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Ready
or Not - part 2 This episode is dedicated to all of the actors who portrayed our much loved Scarecrow and Mrs. King characters. Thanks for 20 years of danger, excitement, and intrigue... And a special tribute to all the pilots and astronauts who launched into space with the Challenger over its 22-year journey, and for the advancements it brought to the US Space System. Credits ~
To my beta team of Laura and Brandy, who helped get this episode in
shape, despite demands on their time. And now, on with the show! ACT I The sun was low in the western sky when Lee approached the house. As he turned onto their street, Dotty's car came down the road from the other direction. They met in front of the driveway. Lee gestured for her to precede him since he usually was the first to leave in the morning. After parking the ‘Vette, he met Dotty at the rear of the wagon just as Phillip and Jamie raced into the yard and headed for the front door. "Wait just a minute, boys!" They stopped in their tracks and faced their grandmother. "You're just in time to help me unload these groceries." "Aw, Grandma." Phillip stuffed the basketball under one arm and slumped his shoulders. "Do we have to?" Dotty gave them both a stern look. "Yes. Now, drop the ball and get over here." She turned and pointed at Lee. "You too." "Yes, ma'am," he drawled, offering his most charming smile and a wink. Dotty rolled her eyes and threw her hands in the air. "Boys!" Lee reached for two of the bags then stepped aside and allowed Phillip and Jamie to each grab an armful. Dotty reached for the last one and shut the back hatch. "If we've timed it right, Amanda should have the roast just about ready, and we can sit down to a nice hot meal in less than twenty minutes." "Great! I'm starved." "You're always starved, Phillip." "I'm a growing boy, Grandma. What do you expect?" Dotty entered the house first. "Amanda!" She gasped. "Heavens, what is that smell? And the smoke." She headed for the kitchen, stumbling on the landing at the foot of the stairs. Lee's senses went on full alert. He almost dropped the bags as he raced past Phillip and Jamie and followed Dotty into the other room. The smell of something burning reached his nose. His trained eye looked all around both rooms to see if anything was out of place. "Amanda!" She hadn't answered Dotty, so he tried too. His mother-in-law dumped her bag on the counter and went for the oven. The minute the door was open, acrid smoke poured out from inside. Phillip set his bags on the counter. "Ugh! Who burnt what?" Dotty pulled out the rack and revealed the source of the smell. Charbroiled pot roast. "Great. There goes dinner." Lee looked at Jamie and Phillip then met Dotty's gaze. Her eyes asked the same question floating in his mind. Where was Amanda? He headed for the back door and flung it open. Coming back into the kitchen he saw Dotty opening the glass doors off the living room. "Chief, Sport, go ahead and open the windows. We've got to get this smell out of the house." The boys raced around the room, making a competition of who could open the most windows first. Lee signaled Dotty and waited for her to join him in the kitchen. The concern on her face matched what he felt. "I'm going to check upstairs. You look outside." Ten minutes later, they returned to find the boys raiding the refrigerator. Lee looked at Dotty, who shook her head. He did the same and joined her by the doorway to the mudroom. "Lee, I'm really worried now. I looked all around outside and even checked with Agnes. She said Amanda came home over two hours ago, but she hadn't seen her since." Lee placed his hand on Dotty's arm. "There was no sign of her upstairs, the car's in the drive and her purse is still on the counter." He nodded toward the island where the boys now made sandwiches around the bags of groceries. "I hate to say this, but it's not the first time this has happened." Dotty nodded. "I know." Worry lines creased her forehead. "Do you think it's something serious? What assignments are you two handling at work this week?" Lee ran his hand through his hair. "Well, we weren't working on anything serious yet. There were some leads on a case involving NASA, but nothing had happened, so it's been kind of slow." He sighed. "I just hope it's another case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time." After a glance at his watch, he headed for the back door. "I'm going to call Billy, see if there's been any developments." Lee stepped outside and reached for the phone inside his suit jacket. After dialing the familiar number, he waited for his boss to answer. "Melrose here." "Billy. It's Scarecrow. I think we've got a problem." "What's up, Scarecrow?" "Amanda's gone." "What do you mean, Amanda's gone?" Lee walked over toward the gazebo. "Just what I said, Billy. She's not here. Her mother and I have looked all over." "Are you sure she came home from her doctor's appointment this afternoon?" He paced back and forth in front of the opening. "Yeah, her car's in the driveway and the roast was burnt when we all got home." "Any sign of foul play? Forced entry? Anything?" "Nothing." Lee forced himself to calm down. He had to keep a clear head. He leaned against the trellis-work and crossed his ankles, one hand in his pocket. "Look, did Beaman get any results from that check he ran on that family that moved in across the street?" "He's still running cross-checks, why?" "Something in my gut tells me they're not who they claim to be. Just a hunch." "Well, you've gone on much less. We'll let you know the minute we have anything." "Thanks, Billy." "And Lee?" "Yeah?" "We'll find her." "I know. I just hope it's not too late." He ended the call and turned to look at the house. Dread filled him at what he had to do. But, Dotty and the boys deserved to know. Then, he was headed to the Agency.
