AUTHOR:Kate
SYNOPSIS:
An old friend helps Lee and Amanda with a case.
TIMELINE:
Somewhere during the latter part of the third season but doesn’t conform
to canon.
OLD FRIENDS
"Amanda,
we've finally had a breakthrough on the Tremayne
case," said Lee as he burst into the Q Bureau.
Amanda
looked up from the report she was writing. "That's great. What did you
find out?" she asked interestedly.
"Nothing…yet."
Lee walked over and dropped yet another file on top of the large pile in
front of her. She grimaced and sighed.
Oblivious
to her exasperation, Lee picked up his letters and continued to talk. "I'm
meeting with a guy tonight called Jerry Miller. He works for Tremayne
at ChemiMed and says he has vital information
that could help us."
"Tonight?"
Amanda's face fell. "What time tonight?"
"Nine
o' clock," replied Lee, sounding pleased with himself.
He started to sift through his mail.
"Oh,"
said Amanda in a small voice. She looked down and tried to concentrate
on her work.
Lee
glanced up, surprised at her lack of enthusiasm. A look of dismay came
over his face and he briefly closed his eyes as he remembered their plans. "Oh,
Amanda. I'm sorry. We were going out to dinner tonight weren't we?"
he said quietly.
Amanda
looked at him with a small, hurt smile. "That's alright, I understand."
"No
Amanda, it's not alright," Lee gently admonished. He put his letters down,
walked around the desk and perched on the edge. Amanda gazed up at him
as he took the pen out of her hand and laid it down. Taking her hands in
his, he stared into her eyes. "I've let you down a couple of times this
month due to work and..."
"Six
times," cut in Amanda quietly.
"Six
times?" repeated Lee incredulously. He shook his head in self-disgust. "Six
times. I don't know why you put up with it Amanda."
She
blushed slightly and looked down.
"Look,
why don't you come with me tonight, hmm? ChemiMed
is having a cocktail party and that's where I'm meeting Miller. It may
be work but at least we'll be together," he urged with a smile.
Amanda
smiled back at him. "OK, that would be nice."
"Good,"
he said, getting up. "I'll be over for you about eight, OK?"
Amanda
nodded. "Oh, but don't forget you've got to get a loaner from the Agency
pound first."
"What?!"
Lee exclaimed, turning around to look at her. "Oh, don't tell me they haven't
finished with my car yet?"
Amanda
shrugged her shoulders. She knew how he was about his car. "Well, the garage
said that if you want every little scratch out, it's going to take
a couple of days."
"A
couple of da…Oh, that's just great," moaned
Lee in frustration. He checked his watch. "OK, I'll let Billy know what's
happening tonight and then go and see Leatherneck. With any luck he'll
still have something."
As
soon as he'd left, Amanda sighed and sat back in her chair staring thoughtfully
at the door. Their relationship had changed in the last few months. It
was only subtly, but there was definitely a change.
They
had begun to have dinner together once in a while and she'd also noticed
that Lee seemed more tolerant of her lately as well. Rather than losing
his temper, she would often catch him smiling indulgently at her now.
And
yet, even though it was frequently implied, they had never actually said
anything about their feelings to each other. She was beginning to wonder
if they ever would.
She
knew without a doubt that she loved him and was almost as certain that
he felt the same. In fact, they would often get close to admitting as such
but then, at the last moment, either one or the other would pull back.
She shook her head and smiled slightly at their reluctance to take the
next step. She knew they'd both been hurt, but if one of them didn't give
their relationship a nudge in the right direction soon, they would never
move on.
With
that thought in mind, Amanda mentally reviewed her wardrobe for something
to wear for that evening. It had to be something special. Something that
would make him take notice. She smiled as
she remembered a dress she'd bought a short while ago but had never had
the occasion or, if she were honest, the courage to wear. She checked the
clock. Another hour and then she could leave.
When
she got home, Amanda had a quick chat with her mother, who was on her way
out to the cinema with the boys, then went upstairs to get showered and
changed. Once dressed, she looked at herself critically in the mirror and
sighed.
The
red, full length dress she wore, clung to
her body like a second skin. Its halter neck top added emphasis to the
long, smooth curve of her neck where she'd put her hair up and allowed
a few soft, curling wisps to frame her face. She wore matching shoes and
picked up a small red, glittery purse to complete the outfit. To ward off
the evening chill, she covered her bare shoulders with a thin black shawl.
She was still debating her choice when the telephone rang.
"Hello,"
she greeted cheerfully when she picked up the receiver.
"Amanda,
I'm just coming up to your house. Are you ready?"
She
sighed in mock frustration. "Aren't you ever going to learn to say hello
first?"
In
the car Lee grinned. "Hello. Are you ready yet?"
He
heard Amanda's soft laugh. "Yes, I'm ready. I'll meet you out the front."
"OK,
bye," Lee replied before switching off his phone.Turning
into Amanda's street, he pulled up a short distance away from her house
and got out, straightening his tux before leaning against the car to wait
for her. He was so lost deep in thought about the case, that he didn't
hear Amanda's approach until she stopped in front of him.
"Hello,"
she said brightly. "You've got a broken tail light. I noticed it as you
pulled up."
Lee
glanced at her and then did a double take. He pushed himself away from
the car and slowly looked her up and down.
Amanda
blushed at his gaze and smoothed down her dress self-consciously. "Do I
look alright?"
"Hmm?
What?" he asked vaguely.
"Isaid,
do I look alright?" repeated Amanda. She started to fidget nervously with
her wrap.
Lee
dragged his gaze back to Amanda's and cleared his throat loudly. "Uh,
yeah. Yeah, you look fine." He half-smiled and opened the car door
for her.
"Fine?"
questioned Amanda, clearly disappointed. Feeling more than a little deflated
at his response, she brushed past him muttering, "Thanks a lot."
Lee
joined her and then quickly drove off down the road. Amanda stared out
of the window in silence while he looked at her, sighing quietly. He'd
overheard what she'd said and knew that she was upset with him. The problem
was, he'd been trying really hard not to rush
things because he thought that was how Amanda wanted it.
As
they drove on, Lee's mind wandered back to the Colossus burger case and
he grimaced slightly. Knowing how uncomfortable Amanda had always been
with them sharing a room in the past while on other assignments, he had
booked them into the Foxrun Motel as brother
and sister. Even though he had dearly wanted to move their relationship
on, he loved Amanda enough not to force the situation upon her. Imagine
his surprise then, when she had turned up expecting to share the room with
him. In fact she was even put out by the fact that they weren't.
Later
that evening when she was going back to her room, he recalled how his feelings
had got the better of him and he'd attempted to make a pass at her. From
her reaction he soon realised that she wasn't ready for anything to progress
between them. He'd felt a little hurt at her rebuff and as if sensing this,
Amanda had invited him in for coffee. He would have accepted, if it wasn't
for Francine turning up right on cue as usual. He knew that if he'd have
gone into Amanda's room it would have been all around the Agency the next
day and he didn't want to put Amanda through that.
Since
then he'd made a conscious effort to keep it light and not come on too
strong. He frowned slightly. What was it that Amanda had said to him once?
"When you're talking about love, you have to be patient". Shaking his head,
he glanced at her again and smiled. Looking like that, she was making it
extremely difficult for him.
They
stopped at a set of lights. "Hey," he said softly. Amanda turned and he
smiled at her tenderly. "You look beautiful."
After
a moment's hesitation, she smiled back and their eyes locked. As they stared
at each other their smiles faded and, unable to stop himself, Lee slowly
started to lean towards her.
Suddenly,
the strident sound of a car horn blaring behind them made them both jump.
"Damn," muttered Lee. He sat back and saw that the lights had changed.
Sighing heavily, he turned his attention back to the road and swallowed
hard. 'Forget difficult' he thought to himself wryly, 'try impossible'.
They
continued their journey each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, a
little way out of town, they came to a tall grey building. After parking
nearby they got out and walked over to the entrance. To one side of the
revolving doors there was a large brass plaque reading 'ChemiMed
Research Facility.'
"Well,
here we go," said Lee, holding out his arm. After entering the foyer, they
went over to the receptionist and Lee gave his name. She checked him off
her list and pointed to the main hall where the party was in full swing.
Lee
gave Amanda a reassuring smile and they entered. It was a large room with
tables lining the walls and there was an area in the middle for dancing.
Lee noticed several men looking interestedly at Amanda and felt the usual
stab of jealous irritation stir within him.
The
bar was to the left of them and he led Amanda over to get a drink. While
waiting for their order, Lee scanned the crowded hall. "There’s Tremayne,"
he said, gesturing across the room with a subtle tilt of his head.
Amanda
turned and saw the short, plump, red-faced man that Lee was referring to.
He was standing in a group, smoking a cigar and laughing at something someone
had said.
Shaking
her head, she whispered, "It's frightening. He looks like someone's uncle,
not like someone who could be selling chemical weapons to the highest bidder."
"Well,
we both know how much looks can deceive, don't we?" remarked Lee looking
at her pointedly and making her blush. He looked back at the crowd. "I
don't see Miller."
Amanda
checked her watch. "Well, you still have another half an hour yet."
Lee
nodded. "I know. I'd just feel happier if I knew he was here, that's all."
The
barman returned with their drinks. "Thank you," Lee acknowledged. He took
a sip and looked up to find the barman still standing there, grinning at
Amanda. Lee glanced at her and then back to the barman. "I said, thank
you," he pointed out curtly.
The
barman's grin faded and he cleared his throat uncomfortably before turning
away. Lee stared angrily after him for a few seconds and then turned to
Amanda who was trying not to laugh. "What's so funny?" he inquired testily.
"Oh,
nothing," she replied innocently. "I was just thinking how much your way
of dealing with people was improving, that's all."
Seeing
his disgruntled look, Amanda started to laugh. Lee stared at her for a
few seconds before shaking his head resignedly and breaking into a grin
himself.
"Come
on, since you have time, would you like to dance?" Amanda asked. "I don't
think you ever got to see me Cha-Cha did you?"
Lee
laughed and held out his hand. "I don't think they're playing a Cha-Cha
at the moment."
Amanda
slipped her wrap off and put her hand in his. Lee led her out onto the
dance floor and took her in his arms as they joined the other couples who
were swaying slowly to a ballad that was playing. He placed his hand on
her bare back and drew her close. Gently resting his cheek against hers,
he breathed in the light scent of her perfume and sighed contentedly. "We
really should do this more often," he said as he pulled back slightly to
look at her. "Amanda, I really am sorry for letting you down so much recently."
She
shrugged her shoulders. "Well, we can't help work."
"I
know, but we could work around it better. I think it's about time we tried,
don't you?"
Amanda
gave him a sweet smile and nodded. "Oh yes," she said happily. "I do."
He
grinned back at her and they continued to dance. After a while they made
their way back to the bar and finished their drinks. Lee looked around
and suddenly nodded to a man over the other side of the room.
He
turned to Amanda. "Alright, there's Miller. I'll get this meeting over
with and then we can go to dinner." She looked at him in surprise and he
smiled. "Might as well start as we mean to go on."
He gave her a quick wink and sauntered off.
Amanda
watched him walk out of sight then turned on her stool and rested her arms
on the bar. She looked down and fiddled with her empty glass.
Behind
her, a man quietly walked up and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Amanda
jumped and went to turn around but a voice stopped her. "No, don't turn
around Amanda." He paused. "Do you remember the last time I said that to
you?"
Amanda's
mouth had dropped open at the first sound of the voice but then it soon
changed into to smile. She turned, and after a moment's hesitation, flung
her arms around the neck of the young, dark-haired man standing behind
her. He laughed and hugged her back. She pulled away slightly and they
stood smiling at each other for a few seconds before moving to a table
to sit down.
Lee
entered Miller's cramped, untidy office and sat down opposite him. "OK,
Mr. Miller. What can I do for you?"
Jerry
Miller was a small, wiry man with mousy coloured hair. He nervously pulled
on his collar before whispering, "I need your assurance that no one will
find out I've talked to you."
Lee
smiled confidently. "Mr. Miller, it's my job to keep secrets."
"I
know. I'm just a little nervous that's all. I've never done anything like
this before."
Lee
nodded. "What is it you wanted to tell me?"
Miller
produced a briefcase and opened it up. He rummaged about inside and took
out a floppy disk. "Here." He handed it to Lee. "I got this from Mr. Tremayne's
office. It's proof that he's selling harmful chemicals for use in warfare.
It's not everything, but it should be enough for you to charge him."
Lee
took the disk and put it into his inside pocket. "Thanks. This is just
the break we need. He's been covering himself pretty well."
Miller
pulled on his collar again. "Mr. Stetson, Mr. Tremayne
has just assigned a new man to take care of security and I'm a little worried
that he'll find out I've contacted you. I've heard that he captured a notorious
international killer, single-handed, about a year ago."
"Mr.
Miller, I can assure you that no one knows about our meeting except you
and me," soothed Lee.
Just
then, there was a noise outside and Miller looked around worriedly. "What
was that?"
Lee
held up his hand for silence then got up and walked over to the door, opening
it slowly. He popped his head out and saw that the corridor was empty.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he looked back at Miller. "It's clear. Give
me a few minutes and then you can leave, okay?"
Miller
nodded and Lee slipped out to make his way back to the party. As he rounded
a corner he bumped into a dark-haired, thickset man with bushy eyebrows
and a moustache. Lee excused himself and carried on walking. The man watched
him go out of sight and then turned as Miller came around the corner.
"Oh,
Mr. Burgess," gasped Miller startled. "I…I thought you were out of town."
"I
was," came the clipped reply.
