and get someone down to the hospital," Billy Melrose advised his agent as he left the room.

Lee was appreciative of the privacy and quickly reached into the back of his top dresser drawer to pull out a small velvet box. He opened it up and smiled at the three shiny rings that were poised inside. He looked at the suitcase and then decided against putting them in there. Instead he slipped the box into his pants pocket. Lee rooted through the other drawers quickly grabbing an assortment of clothes with little care and hastily stuffed them into his suitcase knowing that Amanda would never approve of his packing style…

"Amanda…" Lee mumbled as he patted the box in his pants, then carefully made his way into his closet. He went into the very back and reached into the corner, behind his suits where Amanda kept a few negligees for their rare private married moments. He looked back at his suitcase, which had plenty of room and then grabbed a couple of them. "It couldn't hurt," he mumbled to himself. He took a few other things from his closet, added them to his suitcase, then closed it with some minor difficulties.

He surveyed the room quickly and shook his head ruefully. It was quite a shambles. The lamp had apparently been hit by one of the stray bullets and had shattered into pieces. Until now, he hadn't noticed the large amounts of blood that had been shed by both himself and the shooter. The smell was starting to unsettle his stomach.

"Scarecrow, I'm on the phone with Justice, did you want to talk to…" Billy inquired as he walked into Lee's bedroom and watched as Lee started to swoon. He hung up the phone and grabbed Lee just before his feet gave out on him.

"I'm all right, Billy," Lee mumbled as he tried to shake the woozy feeling as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm just feeling a little weak…"

"From the loss of blood, no doubt," Billy nodded as he pulled Lee back to his feet, leading him out of the bedroom and onto a chair in the living room. "Have a seat. When's the last time you ate something today?" he inquired knowingly.

"Breakfast I guess…but I'm not hungry," Lee protested, his face a pasty white.

Billy went into the kitchen and opened up the refrigerator. "Thank God you're married now, Scarecrow. Maybe Amanda will force you to eat a little healthier. Do you have anything in here that's edible?" Billy complained as he searched Lee's bare refrigerator.

"Probably not," Lee answered as he concentrated on his breathing, not wanting to get sick. "I usually eat at Amanda's house more often than here."

Billy found a bottle of soda and poured it into a glass. "Here," he offered it to his agent. "At least have a drink of this. I'll get your suitcase and we're out of here."

Lee sipped at the soda and found it did help settle the queasy feeling in his stomach. Billy came out with his suitcase and Lee again found enough strength to make it down to his waiting car.

End Part Seven
 
 
 
 
 

BLACK PESOS...  Part Eight
 
 

Amanda sat in the living room staring mindlessly at the television. The boys had long ago retired to bed. She hadn't even noticed the credits scrolling indicating that the program had ended.

"Amanda, do you want me to stay up with you?" Dotty offered as she tried to cover a yawn.

"No, Mother, I'm just going to watch the nightly news. I'll be going to bed in a little while," Amanda explained, although she was certain her mother knew the nightly news wasn't really on her mind.

"Are you sure?" Dotty questioned dubiously.

"I'm fine, Mother," Amanda reiterated trying to make it sound convincing, but certain it fell short.

Dotty crossed over to her where her daughter sat and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, sweetheart. Tomorrow will be a better day," Dotty encouraged as she handed the televisions' remote control to her daughter.

"Goodnight, Mother. I'm sure it will," Amanda answered with a lackadaisical smile as she watched her mother retreat to the stairwell.

It was relatively quiet in the new house - none of the familiar noises of her house in Arlington were there to soothe her. The refrigerator hummed on and she could hear the clock in the kitchen ticking, but these noises were far from comforting. She felt so alone despite the fact that Deputy Gibbons sat in the dining room only a few feet away. He was busy filling out some paperwork, quite content to keep his distance. The news droned endlessly, but Amanda's conscience weighed heavily on her and the unfamiliar surrounding her only increased her gloomy feelings.

She'd been relieved when Deputy Royce had gotten word that Lee's injuries were not life threatening, but she'd hoped that Lee would've called her. Unfortunately she was still waiting. Amanda began to worry whether they had told her the truth about her husband's condition. She wondered if he'd been hurt from the words she hurled at him so easily that he didn't want to call her, let alone come home. She was about to shut off the television and turn in when the ringing of Deputy Gibbon's cell phone startled her and she jumped. Instantly her heart began to race - it had to be bad news. Nobody called this late with good news. She walked into the dining room trying to act casual and tried to listen into the one sided conversation. However, by the time she made it into the room, Gibbon's was already ending the call.