Amanda sat against the cold, cement wall of the basement, her arms wrapped around her knees and the hard floor taking its toll on her tailbone. They'd unceremoniously dumped her down here last night, handcuffed and bound at the ankles. In the wee hours of the morning, John saw fit to free her from the bindings and allow her freedom of movement. But he cautioned her not to try anything or the consequences would be severe. As if she could. She cast a look around the empty space. Not a box or container in sight. And the windows were too high to reach without standing on something. All she had were her two plates Serena had returned. Tired and hungry—she hadn't eaten a thing since Thursday night because of her blood work yesterday afternoon and she hadn't slept at all—Amanda's thoughts drifted to the same people who always came to mind in situations like this one. Her husband, her boys, her mother. She could have kicked herself for not leaving a note, but she'd only thought to be gone for a few minutes. Where were they all now? What were they doing? With a sigh, Amanda leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes. But, sleep wouldn't come. Her head pounded and the dizzy spells she'd been experiencing hit her full force. At least the lack of food eliminated the nausea. When she opened her eyes again, Lee stood at the base of the stairs. A welcome sight to her weary eyes and handsome as ever in a tailored pinstripe gray suit that set off his hazel eyes to perfection. She sat bolt upright. "Lee!" He flashed a heart-stopping smile at her. "Hi, Amanda." "How'd you get in here?" "Don't worry about me, Amanda. We're going to get you out of here. But not yet. There's some things we have to do first, and then we're bringing you home." "But, Lee—" "Just hold on for me, Amanda. Can you do that?" "Yes. Yes, I can." "I'm coming for you soon. I love you." "I love you too, Lee." Amanda blinked and Lee disappeared. In his place stood York, a sneer on his lips and evil emanating from his dark eyes. "You wouldn't be talking to the great Scarecrow, now would you?" Amanda shook her head and tried to clear the cobwebs in her brain. "Scarecrow? What?" York stepped closer and stared down at her. "Yes, we know all about you, Mrs. King." He emphasized her last name. "Or should I say, Stetson? Your husband is the famous Lee Stetson, code-named Scarecrow. Am I right?" Amanda looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about." York raised a hand and smacked her across the face. "Do not lie to me, Mrs. King!" Her cheek burned and tears came unbidden to her eyes. She refused to touch her face or show any fear. The man didn't deserve the satisfaction. She hadn't worked for six years with the Agency and undergone extensive training to be worn down now, despite her current physical state. The mind was more powerful than the body, and she tapped into that strength now. "Yuri, Ilya says it's time to move!" Russian. The words barely registered in Amanda's brain. The accent she thought she'd detected the other night now made sense, as did their knowledge of her and Lee. Why hadn't she paid more attention to the papers she found in the driveway? Why hadn't she told Lee about them? York...or Yuri as John called him...reached down and grabbed her arm, yanking her to her feet. "Come on, Mrs. King. We're going for a little drive."