Miller
swallowed nervously and cautiously edged past him continuing down the corridor.
"I'll see you at the party then," he called back over his shoulder.
Through
narrowed eyes, Burgess watched Miller rapidly walk away. Checking his coat
for his gun, he then followed him.
*********************************
Lee
walked into the busy room and looked for Amanda. She wasn't at the bar
so he turned towards the tables and saw her sitting with a man who had
his back to him. As he stood watching them, he saw Amanda smile and the
man take a hold of her hand. Lee's mouth tightened grimly and he quickly
strode over to them.
As
he reached the table, Amanda looked up in surprise and smiled. He glared
back and turned to the man, ready to have an argument. He stopped and stared
in disbelief as the man stood up and held out his hand, smiling. "Lee!
It's good to see you again. How have you
been?"
"Oh
my God," groaned Lee. "I don't believe it. Conrad Walter Barnhill. What
the hell are you doing here?"
Conrad's
smile faded and he reddened.
"Lee!"
exclaimed Amanda.
He
looked at her and she frowned. Lee sighed and took hold of Conrad's proffered
hand. "Sorry Conrad, it's just that you were the last person I expected
to see."
They
sat down and Conrad shrugged his shoulders. "That's okay Lee, I understand.
I mean, the last time we met I guess I did cause you a lot of trouble."
"Yeah,"
agreed Lee dryly. He folded his arms unhappily. All he wanted to do was
take Amanda somewhere quiet for dinner so they could talk. He didn't want
to sit here and pretend to be having a good time, especially with Conrad
Barnhill of all people.
Conrad
glanced around surreptitiously and leant forward. "So, are you two on a
case?" he asked hopefully, in a low voice.
"No,"
they replied in unison.
"A
friend of mine invited us...," began Amanda.
"Our
boss had two spare tickets...," said Lee at the same time.
They
stopped looked at each other. Amanda smiled apologetically and Lee gave
a long suffering sigh. One day they were going to get that right.
"It's
alright. I know you can't tell me anything," whispered Conrad and gave
them a knowing wink.
Lee
changed the subject. "What about you Conrad. Why are you here?" he asked
trying to be civil.
"Oh,
I've just started working for Mr. Tremayne,"
he answered importantly.
"Really,"
remarked Lee in a bored voice. Suddenly, recalling Miller's words, Lee’s
eyes narrowed suspiciously at the other man as things fell into place.
"Oh, wait a minute. Don't tell me. You've taken over security, right?"
he asked, already knowing the answer.
Conrad
looked at him in surprise. "Well, yeah. How did you know?"
"Wild
guess," commented Lee sardonically.
Conrad
gave him a puzzled look, then shrugged and
smiled. "Yeah, well, I really should thank you and Amanda for getting me
into the business. I mean, it was because I had such a great time with
you guys that I've got my own detective agency you know."
"Your
own what?" asked Lee after a moment's stunned silence.
"Well,
it's not actually all mine," Conrad replied awkwardly. "I just own
half of it."
"Oh
Connie, that work can be dangerous," Amanda said in concern. "Are you sure
you know what you're doing?"
"Oh
yeah.
Besides I don't actually do the work itself, I just arrange the deals.
My partner does all the hiring and leg work. You see, I got so much money
for those interviews that I did about the capture of the Mongoose,
that I went into partnership with a guy who had his own agency.
He was in a bit of financial trouble so I bailed him out and now with the
help of my reputation we have quite a good business going. At the moment,
we're doing background checks on the staff here for Mr. Tremayne.
If anyone has a dubious past we have to let him know." He winked at them
slyly. "We wouldn't want anyone selling secrets to the other side, now
would we," he said laughing.
Lee
shook his head in disbelief. "I think I've heard it all now," he muttered.
"Hey,
why don't I get us some drinks and we can reminisce some more, huh?" suggested
Conrad eagerly. Before they could say anything, he had got up and walked
over to the bar.
Amanda
grabbed Lee's arm. "What did you find out at your meeting?" she whispered.
"Miller
gave me a disk. He says it's got information on it that should help us
nail Tremayne," replied Lee in a low voice.
"That's
great." Amanda paused. "What are we going to do about Connie?I
mean, he obviously doesn't know what's going on here. He could end up in
a dangerous situation if he found out."
"We're
not going to do anything," said Lee giving her a stern look. "You heard him,
he doesn't actually do the work. As long as it stays that way, he'll be
fine."
Amanda
sighed. "But Lee, you know how Conrad has a way of getting into trouble."
Lee
looked at her and raised his eyebrows. "Yeah, tell me about it," he commented
wryly.
Their
conversation was cut short by Conrad coming back with a tray of drinks.
"Here we are." He sat down and raised his glass. "To old friends," he toasted,
looking adoringly at Amanda.
"Old
friends," they replied and all touched glasses. They chatted for a while
and finished their drinks. Noticing their empty glasses, Conrad said he
would go and get some more but Lee stopped him.
"Ah,
thank you Conrad, but Amanda and I have to go," Lee stated firmly. He stood
up and looked at her expectantly.
Amanda
quickly got to her feet. "Oh, yeah, I'm sorry Connie. It was good to see
you again."
"It
was good to see the both of you. It's a shame you have to go so soon,"
said Conrad getting up as well. He fished around in his pockets and pulled
out a card, handing it to Amanda. "If you want to meet for dinner or anything
Amanda, just give me a call," he offered, smiling at her shyly.
She
took the card and glanced at Lee who, judging by the look on his face,
wasn't at all pleased with Conrad's suggestion. She laughed self-consciously,
"Uh, thank you Connie. I'll, uh, keep that in mind."
They
said their goodbyes and Lee and Amanda walked away.
Across
the room, Burgess walked over to Tremayne
who pulled him to one side. "Have you taken care of things?" Tremayne
inquired.
"Yeah.
But I was too late. I couldn't find the disk." Burgess gestured towards
Lee and Amanda who were just walking out of the door. "Miller was talking
to that guy over there. He may have given it to him."
"Then
what are you standing here for? Follow him and find out if he has the disk."
Burgess
nodded and turned to go but Tremayne grabbed
his arm and stopped him. "Remember, I don't care what it takes. If he refuses
to co-operate, kill him."
Burgess
walked out of the room and Tremayne chewed
angrily on his cigar. He'd come too far to let anyone stop him now.
End Three
Lee
and Amanda got into their car and started off down the street. Looking
in his mirror, Lee noticed a car pull out behind them and frowned slightly.
"What's
the matter?" asked Amanda.
Lee
looked over at her and smiled. "Nothing."
"I'm
not going to call Conrad, if that's what you're worried about," Amanda
assured him as she lightly placed her hand on his arm.
"I
know," said Lee still concentrating on the other car. He made a turn and
checked his mirror again. It was still there.
"Well,
I must say, you're very confident aren't you?" stated Amanda in amusement.
"Huh?"
queried Lee absently, glancing in his mirror.
Amanda
sighed. "Never mind." She settled back in
her seat and looked at him in anticipation. "So, where are you taking me
for dinner?"
"Dinner?"
repeated Lee. He had forgotten all about their date in his concern about
the tail.
"Yeah,
dinner."
She looked at him and frowned. "Are you OK? You don't seem to be listening
to anything I'm saying."
"Amanda,
we've got a tail."
"What?!"
she exclaimed, turning to look.
"Hold
on, I'm going to try and lose him."
He
floored the gas pedal and rapidly accelerated away. Behind him Burgess
cursed and followed suit. They sped down the main street weaving in and
out of the traffic. "I wish I had my car," muttered Lee under his breath.
He saw a turning on the right and quickly spun the wheel, cutting across
the front of another vehicle.
The
turn was too quick for Burgess and he swore again as he was forced to continue
straight ahead. Lee tore down the side street and took another turning
before looking in his mirror again. There was no sign of the other car.
"I
think we lost them," said Lee triumphantly.
"We
did? That's great," replied Amanda in relief. "He must have been after
the disk."
"Oh
I don't know, he may have just wanted to
tell me about that broken tail light" joked Lee as he grinned at her and
winked.
Amanda
tutted and shook her head trying not to smile.
Lee
slowed down and, keeping a lookout, made his way back to Amanda's house.
She thanked him for the evening and asked him in for coffee, but he declined.
"I'd
better get back home." He patted his jacket pocket. "Now I have this, I
want to make an early start on it tomorrow." He smiled and gave her a quick
peck on the cheek.
Amanda
smiled back shyly and bade him goodnight. He watched until she was safely
inside and then pulled away.
Lee
slowly drove back to the main street and headed for home only to have a
car suddenly speed right up behind him. Looking in his mirror, Lee groaned
in disbelief as he realised that it was the same car that was tailing him
before. "How the hell? You just don't give
up, do you buddy," he muttered to himself as he increased his own speed.
Burgess
couldn't believe his luck. He'd been just about ready to go back to ChemiMed
when Lee had pulled right out in front of him. He wasn't going to let him
get away this time.
The
chase continued down the street but Lee couldn't shake him. He skidded
into a side alley and Burgess followed getting closer every second. Lee
was running out of options and decided to head back to the main street
to try and lose himself in traffic. He shot out into the middle of the
road and straight into the path of an oncoming truck.
Pure
instinct made him turn the wheel to swerve out of the way but he wasn't
quick enough. The truck hit the back of his car causing him to spin out
of control and plough head on into a vehicle that was parked at the side
of the road.
Burgess
pulled up nearby and ran over to the battered car. He yanked open the door
and found Lee slumped over the wheel. After pulling Lee’s prone body back
against the seat Burgess quickly searched him. He found the disk and straightened
up as the truck driver came running over.
"Is
he OK?" asked the guy worriedly. He looked in, gasping when he saw the
nasty bruising on Lee's deathly pale face and the trickle of blood that
was running out of the side of his mouth.
Burgess
shook his head. "I think he's dead."
*****************
After
giving a vague statement to the police, Burgess now stood watching the
ambulance as it sped off down the street with its sirens wailing and lights
flashing. Much to his disappointment Lee hadn't been dead although he had
still been unconscious when the ambulance had driven away.
Burgess
had found out which hospital he was being taken to and taking one last
puff of his cigarette, threw it to the ground
before slowly getting into his car and heading back to ChemiMed.
He
entered the building and, ignoring the hall where the party was still going
on, made his way through a side corridor to a back office. He knocked and
walked in. Tremayne was seated behind a
desk with thick clouds of cigar smoke swirling around his head. Two men
were sat on a couch to the left of him.
"Well?"
queried Tremayne.
"I've
got the disk," replied Burgess pulling it out of his pocket. He placed
it on the desk and flopped into a chair.
"And
the other problem?"
Burgess
shrugged his shoulders. "There was a nasty car accident."
"Good,"
said Tremayne picking the disk up. He looked
over to the two men. "Mr. Lambert, I trust that you won't let this happen
again will you?"
The
young fair haired man looked up and smiled nervously. "Of
course not Mr. Tremayne. I still
don't know how Miller got hold of it in the first place. I'm very sorry
Sir. This time I'll be extra careful."
Tremayne
nodded. "OK, you can go now."
Lambert
got up and walked over to the door.
"Oh,
Mr. Lambert, just one more thing," called Tremayne.
"Yes
Sir?" asked Lambert turning to him. His eyes widened and he cried out as
a bullet entered his chest. He put his hand over the gaping wound and slowly
sunk to the ground, his breathing laboured.
Tremayne
put the gun back into his drawer and walked over to him. He bent down and
smiled nastily. "You should have been extra careful in the first place."
Lambert's
eyes slowly closed and he took one last shuddering breath before he died. Tremayne
looked at Burgess. "Get rid of the mess,” he ordered dismissively.
Burgess
nodded and walked over to the door. After checking that no one was about
he dragged Lambert's body out of the room.
Tremayne
turned to the man who was still sitting on the couch. "Well, Mr. Randall
it would appear that an opening for the position of my Personal Assistant
has become available." He held out his hand. "Congratulations on your promotion."
Randall
swallowed hard and stood up. "Th-thank you Sir,"
he stammered, shaking hands. "I-I shall do my very b-best."
"I
know you will son," Tremayne replied, pinning
him with an menacing stare. "I know you will."
Amanda
rushed into the kitchen calling out a good morning to her mother and the
boys. She poured a cup of coffee and got herself a bowl of cereal. Dotty
walked over and stood watching as Amanda munched through her breakfast
as quickly as she could and finished her drink.
"Amanda,
you shouldn't rush your food like that," scolded her mother sternly.
"I
know mother, it's just that I have to be in early today. There's a lot
of work to do in the editing room," the brunette explained quickly.
"Amanda,
there is always a lot of work for you to do at that place. You know, you
shouldn't let them take advantage of your good nature," Dotty told her
pointedly.
"They
don't take advantage mother, I really like my job," replied Amanda giving
her a quick hug. "I shouldn't be back too late."
She
went over to the boys and putting her arms around their shoulders, gave
them a quick kiss each. "Now, you be good for your grandmother OK?"
"Yeah,"
they replied together.
She
gave them another quick kiss then trotted over to the closet and took out
her coat. The telephone rang just as she put her hand on the door handle
to leave.
"Amanda,"
called out Dotty. "There's a Mr. Melrose on the phone for you. He says
it's urgent."
Amanda
spun around in surprise and rushed back into the kitchen. "Thank you mother."
She waited until Dotty had moved away and put the receiver to her ear.
"Hello Sir."
"Amanda,
I'm glad I caught you," began Billy. He paused slightly before carrying
on. "I'm, uh, I'm afraid I have some bad news."
"Bad
news?" repeated Amanda slowly. "What do you mean bad news?" She held her
breath dreading what Billy was about to say.