"Relax, everything is all right," Gibbons advised, trying to put her at ease. "Actually, I think this is what you've been waiting to here. "

"Really?" Amanda replied with skepticism. The only thing she'd been waiting for was a phone call from her husband.

"Your husband is on his way here," Gibbons informed his charge.

"Really? This late?" Amanda answered with a mixture of relief and surprise. "He won't get here until way after midnight."

"Let me rephrase that. That was his escort calling. They just pulled off the interstate. He didn't want to alarm anyone at this late hour, but they should be here in a couple of minutes," Gibbons corrected himself.

"Oh my gosh!" Amanda gasped, suddenly feeling very conscious of her old summer nightgown and bathrobe that she was wearing. She wished that she'd packed something with a little more feminine intrigue.

Agent Gibbons smiled and then nodded to what sounded like a car pulling up the driveway. "I bet that's them now."

Amanda went to the window and glanced out. Sure enough, her husband got out of the passenger side of the car and quickly headed up the walk. Amanda hurried to the front door, pulled on the tie to her bathrobe tightly then opened the door moments before Lee had a chance to turn the knob.

"Lee!" she gasped out in joyful relief as she rushed into his arms. Their lips quickly met and they melded instantly into a passionate kiss. All anger from the fight they had earlier in the day evaporated into the happiness of being reunited.

"I guess you missed me," he commented with a relieved grin as his escort arrived on the front porch holding his rather large suitcase. "Mind if we come in?"

"Yes, of course. Come in," she replied, slightly embarrassed at keeping them both standing on the front porch. She kept a firm grip of her husbands' hand as they walked into the house together.

Lee's escort placed his suitcase in the foyer near the stairs and walked over to Deputy Gibbons, allowing Lee and Amanda some privacy. "I missed you, too," Lee whispered to his wife as he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I'm so sorry for the things I said to you this morning," Amanda admitted in shame as they sat down together in the living room.

"I honestly never gave Joe a second thought…" he answered sincerely. "But you know I would never, ever do anything to hurt you or the boys. This family was my first priority."

"I wasn't thinking clearly. I was angry, but that doesn't make what I said right," she whispered back ruefully. "I really am very sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"Shhh, it's forgiven and forgotten," Lee replied softly, glad to have the topic of Joe King behind him. Then he glanced around the living room of the new house. "I didn't realize how late it was. I guess everyone's in bed. How's everybody? The place looks pretty comfortable."

Amanda grinned and kissed him one more time, thankful that Lee had been so understanding. "Everyone's fine. Mother just went to bed a few minutes ago. The boys fell asleep a couple hours ago. They had a blast in the swimming pool, but it wiped them out. They each have their own room upstairs, though. They were pretty excited about that. All in all, we couldn't have asked for a nicer place - especially now that you're here."

"Except it isn't really our house," he reminded her, regretfully.

"We're safe and we're back together. That's the most important thing. A rather significant detail that I forgot earlier today," she advised him contritely. Then she carefully touched the bandage that he had on his arm. She glanced up at him wide-eyed. "What happened at your apartment?"

"You heard about that, huh?" he questioned.

"Only that there was an 'incident' and you were injured but it wasn't life threatening," she replied. "When I didn't hear from you I was starting to wonder…"

"I'm sorry, Amanda, I didn't mean for you to worry, but it's been a rather hectic day. I should have called," he admitted with an exhausted look on his face. "I thought that Billy would have updated you."

"He probably doesn't have this number," she reminded him.

"You're probably right. Justice has been keeping a pretty tight lid on who they're telling what," he advised her. "We spent an hour back tracking in DC this evening to make sure we weren't followed here."

"That's good to know," she answered.

"Anyway, when I first got to my apartment everything seemed fine - the door was locked, the place was just as I'd left if before I went to work yesterday morning. Hell, I even talked with Billy on the phone for a couple of minutes," Lee started to explain. He sighed heavily before continuing. "Then I went into my bedroom to pack a few essentials and all hell broke lose."

Amanda watched him as he began his explanation as to what happened. "I take it someone broke in?"

