Prologue...
 
 

Tuesday Morning: March 24, 1998 - 9:48AM
 

“Lee,” Carly called out to her boss as she walked into his office at Oz Security.  “This just came for you by FedEx.  I opened it up, but the envelope inside is sealed.  It’s marked ‘PERSONAL and CONFIDENTIAL’ in rather big and bold, black magic marker.  I’m not sure what it is, but I thought you might want to open it.”

Looking up from his computer, Lee Stetson raised a curious eyebrow.  “Who’s it from?”

Glancing at the FedEx package it came in, she answered with a shrug.  “Some woman named, Amanda King from Arlington, Virginia.”

Reaching out for the envelope, Lee nodded.  “Thanks, Carly, I’ll open it.”
 
 

*** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
 

Part One
 

Later that same day, Lee knocked on the door.  After a few moments, it cracked open and Amanda peered out at him.  She nervously glanced past him, down the hallway.

“Lee, please come in!” she greeted cheerfully.  When he stepped inside, she closed and locked the door quickly.  Leaning back against the door, she looked very relieved.  “I wasn’t sure you’d come.”

“I took the first flight I could get out of New York,” Lee commented in a reassuring voice.

For a few moments, there was an uncomfortable silence between the two ex-partners.   “No kiss hello for your estranged wife?” Amanda asked, disappointedly.

“I couldn’t promise I would stop at a kiss.”

The corners of her lips turned up in an appreciative smile.  “Does that mean you’ve finally forgiven me?”

“It’s long overdue, don’t you think?”

“I don’t blame you for hating me,” she whispered, staring down at the floor.

“I’ve never hated you,” he answered somberly, remembering what had happened that cold November morning, back in 1996.  It had created a huge rift in their marriage.  It was the direct cause of what had turned out to be a long-lasting separation.   “We can’t change the past no matter how much we want to.”

Amanda nodded and forced out in a sad voice, “Yeah, I know.”

Lee gazed at her intently, wanting answers to why she’d summoned him with the enigmatic note.  Only no explanation was forthcoming.  The stony silence that had plagued their relationship for over a year now, still beleaguered them.

Finally, he pulled the letter from his pocket, and asked her.  “You want to explain your cryptic note?”

“You mean it wasn’t self-explanatory?” she forced out an uneasy laugh.

“I figured out where to find you,” he started, knowing it was here, at the Inn that they’d spent their wedding night, starting their life together.  “But, ‘I need your help - 2/13/87,  Amanda,’  didn’t exactly explain what the problem is.  Tell me, what’s going on?”

Turning away from him, she walked towards the window, and glanced out at the idyllic Virginia countryside.   The flowers were starting to bloom, the birds were returning from their southern migration.  Finally, she spoke.  “I’ll pay your standard rates.  Whatever it costs…”

“Unless you’re playing footsie with the Russians, we both know you can’t afford my standard rates.”

“I’ll mortgage the house if I have to.  I need your help.  You’re the only one I can trust,” she replied, attempting to mask the fear in her voice.

Lee knew her too well and could hear the strain.  “Amanda,” he said, placing his hand on her shoulder and turning her towards him.  His eyes stared deep into hers.  “What’s wrong?”

“I wish I knew,” she shrugged, her voice cracking, as she fought back tears.  “Everything was fine.  Mostly, I’ve been doing security reviews, nothing exciting; definitely nothing to warrant what’s happening…” she stopped, wiped her eyes, and shook her head.  “The next thing I knew, Internal Affairs was poking around and they gave me… a letter.”

“Limiting your security clearance?”

She nodded.  “I was stunned.  I’ve worked for the Agency for over ten years now, and suddenly they think I’m a security risk?” Her voice cracked again.  “It was too bizarre, but it didn’t stop there.  I tried to do some digging, but my security clearance was cut so low, I couldn’t even start to investigate.  Scuttlebutt in the office suggested I was about to be scooched.  I didn’t want to believe it, but then I got a call from Leatherneck.  He warned me that I wasn’t going to be scooched, but arrested.”

Lee’s eyes opened wide and his face paled at the facts.  “What’s your status now?”

“Technically, I’m a runner.  They’ve got trappers out for me.  There’s a warrant out for my arrest,” she swallowed hard and closed her eyes, trying to compose herself.  Taking a deep breath, she continued.  “I’m trying to find a lawyer, but with Joe gone, I don’t have anyone to ask for a referral.  You already pointed out how limited my finances are.  I want to invest my available funds wisely, and my best chance of proving my innocence, is you,” she whispered, hoarsely.

A small smile crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced with a frown.  “What’s the charge?”

“Treason.”

“Worry about the lawyer fees,” Lee said immediately.  “My services will be pro bono.”

Shaking her head, she refused.  “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“I don’t remember you asking.”

“I don’t want charity.”

“You are the most stubborn woman I have ever met!” he replied slowly, clenching his jaw; his muscle twitched angrily.  “All right, how about I’ll bill you at cost?  Certainly, even you can you live with that?”

She nodded approvingly.  “Thanks, Lee, I really appreciate it.”

“Amanda, you’ve helped me out more than once when I’ve been in a bind.  You never took a dime.  Call it a payback for that.”

Taking a deep breath, she continued.  “I’m going to turn myself in, but I doubt I can afford to bond out, or if they’ll even set bail.  I wanted to talk to you beforehand – privately – without the worry of eyes and ears.”

“Don’t turn yourself in, Amanda.  I can help you go underground until I get to the bottom of this – whatever this is.”

Shaking her head, she argued.  “Lee, you run a high-profile security business.  If I go underground, sooner or later they’ll figure out who’s helping me, and they’ll go after you.  You could lose your business.  Aiding and abetting is a felony.”

“Really?” he commented with a raised eyebrow.  “So was breaking into the Post Office, but I remember you helped me do that a long time ago.”

She smiled fleetingly at the long ago memory.  “At the very least, they could go after your business license.  You can’t operate without it.”

“Hell, Amanda, let them try,” Lee snapped, running his hand through his hair.  “I’m nothing more than a high-priced detective.  Let them go after my license.  It’ll give my New York attorney something fun to do for a change.  I might need your input.  If you’re locked up, that’s going to be difficult.”

“Lee, I’m really scared,” she admitted.

He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.  “I know you are.  We both know you wouldn’t have asked for my help otherwise.”

“I had no where else to turn.  Leatherneck and Francine can’t help me without risking their own jobs.”