"It's
about Lee, Amanda," replied Billy, confirming her fears. "He was involved
in a car accident last night."
"What,"
gasped Amanda. "How bad was the accident? Is he hurt?"
"Now,
don't worry Amanda," Billy hastened to reassure her. "I spoke with his
doctor early morning and he said Lee was unconscious but stable. I'm just
on my way over to the hospital now. Do you want to meet me there?"
"Oh,
yes Sir, of course I will," Amanda replied. She made a note of the hospital
and room number then replaced the receiver. Bowing her head, the realisation
of what Billy had told her slowly sank in. 'Please let Lee be alright,'
she thought to herself anxiously.
"What's
happened Amanda?" queried Dotty in concern.
Amanda
took a deep breath and turned around. "It's my boss mother. He was in a
car accident last night."
"Oh
no," exclaimed Dotty. "Well, is he going to be alright? Is it serious?"
"I
don't know, he's unconscious." She raised a shaking hand to her forehead
and looked around. "Uh, do you know where I put my car keys? I really have
to get to the hospital."
"Here
they are Mum," said Philip, picking them up off the table and holding them
out.
"Oh,
thank you sweetheart." Taking them, Amanda hugged Philip tightly then turned
and hurriedly walked over to the door. "I'll call you later mother," she
called out.
By
the time Dotty acknowledged her, Amanda had already left the house. Sighing,
she went back to the kitchen and made Philip and Jaime finish their breakfasts
while she cleaned up.
Dotty
had always suspected that Amanda was interested in someone at work. It
wasn't until now however, having seen how much Amanda was affected by the
news of his accident, that she realised it was her boss. She shook her
head sadly and prayed that everything would be alright.
xxxxxxxxxxx
Amanda
entered
As
she neared the door to his room she noticed a guard outside and slowed
down to show him her ID. He nodded and Amanda took a deep breath as she
braced herself for what she was going to find within. Just as she was about
to enter, the door opened.
A
homely middle-aged nurse stood in the doorway, looking back into the room.
"Well really!I have never been insulted
so much in my entire life," she exclaimed indignantly in a strong Scottish
accent.
"I
find that extremely hard to believe," came Lee's angry voice from inside
the room.
"I'm
going to get my superior and she'll soon make sure that you have that medication.
You mark my words, she'll not take any rubbish from you," the nurse informed
him curtly.
Both
the nurse and Amanda reddened when they heard his retort. After slamming
the door shut the nurse looked at Amanda. "I shouldn't go in there, lass.
He's got a mean temper, that one."
"I'll
take a chance," she replied smiling in relief. It appeared Lee was awake
and well enough to already be in a bad mood.
The
nurse gave her a sympathetic pat on the arm and bustled off down the corridor
shaking her head.
Amanda
stood at the door for a few seconds composing herself. The smile of relief
faded and she felt a few unbidden tears spring to her eyes. However he
had sounded, she was just grateful to hear Lee's voice again. Quickly wiping
the tears away she grabbed the door handle and went into the room.
"I've
already told you. I won't take…," began Lee angrily. He stopped when he
saw it was Amanda and scowled. "Oh, it's you." Amanda stood and stared
at him. Lee was propped up in bed with his right arm in a sling, his face
was covered with bruises and he had a rather large swollen bottom lip.
Despite the latter he was still able to manage a reasonable pout.
Unable
to stop herself, she started to grin at the look on his face. She knew
he hated hospitals and how they always brought out the worst in him.
"What
are you smiling at?" he snapped, irritably.
"Oh
nothing Lee, I'm just so glad you're feeling better. Mr. Melrose said you
were still unconscious." Amanda walked over to the bed and perched on the
edge taking a hold of his hand. "I was so worried, I came as soon as I
heard."
"Feeling
better? Amanda, you know I won't feel better until I get out of this place,"
he said, gesturing around the room in disgust.
"Yeah,
I know," she agreed quietly. She reached out and gently brushed his hair
away from his forehead grimacing. "Ooo, that looks nasty," she commented.
"And what happened to your arm?"
"I
dislocated my shoulder."
"Oh,
that must be painful," said Amanda sympathetically.
"It
hurts like hell," he replied miserably. Amanda nodded and got up to start
arranging his pillows while he continued to moan. "But do you know what
the worst part is, Amanda? It's these damned nurses. They won't leave me
alone. They keep coming in here always trying to make me take stuff and
re-arranging my pillows. I tell you it just gets on my nerves, you know
I hate being fussed over." Amanda stopped fluffing the pillows and looked
at him, smiling awkwardly. "Sorry," she said moving to sit in a chair.
Realising
what he'd said, he grabbed hold of her hand and, smiling uncomfortably,
cleared his throat. "No, Amanda don't apologise. I'm the one who should
be saying sorry. I'm just not at my best at the moment. You know how I
get in these places." He pulled her gently back to sit on the bed.
"Yeah,
I know how you get in these places," she assured him, returning his smile.
She sobered and stared at him in concern. "This wasn't an accident was
it Lee? What happened after you left last night?"
"Oh,
that tail caught up with me again. I couldn't shake him and ended up smashing
into a parked car. When I came around this morning, I got up and checked
my jacket but the disk was gone. He must have taken it after I crashed."
"Well,
I'm just glad that you weren't more seriously hurt that's all. And I don't
really think you should have got up in your condition...," Amanda chided
worriedly.
"Amanda
please," cut in Lee. "I'm grateful for your concern believe me, but I'm
more interested in who that guy was who chased me last night."
"That's
exactly what I'm interested in too, Scarecrow," remarked Billy walking
through the door closely followed by Francine.
"Oh,
hello Sir. Francine," greeted Amanda, quickly snatching her hand from Lee's
and standing up.
"Amanda,"
acknowledged Billy nodding to her. Francine gave her a small smile.
"You're
awake I see. How are you feeling?" asked Billy going over to Lee.
"Oh
just fine," replied Lee sarcastically. "Can't you tell?"
"Well,
this won't make you feel any better I'm afraid," said Billy sighing. "Your
contact, Jerry Miller, was found dead in his apartment this morning. He'd
been shot twice."
"What?!"
exclaimed Lee.
"Yeah,
but it seems that he wasn't murdered there. Not enough blood around," supplied
Francine.
"That
means he was probably killed at ChemiMed. They must have known he had the
disk," said Lee almost to himself.
"What
disk?" asked Billy puzzled.
Lee
briefly explained what happened at the meeting and then stopped as he recalled
the man in the corridor. "Wait a minute. I literally bumped into a guy
on the hallway just after our meeting. He would have still been there when
Miller followed me out. Maybe he had something to do with it."
"Could
be. Give me a description and we'll run it through the computer back at
the Agency," said Billy. He sighed, "I just wish there was some way to
get into that place. Now that Miller's dead we've lost our inside source."
Lee
nodded his agreement then Billy looked over to Amanda. "Do you have anything
to add Amanda?"
"No,
not really. Lee went to see Mr. Miller on his own and I just sat with Conrad
until he came back," she answered.
"Oh
yes, dear? And who's Conrad?" smirked Francine raising her eyebrows in
interest.
"Conrad
Barnhill. He was involved in the Mongoose case remember?" interjected Lee
in an amused voice.
"Oh
that's right," laughed Francine. "I read the file when you got back from
London. He was the man who impersonated an international killer but was
really a shoe salesman."
"Yeah,
well it turns out that he owns half a detective agency now and they've
been hired by Tremayne to complete background checks on his staff," Lee
informed them.
"He's
what?" questioned Billy turning to stare at Lee.
Lee
looked back and his eyes narrowed suspiciously as he saw the smile that
was starting to appear. "Oh no, Billy," said Lee recognising the look.
He shook his head. "No. I know what you're thinking and I won't let Amanda
do it. It's too risky."
"Do
what?" asked Amanda, her eyes widening.
"I
want you to have dinner with Conrad Barnhill," Billy told her. "Find out
what you can about Tremayne and his set-up."
"No
Billy. There has already been one murder, I don't want her getting involved,"
said Lee, his voice starting to rise.
Billy
looked at him. "She won't be getting 'involved'. It's just dinner with
an old friend and we'll put a wire on her so we can hear what's going on
at all times. It'll be quite safe." He turned back to Amanda and smiled
encouragingly. "So, what do you say Amanda? Are you willing to do it?"
Amanda
looked from Billy's expectant face to Lee's angry one and back again. "Yes
Sir, I'll do it."
Billy
beamed at Amanda and then turned to Francine. "Take Amanda back to the
Agency and get started on arrangements. Try to set it up for tonight."
Francine
nodded and motioned for Amanda to follow. Amanda hesitated slightly and
glanced at Lee who folded his arms and glared back at her. She smiled at
him and said goodbye but he averted his gaze in silence. Amanda looked
down, sighing quietly and left the room with Francine.
As
soon as the door was closed Billy turned to Lee. "Amanda's only doing what
I asked her to Lee. You shouldn't be so hard on her. It is only a simple
dinner after all."
"I
just don't want her to get into trouble Billy," Lee retorted. "These guys
are serious. They've already killed one person and I don't want Amanda
near anyone that could lead her into that sort of danger." His voice rose.
"Dammit, she's my partner, Billy and it's my job to look out for her not
anyone else's."
Billy
couldn't resist smiling to himself. Sometimes he couldn't quite believe
how much Lee had changed over the last few years. It was a good change
though and mostly due to Amanda. He did wonder at times how she put up
with the troublesome agent for this length of time without one of their
'disagreements' causing her to leave the Agency. Lord knows he wouldn't
have blamed her. He knew from personal experience just how hard it was
to handle him.
"Now
Lee," soothed Billy. "I understand how you feel, but we have to be practical."
He stopped to watch Lee struggle out of bed and walk slowly over to the
closet. "And just what do you think you are you doing?"
"I'm
getting out of here," he replied, turning to frown at Billy. "Do you honestly
think I'm going to just lie here waiting to find out what happened?"
"Lee
you're in no fit state to leave today and you know it," Billy tried to
convince him.
"I'm
just fine," Lee stated, emphatically. He retrieved his clothes and slowly
made his way back to the bed, sitting down on it heavily.
"Good
God man, you can hardly walk! What use are you going to be and since when
don't you trust me to look after things?" asked Billy getting angry.
Lee
sighed and tiredly ran his fingers through his hair as he lay down again.
He frowned unhappily as he pictured Conrad having dinner with Amanda. "It's
not you that I don't trust Billy."
"What?"
Billy stared at him in confusion and then slowly started to smile as realisation
dawned.“Oh, I see," he commented
in an amused tone. "You don't want Amanda to go to dinner alone with Barnhill
do you?"
Lee's
head snapped up as he wondered if he'd given his feelings away. "I don't
know what you mean," he said evasively.
"Oh,
I think you do." Billy continued to smile and walked over to him. "Alright,
I'll make a deal with you. If you take your medication with no argument,
I'll arrange for you to leave today."
"Billy,"
groaned Lee in frustration.
"No
arguments, Scarecrow," warned Billy. He walked to the door and opened it.
"You can come in now," he said to someone outside.
Lee
groaned louder when he saw the Scottish nurse enter the room. "Great,"
he mumbled to himself as he glared at her.
The
nurse smiled back at him pleasantly and put down the tray she was carrying
then lifted off the cover to reveal a hypodermic needle underneath. "I
thought this would be better for you since you wouldn't take the tablets."
Lee
swallowed and paled. "Oh no, you're not going to stick that thing in my
arm," he said defiantly.
"Och,
of course I'm not Mr. Stetson," she replied quickly checking the needle.
Turning her attention back to him, she smiled sweetly. "Turn over please."
Amanda
followed Francine into Billy's office and sat down. She tried to concentrate
on what Francine was telling her but her mind kept wandering back and forth
between the way Lee had acted and how happy
Conrad had sounded on the phone that she'd actually rung him. She felt
extremely guilty about leading Conrad on like this but she tried to console
herself with the fact that it was important to the case for her to go through
with it.
Lee,
on the other hand was a different matter. She knew he was ill but did he
have to be so mean? She just didn't know where she stood with him from
one moment to the next. That was part of the attraction she acknowledged
to herself, but also the part that confused her the most. His coldness
after her agreeing to meet Conrad had made her almost believe he was jealous
about it all. But then her practical side took over and she knew it was
just because he was in hospital. There was no way he'd be jealous of someone
like Conrad.
"Amanda,
are you listening to me?" Francine asked in exasperation, bringing Amanda
back to the present. "This is very important."
Amanda
stared at her and blinked a couple of times. "I'm sorry Francine," she
answered, smiling apologetically. "What were you saying?"
Francine
sighed and pasted a false smile on her face. 'Why me?' she thought to herself
in disgust. She would never understand why Lee put up with Amanda. He didn't
used to be so tolerant. Suddenly a horrifying thought struck her. Was there
was something going on between them? She was seriously contemplating it
for a moment until she ran a critical eye over the woman seated in front
of her and smirked. 'No, that couldn't be it,' she thought dismissively.
She knew Lee's type well enough and Amanda King wasn't it at all.
"Francine?"
prompted Amanda. "What were you saying?"
Francine
mentally shook herself and after another fake smile proceeded to tell Amanda
about the set up for that evening.
They
had just finished when Billy walked into the office. "Is everything set?"
he asked.
"I
think everyone knows what to do," Francine replied.
"Yes
Sir," agreed Amanda. "Connie's picking me up at
7.30 tonight."
"Good,"
approved Billy with a smile. "Hopefully we can get some information from
him."
Amanda
nodded and walked towards the door. "Well, since we're finished here I
think I'll go back to the Q-Bureau and tidy up a few things before I leave."