"Yeah, he was waiting in the closet. When I opened the door to my bedroom the bullets started flying. I dove under my bed for cover. I'm not sure when I got hit; I just remember the burning sensation at first and then the warm feeling of blood on my skin and shirt. I did manage to lean up just enough to return fire and then, within seconds, the shooting stopped."

"Thank God!" Amanda sighed with relief as she nuzzled up against him. "How bad's your arm?"

"It's not bad at all. You know how Dr. MacJohn is. He wasn't going to be satisfied until he poked and prodded, re-bandaged my arm and gave me a tetanus shot," Lee grumbled as he reached around his wife's shoulder with his good arm and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I'm just thankful you're all right. I don't know what I would have done if something more serious had happened to you. What happened to, um, the other guy?" Amanda asked, not sure she wanted to know the answer.

"He took two bullets. Last I heard he was in surgery. He lost a lot of blood and I don't think his arm will ever be the same, but he'll live," Lee explained with little remorse.

"Do you think it's the same guy who was shooting at us yesterday?" she asked with obvious concern.

"I don't know for sure, but they've got enough shells for a ballistic match from your car and my apartment," he explained logically. "Justice will be interrogating him as soon as they can, so we'll have some answers in a few days."

"I hope it's one and the same," Amanda said with a shudder.

"Me too," Lee remarked as he leaned back on the sofa. His face was weary from the stress of the long and eventful day.

"You look exhausted," she commented as her hand gently brushed across his face.

He nodded. "I am. It feels good to unwind a bit."

"Are you hungry? Did you want me to warm something up for you to eat?" she asked eagerly. "I made extra hoping you'd come home."

"Thanks, but no. Billy made sure I ate something. I just want to sit here with you and relax," he answered as he let out a long and heavy sigh.

"I've got a better idea," she suggested in a loving tone as her eyes glanced towards the two men from the Justice department who were chatting in the kitchen. "We have a very nice bedroom upstairs that's waiting for us both with no audience."

"I guess you were right after all," Lee concluded.

Amanda stared at him slightly perplexed, not following his logic. "What do you mean?"

"Remember our conversation last night? I wished that I could spend an entire night with my wife, even if her family was sleeping in the bedrooms across the hall."

"See, wishes do come true," Amanda replied as she stood up, then reached back down extending her hand to assist him. They walked over to the stairs, Lee grabbed his bag with his good arm and he followed Amanda up the stairs. She led the way into the bedroom, flicking on the light before she closed the door behind him and turned the lock.

"Wow!" he exclaimed softly as he dropped his suitcase near the door and surveyed the room. "This is really nice."

"And you haven't seen the bathroom yet either," Amanda nodded.

Lee walked into the bathroom and shrugged. "Room enough for two," Lee commented with a raised eyebrow as he glanced at the large Jacuzzi tub.

"I'll say," Amanda laughed. "But we're fresh out of bubble bath, so it'll have to wait for another night."

"You know, when all this is over I think we should go out and look for a bigger house. Something like this one where we all have a little more luxury and a bit more space," Lee suggested to his wife in a resolved voice. "You deserve it; the family deserves it."

Amanda nodded. "Some day."

Lee pulled his wife to him closely. "No, not some day. When this is over we're going to do it," he shrugged. "I could kick myself for not selling everything I owned last November to buy that house in Rockville."

"Hey, that's ancient history," she reminded him thoughtfully.

"If it hadn't been for that damn case and Khai's son being kidnapped by Diem I would have never dreamed up this idiotic mystery marriage in the first place," Lee argued with himself.

"Lee, we both made some bad decisions out of fear," Amanda scolded him. "We can't change what happened in the past, so there's no sense in dwelling on it. We're safe and we're together. That's the important thing!"

"You're right, but I'm serious. We're going to find a house for our family that's just as nice as this place," he reiterated with a determined look on his face. "I think it's time we enjoy married life a little."

"It's a deal," Amanda answered as she leaned up for a kiss.

"I've got something for you," Lee announced, pushing his wife's body away enough to reach into his pants pocket for the small box.

"Our rings!" Amanda gasped excitedly as he opened the box.

"I figured if everyone knew we were married that these things could get to see the light of day for a change," Lee explained as he carefully placed her wedding and engagement rings on her finger. He grinned as they sparkled even in the bathroom light.