“I’m not complaining, Amanda.  Damn it, don’t you know I still care about you?  This is not what I wanted for us…”

The room was bathed in silence until Amanda spoke.  “I’m really sorry for what happened that day.  I have no one but myself to blame, Lee,” her voice faded as she pulled away from him and stood near the window.  “I should have waited for backup to get there…only there wasn’t time; you didn’t hear the desperation in Billy’s voice.  I was his only chance…”

“I know, but it cost you, us, so much,” he replied at the bitter memory, his voice sounding hurt and distant.  “That bastard shot you twice, tossed you down an embankment, and left you for dead.  I still don’t know how you found the strength to crawl back up.”

“You knew what I was fighting for.  A mother finds strength from within when she needs it.  I didn’t want to die.  I didn’t want…” Turning away, she grabbed the windowsill for support, and gasped for breath.  It was a few moments later before she continued.  “Maybe a trip down memory lane isn’t the best thing right now.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” he answered, not being able to look at her.  In a strained voice, he suggested, “Let’s get back to business.  How long have you been here and how did you get here?”

“I got here last night.  I took a bus from the Metro, a taxi from the bus station.  It was dark; as long as they don’t plaster my face on America’s Most Wanted, I doubt anyone around here will know I’m a fugitive.”

“You’ve been paying with cash?”

“Yes, Scarecrow,” she answered, rolling her eyes.  “I’m not a rookie.  I’ve done this for a while now.  I’m registered as Amanda West.  I’ve got an old ID to match.  It’ll take a while for them to find me.”

“Good.  I’ll need a list of the cases you’ve worked on; for starters, let’s go with the last six month…”

Amanda went over to her purse, and pulled out a disk.  “Already done, like I said, mostly security reviews, some spring cleaning, none of it was highly classified.  The majority of my time is spent working with the freshman class, so it’s low-level stuff.  Beaman acts as if he’s a dictator.  I do most of the work with them now.”

“Does he have a personal vendetta against you?” Lee suggested, hoping for a lead.

She had to laugh.  “Oh my gosh, no!  Without me, he’d actually have to work.”

“OK, we can probably rule out Beaman.  What about someone else at the Agency you’ve had problems with?” he pressed.

“Not really.”

“Not really isn’t no,” Lee argued pacing with frustration.  “Amanda, you’re being charged with treason.  Now is not the time to consider other people’s feelings.  If someone’s got it in for you, I’d like to know now, before you’re sentenced to life!”

She swallowed hard at the thought.  “All right, there is one freshman candidate I really don’t like.  Casper, spelled like the ghost, last name is Conrad.  He gets his assignments done, but usually late despite always cutting corners.  I’ve spoken to him about it a couple of times, but each time, Beaman’s overruled me.  He’s arrogant, you know the type, an over confident know it all.”

“That’s not much to go on.  Anyone else?”

“There’s a new guy in polygraph, he… um, sort of follows me around…”

“He’s stalking you?” Lee surmised.

“No, not exactly,” she replied, scrunching up her nose.  “Actually, he keeps asking me out.  I’ve turned him down, of course.  I tried to explain I was married, but…”

“He’s been told I’m out of the picture,” Lee finished for her, the muscle in his jaw twitching in anger, as pangs of jealousy coursed through his veins.  “Who is he?”

“His name is Sam Lieberman.   He’s a nice enough guy, but he doesn’t seem to get the message.  I really doubt he’d do something like this.”

“I’ll look into him just the same.  Is that it?”

Nodding her head, she shrugged her shoulders in despair.  “Lee, you know me.  I’m not that hard to get along with.”

“I want you to stay here tonight.  I’ll go back to DC and see if I can speak with Leatherneck, maybe Francine, and any of my contacts around town.  See what they’ve heard.  Do you have your cell phone with you?”

“Yes, in my purse, but I haven’t used it.”

“Give it to me.   I’ll dispose of it when I’m back in DC.  I’ll pick you up another cell phone.  No calls to anyone you know, not your mother, the boys, nobody.  Do you understand?” he asked solemnly.

She nodded, tears clouding her eyes.  “I already feel so isolated.”

“Amanda, it’s going to be all right.   I’ll be back late tonight, I promise,” he assured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.  “Tomorrow, we’ll move you somewhere a little more spacious.  I have a place in mind.”  Glancing around the room, he commented.  “This was a good place to come, Amanda.  You knew I’d find you here, but no one else would know about it.”

Tears flowed down her cheeks, and she choked out.  “I have such wonderful memories of this place, Lee.  Coming here, I felt like everything would be all right; even if it was for a few last nights of freedom.”

“We both know you’re innocent, and we’re going to prove it,” he replied, tenderly brushing away her tears with his fingers.   “Remember, this is no job…”

“For a pessimist,” they both finished the words together.

Lee leaned down, captured her lips, and gave her a brief kiss.  “I still care about you, Amanda Stetson.”

With that said, he slipped out of the room, pausing in the hallway only for a moment until he heard her lock the door behind him.

End Part One
 
 
 
 

Second Chances
 

Part Two
 

Lee Stetson sat in a darkened corner of the bar. With his beer half-finished, and his eyes trained on the door, he was beginning to wonder if Francine had reconsidered meeting with him.  She was late, which wasn’t unusual for Francine, but she sounded reluctant to meet him.  Then, the slender, blonde agent came into the room, scanning for his location.
 

She sat down in the booth quickly, nodding at him.  “I wondered when you would show up.  I see it’s sooner rather than later.”
 

“It’s good to see you, too, Francine,” Lee mocked.
 

“Half of DC is searching for her, and you’ve already seen her; haven’t you?” she pressed.
 

With a raised eyebrow, he asked.  “You really don’t expect me to answer that; do you?”
 

“Glass of white wine,” Francine ordered when the waitress came by the table.  When the waitress left, Francine commented.  “I wasn’t sure you’d come this time, considering…”
 

Lee squared his jaw.  “Considering what?”
 

Rolling her eyes, she shook her head at him.  “Your relationship with Amanda has baffled me from the start.”
 

Lee took another swig of his beer before answering.  “It’s complex to say the least.  We still care about each other.”
 

“Do you?” she challenged.  “Are you two still married?”
 

“Yes and yes,” he answered, rubbing his brow.
 

“I notice you’re no longer wearing your wedding band,” she observed.
 

Removing his left hand from the table, he quickly changed the subject, not wanting to delve into the personal details that caused his marriage to derail.  “What can you tell me?”
 

The waitress served Francine her glass of wine; she sipped at it before answering.  “Scarecrow, I can’t tell you a damned thing and you know it.  They’ve charged her with treason.  They’ve got trappers all over town searching for her.”
 

“Then I guess there’s nothing to talk about.  Nice seeing you again…”  Lee chugged the remainder of his beer and started to get up.
 

“Scarecrow, wait…” Francine grabbed his arm.
 