Billy
nodded."OK, I'll see you tomorrow
for the debriefing."
Amanda
left Billy's office and made her way to the Q-Bureau saying hello to Mrs.
Marsten on the way. She opened the door and stopped in surprise when she
saw Lee.
He
looked up from his desk and gave her a small smile. "Hi," he said quietly.
"Lee!"
exclaimed Amanda. "What on earth are you doing here?"
"Billy
arranged for me to leave the hospital," he replied, grimacing slightly
as he stood up and rubbed his hand gingerly over his backside.
An
overwhelming feeling of love surged through Amanda as she shut the door
and walked over to him with a look of concern on her face. She reached
out to help him but remembering how cold he'd been earlier she checked
herself and let her arms fall to her sides instead. "I really think you
should be sitting down," she commented, turning away.
"Believe
me, sitting down is the last thing I should be doing," Lee muttered wryly
as he rubbed his derriere.
He
followed Amanda over to the window where she stood gazing out at the street
below. She could feel him close behind her and had to fight the urge to
turn around and step into the warm embrace of his arms.
Lee
looked at her rigid back and sighed. He'd hurt her and it was last thing
he had ever meant to do. It was about time they got some things sorted
out between them. Gently placing his one good hand on her shoulder, he
coaxed her around to look at him.
"I
feel as though I'm constantly apologising to you," he remarked with a rueful
smile.Amanda relaxed slightly and
gave him a small smile back, not knowing what to say. "I shouldn't have
acted the way I did toward you earlier and I'm sorry," he continued sincerely.
Feeling
a little embarrassed, Amanda brushed his words aside. "Oh, you just weren't
feeling well. I understand."
"It
wasn't just because of that Amanda," said Lee, staring at her intently.
Amanda
eyes widened in surprise.
"It…it wasn't?"
"No,"
he replied quietly.
Ever
so slowly Lee touched his hand to her face and gently trailed a finger
down her cheek to her mouth. She drew in a sharp breath as she noticed
his eyes look down and focus on her lips. His intent was clear.
He
moved closer to kiss her then stopped and paled. "I can't do this," he
whispered, shutting his eyes.
"What?"
Amanda whispered back in confusion. "Why not?"
He
swallowed hard. "Because I….I think I'm going to…pass out," he answered
weakly, starting to sway.
"Oh,
Lee!" cried Amanda, making a grab for him as he lost consciousness and
fell backwards.
Desperately
trying to stop Lee from landing on his injured arm, Amanda grabbed at his
shirt. Unfortunately, she got caught up in the momentum of his fall and
also went crashing down, landing squarely on top of him. Once she'd caught
her breath she lifted herself slightly off of his chest and gently tapped
his cheek to try to rouse him.
"Lee?"
No response. She tapped harder and he slowly opened his eyes. "Are you
alright?" she asked in concern.
Lee
put his hand to his head. "I…I don't know," he replied faintly.
Just
then the Bureau door opened and Amanda looked up in surprise, giving a
quiet groan when she saw who it was.
Francine's
initial look of shock at seeing them sprawled on the floor soon changed
to one of mockery. "Well, well, well," she commented with a knowing smile.
"This certainly looks cosy but wouldn't the couch be more comfortable?"
"Oh
Francine, please," groaned Lee finally coming around and not in the mood
for her comments. "I'm not feeling very well."
Red
faced, Amanda disentangled herself from him then stood up and smoothed
down her skirt and blouse. "That's right, Francine," she agreed. "Lee passed
out and I was just trying to break his fall."
"Passed
out?" repeated Francine in concern.
Her sarcasm forgotten, she entered the room and bent down along with Amanda
to help Lee back to his feet.
"Thanks,"
said Lee as he took a deep breath. His face was ashen and he still swayed
slightly. Amanda and Francine guided him over to the couch on the far side
of the room and helped him lie down.
Francine
stood back watching silently as Amanda perched on the edge of the couch
next to him and took his hand in hers.
"Do
you want me to get you a doctor, Lee? " asked
Amanda worriedly, reaching out and gently smoothing back his hair.
"No.
No, I'm feeling better now," he replied. His face was beginning to get
some colour back and he smiled at her tenderly.
Francine
cleared her throat and they both looked up at her as though they'd forgotten
she was there. "Billy sent me to get you, Lee. He wants you to give the
description of the man you saw at ChemiMed to Donnelly so that we can run
an ID check." She frowned. "Seeing that you're not well though, I'll go
and tell him that you'll do it later."
"No,
that's OK Francine." Lee eased himself up to a sitting position. "Just
give me five minutes and I'll come down."
Francine
nodded and left the room.
"Lee,
you need to go home and some rest," began Amanda as soon as the door was
shut.
"I'll
be fine Amanda," Lee assured her.
"You
passed out," she argued. "That's serious."
Lee
sighed and rolled his eyes, knowing he was in for a lecture.
"I
don't know why you always insist on doing this to yourself," Amanda continued
in exasperation. She got up and walked over to the far side of the room.
"Don't you realise that other people are worried about you?"
"Yes,
but," said Lee trying to cut in.
"Don't
you care what you could be doing to yourself by leaving hospital so early?"
she demanded.
"Of
course I…," Lee tried again.
"What
if I hadn't been here when you fainted? You could have damaged your arm
again," she scolded.
Lee
stood up, walked over to her and gently took
a hold of one of her hands. "But you were here, Amanda," he pointed
out quietly. He gazed into her eyes. "And I'm really glad about that,"
he added with a smile.
Amanda
stared at him and felt a warm flush creep up her face. "Well, I…I'm really
glad too," she whispered.
Lee
squeezed her hand and went to the door. "I have to go downstairs. I may
be a while," he looked at his watch. "I guess you'll be gone when I get
back." Amanda nodded. "I'll be in the van tonight so don't worry, OK?"
he said reassuringly.
"Oh
Lee, it's just dinner with Connie. He's harmless. What's there to worry
about?"
"Yeah,"
was all Lee replied before leaving.
As
he walked down the corridor, Lee recalled all too well how Conrad had pledged
his love for Amanda whilst she 'interrogated' him during the Mongoose case.
He hadn't liked it then and he hated it now. He knew that was why he'd
been so cold to her in the hospital when she'd agreed to the meet. He was
jealous. It was as simple as that, he acknowledged as he punched the button
for the elevator. The doors slid open and moving the coats aside he entered.
He had a horrible feeling that the dinner tonight was going to be the longest
stakeout in his entire life.
An
hour and a half later, Lee had given the description over to Donnelly and
was waiting with Billy in the Q-Bureau to see what came of the ID check.
He was still getting the odd dizzy spell and he shifted uncomfortably in
his chair as he tried to move his aching arm to a better position.
"Are
you feeling OK?" asked Billy, noticing Lee's pallor.
"Yeah.
Just a little tired," Lee replied.
"Well,
that's not surprising under the circumstances. That was a nasty accident,"
reminded Billy.
"I
know it," sighed Lee.
There
was a knock on the door and Francine entered carrying a large file. "Well,
we've found out who the mystery man was at ChemiMed."
"Who?"
asked Lee with interest.
"Trevor
Burgess." Francine handed him the file. "He runs a detective agency and
just listen to this. Although nothing was ever proved, he was the prime
suspect in a murder case only two years ago."
"Really,"
Lee commented, not surprised.
"Yeah,
the press was so bad at the time that people stopped coming to him with
work and he was forced to file for bankruptcy about a year ago."
"But
you said he still runs an agency. What happened?" asked Billy curiously.
"Well,
he managed to get himself a new partner," supplied Francine.
Lee
sighed heavily and shook his head. "Don't tell me. Conrad Barnhill, right?"
Francine
nodded.
Lee
gave a harsh laugh and tossed the file on the desk in disgust. "That's
just great, Burgess is working for Tremayne." He shook his head and sighed.
"Well, at least Amanda only has to have this one dinner with Barnhill.
There's no chance of her meeting Burgess that way. We can't take the risk
that he could recognise her from the cocktail party and make the connection
to me."
Billy
cleared his throat before giving Lee a small smile and getting up from
his seat.
At
the same time Francine picked up the file from the desk and headed towards
the door. "I'll just take this back downstairs," she mumbled.
Lee
watched them both suspiciously. "Hold it!" he called out sternly.
They
stopped and turned around.
"It
is
just one dinner, isn't it?" Lee asked apprehensively.
"Well…for
the moment, yes," hedged Billy. He glanced at Francine for support but
she looked away.
"What
do you mean 'for the moment'?" questioned Lee, getting angry.
Billy
sighed. "We've instructed Amanda to agree to see him again if he asks,"
he admitted.
"You've
done what?" exclaimed Lee standing up. "Well, you're going to tell
her not to agree now that you know about Burgess, right?"
When
Billy didn't answer straight away, Lee walked around the desk to him. "Burgess
is a killer, Billy," he bit out.
"We
have no evidence to back that up, Scarecrow," pointed out Billy calmly.
"As part of security he would have been at the cocktail party anyway and
seeing him in the corridor could have just been a coincidence."
"A
coincidence! Billy…." Lee began furiously.
Billy
ignored him and raising his voice continued, "Now, until we know otherwise,
Amanda has an assignment to carry out. I understand your concern but every
precaution will be taken to make sure everything runs smoothly and Amanda
is protected."
Lee
opened his mouth to argue again but Billy raised a hand to stop him. "I
haven't time to discuss this with you, Scarecrow." Billy opened the office
door and let Francine precede him out. Before following, he turned and
said, "Try to look on the bright side, Lee. Barnhill might not even ask
to see her again."
"Yeah,
right," replied Lee angrily. He watched Billy leave the room and sat back
down in his chair. He had a bad feeling about this.
*******************************
Burgess
walked angrily into his office and over to his desk. He'd just been to
This
wasn't in his plans. He was certain that the man was going to have to stay
there for at least a couple of weeks. His injuries had looked serious.
Now he had to find the guy quickly and make sure he finished the job properly
this time before Tremayne found out.
He
pulled a small piece of paper out from his pocket and sat down smiling
to himself. At least the nurse had been kind enough to give over a name.
Lee Stetson. He snorted derisively. What sort of a name was that?
Suddenly,
a loud crash jolted Burgess out of his reverie and he immediately jumped
to his feet. A couple of seconds later the door to the adjoining office
opened and his partner's head poked through.
"Sorry
about that, Trevor," apologised Conrad. "I didn't mean to startle you.
I just knocked the lamp off my desk," he explained sheepishly.
Burgess
gave Conrad an angry look and sat down again. He didn't want to deal with
his fool of a partner right now.
Taking
the hint, Conrad gave a small smile and disappeared from sight shutting
the door behind him.
Burgess
sighed in irritation. 'I'm going to have to arrange a little accident for
Barnhill soon', he thought, smiling to himself. His agency was secure again
now and he had no further need for him.
Picking
up the phone he dialled one of his contacts in the police department. "Hi
Tom, I have someone I want you to run a check on for me." He paused and
listened before resuming. "Thanks, the name's Stetson. Lee Stetson. I want
everything you've got including an address."
*******************************
Amanda
nervously attached the wire she had been given earlier and carefully put
on her dress. It was a midnight blue colour with a modest round neckline
and the skirt fell in soft folds to just below her knees. She stood in
front of her mirror and checked all around to make sure the wire didn't
show.
Glancing
at the clock, she noticed it was exactly seven-thirty. When Amanda had
told Dotty she was meeting Conrad that night, her mother had predictably
started to ask a lot of awkward questions. Not wanting to go through that
again, Amanda decided it would be best to just sit down on the bed and
patiently wait for the doorbell to ring. Thirty minutes later she finally
made her way downstairs.
"I
thought you'd had your watch fixed, Connie" commented Amanda as soon as
she opened the door to him.
"I
did and I'm sorry I'm late Amanda but I had some stuff to clear up at the
office first," he apologised quickly with a smile. Taking in her appearance,
his smile broadened."Wow, you…you
look beautiful."
Amanda
returned his smile and then spun around to call back into the house. "I'm
going now Mother. When the boys get back from Joe's make sure they don't
stay up too late."
"Alright
Amanda, goodbye, " Dotty called back brightly. She quickly made her way
out of the kitchen drying her hands on a towel. "Have a nice time….," she
began then stopped when she saw that the front door was shut and the hall
empty. "….dear."
Dotty
sighed then, shaking her head in resignation, muttered out loud, "It was
nice to have seen you again, Conrad."
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Lee,
Francine and fellow agent, Larry Bishop sat in a van a little way down
the street from Amanda's house and watched as Conrad rang the doorbell.
Larry was in control of the tapes and had set them recording as soon as
Conrad had come into sight.
"So
that's Conrad Barnhill," commented Francine, putting down the binoculars
she'd been using to get a closer look. She glanced sideways at Lee before
baiting him. "You didn't tell me he was so cute."
Lee
snorted derisively. "Cute?" He gestured towards the binoculars. "You know,
after all the training you've had, I'd have thought you would know how
to get those things into focus by now."
Amused
by Lee response, Francine picked up the binoculars and peered through them
again. "You know Lee, you're right," she agreed with exaggerated sweetness.
Taking the glasses away from her eyes, she turned to him and grinned before
goading, "Now I've had a clearer look I can see he's actually quite handsome."
"Oh
please," he muttered jealously, looking away.
Francine
turned her attention back to the couple across the street. "Oh, what a
perfect gentleman, Lee. He's escorting Amanda by the arm to his car and
opening the door for her," she told him in the same sweet tone.
Lee
sighed irritably as Francine continued her commentary. "He's helping her
in and now he's giving her a kiss on the cheek."