"You risked your life going back to DC for our rings?" she chided sensitively, but the thought was rather romantic. She then removed the remaining ring from the box and placed it on his finger. The two of them looked at the matching set of rings and then each other. The smiles on their faces spoke volumes. She pulled Lee into her arms for a lingering embrace. The earlier dismal feelings of loneliness and gloom had quickly evaporated.

"We both needed some time to cool down and I wanted to grab a few other things as well…" he hinted as he pulled away from the comforting embrace. He tugged on her arm and she followed him back into the bedroom. He opened the suitcase on the floor and rummaged through the messy pile of clothing, finally retrieving several of her negligees. "I thought you might like to sleep in something… more comfortable."

Amanda face glowed with love even though she tried to suppress a chuckle as she surveyed some of her favorite evening wear. "I don't usually get much sleep in any of those," she reminded him as she took a dark blue one from his grasp and surveyed the thin material with her fingers.

"We can sleep late in the morning," Lee suggested.

"Are you sure you're up to this?" she questioned with concern. "You were just shot this afternoon."

"It's just a nick, really. Trust me, I'm up for the occasion," he answered with a devious grin.

Her face glowed in the soft light of the bedroom. "All right then, as you suggested, I think I'll slip into something… more comfortable."

Lee nodded and watched her disappear into the bathroom thankful that he seemed to have been given a second wind. Without delay he kicked off his shoes and socks and pushed them under the bed. He rifled through his suitcase once again finally finding his cologne and his bathrobe. He dabbed some cologne on, placing the bottle on the dresser before he unbuckled his belt allowing his pants to drop to the floor. He stepped out of them and turned his attention to his shirt. Lee began to unbutton it when the door to the bathroom reopened. The sight of his alluring wife emerged bringing a bright smile to his face.

Amanda crossed the room dressed seductively in her blue negligee, which fitted her statuesque form quite nicely. "Let me help you with that," she cooed softly as she unbuttoned his shirt, placing tiny kisses on his chest as his shirt dropped to the floor.

Lee smiled at his beautiful wife and picked her up then placed her delicately on the bed. "You look ravishing, Amanda," he stated in a deep voice.

Amanda reached up and caressed his face. Her hands gently touched the bandage on his arm. She looked up into his determined face with concern. "Are you sure you're not too tired?"

"Nothing could stop me tonight," Lee murmured as he reached for her hands and brought them to his lips kissing them tenderly. "I love you, Mrs. Stetson."

"I love you too, Mr. Stetson," Amanda whispered just before their lips met, once again knowing that the night would end in magic…

End Part Eight
 
 
 
 
 
 

BLACK PESOS - Part Nine

Amanda was enjoying the scene outside her kitchen window. Unlike years past, Lee wasn't hiding in her mother's flower bed. Instead, Lee and the boys were in the swimming pool having fun. Her mother was weeding along the back fence in an area she declared off limits to the boys and Lee. That was where she decided to plant a new flower garden. The family was adjusting rather well to the new surroundings in addition to welcoming Lee into the family.

Amanda wanted to get the dishwasher emptied before she joined her family in the backyard, but before she could finish emptying it the doorbell rang. She put the dish she was holding down on the counter and walked over to the front door. She peered through the security peephole as she was mandated to do by the Justice Department and was surprised to see a familiar face on the other side of the door.

"Mr. Melrose!" she called out as she opened the locked door, rather startled to see her supervisor standing on the front porch.

"Amanda, how are you?" Billy asked with a warm smile as Amanda opened the front screen door and welcomed him inside.

"I'm fine," she replied somewhat suspiciously. "I'm just rather surprised to see you here. I didn’t' know you knew where we were living."

"Actually, until this afternoon, I didn't. I've been on the phone with the Justice Department most of the day and they finally agreed to divulged your whereabouts and gave me permission to visit," he admitted readily.

"Is everything all right?" she questioned with a little concern as she peered out to the front of the house glancing around nervously. Thankfully, as the week had past and no problems with the relocation seemed to crop up, the U. S. Marshall's service guards were no longer guarding the house 24 hours a day.

"Yes, everything's fine; no need for alarm. Is Scarecrow here?" he asked as he peeked around the living room, noticing the empty house.