ACT II Lee paced back and forth in front of Billy's office. Every time he walked in front of the window, he looked in to see Billy talking on the phone. Every fiber in him wanted to burst into the office or get on another extension so he could the other end of the conversation. The waiting was torture! Each minute that passed was one more Amanda spent with her captors. He should be out there looking for her, not waiting for information from his section chief or the Agency computer geek—not matter how helpful he could be. The door to Billy's office opened and Lee stopped then rushed over to face his boss. "Well?" "We've got a lead." "Great! What is it?" "I just spoke with an engineer captain at NASA who was able to give me a nugget of information about this secret mission that's supposed to launch in 3 weeks." Billy rested his hand on the doorknob. "They're sending up Columbia for five days. This mission's supposed to give us a big boost in technology." "Which is why the Russians are involved. They're probably trying to steal the plans or some component at Georgetown University." Lee perched on the edge of the nearest desk and rested his hands in his lap, trying to maintain his composure and gather all the details he could to help him find Amanda. "Didn't you say they've got some head honcho professor in the science department working on this?" Billy nodded. "Yeah. Since last year, Columbia's gone through more than fifteen hundred modifications. Each time, the shuttle flies with less and less tiles than it carried on its first mission due to advances in thermal protection technology. The way they set up the project, certain pieces are being modified here at Georgetown, and only Professor Ian Clark knows about the entire deal. With the launch date nearing, the parts have to be assembled." Lee started to put the pieces together. "So, they're making a delivery to Georgetown." "Right. NASA couriers are bringing in the components by special delivery. Security's been real tight, and they've had several decoy projects going at the same time to throw the hounds off the scent." "So, what's the name of this mission? Did they give you that much?" "STS-28. It's supposed to launch for it's eighth mission on August eighth." Lee jumped up from the desk. "Did you say STS-28? Are you sure?" Billy drew his eyebrows together. "That's what the captain told me." Billy took a step forward. "Scarecrow, what's the matter?" Lee shook his head then withdrew his keys from his pocket. "I just remembered something I saw back at the house with that letter/number sequence on it." He turned toward the hallway and called over his shoulder. "I'm heading home, but call me the minute Beaman gets anything on anyone who has access to the professor and where he is now." "You got it, Scarecrow."
"Let's go. Load up the van. Serena's got the professor occupied in the lab. We have to move, now!" Amanda tried to focus on what they were saying, storing any information she could for reference. Her head still hurt, and the hunger pangs mixed with momentary blackout spells didn't help matters. John grabbed her arm and propelled her forward. Thankful they hadn't bound her wrists again, she held her left arm close to her body and did her best to conceal the plate tucked inside her shirt. Not sure what she would do with it, Amanda wanted it just in case. With only minor stumbling, she managed to make it out the door and along the path to the driveway where the van awaited them. John stopped her on the grass, and she knew this might be her only chance. Glancing at John to make sure he didn't see her, she raised her arm and dropped the plate onto the grass, then kicked it away, stumbling in the process. "What's wrong with her?" Amanda saw York gesture his thumb in her direction, and John turned his attention on her. She waved him away and cast a look out of the corner of her eye at the plate. It ended up concealed by the taller blades further from the driveway. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." John released a derisive laugh. "Yeah, no sleep and no food will do that to you." York slid open the back door of the van and John shoved her forward. "Get in." As soon as she fell onto the hard metal floor of the vehicle, York grabbed her wrists and bound them, then tied a black cloth over her eyes. "Can't have you trying to escape or remembering the roads we take. You American agents can be quite tricky, but I'm taking all precautions." York also bound her ankles then spun her around and slammed the door. A moment later, the two front doors opened and closed and the roar of the van engine sounded in her ears. As the van backed out of the driveway, Amanda hoped beyond all hope that somehow her plate would be discovered. If not, she had to stay alert and figure out some other way to escape.
"Go long, Jamie!" Phillip turned the football in his hands until he had the grip he wanted. Jamie ran to the edge of the driveway but Phillip shook his head. "No, across the street. I want to see how far I can throw it." "All right." Jamie looked for cars then ran across the street. He positioned himself on the grass and waited to receive the throw. Phillip planted his feet, drew back his arm, took a couple steps to gain momentum then let the pigskin fly. Jamie watched the football, backing up further and further into the yard of the corner house. He caught the ball, but stumbled and fell. "Hey, Squirt. You all right?" Jamie got up and dusted off his jeans with his free hand. "Yeah. I tripped over something in the grass." He looked down then froze. "Hey, Phillip. Get over here! You'll never believe this!" Phillip ran across the street and barely missed a car coming from the other direction. The horn blared and he came to an abrupt halt. After it passed, he ran to join his brother. "What you got there?" Jamie held up the ceramic dish with stenciled Hawaiian dancers in the center and a grass skirt pattern around the edges. "That's the plate Aunt Lillian gave Grandma for Christmas last year. I'd never forget that." Phillip looked around. "Where'd you find it?" Jamie pointed his shoe at the indentation in the grass where the plate had been. "Right there. Mom must have been here." He glanced at the house. "And isn't this where those new people moved in not long ago?" Phillip followed his brother's gaze. "Yeah, I think so." He grabbed Jamie's arm and turned him back toward their house. "Come on. Let's go tell Grandma and see if we can find Lee. He's been worried sick about Mom since last night." "He really does love her, doesn't he, Phillip?" Phillip slung his arm around his brother's shoulder and nodded. "Yeah, squirt, he does." He pulled Jamie along. "Now, come on. We've got a clue!"