Lee turned to her and leaned down, menacingly close.  The expression on his face was deadly serious, his tone equally so.  “Francine, she’s in trouble, and I am going to get to the bottom of this.  If you help me, I promise you, I’ll make it worth your while, but I don’t have time to play games.”
 

“I’ll do what I can, but not here,” her eyes shifted around the bar, never moving her head.  “At the moment, there are too many ears around and we’re both being watched.  We need to lose our company.  Any ideas?”
 

“Meet me at my parent’s place,” Lee whispered.  “Just before dark.”
 

For a moment, Francine’s face went blank; then slowly, she comprehended what he meant.  “Lovely.”
 

With a subtle wink, Lee barked at her, “Thanks for nothing, Francine.”  Tossing a few bills on the table, he stormed off, hoping those watching and listening enjoyed his performance.
 

***
 

Lee placed flowers at his parent’s gravestone and looked around the well-manicured cemetery.  It had been a long time since he’d been here.  Remembering the time Amanda showed up with flowers from her garden, made him smile.  Tonight, that seemed several lifetimes ago.  It was almost dark, and soon he spotted headlights from a sports car.  Walking back to where he’d parked his rental, he waited for Francine to pull up behind him.
 

Opening the passenger door of his car, he gestured, “Let’s go for a ride.”
 

“Do you know where she is?” Francine asked as soon as Lee pulled out into the traffic.
 

“Francine, have you ever heard the expression, plausible deniability?” he asked, turning briefly to look at her face.  “Now, what do you have for me?”
 

“For starters, three unexplained deposits into her savings account, fifty grand apiece.  On her computer, they found files that would suggest she’s been in contact with, and providing information to, certain terrorist groups in the Middle East.”
 

“Sounds like planted evidence to me,” Lee scoffed, remembering back to the Stemwinder case and how easily the Agency bought the frame-up by the Russians.  “If she was on the take, don’t you think she’d be a little more cautious?”
 

“I don’t doubt that, but it’s not me that you have to convince; it’s Internal Affairs.  Hiring you doesn’t help her case any; she apparently can afford your exorbitant fees.”
 

“Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m working for cost, Francine.”
 

“You shouldn’t be charging her in the first place!  For God’s sakes, she’s your wife!” she argued hotly.
 

Lee gripped the steering wheel tightly knowing this was a conversation he wasn’t going to win.  “Can we please get back to the subject at hand?  Now, from what I hear, she hasn’t been working on anything highly classified?”
 

“Nope, not since she had her wings clipped.”
 

“I thought they just gave her a letter recently?” Lee questioned.
 

“Well, yeah, I meant when they stuffed her behind a desk.”
 

Lee frowned, baffled by her statement.  “I’m not following you?”
 

“You did talk to your wife, didn’t you?” Francine asked, but there was no response from Lee.  “Oh yeah, I forgot, plausible deniability.  Amanda didn’t pass her Agency physical a couple of months ago.  Technically, she’s off active field status, but she’s helping Beaman with the freshman.  You know a kind of quasi field duty.”
 

“I knew she was working with Beaman.  Why did she fail her physical?”
 

“I think you better ask Amanda that,” Francine answered, then added.  “I don’t want to get into the middle of this.”
 

Lee shot an angry glare over at Francine, but didn’t press the issue.  One thing for sure, he would definitely ask his wife for details.   “What do you know about Sam Lieberman?”
 

“From polygraph?” Francine laughed.  “I can’t believe she told you about him!”
 

“Why?” he asked, furrowing his brow.
 

“He’s definitely smitten with your wife.  He follows her around like a lost puppy dog.  I know he’s asked her out at least a dozen times.”
 

“Could he be behind this?”
 

“No, he’s definitely not the type.  When he heard about the charges against Amanda, he professed she was innocent, and offered to run the polygraph exam himself,” Francine remarked.
 

“All right, what can you tell me about an agent, Casper Conrad?”
 

“The Ghost!  In some respect, he’s a lot like you were; you know, a ladies man.  Drop dead gorgeous, blond hair, blue eyes.  Drives a fancy sports car and has slept his way through the steno pool in near record time.”
 

“You said in some respect; how does he differ?”
 

“I get the feeling he likes the badge for what it can get him and not for the job itself.  Why are you interested in him?  He’s only a freshman agent.”
 

“Amanda said she doesn’t particularly care for him.”
 

“He’s a brash young kid, but we were too, at his age.”
 

“Can you do a little digging on him for me; see what turns up?  Check for any cases they may have worked on together.  Look for something that might not ‘fit’.”
 

“Yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem,” she promised and then she turned towards him.  “Lee, can I ask you something?”
 

Lee nodded his consent.
 

“Why this rift between the two of you? I mean, I know she loves you.  Obviously, you still have feelings for her or you wouldn’t have dropped everything up in New York, and risked your business to come back down to DC and play hero.  What the hell is it with the two of you?”
 

“What does it matter to you, anyway?”
 

Ignoring his question, she hypothesized.  “This all has to do with Billy’s murder and Amanda getting shot, doesn’t it?”
 

“What did Amanda tell you?” Lee snapped.
 

“She didn’t tell me anything; she didn’t have to.  For God sake’s, Lee, I’m paid to notice things.  Billy’s death was a harsh blow to us all, but there was something more going on… between the two of you.”
 

“My wife was almost killed that day, Francine, or did you forget that?”
 

“I remember it clearly.  I doubt I’ll ever forget that day, but instead of that bringing you both closer together, a week after she was back in the office, you turned in your resignation at the Agency.  The first of the year you took off for New York.  We all thought you’d be back or in the very least, Amanda would join you once you became a hot-shot corporate security mogul in New York.”
 

“I’m sorry if my success in New York bothers you.  It was time for me to move on.”
 

“I don’t begrudge you your success.  I’m happy for you.  I merely think you owed more to Amanda and Billy.”
 

“Amanda has an open offer to join me…”
 

“Does she know that?” Francine questioned, before she pressed on.  “I’m surprised you didn’t want to go after the guy who shot your wife and killed Billy.”
 

“I wanted to, Francine, but Smyth wouldn’t let me work the case.  He kept pushing me to take Billy’s job.  I didn’t want it.  I couldn’t stay at the Agency after Billy was murdered, and Amanda refused to leave the field or the Agency.”
 

“She wanted justice for Billy and herself.”
 

“I know,” he swallowed hard.  His wife’s decision not to leave the Agency after nearly being killed had been a major dispute between the two of them, “but I refused to watch and wait until she was murdered too…”
 

“So you turn your back on her and leave?”
 

“We talk on the phone...occasionally,” he protested, but in reality, their relationship was a dysfunctional mess.  Neither of them wanted a divorce, but they both had lost so much that day when Billy Melrose was killed.  It was easier to be apart then to deal with the pain of being together.
 