"Come with me," she informed him with a knowing grin as she locked up the front door before nodding for her supervisor to follow her into the dining room. They stood at the sliding glass doorway, which overlooked the backyard and had a full view of the pool. "My three 'boys' are in the pool," she explained as she and Billy watched Lee, Phillip and Jamie play a game of 'Marco Polo'.

"I'd never thought I'd see the day…" Billy laughed at the sight of Scarecrow grabbing for one of the boys and missing widely with a rather huge splash.

"I'll call him in. He's probably turning into a prune as it is," Amanda replied as she opened the door and stepped out onto the porch. "Oh, 'Marco', how about you take a break for a while?"

Lee opened his eyes, rubbing the chlorinated water off his face and squinted to try to focus on his wife and what appeared to be a second person standing inside the house. "All right. I'll be right in," he called back as he headed for the ladder.

Amanda heard the boys complain as she went back into the house, closing the door behind her. "Would you like something to eat or drink?" she asked politely.

"I wouldn't mind something cool to drink," he replied as he tugged on his tie, loosening it up slightly. "It's a hot one out there."

"Yes, I'd certainly agree with you there. That pool has turned out to be a real blessing this past week. How about a nice cold glass of iced tea? I made a fresh pitcher earlier today," she suggested as she opened the refrigerator.

"That would be great," Billy answered with an appreciative smile.

Amanda poured him a glass and they moved into the living room at sat down. "So how's everything back at the Agency?" she asked curiously.

Before Billy could answer, the sliding glass door opened and Lee stepped into the house and called out for his wife. "Amanda, could you get me another towel?" Lee shouted as he stood in the dining room dripping all over the floor with nothing but swimming trunks on and a rather meager towel.

"I'll be right back," Amanda said shaking her head before she excused herself as she quickly scurried to the bathroom to get Lee another towel.

Billy stood up and walked towards Lee, chuckling at the sight of his top field agent, dripping wet. "I see family life seems to agree with you, Scarecrow,"

"Billy?" Lee called out as his bloodshot eyes began to adjust in the dimly lit room. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I had some information I wanted to share with you and Amanda. It took some arm wrestling with Justice but they finally agreed to give me your address," he explained.

"Here you go," Amanda rushed in, handing her husband a large beach towel to dry off with and she tossed a throw rug on the floor to sop up the water that had dripped on the tile.

Lee wrapped himself in the larger towel quickly. "Can you give me a minute? I'd like to go put some dry clothes on."

"Go ahead," Billy answered as Lee hurried out of the room and up the stairs. "Looks like you've got your hands full now, Amanda."

"You can say that again," she laughed as she led Billy back into the living room and sat down.

"How are you doing, Amanda?" he asked with genuine concern.

"Actually, considering everything, we're doing great. Mother and the boys took the news regarding the Agency rather well and they're adjusting nicely to the fact that Lee and I eloped back in February," she began to explain.

"Yes, I guess that belated congratulations are in order. I'm truly happy for you both," he graciously extended his best wishes.

"Thank you, sir," she replied sheepishly. "I guess we owe you an apology as well as an explanation as to why…"

Billy shook his head. "Lee filled me in the day he was shot. I can't say I necessarily agree with your decision, but I do understand your desire to protect your family. I just want to remind you that the Agency always does whatever it takes to protect its own," Billy Melrose scolded her mildly.

"I think we both realized that now," she answered meekly.

"You should have seen Francine's face when she heard the news," Billy chuckled loudly, a broad smile pasted on his face. "She was totally flabbergasted."

"I wouldn't have minded being a fly on that wall," Amanda giggled. "I guess the news traveled fast."

"Like lightning," Billy concurred with a shake of his head. "It's quieted down already, but I guess some people were rather shocked."

"Billy!" Lee called out once again as he returned to the room dressed in shorts and a polo shirt.

"Married life seems to agree with you, Scarecrow," Billy teased, noticing Lee's suntanned face and arms.

"Yes, it does," he answered with a huge grin as he sat down next to Amanda. "I wish someone had told me how wonderful it could be."

"If I remember correctly, I thought I did mention it to you…at least once or twice," Billy reminded his agent with a stern glance.

Lee nodded. "Yeah, come to think of it, I think you did. So, Billy," Lee replied trying to appear casual, but he was anxious due to the unannounced visit. "Is there a problem? How did you track us down?"