"What?!"
exclaimed Lee, looking up immediately.
"I
know what exactly you mean," responded Francine with a resigned sigh. "I'll
never understand what men see in her either."
Not
wanting to listen to Francine any longer, Lee got up and tapped Larry's
arm to get his attention."Put it
on the loudspeakers will you?" he asked gesturing to the tapes. Larry nodded,
took his headphones off and flipped a switch allowing the conversation
to be heard.
In
the car Amanda turned to Conrad. "So, where are we going?"
"Oh,
to a nice, cosy, little place I know," Conrad replied.
"Sounds
lovely," said Amanda. After a slight hesitation she pressed, "What's it
called?" She needed to let Lee and the other's know just in case they lost
them.
"Alberto's.
It's new. I hope you like it," he said anxiously.
"Oh,
I'm sure I will Connie," assured Amanda smiling at him.
He
smiled back and they set off on their journey. As they passed the van,
Francine quickly got into the driver's seat and started to follow, keeping
a reasonable distance between them.
Conrad
and Amanda made idle chat until they reached Alberto's about twenty minutes
later. Francine parked the van down the road, then got into the back to
listen to the conversation with Lee and Larry.
Over
dinner, Amanda and Conrad swapped stories about their families causing
Francine to lose interest back in the van. "These two are made for each
other," she said snidely. "How much more mundane can you get?"
"Be
quiet will you Francine," admonished Lee. "We might miss something."
"Yeah,
like which aunt's got the worst backache," she retorted.
Before
Lee could respond they heard Amanda broach the subject of Conrad's work.
"So, how's your job going?"
"Oh
fine, fine. We've already found a couple of people that have a shady past,"
replied Conrad proudly. "One of them was Mr. Tremayne's personal assistant
would you believe. I think they've sacked him because I haven't seen him
around lately. It's a shame because Mr. Lambert always seemed such a nice
guy, a little nervous maybe, but nice all the same."
In
the restaurant, Amanda nodded. "I've heard about the important research
they do there, it sounds fascinating."
"Oh
it is," agreed Conrad enthusiastically. "I've had a look around the labs
and they're really interesting."
"I
imagine they are," said Amanda smiling at him. She hesitated slightly before
continuing, hating to use him this way. "I'd love to see them myself."
Conrad
took the bait. "Really? Well, I could arrange it for you if you like?"
he offered.
"You
could?" asked Amanda in pretend surprise. "Well, that would be really,
very nice of you."
"I'd
do anything for you Amanda, you know that," replied Conrad fervently.
In
the van, Francine laughed. "Well, well, he sounds eager to please."
Lee's
mouth tightened as he tried to control his jealousy which seemed to be
getting worse every minute he sat there.
Back
in the restaurant Amanda was a little embarrassed. "Oh Connie, that's….thank
you."
Conrad
smiled shyly and took hold of Amanda's hand. "I was really pleased when
you called me today, Amanda."She
smiled and seeing her look, Conrad gathered courage and clasped her other
hand too. He took a deep breath. "And I want you to know that since the
last time we met I've never stopped thinking about you."
In
the van Lee couldn't keep quiet any longer. "Oh please, would you just
listen to this guy trying to come on to her," he said angrily. "I don't
know why he wastes his time. Amanda has never been interested in him."
"Well…I've
thought about…you too Connie," came Amanda's hesitant voice over the microphone.
Francine
looked at Lee and raised her eyebrows. "Yep, definitely doesn't sound like
she's interested to me," she commented sarcastically.
"She's
just playing her cover, Francine," the irate agent corrected harshly. This
was driving him crazy, he acknowledged miserably. Listening to Conrad saying
these things to the woman he loved was worse than he had imagined. A small,
malicious smile played on lips as he conjured up the image of him marching
into the restaurant and quite forcibly removing Conrad from Amanda's presence.
It was an image he wished he had played out when he heard the rest of their
conversation.
"You
have?" asked Conrad, the surprise evident in his voice. "Well, that's great.
You know I always thought there was something going on between you and
Lee."
Only
Lee noticed Amanda's slight pause before she answered. "Me and Lee? Oh
no, there's nothing between us. It's business, just business."
The
muscle in Lee's jaw tightened at the strong conviction she put into her
denial and he wondered fleetingly, if she had meant what she just said.
"Well,
I'm glad to hear you say that Amanda because I really want this to work,"
they heard Conrad inform her.
Francine
smirked at Lee but he pointedly ignored her.
"You
want what to work, Connie?" came back Amanda's confused voice.
"Us
of course!" he exclaimed.
"Us?
Conrad, I think we'd better talk about this," began Amanda, sounding worried.
"Amanda,
there's nothing to talk about. I still feel the same as I've always done."
Lee
felt his jealousy rise to bursting point. "I don't believe this is happening
again," he groaned unhappily.
Francine
shot him a puzzled look which rapidly turned to one of shock as they heard
Conrad take a deep breath and declare his feelings.
"I
love you Amanda King."
Sitting
in the restaurant, Amanda looked across at the earnest face of Conrad Barnhill
and sighed. Somehow she had known this was going to happen. Giving him
a small smile, she carefully pulled her hands from his grip and said, "Well,
thank you Conrad. And I want you to know that I love you too…."
Before
she could say anything else, Conrad interrupted her. "You do?" he exclaimed
in delight and grabbed hold of her hands again. "That's just great…"
Outside
in the van, Lee sat motionless as Amanda's reply slowly sank into his shocked
brain.
"Isn't
that nice," remarked Francine. "I think I can hear the sound of wedding
bells."
Unable
to stay in the van and listen any longer, Lee got up, opened the door and
jumped down onto the pavement. Hunching his shoulders, he put his free
hand in his pocket and walked a little way down the street.
"I
wonder what's the matter with him," commented Larry.
"Oh,
he's probably just getting some air," dismissed Francine.
In
the restaurant Amanda was trying to stop Conrad's excited chatter about
all the things they were going to do together. "Connie…..Connie…….CONRAD!"
He
stopped and looked adoringly at her, "Yes?"
Amanda
sighed heavily. "I meant, I love you as a friend, Connie," she explained
quietly. She removed her hands from his again and looked away. "I'm sorry."
Outside,
Francine gave a snort of disbelief, "What is the matter with that woman?
I mean, who is she waiting around for?"
Back
in the restaurant, Conrad was crushed. "A…a…friend?" he repeated unhappily.
He forced a smile. "Oh gosh, I feel such a fool."
"Oh,
come on now, Conrad, you're not a fool," she gently admonished. "You're
a very nice man and I'm flattered that you feel that way about me. It's
just that…," she faltered to a stop, not knowing how to finish
Conrad
gave her a small smile. "That's alright Amanda. I understand."
She
smiled back. "Look, it's getting awfully late and I really have to be up
early tomorrow. Do you mind if we go now?"
"Sure."
After
Conrad paid their bill, they exited the restaurant and got into his car.
Francine leaned out of the van and called for Lee. He hesitated a moment
before climbing back in and almost immediately asked Larry to turn the
speakers off. "I've got a bad headache," he lied, not wanting to hear any
more of the conversation. Larry obliged and they made their way back to
Amanda's house.
Conrad
walked Amanda to her door and they made arrangements to meet the next afternoon
so that he could show her around the labs at ChemiMed.
They were still friends after all, and he had promised.
He
gave her a quick peck on the cheek and she waved him off before entering
her house. In the van, Larry turned off the recorder and began to rewind
the tapes.
"Well,
that's another night over," said Francine. She turned to Lee. "I'll drop
Larry back at the Agency and give you a lift home."
Lee
looked longingly at Amanda's house. He really wanted to go over and talk
to her but he knew that he wouldn't be able to explain it to Francine.
"Thanks," he replied.
They
dropped Larry at the Agency and drove the short distance to Lee's apartment
in silence. Francine pulled up outside and turned to him. "You're very
quiet," she observed. "How are you feeling now?"
"I
ache all over," he admitted wearily. In truth, he wasn't quite sure what
was hurting the most, his physical pain or his emotional one.
Francine
gave him a sympathetic look then laughed. "You know, it's a shame you left
when you did. You should have heard Amanda telling Conrad that……"
"Francine,
please," broke in Lee forcibly. "I'm not interested, OK? I just want to
go and get some sleep."
"OK,"
she replied giving him a hurt look.
Lee
got out of the car and walked up the path to the door of the building.
Francine wound down her window and called after him, "Do you want a lift
in tomorrow morning?"
He
turned. "Yeah, thanks."
They
said their goodbyes and Lee went up to his apartment. He got undressed
and slipped the sling off his arm, flexing it slightly. It was still aching
but he hoped that it would be easier the next day.
Once
in bed, sleep was elusive. Even though his body was tired, Amanda's declaration
of love to Conrad kept repeating itself over and over in his head. He tried
to tell himself she was just playing her cover but he knew that Amanda
would never say anything like that unless she truly meant it. How could
he have been so wrong about her?
He'd
been so sure that Amanda felt the same way as he did. He turned onto his
side with a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, determined to put the torturous
thoughts out of his mind and get some sleep.
Ten
minutes later Lee angrily threw the covers off and got up. He'd never get
to sleep tonight after what happened. He padded into his kitchen and made
himself a cup of coffee before heading into the living room and sitting
down on the couch.
As
he sipped his drink his mind wandered back to all the times he'd pushed
Amanda away in the past. Hell, he'd even pushed her away that very morning.
He shook his head derisively. "You've got no one else to blame but yourself,
Stetson," he said aloud.
Wearily
he pushed his hand through his hair and put down his drink. He let his
head drop back and stared at the ceiling. It was going to be a long, long
night.
xxxxxxxxxxxx
Lee
was writing a report when Amanda entered the Q-Bureau early the next morning.
He'd had an unhappy, sleepless night but was determined to not let his
hurt feelings show. As far as he was concerned, Amanda had made her decision
and he was going to be just fine with it.
Unfortunately,
one glance at her radiant face had him clenching his jaw and looking back
down in an effort to contain his jealous anger.
"Good
morning, Lee," Amanda said brightly, with a smile.
"Hello,"
he mumbled back, not looking up.
She
walked over and perched on the corner of his desk. "I see your arm's out
of the sling. You must be feeling better today."
"Yeah."
He continued scribbling.
Amanda
frowned slightly at his mood, then tried again. "Well, that was quite a
night, last night, wasn't it?"
She
noticed him pause in his task and tighten his grip on the pen. He shot
her a disdainful glance, then looked back down. "Yeah, you and Barnhill
hit it off real well, didn't you?"
"Well,
of course," agreed Amanda. "We're good friends."
"Good
friends, Amanda?" Lee looked up at her, the rage evident in his eyes. "I'd
say it sounded a little more serious than that, wouldn't you?"
Determinedly
ignoring his look, she smiled. "Oh, you must be talking about what Connie
said to me."
Seeing
her smile made Lee want to hit something. He slammed down his pen instead.
"Yeah, among other things," he muttered bitterly.
Amanda
didn't like his tone. "Now look, I can't help how Connie feels about me,"
she told him, standing up. She placed her hands on her hips and glared
at him, her own temper starting to flare.
"Oh,
I know..." began Lee heatedly.
"And,
I think I made my own feelings very clear last night too," continued Amanda
angrily.
"That
you did, Amanda," agreed Lee, his voice rising as he also stood. He glowered
down at her. "Believe me, you were very, very, clear."
"Then
why are you angry?" she asked, refusing to be intimidated by him. "I thought
you'd be pleased."
"Pleased?"
shouted Lee in disbelief. "Why would I be pleased? I was under the impression
that you and I had agreed to see more of each other."
"We
have," cried Amanda in bewilderment. She frowned, not quite sure where
this was leading. "That's not going to change just because of what was
said."
"What?"
exclaimed Lee, aghast. He couldn't believe this was Amanda talking. It
appeared that she was intending to see both of them. His mouth tightened
as he tried to contain his fury. "Don't you think that's a little unfair
to Conrad?" he ground out sarcastically.
"No.
I told Connie exactly how I felt last night. My feelings for him will never
change," Amanda stated, her strong conviction evident in her voice.
"So,
you plan to see both of us then," verified Lee, outraged.
"Well
of course," confirmed Amanda. She couldn't understand why Lee would mind
her seeing a friend. "I'm surprised you even asked me a question like that."
Lee
had finally reached the boiling point. "You honestly think that I'm going
to stand by and watch you go out with Barnhill one night and me the next?"
he spluttered. "Or were you thinking more along the lines of having him
over for a cosy dinner and popping outside to see me in between courses?"
he added insultingly.
Amanda
looked at him in open-mouthed shock. "What is wrong with you?" she gasped
having no idea where all his anger had come from."Didn't
you hear what I said last night?"
"Yes
Amanda, I heard," he sneered. "I heard you loud and clear." He turned away,
unable to look at her any more. It hurt too much. "You said you loved him,"
he finished in a small hurt voice.
Amanda
stared at his back. She saw his head drop and heard him take a deep breath
as he ran his hand dejectedly through his hair. She frowned, feeling very
confused. He was acting like he hadn't heard the rest of the conversation.
Suddenly, her eyes widened as she remembered that Conrad had butted in
and stopped her from talking. What if Lee hadn't heard the rest of it?
She knew how jealous he got, maybe he'd turned the speakers off. That would
explain his irrational anger.
"Lee?"
She saw his back stiffen and his head snap back up. "Why don't you tell
me what else you heard me say to Connie last night?"
Lee
sighed, but still kept his back to her. "It doesn't matter Amanda," he
stated unevenly. "I heard the important part."