“You know, it was partly your fault, Lee.”
 

“My fault, what in hell are you talking about?” he barked angrily.
 

“The reason Amanda ended up on the scene instead of you.”
 

“She broke half a dozen Agency procedures when she went after Billy alone,” Lee shouted before continuing more reasonably.  “She was lucky she wasn’t killed that day.  She knew better, but she risked it all anyway.”
 

“You’re one to talk, huh?  You never broke any Agency procedures?”  Francine was quick to point out.  “But Billy tried to call you.”
 

“Yeah, I know, Francine, we’ve been over this before.  My guess is I was out of range or had no signal.  Technology is great when it works properly.  The problem is, sometimes it doesn’t.  I swear to you, the only call I got was from Amanda, and by that time, I was out of position to intercept.”
 

“Did you ever wonder how come Amanda’s call got through to you, but Billy’s didn’t?”
 

“What are you fishing for, Francine?” his head snapped angrily towards his former colleague.
 

“Billy never called Amanda; he called you:  three times that morning.  First, he called the Q bureau, but you didn’t go into the office that morning.  Then he tried you at home, but you’d already left.  Next, he called you on your cell phone, but he got Amanda instead.”
 

“I think you’ve gotten your facts mixed up.”
 

“No, Scarecrow,” Francine shouted, angry with her friend.  “The board called for a review of the case after they caught the shooter, before he pled guilty.  I’m the one who got stuck sifting through all the paperwork and the phone records.  I’ll confess; it was a confusing mess.  It took a while to sort it all out, but I’m one of the few people who knew what actually happened that morning.  The reason you didn’t get the call is you didn’t have your phone that day; you had Amanda’s!”
 

Lee Stetson pulled his car onto the shoulder of the road, unable to comprehend what she was telling him.  “But I had my phone with me when we arrive at the hospital.”
 

“She must have had it with her when she crawled up the embankment.  You were the first one to locate her after the shooting.”
 

“Yeah, I dialed 911 when I found her.”
 

“The phone call to 911 was from your cell phone, not Amanda’s.  At some point you ended up with both cell phones.”
 

Lee closed his eyes.  His hands were trembling as he assimilated Francine’s revelations.  He clearly remembered that morning, before they’d left the house.  Their life went from joy to sorrow in a matter of hours.
 

Lee recalled aloud what had happened that fateful morning in a pain-filled voice.  “We’d just found out that Amanda was pregnant; we were so excited.  We agreed to leave the field, and planned on telling Billy as soon as we got into the office that afternoon.  Amanda was on the phone making an appointment with her doctor when I left.  I grabbed the cell phone on the kitchen counter, gave her a kiss, and hurried out the door,” Lee said hoarsely, his voice shaking audibly.  Taking a deep breath, he concluded.  “Obviously, my mind was on other things that morning.  I never gave it a second thought that phone wasn’t mine.”
 

“Oh, Lee,” Francine choked out.  “Amanda was pregnant?  I’m really sorry.  I never knew.”
 

“Nobody knew, Francine.  We barely realized she was pregnant before…” he slammed both hands against the steering wheel, “before it was over.”
 

“But why did you leave?”
 

“Because after what happened, I couldn’t stay.  It was too painful.  That day I lost more than Billy.  I lost my chance of ever being a father,” his voice barely a whisper forced out.  “I lost my child.”
 

“Amanda lost a child, too.”
 

“She still had Philip and Jamie.”
 

”My God, Lee!  That doesn’t make it any easier.”
 

“Amanda made her choice when she went over to rescue Billy.  We’d decided to leave the field.  We were going to tell Billy later that day, but she broke her promise less than an hour after making it.”
 

“Did you forget that you went after him as soon as you found out?  So it’s OK for you to break your promise, but it wasn’t OK for Amanda?”
 

“No, of course not,” Lee shouted, losing control over his emotions, but he never thought about it that way before.  Taking a deep breath, he continued.  “We’d been trying to have a baby for years, but it never happened.  Then, when it did…”  Glancing over his shoulder at the traffic, Lee pulled back onto the roadway.  “I don’t want to talk about it, Francine.”
 

They drove back to Francine’s car in silence.  Just before she got out, he asked her one last question.  “Do you know why Amanda failed her physical?  She’s not… dying or anything is she?”
 

“No, she’s not dying, but next time you talk to her, you might want to ask her.”
 

“Trust me, Francine, I will.”
 

Lee Stetson watched as Francine drove off.  Sitting in his car for a few minutes, he thought about that fateful day.  He knew coming back to DC to help Amanda would be painful.  Lee cursed in the darkness, “Damn it, who said time heals all wounds?”
 

Shaking off his sorrow for the moment, he made certain he wasn’t followed by driving around the city for a while before making his way back towards the Inn.  On the outskirts of the small town, he passed the bus station when his eye caught a solitary person sitting inside.  Even from the street, the profile was undeniably his wife.  Jamming on his brakes, he pulled over and went inside.
 

She saw him coming in and got up to meet him.  “Hi.”
 

Grabbing the bag she was carrying, he hurried her out of the station.  Once they were on the deserted street, he growled furiously.  “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”
 

“I’m going back to DC,” she confessed.
 

Opening the car door for her, he tossed her luggage in the back and stuffed her into the front passenger seat.  Quickly getting into the driver’s side, he sped off.  “Of all the stupid, boneheaded things to do…  Do you ever follow instructions?  I specifically told you to stay put, at the Inn!”
 

“I was going back to turn myself in.  Lee, I can’t ask you to risk your business to help me go underground.  I shouldn’t have contacted you in the first place.”
 

“Well you did, and now I’m here.  Did you check out?”
 

“No, I thought you might need a place to sleep tonight.”
 

“Yeah, I do,” he snapped.  A few minutes later, he pulled into the parking lot. “Go back inside.  I’ll come in through the back door with your suitcase in a few minutes.”
 

Amanda started to get out of the car when she felt something by her foot.  She reached down and picked it up.  “Rather fancy phone.  You could have bought me a cheap one.”
 

“I didn’t get a chance to pick one up for you,” he started to explain.  Then he glanced at the phone she held in her hand.  “Let me see that…” he requested anxiously, examining it carefully before shouting.  “Damn her!”
 

“Lee what’s wrong?”
 

“Close the door, now!” he ordered and quickly sped off.  “I can’t believe it.  I trusted her.  I’ll kill her.”
 

“Lee, you’re scaring me!  What is it?”
 

“The phone, its Francine’s.  I picked her up tonight and we went for a chat.  She must have planted it.”
 

“Maybe she forgot it?” Amanda suggested.
 

“No, not likely, take a look at it.  It’s got a tracking device on it.”
 

“Should I try to remove it?”
 