"Relax, Scarecrow, nothing's wrong. Actually, I have some good news and I asked Justice if I could be the one to share it with you," Billy answered, alleviating their fears.

Lee smiled and both he and Amanda got comfortable on the couch. Lee's arm casually wrapped around the back shoulder of his wife. "So what's the news?"

"I'm not sure if Justice told you that we got a ballistic match from Amanda's car and your apartment," Billy began to explain. "One and the same gun."

"Yes, Justice has been trying to keep us in the loop. We heard that the other morning. That's why our escorts have finally left the house," Lee answered as he glanced around the house, appreciative of their newfound privacy. "Yesterday was our first full day without our baby-sitters constant presence."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that," Billy answered with a nod. "A lot has gone down in the last few days. The shooter, Carlos Estero, was released from the hospital and booked into jail the other day. With the amount of evidence against him, Justice was ready to throw the book at him."

"They better be," Lee mumbled angrily. "I'd say for starters, five counts of attempted murder, breaking and entering, not to mention conspiracy…"

"Well, the prosecutor apparently agreed with you. They were going after this guy with a vengeance," Billy concurred.

"You said were…" Lee noticed immediately. His arm moved from behind his wife's back. Then he sat up, leaning towards his supervisor obviously displeased.

"Don't tell me they cut him a deal," Amanda worried anxiously, sitting up on the couch as well, thinking back to the evening that he shot at their car with the entire family sitting like a bunch of ducks.

"He made a deal with the prosecutor," Billy informed them both.

"I should have killed that bastard when I had a chance," Lee spit out with loathing.

"Calm down, Scarecrow, and hear me out," Billy stated with a firm voice. "When Carlos Estero realized what he was going to be charged with, he offered to name names."

"Are you telling me what I think you're telling me?" Lee asked, his eyes wide in anticipation. "Did he finger, Menendez?"

"That he did, my friend," Billy answered with a bright grin. "Signed, sealed and delivered a confession naming Pablo Menendez as the person who solicited him to take you out. The way I heard it, Menendez didn't care what other 'baggage' got in the way as long as you were out of the picture."

"Do they have any proof?" Lee asked skeptically.

"Yes, let's just say Menendez gave Estero a rather generous retainer," Billy advised his two agents. "Both of their fingerprints were all over the envelope and the money."

"So how much time will Estero get?" Lee asked curiously.

"Forty years without the possibility of parole," Billy explained.

"He agreed to that?" Amanda questioned, a rather shocked look on her face.

"He was looking at a possibility of multiple life terms served consecutively," Billy advised knowingly. "Forty years, even without parole gives him a slim chance of dying outside prison walls."

"All right, that takes care of the shooter, but what happens to Menendez now? Will he be arrested and charged with murder for hire or what?" Amanda asked, unsure of the legal ramifications.

"If they can find the bastard," Lee cursed angrily.

"They issued a warrant for his arrest yesterday," Billy started to explain.

"Did they find him?" Amanda asked eagerly.

"He's probably out of the country by now!" Lee snapped in exasperation.

"Will you two give me a chance to explain?" he ordered bluntly, giving them both a stern stare.

"Sorry, Billy, sorry, Sir," Lee and Amanda chimed in harmony.

Billy took a deep breath and then continued on with his explanation. "They went to the address he was supposed to be staying at and staked it out all last night. Apparently he never came home. Justice was more than a little concerned that Menendez was going to jump bail and high tail it out of the country. Their instincts were right on the money."

Lee and Amanda consecutively groaned and winced at Billy's last statement, but didn't interrupt.

"All the airports had been alerted in case the guy decided to run for it. Apparently his network runs rather deep and he found out rather quickly that Carlos spilled his guts. Menendez used his own passport this morning, attempting to board a flight so he could leave the country. However, in his haste, he never paid attention to the date. I don't know how to tell you this other than we got really lucky. His passport had already expired and the airline refused to allow him to board the plane."

"They got him!" Lee finally shouted in relief.

"I wish I could say it was hard work, but it really was more by luck. He created such a disturbance at the gate they called security and detained him," Billy laughed a relieved laugh. "They arrested him for disturbing the peace and found out they had a bigger catch than they could have ever imagined."

"Oh my gosh!" Amanda cheered excitedly. "Who cares how it happened. They got him! So what happens now?"