Amanda
sighed, then slowly walked over and stood in front of him. When he refused
to look at her, she reached out and put her hand under his chin, lifting
his head slowly until their eyes met.
"No
Lee, the important part was when I told Conrad that I loved him…as a friend,"
she informed him quietly, dropping her hand.
"What?"
he whispered, taken aback. "But…I thought…" He faltered to a stop, the
confusion showing in his eyes as he stared at her intently, desperately
wanting to believe it was true. She watched the play of emotions across
his face. Realisation, then embarrassment and finally remorse.
"Oh
Amanda," he sighed with a shake of his head. He took a couple of steps
back, cringing inwardly at the things he'd just said to her in the heat
of his temper. "I'm very sorry. When I heard what you said, I just saw
red and got out of the van," he explained apologetically.
"I
see," she said, staring at him, his words confirming her suspicions.
He
looked down, grimacing. "I just couldn't stand to hear any more," he admitted
in a low voice. He looked back up at her warmly. "Not when I…." He stopped
and looked back down, a warm flush creeping up his cheeks.
"Yes?"
prompted Amanda breathlessly.
He
raised his head. "Oh God Amanda, you’ll never know just what hell I put
myself through last night," he whispered in a tortured voice. "Every time
I tried to go to sleep, I kept hearing your voice telling Barnhill that
you loved him. Whenever I shut my eyes, I could see the two of you together.
I thought I'd lost you."
Amanda
quickly covered the distance he had put between them. She knew all too
well the night he'd had. Lord knows she'd had a few of them herself over
the years. Looking at him standing before her, so contrite and unhappy,
all she wanted to do was erase his pain.
Very
gently, she placed her hands on his chest and with tantalising slowness,
moved them up until both of her arms were locked around his neck. "Oh Lee,"
she sighed, smiling softly. "Don't you know yet, that you're never going
to lose me?"
Lee
hesitated slightly before sliding his hands around her waist and pulling
her even closer to him. "I'm not?" he asked quietly.
At
the slight shake of her head, his gaze roamed lovingly over her face until,
finally, their eyes locked He watched in fascination, as hers darkened
with desire until they were almost black. And the more they darkened, the
shallower her breathing became. He could almost reach out and touch the
air of anticipation that surrounded her.
With
excruciating slowness, he bent forward and gently kissed her forehead.
Amanda closed her eyes, her lips parting as her breath got caught in her
throat.
Lee
drew back to look at her again, then, unable to hold himself in check any
longer, he groaned and pushed his hand up into her hair, crushing her to
him. As his lips found hers, he closed his eyes, finally allowing his pent
up feelings a free rein. All his love and fears of the last couple of years
were poured into the almost painful kiss.
But
it was a kiss that Amanda exulted in. She matched his ardour with a passion
of her own. Her arms tightened around his neck, deepening the kiss, as
she strained to get even closer to him. She had waited a long time for
this moment, overcoming many obstacles along the way, but this one kiss
made it all worthwhile. The kiss that proved that he did care.
They
broke away, both a little out of breath, and smiled at each other. "I’ve
been wanting to do that for a long, long time," admitted Lee huskily.
"Then
why didn't you?" asked Amanda.
"I
wasn't sure how you'd react," he replied, gently brushing a strand of hair
from her cheek.
"And
now that you know?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows.
"Well,
I think it may become a bit of a habit." He grinned and bent to kiss her
again.
Before
he could achieve his goal, they were interrupted by the shrill ringing
of the telephone. Lee groaned in frustration. "Typical," he mumbled, reluctantly
releasing Amanda to answer it.
She
grinned and watched him pick up the receiver. His smile faded as he listened
to the person on the other end of the line. "OK, we'll be right down Billy."
"What
is it?" asked Amanda as Lee put the phone down.
"They
just pulled a body out of the Potomac," he informed her grimly. "He's been
identified as Philip Lambert."
"Lambert,"
repeated Amanda with a frown. "Where have I heard that name before?"
"It
was last night, Amanda. Barnhill told you that he thought that Lambert
had been given the sack because they'd found out he had a shady past."
Amanda
nodded as she remembered the conversation. Suddenly, her mouth dropped
open in dismay. "Gosh Lee, do you think he drowned himself because he was
found out?"
"I
don't think so Amanda," said Lee, holding the door open for her. "He was
shot in the chest at close range."
Conrad
entered his partner's office and looked around. Seeing it was empty, he
walked over to the desk and searched for a piece of paper to write a note
to him. Conrad was leaving to meet Amanda soon and he wanted to let Burgess
know where he was, in case something came up. Not that Burgess would tell
him if any new work came in, he never did.
As
he lifted a pile of folders, still looking for a pad, a piece of paper
fluttered out of one of them. With a tut,
Conrad bent down to retrieve it from the floor and slowly straightened
as he read what was upon it. It was Lee's name with, what Conrad supposed
was, his address underneath. 'Why would Trevor have Lee's address?' he
thought to himself, puzzled.
Just
then, he heard the sound of footsteps outside and hurriedly pushed the
paper back into a folder, shoving it haphazardly on top of the pile.
The
door opened and Conrad straightened, trying to adopt a look of innocence
as Burgess walked in. "What the hell are you doing in my office, Barnhill?"
Burgess snapped.
"Oh,
I was just going to leave you a note, Trevor," replied Conrad, with a forced
laugh. "I'm going over to ChemiMed this afternoon to show a friend around
the labs."
"So,
go," dismissed Burgess, sitting down in his seat. He grabbed the pile of
folders, pausing before opening the top one and looked up at Conrad, who
hadn't moved from his spot. "I said go," he growled, menacingly.
Not
wanting to be told again, Conrad left the room and went back to his own
office. He sat down at his desk, picked up the phone and began to dial.
Before finishing the number however, he put the receiver down and sighed.
'Maybe Trevor's helping out with a case,' he thought, still wondering about
Lee's address. 'That's probably why they were at the cocktail party. I
shouldn't get involved,' he decided, a little put out. He would have hoped
that Amanda at least, would have trusted him, that's what hurt the most.
Glancing
at his watch, he realised that in just another two hours he would be meeting
Amanda. Almost immediately, his hurt feelings were replaced by much warmer
ones, as he let his mind picture her face. Beaming happily at the thought
of spending time with her, he quickly forgot all about Burgess having Lee's
address and eagerly left the office. Even though he'd heard what Amanda
had said the previous night, he wasn't going to give up hope that maybe,
one day, she would change her mind.
******************************************
Back
at the Agency, Billy sat in his chair, listening intently to the taped
conversation from the previous night. They had just finished going over
the Lambert file and having found very little to go on, Billy had decided
to start Amanda's debriefing. Francine and Amanda sat opposite him, while
Lee leaned casually against the window which looked out over the bullpen.
When
the tape reached the part where Conrad professed his love and Amanda's
subsequent answer, Billy couldn't help but notice the warm look Amanda
and Lee exchanged. He wondered fleetingly, just how serious it was getting
between them and made a mental note to let them know sometime soon, that
as long as it didn't interfere with their jobs, he was happy for them.
Once
the tape finished, Billy turned it off and looked at Amanda with a smile.
"You handled the assignment well," he congratulated. "Good job."
"Thank
you Sir," she replied.
He
leaned back, looking over at Francine, who nodded and handed Amanda a file.
"This is all the information we have on Trevor Burgess, Conrad's partner.
We think he may have had something to do with Miller's death. Take a good
look at his picture and try to avoid him this afternoon if you can. He
may recognise you from the cocktail party and remember you were with Lee."
"Oh,
alright."
Amanda took the file and looked through it, scrutinising the picture of
Burgess.
"We
really need to find that disk, so see if you can find where they keep their
important documents," instructed Billy. "Look out for a guarded room."
"Or
a restricted area," added Francine.
"Yeah,
but don't try to get into them," warned Lee, sternly. "Somehow, I don't
think these guys would ask questions first."
Amanda's
eyes widened at his implication but Billy was quick to reassure her. "I'm
sure everything will be fine Amanda. Just be careful."
"Yes
Sir." She got up and handed the file back to Francine. "I'd better go and
get ready."
Lee
left the office with Amanda and they walked through the bullpen towards
the doors. Halfway across the room, a young woman carrying a stack of files
with a mug of coffee balancing on the top, ran straight into Lee. The mug
tipped over, causing the hot liquid to spill out and cascade down his shirt
and trousers.
Lee
gave a cry of surprised pain and stepped back, gingerly tugging at the
soaking shirt fabric, only to have it spring back and cling to his chest.
"Aghh," he moaned in disgust.
"Oh,
I'm SO sorry," exclaimed the woman, mortified. She set down the files on
a nearby desk and pulled a handkerchief from her pocket. Before Lee could
say or do anything, she began to vigorously dry him off. Amanda folded
her arms and watched them in wry amusement.
"Uh,
that's OK," said Lee, stepping back again and trying to catch the woman's
hands in an effort to get her to stop. "Really, there's no need…"
"This
is totally my fault," the woman said, ignoring his protestations and evading
his hands. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
Amanda's
amusement faded and her eyebrows furrowed in annoyance, as the woman started
to move lower. Deciding she'd seen enough, she reached out and snatched
the handkerchief from the woman's hands. "I think he's all dry now," she
said sweetly, holding out the damp cotton.
"Oh,
er, yes, of course," the woman stammered, going bright red and looking
from one to the other. With an embarrassed smile, she took the handkerchief,
picked up the files and walked off at a brisk pace.
Amanda
sighed and turned back to Lee, who couldn't contain his grin at her obvious
jealousy. Before she could bestow a suitably tart comment, a nearby secretary
called over to him. "Scarecrow, there's a call for you on line one."
Lee
walked over and picked up an extension. "Hello....that's great.......thank
you, bye."
Amanda
raised her eyebrows questioningly.
"That
was the garage, my car's ready," he informed her, taking hold of her arm
and leading her to the elevator. He pushed the button and the doors slid
back. They moved the clothes aside and entered.
"I
can drop you off there on my way home, if you like," offered Amanda, as
the elevator began to ascend.
"Well,
I need to go to my apartment and get changed first." Grimacing slightly,
he gestured at his clothing.
"That's
OK, I have time."
"You're
sure?"
"Yeah,
positive," she assured him.
That
agreed, they left the Agency and drove back to Lee's home. "I'll be five
minutes," he promised, getting out of the station wagon.
Amanda
nodded and watched him walk up to the main door of his building. She grinned
as he turned before going in and waved at her. She raised her hand back
and settled down to wait, letting her mind wander back to the kiss they'd
shared earlier. She still couldn't quite believe that it had happened.
After all this time, they were finally taking the next step and she just
hoped nothing was going to stop them.
Her
pleasant thoughts were interrupted when she noticed a beat up, old van,
pull over on the opposite side of the road. The door opened and Amanda
gasped as she saw Trevor Burgess get out. What was he doing here? Amanda
watched as he walked over to stand in front of Lee's building. Not wanting
to be observed, she sank down in her seat and noticed that, after a cursory
glance around, he entered Lee's building.
Amanda
waited until he was out of sight then got out of her car and followed him
in. As she entered the foyer, the elevator doors were just sliding shut.
Amanda trotted over to the stairs and began to climb them as quickly as
she could. She had no idea what she was going to do when she got there
but she just had to help Lee. She wasn't about to lose him now.
Lee
had changed clothes and was walking towards the door when there was a knock.
Thinking it was Amanda trying to hurry him up,
Lee opened the door with a ready smile on his face. "It's OK Aman…,"
he began, his smile fading as he recognised the man before him.
Lee
reached for his gun, but Burgess pulled one out first. "Nice and easy,"
he said, holding out his hand. Sighing, Lee handed over his weapon and
raised his hands.
Burgess
forced Lee back into his apartment and shut the door behind him. "You weren't
as injured in that crash as I thought," he commented in a disappointed
tone. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to worry about finishing you off."
"Well,
I'm sorry to be such an inconvenience," retorted Lee sarcastically.
"Don't
worry, you won't be for much longer," Burgess replied, confidently. He
raised the gun and aimed directly at Lee's head.
Lee
stared unflinchingly back at the man, desperately trying to think of something
to say or do to stall him. It couldn't end now, not when he had so much
to live for.
Just
then, there was a loud banging at the door and a woman's angry voice called
out, "Michael Sullivan, you open this door right now."
Lee
relaxed a little as he recognised Amanda's voice. Burgess gestured to him,
but Lee made no response at all. "You've got the wrong apartment, lady,"
Burgess shouted back, glaring angrily at Lee.
"Don't
you dare try that trick with me again, Michael," came Amanda's voice. "If
you won't open the door, perhaps this policeman I've brought with me can."
With
that, there was more banging on the door. Muttering an oath, Burgess turned
slightly and Lee seized his opportunity. Kicking out his leg, he knocked
the gun from Burgess' hand. Burgess swore again and turned wrathfully towards
him.
Lee
faced his adversary, who made a sudden dive for the discarded gun. When
he realised Burgess' intent, Lee ran over and just managed to kick it out
of his reach before he got there.
As
he turned back to Burgess, Lee underestimated the other man's quickness
and much to his surprise, was caught squarely on the jaw with a punch.
Stunned, Lee took a couple of steps back and raised his hand to wipe away,
what he knew from the taste in his mouth,
had to be blood. "Why you...," he growled, through gritted teeth. With
his right hand, Lee grabbed the man by his shirt and drew back his left
to deliver a devastating punch. The man's head snapped back and he slumped
into unconsciousness.
Shaking
his hand to ease the pain, Lee picked up the gun with his other and walked
over to the door, where Amanda was still calling and banging on it. He
opened it up and she stepped back, startled.