“No.  Leave it; the damage is already done.  We’ll take it for a ride.  You and I need to have a discussion anyway.”
 

“Lee, I’m sorry I took off, but I really feel like I’m putting you at risk if I go underground.”
 

“Let me ask you a couple of questions, all right?” Lee said as he started driving out of town, heading farther from DC.
 

“Yeah, sure.”
 

“What’s the current balance in your savings account?”
 

“Oh my gosh, I don’t know exactly,” she confessed. “I closed our joint account last November and sent you half.  Let me think, three, maybe four thousand dollars.  If you want a retainer, I can make some phone calls and have the money transferred from my savings into my checking.  It’ll take a day or two…”
 

Lee was amused by her mistaken assumption, but continued with his soft interrogation.  “How much do you have in your checking account?”
 

“I paid all the bills before I left town, a couple of hundred at best.”
 

“Do you have any other liquid assets?”
 

“Lee, you know my finances almost as well as I do.  Jamie graduated college last year.  Paying college tuition tapped me out.  I have my retirement account, but considering what’s going on, there’s no way I can touch that.  I had planned to take an equity loan on the house to pay you…” she rambled on.  Her voice filled with concern.
 

“Sounds like it would be safe to say that you’re not aware of the three recent deposits of fifty thousand dollars each into your savings account?” he pressed, wishing he could see her face, but the darkness prevented it.
 

“Oh my gosh!  I swear to you, Lee, I had no idea.  Is that what’s happened?  Lee, you’ve got to believe me; I’m being framed.”
 

Lee Stetson chuckled heartily.  He reached over and grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently.  “Amanda, I never had a doubt in my mind.  I want you to quit thinking about turning yourself in.  I’m here to help you get to the bottom of this - together.  I’ll need your bank account information and we’ll see if my office can trace anything from the wire transfers.”
 

“I still do all my banking at First Bank of Arlington.  I have the account numbers with me.”
 

“That will be fine.  Now, according to Francine, they also found some incriminating files in your computer.”
 

“My computer, half the freshman class uses my computer.”
 

“Really?  That’s interesting to know.  Now we’re getting somewhere.”
 

“Lee, I can’t thank you enough for helping me.  I know how busy you are up in New York…”
 

“Amanda, enough about that, all right?  I have a highly trained and well-paid staff that can handle things in my office without me.  I’m not a one-man show up there and haven’t been for a while now.  I do need some answers from you, and I need the truth.”
 

“I’ve told you the truth since you got here.”
 

“You omitted the part where you recently failed your Agency physical and you’re now chained to a desk.”
 

“Francine has a big mouth.”
 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he pressed.
 

“There were other things more important to tell you.  Explaining my health issues to you isn’t really relevant.”
 

“What’s wrong?” he asked with concern.  There was silence, so he pressed harder.  “Maybe I don’t have a right to know, but I do care about you.  Not knowing what’s wrong has me scared to death.”
 

There was no further delay as Amanda quickly explained.  “My shoulder’s in bad shape causing mobility issues and pain in my right arm.  The pain comes and it goes, but the day I had my physical… well, it wasn’t one of my better days.  I can’t shoot a gun anymore; not that I was ever any good at that anyway.”
 

“How long have you been hiding it from the Agency?” he asked, but there was no answer from her.  “Since you went down the embankment?”
 

She didn’t answer immediately, but ultimately she admitted the truth.  “I was sore all over after the shooting, you know that.  My shoulder kept getting worse instead of better.  I’m kind of relieved that they know about it now.  I’m off active field duty.  Other than following up with the freshman on their security reviews and spring-cleaning, I don’t get out very often.”
 

Taking advantage of the darkness, he smiled; relieved to hear that she was no longer working in the field.  “It’s about time.”
 

“Yeah, it is.”
 

“Why don’t you close your eyes and get some sleep?”
 

“Where are we going?” she asked.
 

“I think I’ll pick up another rental car at Richmond International Airport.  We’ll leave the cell phone in this one.  That ought to throw them off.”
 

“Let them think I left the country, huh?”
 

“They know I have the means to get you out of the country.  We won’t consider that option for now, unless the dogs get closer,” he reassured his wife.
 

“I hear Belize is beautiful this time of year and they don’t have an extradition treaty.”
 

“I thought you had faith in me?” Lee questioned.
 

“I do.  I’m teasing you.  You need to get some sleep, too,” she urged.
 

“Worried about me, already?”
 

“I’ve never stopped worrying about you, Lee.  I never stopped loving you.”
 

“Try to get some sleep,” he whispered as he turned onto the interstate highway.  As the miles flew by, he glanced over and saw her head tilted to the side with her eyes closed.  The rhythmic sounds of her breathing suggested she’d fallen asleep.  She looked truly peaceful, yet fragile.
 

“I love you too, Mrs. Stetson,” he whispered as he continued his drive towards Richmond.
 

End Part Two
 
 
 

Second Chances-  Part Three
 
 

Wednesday, March 25th

After driving down a winding dirt road, Lee pulled the car onto a short gravel pull off and parked.  They walked down a forested path to an old wood cabin tucked in behind some evergreen trees.  It sat alone, near a rocky outcropping with a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

“Wait right here,” Lee said, leaving Amanda alone at the door, before he disappeared around to the side of the house.  A few minutes later, he returned holding a key.

“Hiding the key, huh?” Amanda commented.

“Yeah, a good friend of mine once told me to hide it under the doormat.  I prefer to hide it under a large rock out back,” he answered, then stuck the key into the lock, and opened up the door.  “After you…”

Amanda walked in and gasped in delight.  “Oh my gosh!  It’s gorgeous,” she commented, glancing around at the cozy cabin with a large stone fireplace.  There was a small kitchen in one corner, with a handcrafted wooden table.  Opposite the kitchen appeared to be a bedroom.  “Whoever built this place put a lot of effort into it.  Look at the beams, not to mention the view of the Blue Ridge,” she remarked, wandering over to the picture window and gazing out at the mountains.  “This place must be fifty years old.”

“Fifty nine to be exact, it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corp., during the New Deal era.  It was updated a few years ago with new plumbing and wiring.  The bathroom actually has an antique, claw foot tub.”

“Whose place is this, yours?”

With a pleased smile, he told her.  “Technically, it’s the Colonel’s, which makes it perfect; nobody knows about it.  I bought it for him last autumn.  He was in New York and mentioned he was thinking about retiring and would enjoy a cabin in the woods.  The ink wasn’t dry on the paperwork when he got orders for Hawaii.”

Amanda smiled.  “I think I’d put off retirement for a while if I got to work in Hawaii.”