"Menendez will be charged with five counts of attempted murder and murder for hire. Considering the circumstances of his arrest and that he was already attempting to jump bail, he'll be denied bond and will have to sit until he's ready for his trial and retrial."

"So when will we know for sure?" Amanda questioned.

"His arraignment is tomorrow afternoon," Billy explained, "but I thought you'd both would want to know that things are looking up. You could be home by the end of the week."

"Back home!" Amanda sighed, a smile growing across her face.

"Um, Billy, what about the office? There won't be any problem working together now that we're um, married?" Lee questioned anxiously.

"Considering you've been working together for almost six months I don't expect it to be a problem," he answered thoughtfully. "I'm assuming that you can continue to keep your relationship at the office professional?"

"Yes, sir!" Amanda answered quickly.

"You bet we will, Billy," Lee added with a broad smile.

"Well, I'd better be going," Billy announced as he finished his iced tea and placed it on a coaster on the coffee table. "Hopefully I'll have you two back on the assignment board next week."

"Um, Billy," Lee interjected with a hesitant grin. "Do you think we could have another week before we're back in assignment mode? Amanda and I'd like some time to do some serious house hunting when we get back."

"I'm sure I can work something out," Billy agreed as he walked to the door. "Amanda, thanks for the tea. I'll be in touch."

"Good night, Mr. Melrose," she replied. "Drive carefully."

Lee reached out and shook Billy's hand enthusiastically. "You'll let us know what happens tomorrow regarding the arraignment?"

"As soon as I know you'll be the first call I make," Billy assured them both. "I promise."

"We'll look forward to hearing from you tomorrow, then," Lee acknowledged as he opened the door and Billy walked out and down the steps. Lee waited until Billy reached his car before closing and locking the front door.

"I can't believe we'll be able to go home so soon!" Amanda cheered. "We'll get to stay partners at the office…"

"And we'll have time to house hunt next week. I've got an old contact of mine who happens to be a realtor," Lee started to explain.

"It better not be Augie Swann," Amanda rebuked.

Lee laughed. "No, I promise it's not Augie, although he might be able to find us a good deal…"

"Never mind that," Amanda warned as she stared out the window. "As nice as this place is, it'll be nice to be home with my own things around me."

"I was serious about finding a bigger house though," Lee reminded his wife. "Amanda, I promise it will be everything you always wanted."

"You're really excited about this," she said with surprise.

"I get to come home every night with you, no more hiding in the bushes."

"Or trampling on mother's flower garden!" she remarked with a grin.

Lee nodded. "We're going to find a house just like this one with a bedroom for each of the boys a large master suite, and a big yard where your mother can have a huge flower garden."

Amanda pinched herself. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Believe it, Amanda," Lee replied as he pulled her into his arms. "It's time our luck has finally changed for the better."

Amanda kissed her husband. "I think my luck changed the day I met you at the train station, Scarecrow," Amanda replied.
 

End Part Nine
 

*** *** *** ***
 

BLACK PESOS...  Epilogue:
 

Lee pulled up to the house and the boys rushed out of the car. Dotty was only a few feet behind them. Lee and Amanda got out a little more leisurely and walked up the front path to the door.

"Lee, the door's locked," Phillip complained after turning the knob.

"Of course it is, stupid," Jamie snapped at his older brother. "You don't want vandals getting in."

"Don't call your brother stupid," Dotty warned her grandson as the family eagerly waited on the front porch, while Lee produced the key.

"Now just give me a second here," Lee announced as he climbed the two stairs onto the large porch, his hand holding his wife's tightly. He slid the key in the lock and turned the knob. The boys were ready to race into the house but Lee held up his hand. "Your mother first," Lee announced with a stern glare to his two stepsons. Then without further warning, he scooped his wife up in his arms.

"LEE!" she protested loudly. "What are you doing?"

"Amanda, be quiet," Dotty warned her daughter with a chuckle.

"Thank you, Mother," Lee bowed his head in respect to his mother-in-law then turned to his wife.  "I do believe this is customary," he reminded his wife with a wink as he carried her across the threshold of their new home. The family followed scattering about exploring what was finally and officially their new home.

"I love it, Mr. Stetson. You were right, this is the perfect house," Amanda whispered and then kissed her husband.

Lee put his wife down in the living room, but still held her tight to his body. "I love you, Mrs. Stetson," Lee whispered and then kissed his wife yet again.

The end.

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