Fire at the Eiffel Tower
Summary: In trying to stop a terrorist attempt, will Lee and Amanda find more than they bargained for?
Timeframe: Mid-to-late Third Season
Disclaimer: All familiar characters are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions (some characters are mine).
This story, however, is mine. Please don't archive it without my permission.
Rating: G
Note: I have to admit, I am not a big fan of AU stories, but somehow I felt like writing one would give me some more leeway to explore, so I decided to attempt it anyway. I tried to keep this as close to being in character as possible, so although it is somewhat out of canon, I hope it still stays true to the characters.
Feedback: All is welcome.
As Amanda entered the bullpen, she smiled at the agents she passed, but kept her eyes trained on the man sitting in the section chief's office. Through the glass, she could see that he looked relaxed, he was smiling, and she could almost see the sparkle in his hazel eyes despite not being able to see him face-to-face. Amanda smiled softly to herself. Walking through here, it looked like any other office in corporate America: desks arranged in a room, the low murmur of typing, and an office, clearly the boss', where he sat talking to an employee. It would be hard to tell, at a fast glance, that these people put their lives on the line everyday to make the country a safer place for those who truly were in corporate America.
Knocking on Billy's office door, she smiled as she entered. "Good morning, sir. Good morning, Lee." Her eyes locked with Lee's for a fraction of a second and both their smiles deepened. Looking back at the section chief, Amanda continued, "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes, Amanda. Please sit down," Billy gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk, trying to hide his smile. He had seen the look pass between his two agents and was pleased with the friendship developing. These days Lee looked more relaxed than Billy had ever seen him before.
"So, what's up, Billy?" Lee asked, bringing Billy out of his musings.
Picking up a folder, Billy opened it, removing a photograph. He handed the picture to Lee, and while Amanda leaned over to see the photo, he began describing their next case.
"That is Obed Glaktov. We have very little information on him, but some recent evidence ties him to several terrorist attacks spanning the last 10 years. This is important, as, until now, these incidents had not been linked. They include attempted bombings at both U.S. and Russian embassies around the world."
"U.S. and Russian?" Amanda interrupted.
"Yes. I know it's odd, Amanda, that is why these events weren't linked before now. However, Glaktov was working at each of the events where the attempted bombings took place. We got an anonymous tip that he should be watched."
"Billy, you keep referring to these as 'attempted'?" Lee pointed out before Billy could continue.
"Yes," Billy agreed. "All of the previous attempts were failures. Somehow, word always got out before the bomb went off. However, this tip claims that Glaktov has made some pretty influential friends in the past few years. If the information we have is correct, his future attempts will be much better planned and probably a lot more successful."
"Excuse me, sir, but I'm still confused about why the targets are both U.S. and Russian. Whose side is Glaktov on?" Amanda asked.
"Good question, Amanda. Glaktov is Czech. It appears that he is a Marxist. He believes that Communism is not pure Marxism, and thus is not a Russian supporter or an American supporter."
Amanda nodded her head, although in reality she wasn't completely clear on the differences between Marxism and Communism. She doubted it would be important to the case, though.
"So," Lee picked up the conversation, slapping his thigh lightly, "where is the expected next target?"
"The American embassy in France," Billy replied.
"We need to go to France?" Amanda asked. She wasn't even sure if she was upset or happy. It would be great to go to France, and yet, she doubted she'd get much time to sightsee and what would she tell Mother and the boys?
"Hopefully not, Amanda," Billy answered. "Glaktov is currently in D.C. and we believe he's been making plans with his Czech contacts here. There is a party at the Czech embassy tomorrow night. I am hoping that with a little legwork, you two can finish the case before then. I'll make sure to secure two tickets to the party and hopefully you can wrap up any loose ends there."
Lee smiled, standing up and taking the folder from Billy's hand. "Thanks, Billy. Amanda and I will start looking through this and then hit the streets."
Hearing her cue, Amanda also rose, and the pair moved out of Billy's office and toward the elevator, Lee's hand guiding Amanda the whole way.
**************************************************************************** *
Up in the Q-Bureau, Lee began looking through the case file. Amanda finished up some filing, then sat down to join him. He handed her the case file as he finished with it, then sat back in his chair, trying to comprehend the data. Turning it over in his mind, he tried to make sense out of it. Glaktov seemed like a small-time player, and he was not very successful. However, if the tips the Agency had received were correct, he had made friends with some pretty high-powered individuals. The question Lee could not figure out was why were these people backing Glaktov? He hardly had a successful history.
He looked at Amanda reading the file, and couldn't help but smile. Her brow creased while she tried to make sense of it as she read. Sometimes when he saw her, Lee had to fight the urge to laugh. What was Amanda King doing mixed up in all of this? She was just a simple mother of two from the suburbs. And yet, as her day job she tried to stop a Czech terrorist from striking again? It was mind-boggling.
Amanda finished the file and looking up, caught Lee staring at her. Both looked away embarrassed, and silence descended upon the room. Unlike the silence of earlier, where both were working, this silence was uncomfortable and heavy.