“Yeah, I didn’t blame him,” he nodded as he watched his wife look around.  She appeared very comfortable in her new surroundings.  “Amanda, I need to get back to DC.  I’ll call you later today if I can’t make it back here tonight and let you know how things are going.”

“Lee, you’ve hardly slept at all.  You spent half the night driving down to Richmond.  Then you switched cars and caught a few hours sleep while I was driving. As soon as dawn broke, you got back behind the wheel and drove us here,” Amanda argued, not wanting her husband to leave so soon.

“I’m fine.  I wanted to get you stashed somewhere quiet and out of the way.”

“Well this place fits the bill.”

“Get some sleep.  The bed in the other room is rather comfortable.  Nobody will bother you here.  There are five acres, and of course, the cabin,” he said, standing next to her and enjoying the view.  “You’ll have to make do with the groceries until I get back, mostly dry and canned goods, powdered milk.  There might be some snack foods in the pantry.  I should be able to get back up here tonight.  I’ll stop at the store and pick up a few essentials.”

“I’m sure I’ll be fine,” she said, glancing at the small kitchen.

“There’s no television, but there’s a radio on top of the fridge, and a phone.  When I call, I’ll ring once, hang up, call back a minute later, and hang up again.  Then I’ll call you a third time.  Pick up after the tenth ring.”

“Got it.”

“Don’t call out unless it’s an emergency.  You know they’ll have your mother’s and both the boys’ phones tapped by now.  I’d really like to keep you here until we have things figured out.  It’s convenient, comfortable, yet out of the way.”

“How far are we from DC?”

“About ninety minutes.”

“I’ll do some tidying.  This place is in desperate need of dusting,” she noted, running her finger across the table, showing him the thick layer of dust.  “It looks like the perfect time for spring cleaning.”

Lee started for the door of the cabin.  “If you need some fresh air, stay on the walking paths and off the road, just to be safe. This time of year, the cabins up here are unoccupied, but you never know.  Most of them are used in the summer or during hunting season.  If you slip and fall, it’s a long way to the bottom of some of the ravines.”

“Thanks for the warning,” she answered, smiling warmly at him.  “Drive careful, huh?”

“You bet,” he winked, “see you tonight.”
 

***
 

Lee Stetson drove from the Blue Ridge eastward into DC.  He had a score to settle with Francine Desmond.  Arriving in town, he waited patiently outside the Agency.  A few minutes before noon, Francine came out the Georgetown entrance, and got in her car.

Lee followed her across the river into Virginia, wondering where she was going.  Francine had expensive tastes; maybe she was heading to one of her favorite French restaurants.  He was surprised when she pulled into the parking lot at the Galleria Mall.  She parked outside of Sak’s department store, and went inside.

“This is going to be easier than I thought,” Lee crowed happily, as he parked his car and followed her inside.

He watched from a distance as she browsed through the high-end ladies fashion.  Speaking with a security guard, he flashed an old badge he had and convinced the elderly guard to lend him his jacket and hat.  A few minutes later, as Francine Desmond left the department store and walked into the shopping mall, Lee Stetson accosted her, pinning her up against the wall.

“Hello, Francine,” he greeted her by whispering in her ear.  “I thought you might be spending the day in Richmond.”

“Scarecrow, what the hell are you doing?” she seethed as she tried to wrestle from his tight grasp.

“Don’t add resisting arrest to the charges, ma’am,” he warned out loud; then he turned to the crowd of people that had already begun to assemble.  “Mall security, folks, picked her up for shoplifting.  Go back to your shopping.”

Francine Desmond was irate, struggling against his firm grip as he pulled her into one of the security alleys.  He dangled his handcuffs in front of her face.

“Put those handcuffs on me, Scarecrow, and I’ll have you arrested for impersonating an officer.”

“Don’t push me, Francine,” Lee snapped at her, holding her against the cement block wall.  “I trusted you and you planted a tracking device in my car.  Tell me, right now, were you wired, too?”

“No.” She shook her head.  “I refused a wire, Scarecrow, but Internal Affairs is monitoring my calls.  They knew I was meeting you.  I had no choice.”

“Are you wired now, Francine?  ‘Cause if you are, I’m going to rip it the hell off you,” he warned, giving her a quick once over.  “And don’t lie to me, because I’ll strip you down, right here, right now!”

“No,” she whispered, fearful of his wrath.  “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“Last night, I shared some very private information with a friend; privileged information.  You do remember what ‘need to know is’, don’t you, Francine?”

“I would never break your confidence,” she reassured him.

“But you tried to screw over Amanda.  You could have led them right to her!” he snapped.

“You want to know about ‘need to know’?  You need to know that Amanda took the blame for your cell phone mix up.  Her version to the review board was slightly different from yours, but it cost her three days suspension - without pay.  You might be able to afford that, but she can’t,” Francine snapped at him.  “She was more concerned that it would somehow negatively affect your business than it would her personnel file.”

“Francine, I didn’t know,” he answered, shaking his head.

“You would have if you’d stuck around.  Maybe once this mess is cleared up, you can be man enough and try to work things out with your wife or give her a divorce and let her go on with hers.  I never thought you’d run away like a cad.”

Lee stared past Francine.  The past weighed heavily upon him. Finally, his thoughts returned to the present.  “Don’t ever cross me again, Francine, got it?”

“Got it,” she snapped.

“Get out of here, now,” he nodded, letting her go and giving her a disgusted glare.  “The sight of you is making me sick.”

“Lee, believe me when I say, I’m sorry.  Not only for the cell phone, but for everything.  I didn’t want to plant the device, but I can’t help either of you if I get suspended.  I knew you’d find the phone and figure it out…”

Lee started to walk away.  “Save your breath, Francine.  I’ll get to the truth without you.  It’ll merely take longer.”

“I might have a lead…” she called out just before he got to the metal doors leading back into the mall.

Lee stopped, turning slowly and walking back to where Francine was trying to adjust her rumpled clothing.  “If this is another ploy of yours, or an Agency tactic of some kind, Francine, don’t waste my time.  It might be Amanda’s neck in the noose this time, but we both know it’s a frame.  Next time it could be your neck, and I won’t budge an inch to help,” he cautioned furiously.

“I swear to you, this is legit.  I did a little digging this morning at your suggestion about Casper.  Later, when I was chatting with Beaman about Amanda, he was griping that he’s had to take on a load of work now that she’s a runner.  Beaman mentioned that one of the freshmen offered to pick up some of the case files Amanda was working on.”

“Let me guess, that was Casper?”

“Yeah and it doesn’t fit; he’s not the type to pick up the slack for someone else.  There’s something in it for him.”

“Maybe he wants some time off and he is trying to score some brownie points?”