Lee squealed around the corner and skidded the ‘Vette to a screeching halt in the driveway. He barely remembered to shut off the engine before running up to the front of the house. Bursting through the door, he headed for the living room and tossed his keys on the nearest table. "Mom! Phillip! Jamie!" The urgency in his voice must have alerted them. Rapid footsteps clamored down the stairs and the door to the den slid open. In seconds, all three of them stood in the living room staring at him. "Did you find mom?" "Catch the bad guys yet?" "Any word on Amanda?" Lee held up his hands to stem the barrage of questions. "Whoa, one at a time." He looked at Jamie. "We haven't found your mother yet, but we've got a team working around the clock until we do." Next, Phillip. "We don't have the guys responsible, but we've got a great lead that might just be what we've needed." And finally Dotty. "There's been a development." Phillip took a step forward. "Yeah, and Lee, Jamie and I have something—" "In a minute, Chief. Why don't we sit down." He perched on the edge of the overstuffed chair catty-corner to the sofa where Phillip and Jamie plopped. Dotty perched on the edge next to Jamie and rested her arm along the back. Lee cleared his throat and glanced at all three of his family members in turn. "All right. I was at work and talking with my boss about this assignment your mother and I have been working on this past week. We just learned it involves NASA and the space shuttle, Columbia." Jamie leaned forward, excitement written all over his face. "That's the oldest shuttle in NASA's orbiter fleet, and the first to go into space." "Where'd you learn that, Sport?" "In school just a couple months ago. After the Challenger..." He dropped his head and Dotty placed her hand on his shoulder to offer comfort. Jamie looked up again and took a breath. "After last year, we learned NASA was working on the Columbia, so our teacher let a small group of us work on a special project." "My brother, the science nerd." "Phillip..." Dotty's warning voice silenced anything the teenager might say and made him duck his head in contrition. "Go on, Jamie." "Well, I know it arrived at Kennedy in 1979 and had its first liftoff on April 12, 1981, to become the first shuttle in orbit. Its successful completion of the OFTP STS missions one through four proved that a reusable shuttle could operate in space." "Yes, and the next STS mission, twenty-eight, is about to take place. They've made adjustments to the heat shield and been working on parts all over the country in preparation. Some of it right here in D.C." "But, what's this have to do with Amanda?" Lee sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Unfortunately, I think she got involved with the Russians who want to steal the parts being assembled here. She must have tipped them off or made them suspicious." He thought back to the night they walked across the street to welcome them. "Or, they could be well aware of who Amanda and I are and took her for insurance." Lee stood and paced in front of the bookshelf. "If only I had acted sooner. I could have insisted she have more protection. I could have gone with her to the doctor's..." "Lee, it's not your fault. Amanda's a big girl and can handle herself. We've been here before and you've gotten out. I'm sure you'll think of something." Lee stopped and looked at his mother-in-law. Phillip and Jamie also watched him closely. He ran a hand over his scratchy chin, more than a day's growth there. "We don't have much to go on. There's a computer guy at work who's trying to crack some codes and get me some information, but what we really need is a clue to Amanda's whereabouts." "Clue!" Phillip slapped his thigh. "That reminds me! Lee, Jamie and I found something." Lee tensed. "What? Where?" "Over in the yard of the house on the corner." Phillip vaulted himself over the back of the couch, earning him a reproving glare from his grandmother, and retrieved something from the kitchen. "Jamie and I were outside throwing the football around. He went long and stumbled over this to catch the ball." He held out the dish for inspection. "That's the plate your Aunt Lillian gave me for Christmas!" Dotty stood and took it from Phillip then looked at Lee, her eyes bright. "Lee, Amanda used this for the pie she baked the other day for our new neighbors." Lee nodded. "I know. And it looks like our new neighbors aren't exactly the friendly sort." He gestured at the plate and looked at Phillip and Jamie. "If you two found that in the yard, that means Amanda must have gone over there yesterday to get them back." A sense of urgency filled him, and Lee turned toward the front door. "I'm going to—" The shrill ring of the telephone interrupted him. For a moment, they all stared in the direction of the kitchen. No one moved. |
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