"It's
OK Amanda, he's out," explained Lee, standing back to let her in.
She
entered and looked at him in concern. "Are you alright?" Lee was about
to answer when Amanda noticed his lip. "No, you're not alright," she exclaimed,
horrified. "Look at your poor mouth." She pulled out a tissue and started
to dab gently at the already drying blood.
"Amanda,
I'm fine," Lee assured her, catching hold of her hand in order to stop
her. "He just re-opened the wound from the accident. It's no big deal.
It was a lucky punch," he added derisively.
"I
can see that," said Amanda, trying not to laugh. Lee grinned back as best
he could.
"How
did he get your address?" asked Amanda, as the thought suddenly materialised
in her head.
Lee
shrugged his shoulders. "From what I read in his file and considering his
job, he's bound to have a lot of contacts, Amanda. It wouldn't be that
hard once he had my name, which he more than likely got from going through
my wallet or possibly from some rookie nurse at the hospital."
Amanda
shivered slightly as she thought of what a close call Lee had had. He noticed
her tremble and seemingly able to read her mind, he wrapped his arms around
her, comfortingly. "Hey, thanks to you, I'm fine. You were just great,"
he praised.
She
looked up at him and smiled. Not one for passing up an opportunity, Lee
immediately pressed his lips to hers. Amanda moved into his embrace to
deepen the kiss but they were disturbed by the sound of a low groan behind
them.
Lee
reluctantly broke away from her, clearing his throat. "Look, I want to
have a little chat with our friend over there. Why don't you use the telephone
in the bedroom and call for back-up. Just give me about five minutes."
Still
flushed from their kiss, Amanda nodded, but before she could turn to go
Lee added, "Oh, and Amanda, when you come back in, just follow my lead
OK?"
"OK,"
she replied.
Once
she was out of sight, Lee walked over to Burgess and tapped his cheek until
he awoke. Realising Burgess was still groggy from the punch, Lee hauled
the man to his feet and roughly sat him down on the couch. Burgess shook
his head in an effort to clear it and upon seeing Lee, made to go for him
again.
"Uh-uh,"
said Lee, aiming his gun at him. He pulled back the safety. "Believe me,
I WILL use this." Burgess glared menacingly back at him but, seeing that
Lee remained unperturbed, he settled back against the couch and folded
his arms in a pathetic act of defiance.
"OK,
buddy, where's the disk?" asked Lee, getting straight to the point as usual.
"I
don't know what you're talking about," replied Burgess, dismissively.
"Oh,
come on," derided Lee. "I know it was you who chased me the other night."
Burgess
shifted uncomfortably in his seat but still didn't admit anything. "I told
you, I don't know what you're talking about," he denied, his voice rising
slightly.
"I
know you killed Miller," stated Lee, noticing a flush creep up the other
man's face. "And Lambert."
"I
didn't touch Lambert," Burgess blurted out indignantly. Seeing the satisfied
smile spread across Lee's face, Burgess realised what he'd said and paled.
"But
you did kill Miller, huh?" queried Lee.
Burgess
remained silent and Lee flicked a contemptuous glance over him before leaning
forward for emphasis. "You won't be so quiet when I get you back to the
Agency. By the time I've finished with you, you'll be begging to tell me
everything you know," he promised, smiling grimly.
Lee's
quiet threat was delivered in a voice as cold and hard as steel. Burgess
swallowed and looked away.
Amanda
came back into the room and Lee stood up, looking at her. He raised his
eyebrows in a silent question and Amanda nodded back, saying, "There are
two men in the area. They should be here in a couple of minutes."
"Good,"
he said, with a curt nod. He looked at his watch and sighed. "Well, you'd
better get going Amanda or you’re going to miss your meeting with Barnhill."
Burgess'
head snapped up and his mouth dropped open in shock. "B…Barnhill? C…Conrad
Barnhill?" he questioned, feeling his stomach drop.
"That's
right," confirmed Lee. "He's one of us."
"What?"
exclaimed Burgess. He couldn't believe this. Barnhill was a fool. A stupid
fool.
"Yeah,"
confirmed Amanda, quickly overcoming her own surprise at what Lee had just
said. She just hoped he knew what he was doing. She didn't want Conrad
to get into any trouble. "He's been keeping us informed all along."
Burgess
looked hard at Amanda for a moment and realised he recognised her from
the party. He'd seen her talking to Conrad just before he'd sought out
Miller. Groaning inwardly to himself, he also remembered having caught
Conrad in his office earlier. Looking from one to the other, he wondered
just how much they knew. He'd been very careful to make sure nothing incriminating
had ever been left out in the open.
Lee
watched Burgess closely, trying to see if he would break. He had hoped
that just mentioning Conrad would have been enough but, with a resigned
sigh, he knew as soon as he saw Burgess' face take on a resolute look,
that it was going to take more than that to get to him. There was a knock
at the door and Lee motioned for Amanda to answer it. She stood back and
allowed the two agents waiting outside to enter.
"Take
him back to the Agency," ordered Lee, "and watch him carefully."
The
two men handcuffed Burgess and took him away. Lee turned to Amanda and
ran his fingers through his hair. "Damn it, I thought he'd talk if we mentioned
Conrad's name," he moaned in frustration.
"So,
what will you do now?" asked Amanda. "Interrogate him?"
"Interview
him," said Lee absently, automatically correcting her. He turned away,
deep in thought and Amanda checked her watch.
"Well,
I'd better get going or I really will be late meeting Connie and getting
to the labs," she informed him, starting for the door.
"Wait
Amanda," said Lee, grabbing her arm. "I don't want you to go there with
him."
She
turned and looked at him in surprise. Thinking he was still jealous, she
smiled tenderly and reached a hand out, placing it against his cheek. "I
thought we'd already sorted this out," she chided softly. "You know how
I feel about Connie."
Lee
smiled briefly before sobering and taking hold of both her hands. "The
reason I don't want you to go to ChemiMed
with him Amanda, is because I want you to bring Conrad to the Agency,"
he admitted quietly. "I have a feeling that if Burgess actually sees him
with us, he'll break."
"But,
what if Burgess escapes? Connie would be in danger….," began Amanda worriedly,
not at all happy with Lee's idea.
"He
won't escape and there'll be no danger Amanda," Lee assured her, confidently.
"All Conrad will have to do is let Burgess see him and leave. What could
go wrong?"
Shaking
her head, Amanda gave him a rueful smile. "Connie pretending to be a spy.
You're right, what could go wrong?"
Amanda
contacted Conrad and arranged for him to come to the Agency. Unfortunately,
convincing him to 'help' them was proving harder than Lee had imagined.
"I
don't want to," exclaimed Conrad, shifting nervously in his chair. He was
sitting in the Q-Bureau with Amanda next to him on his left. Lee was sitting
on the edge of the desk to his right and Conrad was feeling distinctly
trapped.
Lee
smiled reassuringly and held up a blue folder. "I've already told you that
there's no danger Conrad. All the information you need for the interview
is in this file, so there's no need to worry."
"Not
for you," Conrad muttered unhappily, staring straight ahead of him.
Lee
sighed, slapped the folder back on the desk and looked to Amanda in mute
appeal. He'd been trying to convince Conrad to speak to Burgess for fifteen
minutes now and his patience was wearing very thin.
Amanda
nodded and gently placed her arm on Conrad's hand. "Connie," she began.
Conrad
jumped slightly at her touch and shut his eyes briefly as he heard Amanda
softly speak his name. 'This isn't fair,' he thought to himself glumly.
'Lee knows I can't say no to Amanda.' He heard her say his name again and
lost the fight to keep his eyes averted. He felt his face relax into a
smile. "Yes Amanda?" he replied.
Lee
got up and grinned to himself. He knew they'd won.
*****************************************
Burgess
sat in his chair and stared from the wall, to the guard by the door, to
the mirror and back to the wall again. He was getting edgy. He didn't believe
for one second that Conrad was a part of all this, he'd been doing the
job too long to get caught like that.
The
door opened and Burgess looked up. His mouth dropped open as Conrad sauntered
in and casually gestured for the guard to leave.
Once
they were alone, Conrad threw a red file on the table and sat down opposite
Burgess. "Your mouth is hanging open, Trevor. Surprised to see me?" he
asked, raising an eyebrow. Burgess shut his mouth and looked away.
Conrad
leaned back in his chair, pulled out a cigarette
from his pocket and lit it. Through narrowed eyes, he took a long drag
then released the smoke. His eyes started to water and he put his hand
to his mouth as a coughing fit overwhelmed his body.
Outside
the room, looking through the two-way mirror, Lee rolled his eyes. "Oh,
God," he said in a resigned tone. "This'll never work in a million years."
Amanda
looked at him sternly. "Oh, he's just trying to get into the role."
"He
could get 'into the role' simply by asking the questions I told him to,
Amanda," Lee pointed out, obviously irritated.
She
sighed and looked back through the window. Conrad had recovered, stubbed
the cigarette out and was now walking about the room.
Burgess
eyed him warily before asking scathingly, "What are you playing at Barnhill?
I know you're not a spy. The idea is just ridiculous."
Conrad
gave out a loud, false and very nervous laugh. "I agree. It's almost as
ridiculous as you saying that you didn't kill anyone."
"I
didn't," came the terse reply.
"Oh,
come on Trevor," the other man said, cajolingly. "You can tell me the truth.
I know all about the chemical deals Tremayne
has going. Miller passed on the disk with all the information and you killed
him. You then try to kill Stetson. Let's face it Trevor, you must see that
when someone else from ChemiMed turns up
dead, the obvious answer is that you did it."
Burgess
remained unmoved.
Conrad
picked up the file that was lying on the table and waved it in front of
Burgess' face. "We've found Miller's and Lambert's bodies, Trevor and thisis
the ballistics report." He opened up the file and took out the piece of
paper that was inside. "It makes for very interesting reading. It shows
conclusively that the bullets that killed Miller are from your gun. They're
still running a check on the ones from Lambert, but I think we both know
they'll say the same." He shut the file, then sat back down opposite his
partner and tried to gauge his reaction to this bit of information.
Burgess'
face visibly dropped as he realised he was caught, but he wasn't going
down alone. "Alright," he mumbled unhappily. "I'll admit I killed Miller,
but not Lambert. Tremayne took care of that
himself."
"Tremayne?"
repeated Conrad, he half stood, the shock evident on his face. Suddenly
remembering who he was supposed to be, he seated himself and leaned back
in his chair. Carefully schooling his features into a disinterested look,
he queried, more calmly this time, "So, it was Tremayne?"
"Yes."
Conrad
glanced at the mirror and widened his eyes expectantly. Outside, Lee turned
to Amanda in triumph. "I'll get Conners
in there to take down his statement. You go and get Barnhill out before
he says something he shouldn't."
She
nodded and Lee walked quickly off. Amanda entered the room with the guard
in tow and motioned for Conrad to leave. "Well, how did I do?" he asked
as soon as the door closed behind them.
"Oh,
you did great, Connie," said Amanda happily. She leaned forward and kissed
his cheek. "I'm so proud of you."
He
reddened and looked down in embarrassment. "Thanks. You know, I didn't
think that the ballistic report gag would work, but you were right." He
opened up the file and took out the piece of paper. With a smug smile,
he read what was on it - a list of stationery requisitions for the Q-Bureau.
"Who'd have thought he'd have fallen for the oldest trick in the book like
that."
They
both turned at the sound of footsteps and saw Lee and Conners
come around the corner. Lee told the older man which 'interview' room Burgess
was in and, after nodding a greeting at Amanda and Conrad, Conners
entered.
"So,
what do we do now?" asked Amanda, as they all started to walk back to the
Agency bullpen. Lee was one side of Conrad and Amanda the other.
"Well,
now we go and get Tremayne," Lee replied.
"How
do we do that? ChemiMed's security is excellent."
"It'll
be tough, but if we could get someone on the inside to help us out…."
Lee's
words hung in the air as they all stopped walking and the two agents both
looked at Conrad expectantly.
His
face took on a hunted look as he realised what they wanted. "Oh no! No,
no, no. I won't do it. Trying to get Trevor to talk was one thing, but
if you think I'm stupid enough to go back to ChemiMed
and help you get to Tremayne…." He paused
and looked at them pleadingly. "I mean the guy's a killer and…" He stopped
again as Lee nodded to Amanda and he felt her hand gently clasp on his
arm.
"Now,
Conrad," she began in a placating tone. He closed his eyes and groaned.
Not again.
Lee
grinned and slapped him on the back. "I knew you'd see it our way, Barnhill.
Let's go to Billy's office and figure out a plan."
An
hour after they'd got the information out of Burgess, Lee pulled into one
of the empty parking spaces just outside ChemiMed's main doors. Burgess
had told them that the last time he'd seen the disk, Tremayne had put it
into his desk in his office. All they had to do now was get in and retrieve
it.
Lee
turned to his two passengers. "You ready?" he asked, looking at first Amanda
then Conrad. They both nodded back and he grinned. "OK, lets do it."
They
all got out of the car and Conrad led them into ChemiMed's main foyer.
"This is Mr. Stedman and Ms. Keene of the National Pharmacy Association,"
he told the receptionist as he held up his ChemiMed pass. "They've come
for a tour of the laboratories."
With
a nod, the receptionist handed over two guest passes and asked Lee and
Amanda to sign the visitors' book. Once they'd signed, Conrad led them
to the lift and they made their way up to the labs.
"Tremayne's
office is through the labs, then the second door on the left," Conrad informed
them.
"OK,
show us around then I'll make some excuse and we'll search the office for
the disk," said Lee.