Francine shook her head.  “I doubt it.  Casper walks all over Beaman now.  If he wanted time off, he’d tell Beaman he’s working and then simply ditch.  I poked around and got a list of what he’s currently working on and what he took over from Amanda.”

“What did you come up with?”

“I’ve got the information here for you,” she answered, rummaging through her handbag for the disk.  “The only thing is, none of them are high risk companies, one of them is a low level security review, two are spring cleaning.  I haven’t had time to dig into it deeper…”

“Don’t risk it,” Lee warned.  “I can get my office in New York to poke around now that we have an idea where we should be looking.  If they’re not ‘Top Secret’, we’ve got the clearances to handle it.”

“You want me to keep an eye on Casper?”

Lee finally smiled, pleased that she offered.  “If you would, Amanda always had a sixth sense about things like these.”

“I’ll call you on your cell phone if I come up with something.”

Lee shook his head.  “No, don’t. I don’t need another cell phone incident.  Let Leatherneck know you’ve got something.  He’s got a lower profile than you do and he can get in contact with my office.  They can always find me.  I’ll be in touch with you.”

“Lee, I’m sorry…”

“All will be forgiven if this lead pans out,” Lee answered before he walked back into the mall in search of the security guard who was missing half his uniform.

After leaving the shopping mall, Lee Stetson made sure he wasn’t being tailed.  Luckily, his newest rental car had yet to be tagged by the Agency.  Driving about DC, he made the rounds visiting some of his old contacts to listen to the scuttlebutt about Amanda and her alleged treasonous activities.

Once he was sure he had all the reliable information on the street, he checked in with his office in New York.  Only then did he start his drive back to the mountains.  Stopping briefly, about halfway to the cabin, he picked up some milk, coffee, juice, and other essentials at the market.

The sun was beginning to set as he drove the dusty road that led to his uncle’s cabin.  The foliage was beginning to return to the deciduous trees now that spring had come to the mountains.  Wildflowers were sprouting up on the edge of the road.  Parking the car, Lee turned the engine off.  Instead of going inside, he sat in his car for a few minutes enjoying the solitude.  As much as he loved the hustle and bustle of New York City, the beauty of the mountains was something he missed.

Lee sat there a while, staring at the setting sun and the colors of the sky.  Unsure of whether Amanda had heard his car, he realized she might be concerned that an unwelcome visitor may have stumbled upon her.  He grabbed the groceries he’d purchased, and started down the path towards the cabin.

Opening the door with his key, a delicious aroma wafted around the cabin.  “Wow, it smells wonderful in here.”

Smiling she greeted him.  “I figured you wouldn’t have eaten much all day.  Is everything all right?  You’ve been sitting out there for a while.”

He deposited the groceries on the kitchen counter.  “I didn’t mean to worry you.  Everything’s fine.  I was simply enjoying the sunset.  Don’t notice them much up in New York.”

“It was beautiful.  You really have a gorgeous view from in here.  I guess it’s kind of hard to see in New York with all the skyscrapers.”

“What smells so good?” he questioned, peering into the pot on the stove.  “That smell’s coming from canned chili?”

“I helped it along with some spices you had in the closet.  Not as good as my homemade, but I think I can tempt your taste buds.”

He glanced about the old cabin.  It sparkled and shined as only Amanda could make it.  “You’ve had a busier day than I have.  I don’t think this place has ever been this clean since I bought it.”

“I wouldn’t doubt that,” she chuckled.  “How did your day go?  You didn’t give Francine too hard a time, did you?”

“I wanted to strangle her, and I’m really sure she won’t do that again.  She did come up with some interesting information about your friend, Casper.”

“Really?” Amanda replied with a raised eyebrow.

“How about we eat something first, before we start digging into this mess.  I’ve called my office in New York; they’re working up a background check on him.”

“He already passed an Agency background screening, Lee.  What do you think you’ll find that they haven’t?”

“Probably nothing... but I’d rather be sure.  Besides, I don’t have that information at my fingertips and it might come in handy.”

“Go wash up, and I’ll have dinner on the table when you get done.”

Dinner was far from elaborate, chili and homemade bread that Amanda had put together with what Lee had in the cupboards and refrigerator.  They both ate heartily.  There was little conversation, other than Lee’s comments on how much he was enjoying the meal.

“Amanda, you never cease to amaze me that you can create something so delicious from a can,” he pointed out as he wiped his napkin across his face, his plate now empty.

“I think you were plain hungry,” she replied, getting up and clearing the table.

“If you don’t mind cleaning up here, I’m going to grab my laptop from the car.  Then we can see what Francine has given me – us.”

The evening wore on and they were going through the information that Francine had provided.

“That’s the one; that’s the case Casper wanted!  He saw it in the pile of Spring Cleaning leftovers after the class was given their assignments,” Amanda was quick to point out.

“This one, really?  ‘National Capital Financial’?  I’ve never heard of it.”

“I’m sure of it.  Casper specifically asked for this case, but Beaman had already assigned him something else.  I told him that if he did a good job on what he was working on, he could do this assignment, too.  He was always cutting corners, and I thought that would be a good way to get him to apply himself for a change.  That was scarcely two weeks ago.  I started the background research on it myself.”

“Did you come up with anything interesting?”

“Not really.  I’d barely got the basics.  They’re a hedge fund, trying to entice elite clientele to invest money into various financial opportunities.”

“Based down in DC?” Lee questioned, “Most of them set up shops in either New York or even Chicago where the stock markets are.”

“Yeah, I thought it was unusual.  They didn’t even list a satellite office in New York, no affiliation with any of the major brokerage houses.  There was another coincidence I thought was peculiar; the CEO’s last name was also Conrad.”

“It’s a common name.”

She shrugged.  “I agree, but I thought it was worth further investigation.”

“And what did you find out?” he asked.

“I didn’t.  Beaman needed some paperwork completed and I got sidetracked.  I didn’t get back to it, but then again, it was a low priority.  I was going to work on it the day I got my letter from Internal Affairs.  By then, my security clearance was busted so low, I could barely log onto my computer.”

“That’s the same computer that had some interesting files on it?” he asked, rubbing his brow.

She nodded, leaning back on the sofa, letting out a frustrated sigh.

“I wish I had a link to my office,” Lee commented, standing up and pacing the small living room.  “I need to make a phone call to my friend on Wall Street.”

Amanda glanced at her watch.  “Too late now; the markets are closed and won’t open until tomorrow morning at 9:30AM.”

“Yeah, but I don’t need the markets to be open to get answers.  You merely need to know who to call.”  Lee got up, went over to the phone, and dialed a number.