They
entered the labs and put on the white coats that were to the side of the
door. Conrad introduced them to one of the technicians who then started
explaining the type of work he did as he led them around the room.
As
they neared a set of double doors, Lee looked over at Conrad, who nodded.
Taking his cue, Lee started coughing violently.
"Oh,
Mr. Stedman, are you alright?" asked Amanda in fake concern.
Lee
shook his head and pointed to his throat. "Water," he gasped.
Amanda
turned to Conrad with a horrified expression on her face. "I think he's
choking."
"Don't
worry, I'll take him to get a drink."
Conrad
grabbed Lee, ushered him through the doors and into the corridor beyond.
Amanda turned back to the technician and smiled awkwardly. "Shall we continue?
I'm sure they'll catch up with us."
The
technician looked uncertain for a moment, then nodded his agreement and
carried on with the tour.
In
the corridor, the two men approached Tremayne's office cautiously. Getting
no response after knocking on the door, Lee said to Conrad, "OK, you keep
a lookout and I'll check the room."
He
entered the office and glanced around. Seeing the desk, he walked over
and tried the drawers. Searching through them, he came across one that
had a false bottom. A wide grin appeared on his face as he pulled out the
disk he'd been handed a couple of days earlier and pocketed it. The smile
faded however, when the door to the office suddenly swung open and Conrad
walked in.
"Quick,
someone's coming!"
Lee
ran for the door but he was too late. Groaning, he came to a halt as he
saw a young man appear at Conrad's shoulder.
"What's
going on in here, Barnhill?" demanded the stranger.
Before
Conrad could answer, Lee pulled out his gun and pointed it at them. "Just
come in gentlemen and shut the door behind you. Quietly."
Both
men's eyes widened but they did as they were told.
"You!
Come here!" Lee gestured to Conrad who walked slowly forward. As soon as
he was near enough, Lee grabbed him and made a show of frisking him. "Grab
hold of my arm and pretend you're fighting me," instructed Lee in a low
voice.
Conrad
gave a slight nod and went to go for Lee's right arm.
"Not
that one," Lee hissed, rolling his eyes. He moved his left arm. " The one
holding the gun."
Understanding
dawned and Conrad suddenly lunged. They began to struggle and Conrad called
out for the other man to help him. As the young man jumped to obey, Conrad
let go of Lee's arm and stood back allowing the agent to land a punch to
the incoming man's stomach. As the man bent over in pain, Lee provided
an uppercut that sent him sprawling.
Conrad
went over to the prone figure. "Wow, that was great. He's out cold."
"Good,
then we'd better go before he wakes up. I've got the disk, so let's find
Amanda and get out of here."
Lee
opened the door and peeked out. The hallway was clear. Straightening his
tie, he nodded to Conrad and they left the office.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Amanda
was getting worried as they neared the end of the tour.She
had thought that Lee and Conrad would've been back by now. As she glanced
around, her eyes stopped on a figure not four feet away from her. She drew
in a sharp breath as she realized it was Tremayne.Just
as she was about to look away, he turned his head and caught sight of her.
His eyes narrowed and then widened in recognition. Trying to remain calm,
Amanda smiled as he walked over.
"It's
alright,
"Yes
Sir."
Amanda
looked longingly after the retreating figure and then glanced nervously
around hoping to catch sight of either Lee or Conrad.
"There's
no-one to help you," Tremayne informed her coldly. He moved his jacket
aside slightly. Amanda's eyes widened at the brief view of the gun he had
in a holster. "Just come with me and don't make a scene." He took hold
of her arm and led her out of the lab.
At
the other end of the room, Lee and Conrad came through the double doors
and looked around for Amanda. Realising she wasn't in the lab, Lee spotted
"Excuse
me," Lee said, tapping the man on the arm.
"Yes,
thanks, a drink of water did the trick."
"Oh,
good. Did you want me to show you what you missed?" the technician asked
helpfully.
"Uh..maybe
some other time,” Lee replied evasively.“Ms.
Keene and I need to get back to the office. Do you know where she is?"
"Yeah,
she's with Mr. Tremayne."
"What?!"
Lee almost shouted. Pulling himself together, he asked in a calmer voice,
"Where did they go?"
"Well,
I think he's going to show her the test laboratories. They went through
there and that's where the corridor leads,"
"Test
laboratories?" repeated Lee in concern.
"Yes,
they either turn the chemicals into gas or leave it in liquid form. Then
it's tested out on rats and mice to find out the effects."
Lee's
stomach knotted as he realised what Tremayne had planned for Amanda. Turning
to Conrad, he pulled the disk out of his pocket and shoved it into his
hands. "Here, take this and go call Billy straight away," Lee commanded
urgently. "Get the back-up teams here now and make sure that Billy gets
that disk. I'm going after Amanda."
Before
Conrad had time to respond, Lee was out of the room and running down the
corridor, gun in hand. Rounding a corner, he slowed to a stop and began
to move cautiously towards the four doors he saw in front of him.
The
first two he tried revealed empty rooms. On opening the third door, he
saw Amanda sitting tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth. Glancing around,
he saw that the room was large with white walls and the ceiling had six
small vents in it. Lee stood still in the doorway and called out to her.
She looked over, caught sight of him and her eyes widened. Immediately,
she began to shake her head in warning.
Unfortunetly
it was too late. Before Lee could turn around he felt the barrel of a gun
shoved into his back. "Drop the gun and put your hands up," came Tremayne's
voice.
Lee
shot Amanda an apologetic look before letting his gun fall to the floor
and raising his arms. Out the corner of his eye he saw Tremayne bend down
to retrieve it. Just as the other man was about to touch the gun, Lee kicked
out his foot and the weapon slid to the other side of the room. Thinking
he'd surprised Tremayne with his move, Lee spun around with a fist raised,
ready to strike. He soon realised that he'd underestimated the other man
when a gun was levelled with his face.
"Nice
try son," patronised Tremayne and gestured towards Amanda. "Now get over
there with your girlfriend."
Lee
backed up slowly. Tremayne exited the room, pulling the door closed behind
him. Lee rushed over as the door slammed shut with a clang, but soon realised
there wasn't any handle on their side.
"Damn,"
cursed Lee before going to Amanda and untying the gag. "Are you alright?"
he asked worriedly as he loosened the rest of her bonds.
"Yes,
I'm fine."
"Good,"
breathed Lee, drawing her into a fierce embrace. After a couple of seconds,
he released her and picked up his gun. "Now let's see about getting out
of here."
Lee
turned back to the door. He sighed heavily as he ran his fingers around
the rim. "It looks like it's sealed." He banged his fist repeatedly against
the metal and yelled out for help.
"No
one can hear you, son," Tremayne's voice echoed around the room. "The room
is soundproofed."
Lee
and Amanda looked about trying to locate the source of the voice. Suddenly
the wall to the left of them lifted to reveal a glass partition. On the
other side of the window Tremayne sat at a small computer console. Lee
immediately took aim with his gun and fired off four shots. The partition
remained untouched.
"We
have the glass especially made," Tremayne chuckled. "Some of the larger
animals get quite agitated when we run our tests on them."
"Just
let us go Tremayne. We have the disk and our people are surrounding the
building as we speak; you won't get away," Lee informed him angrily.
"Maybe
not, but then again, you won't either," Tremayne retorted coldly. He pressed
a button with his left hand. A loud clunking noise was heard from the door
as the locks engaged Tremayne smiled and pressed another button, causing
a hissing noise to begin.
Looking
up in alarm, Amanda saw blue smoke start to appear from the vents overhead.
Putting one hand over her mouth, she reached out and grabbed Lee's arm
with the other. "Gas," she shouted fearfully and started to cough.
Already
coughing himself, Lee's stomach churned as the smoke slowly floated down
from the ceiling. He desperately looked around the room trying to find
something to help them escape.
Tremayne
watched the two agents' discomfort with satisfaction and got up to leave.
As much as he would have liked to stay and watch their demise he knew he
had to get out fast. As he stood up, the door behind him suddenly burst
open and Conrad walked in.
"What
the hell do you want?" growled Tremayne.
With
a sharp intake of breath, Conrad looked past the man to his two friends
choking on the gas in the lab behind. Realising the situation, he lunged
forward and slammed his hand down on one of the many buttons on the console.
Tremayne
let out an angry yell and pulled out his gun. Conrad spun around and grabbed
the other man's arm before he could take aim and they began to struggle.
Teeth clenched, Conrad held on to Tremayne's arm. They fell against the
console, pushing more buttons as their fight continued.
Finally,
Conrad managed to knock the gun from Tremayne's hand. He then landed a
punch that sent him staggering back. He tripped over a chair and fell heavily
to the floor, hitting his head on the way. He was out cold.
Breathing
hard from the exertion, Conrad looked through the glass to see if Amanda
and Lee were alright. They stood huddled together, but the gas seem to
have cleared.
"Are
you both OK?" asked Conrad over the intercom.
Lee
walked over to the glass with his arm still firmly around Amanda. "Yeah,
fine," Lee said, his voice hoarse. "When you were fighting you must have
pushed the button that stopped the gas. Thanks."
"Yes,
Connie, you did a wonderful job," added Amanda, her voice as affected as
Lee's. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thanks
Amanda, I'm glad I was here to help...."
"Look
Barnhill, can you just open the door now?" asked Lee, coming to the end
of his patience.
"Oh,
of course," Conrad exclaimed, going red. He bent his head and looked at
the display in front of him. "I think it's this one," he commented before
pressing on a button. He looked up expecting to hear the doors unlocking
but was horrified to see that he'd set the fire sprinklers going.
"Oh....um...uh...,"
stammered Conrad, frantically pressing more buttons until he heard the
clunk of the locks and looked up at them smiling. "There you go. Stay right
there and I'll come round and open it up."
As
he disappeared from view, Lee turned to Amanda. Her arms were crossed,
her hair was plastered to her head and her clothes were dripping. Lee couldn't
help but chuckle knowing he looked pretty much the same. Taking her in
his arms, he said, "You know you were right, Amanda."
She
looked up at him puzzled. "About what ?"
He
kissed the tip of her nose and grinned. "With Conrad pretending to be a
spy, what could possibly go wrong?"
Two
hours later, Lee and Amanda were in fresh, dry clothes and back at the
Agency where Billy filled them in on the last few details.
"That
guy you knocked out in Tremayne's office
is called Joseph Randall," Billy explained. "He was there when Tremayne
killed Lambert so we've got Tremayne for
murder along with treason and fraud. And that disk was a goldmine by the
way. It gave us names and addresses for his contacts both here and overseas.
The man hasn't got a leg to stand on; he's going down for good."
Both
Lee and Amanda were voicing their pleasure at this news when there was
a knock at the door.
"Come
in," called out Billy. The door opened and Conrad entered looking a little
sheepish.
"Ah,
Mr. Barnhill, please have a seat," offered Billy.
"Oh,
no, thank you. I just wanted to say goodbye as I'm leaving now," replied
Conrad his gaze going to Amanda.
"Well,
goodbye Mr. Barnhill and thanks for all your help. If you hadn't stopped
that gas when you did I'd have had two dead agents on my hands. You did
a good job," praised Billy, shaking his hand.
"Yeah,
thanks Conrad." Lee stood and shook hands as well.
Conrad
turned to Amanda. "Come on, I'll walk you to the elevator," she said, putting
her arm through his.
They
left the room, walked slowly through the bullpen, out into the corridor
and came to halt by the metal sliding doors. Taking both his hands in hers,
Amanda smiled up at him. "It's been lovely to see you again Connie. What
are you going to do now though?"
Conrad
squeezed her hands and smiled back. "Well, I can't keep the business going
on my own so I need to try and get another partner. A friend in
"I
hope they help you out. I'll miss you when you're gone," said Amanda sincerely
and leant forward to kiss his cheek.
Lee
watched them from the door to the bullpen and gritted his teeth in annoyance
as he saw Amanda kiss Conrad. His jealousy where this woman was concerned
amazed him. Wanting to break up their cosy chat, Lee walked determinedly
over but the elevator arrived before he could reach them. With a final
wave Conrad got in and the doors slid shut behind him.
Amanda
turned and waited for Lee to come to a halt by her side. "You two seemed
to have a lot to say to each other," he began casually.
"Yeah,"
Amanda agreed on a wistful sigh before pressing for the elevator again.
"I
thought you'd said everything there was to say the other night," pressed
Lee.
The
doors opened and they got in. Amanda pushed the button for their floor
then shrugged, "Well, Connie just said he was going to try and do something
about the business."
"I
see."
"He'd
like to carry on with his security agency but it'd be hard for him to do
on his own," she explained.
"Uh-huh."
"So,
then he asked if I wanted to be his partner," Amanda added nonchalantly
as the doors opened and she got out.
"He
what?!"
exclaimed Lee, too stunned to move for a moment.
Mrs.Marsten
looked over at him. "I believe this is your floor, Mr. Stetson," she advised
calmly.
Realising
that he was still standing in the elevator and that Amanda had already
left, Lee roused himself and ran up the stairs to the Q-Bureau. Amanda
had left the door open and was waiting for him in front of her desk. He
walked in and shut the door, then took her in his arms.
"I
hope you didn't let Barnhill down 'too' softly," Lee said grimly.
"Who
said I let him down?" she asked mischievously and immediately relented
when she saw the surprise on his face. Wrapping her arms around his neck,
she whispered, "Don't worry, I told Connie I that I already have a partner
and that it's not just at work. It's forever."
Warmth
flooded through Lee's body at her quietly spoken words and he smiled happily.
"Forever," he repeated and sealed his vow with a kiss.
THE
END
NOTE:
I'd like to thank my beta reader's for all their help. Thanks guys.
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