“Jim, it’s Lee Stetson.  Sorry about the late hour, but I need some information quiet and quick…  I’m not in New York right now.  I’m out in the boondocks or I wouldn’t be bothering you…  Have you ever heard of an outfit called, ‘National Capital Financial’?  They’re out of DC… Yes, I realize most of the big operations work from New York…  The CEO’s last name is Conrad…  It’s important.  If you come up with anything on it, call me on my cell phone.  Thanks…”

“Your broker?” Amanda assumed.

“Yeah, he’s a really sharp guy.  He’s knows everyone who is anyone in the financial field, and cuts through all the bullshit and tells you like it is.”

“When do you think he’ll get back to you?”

“Probably not tonight; it is late.  Tomorrow for sure,” he answered, turning off his laptop and stretching.

“Why don’t you get some sleep, Lee?  You look tired.  Go to bed.”

“Amanda, can we talk?”

“I thought we have been?”

“We’ve talked shop since I showed up at the Inn yesterday.  I think we’ve done everything we can for the moment regarding the charges against you.” With an unsure voice, he asked, “Can we talk about… us?”

Amanda glanced down, her face paling.  Lacking enthusiasm, she answered.  “Yeah, sure, I guess we’ve put it off for about as long as we can.”

He could see from her posture and the scared look on her face that she was dreading the idea.  “Amanda, you’ve got to know, I still love you,” he reassured her right away.

Her face brightened and she replied with a heartfelt, “I love you, too.”

“Francine mentioned something to me last night.  She claims that day, when Billy called, he called me, not you.”

Amanda nodded, evidently not surprised by the information.

“I had your cell phone, didn’t I?”

“Yeah.”

He ran his hand nervously through his hair.  “She also claims that you went in front of the review board and took the blame for the mix up, but we both know it wasn’t your fault.  It was mine.”

Amanda didn’t acknowledge his statement, but merely explained the situation.  “I called your cell phone a dozen times after I hung up with Billy.  I kept getting a busy signal.  I know you; you’re on the phone and off it quickly.  That’s when I figured it out; you had the wrong cell phone.  When I tried my number, you picked up on the second ring, but by that time, I was half way to Billy and you were all the way across town.”

“I turned the car around and drove as fast I could to reach Billy.  Unfortunately, you got there first.  By the time I got there, it was already too late.”

She swallowed hard, her voice only a whisper.  “What does it really matter, Lee.  It still doesn’t change what happened that day.”

“You’re right; it doesn’t change the outcome at all,” he sighed heavily, “only my perspective on it.  I was furious at you for risking your life and the life of our baby.”

“I know,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.  “I’m so, so sorry.”

The memory was difficult for Lee to handle as well.  His voice trembled as he remembered.  “It was a wonderful dream for a few short hours; I was going to be a father…”

Amanda stood up and started to walk away.

He got up and reached for her arm, guiding her back to the sofa.  “I know this isn’t easy, but we need to talk about this, Amanda.  We’ve delayed it too long already.”

“I tried to save one life that day, and it cost us two…”

“I know.  I realized, only recently that this is as painful for you, as it is for me.  Up until the last couple of days, I never thought of your anguish,” he mentioned guiltily, “only mine.”

“You were angry with me for the choice I made,” she acknowledged.

“Yeah, I was,” he gulped hard.  His voice got quiet as he reflected upon his past behavior.  “Francine reminded me that I went after Billy as soon as I got your phone call.  If Billy or you had gotten through to me earlier, and I had gotten there first, there’s a good chance that I would have been shot… and even killed.  Then, you might have raised a third child without a father.  It never dawned on me that I made the same exact choice you did.  Rather hypocritical to be angry at you for that, huh?”

A small, relieved smile crept across her face.  “There was no right choice.”

“No, there wasn’t.”

Tears ran down Amanda’s cheeks, and evidently, there were no words to express her grief.

“It’s taken me over a year to come to that conclusion,” he replied remorsefully.  “Can you forgive me?”

“I never blamed you for leaving.  I understood how much you lost that day.”

“I want to get past the pain and the emptiness, but I’m not sure how.  Where do we go from here?” he asked, shaking his head in frustration.

“I guess a lot will depend if you can prove I’m not a traitor.  Otherwise, I’ll either be in jail or um, Belize.”

“I hear on good authority that Belize is a beautiful place,” he teased, and then his hand reached out for her chin and turned it towards him.  “We’ve got some solid leads, Amanda.  Don’t give up on me now.”

“I’ve never given up on you,” she whispered, her voice confident, but showing signs of strain.  “I’m tired.  You must be exhausted.  Why don’t you get some sleep?  I can stay out here on the sofa.”

“I am tired, but the bed in there is more comfortable and certainly big enough for the two of us.  How about we both get a good night’s sleep?”

“You don’t mind sharing a bed?”

“Not at all.”  He pulled her to him, gave her a comforting hug and a kiss on her forehead.  “I still love you, Amanda.  I want to find my way back to you.”

“I want that, too,” she agreed.

Together, they went into the cabin’s small bedroom and settled in for the night.

Several hours later, Lee woke up.  At first, he didn’t realize where he was.   His eyes adjusted to the moonlit room before he remembered he was at the cabin.  He strained to decipher what the noise was that had disturbed him from his slumber. The sound was faint, but unmistakable; it was his wife weeping.

“Amanda, wake up,” Lee whispered to his wife, his hand gently shaking her shoulder.

In an instant, she shot up to a sitting position on the bed.  “Wh... what’s wrong?”

“It’s OK,” he reassured.  “You were… crying.”

Amanda took a few deep breaths and wiped the tears from her eyes.  “I’m sorry… Did I wake you?”

“Yeah, I guess.  Are you all right?”

She nodded mutely.

“A nightmare?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you have them often?” he pressed.

She leaned back against the headboard of the bed, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

“I’m fine now,” she reassured him.  “Go back to sleep.”

Lee shifted on the bed, turning towards his wife.  “The shooting?”

“I haven’t had one in a few months, but I guess with everything that’s going on…”

“Amanda, have you tried talking to… someone about it?”

“No.”

“Maybe you should?  Maybe they could help?”

“I can’t believe you of all people are suggesting I talk to a shrink,” she gasped in disbelief.  “You hate them.”

“Yeah, but I also hate what’s happened to us.  Maybe if I had stayed and we talked this out a year ago…”

“I wanted that baby so much, Lee,” she whispered tearfully.

“I know; so did I,” he choked out, a lump forming in his throat.  Wrapping his arms around her, they sat clinging to each other protectively in the comfort of the darkness.  Ultimately, Lee whispered to his wife.  “Let’s try to get back to sleep.”

They settled back down on the bed together.  This time, Lee kept her in his arms.  It had been a long time since he’d been so close to his wife.  Amanda was restless for a while before finally nodding off.  Loosening his grip on his wife, Lee Stetson soon fell back to sleep as well.

End Part Three

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