Finally, Lee could take the discomfort no longer, and clearing his throat, said, "So, I guess we should hit the streets. I can't seem to wrap my mind around this case from the file. You have any luck?"
"No, I don't have any ideas." Amanda replied as she got up.
Again placing his hand on the small of her back, Lee led her out the door.
**************************************************************************** **
Once in the Corvette, Lee turned to Amanda. "So, partner, any ideas on where to start?"
"Hmm…I don't know. Who would have information on this? Rhonda?"
"Maybe. Why don't we start there? The gas station is on the way to the Czech embassy anyway. I have a contact there that may be able to help."
As the pulled up to the gas station, Rhonda spotted the familiar car, and walked over. Leaning into the driver's side window, she smiled. "Howdy, stranger. Hi, Amanda." Looking back over at Lee, "Fill 'er up?"
"Please." Lee said as he handed her his credit card.
As she waited for the credit card to process, she came back to the car. Lee and Amanda had both gotten out "to stretch their legs" they claimed. Lowering his voice, Lee asked, "Ever hear of a man named Glaktov?"
"Sure. A couple of KGB officers were here this morning talking about him. I thought he was their enemy from the way they were talking. Said he's in town, and they need to get into a party at the Czech embassy."
"Yeah, he is their enemy, too. But I was wondering if you had any other information."
"Nope, sorry. But I'll keep my ears open." Rhonda headed back inside to get Lee's credit card.
Getting back in the car, Lee and Amanda headed over to the Czech embassy. As the pulled up to it, Lee turned to Amanda briefly, before turning back to the road. "Listen, Amanda. Maybe you should stay in the car for this one. I won't be gone long." As he turned off the ignition, he glanced her way.
She smiled at him, "Sure, Lee. Whatever you say," but he could see the anger in her eyes. Deciding not to dwell on it, and leave while she was agreeing, he got out and walked toward the building. Glancing back behind him as he walked toward the embassy, he could see her shaking her head. She was clearly unhappy.
Entering the embassy, Lee asked for Valdmir Cosak, his contact. He was sent to Valdmir's office, and the two walked out to the balcony where Valdmir could speak more freely. However, Valdmir didn't have much more information than Rhonda had. He had heard of Glaktov and he knew that Glaktov was to be at the embassy party the following night, but not much else.
"I'm sorry, my friend," Valdmir said to Lee in his stilted English. "I know little more than you do. I will get back to you if I hear anything at all."
Lee thanked him and started to leave when Valdmir called him back. "A word of advice, Scarecrow. I would not leave your pretty partner alone out there. We know there are people in these walls who do not like you and would be more than pleased to capture her."
Lee looked at him bewildered, "How did you know Amanda was waiting for me in the car?" Suddenly it occurred to him. She wasn't waiting in the car. Of course, she wasn't. She never waited in the car. He shook his head in annoyance before Valdmir responded.
"One of my coworkers commented on the pretty brunette sitting outside in the silver sports car just before I was told you were here. She is with you, no?"
Feeling somewhat embarrassed at not having trusted her, Lee nodded his head. "Yes, she is with me. Next time I will bring her up, for now I'd better get back to her."
"Yes, my friend mentioned that if he were with her, he would not want to be without her for long either."
Lee stepped out of the door, amazed at how a passerby, seeing Amanda through the window, could be that taken with her. What was with this guy? It was just Amanda. Sure, she was pretty, but come on…
To Be Continued…
Summary: In trying to stop a terrorist attempt, will Lee and Amanda find more than they bargained for?
Timeframe: Mid-to-late Third Season
Disclaimer: All familiar characters are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions (some characters are mine).
This story, however, is mine. Please don't archive it without my permission.
Rating: G
Note: I have to admit, I am not a big fan of AU stories, but somehow I felt like writing one would give me some more leeway to explore, so I decided to attempt it anyway. I tried to keep this as close to being in character as possible, so although it is somewhat out of canon, I hope it still stays true to the characters.
Feedback: All is welcome.
As Amanda entered the bullpen, she smiled at the agents she passed, but kept her eyes trained on the man sitting in the section chief's office. Through the glass, she could see that he looked relaxed, he was smiling, and she could almost see the sparkle in his hazel eyes despite not being able to see him face-to-face. Amanda smiled softly to herself. Walking through here, it looked like any other office in corporate America: desks arranged in a room, the low murmur of typing, and an office, clearly the boss', where he sat talking to an employee. It would be hard to tell, at a fast glance, that these people put their lives on the line everyday to make the country a safer place for those who truly were in corporate America.
Knocking on Billy's office door, she smiled as she entered. "Good morning, sir. Good morning, Lee." Her eyes locked with Lee's for a fraction of a second and both their smiles deepened. Looking back at the section chief, Amanda continued, "You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Yes, Amanda. Please sit down," Billy gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk, trying to hide his smile. He had seen the look pass between his two agents and was pleased with the friendship developing. These days Lee looked more relaxed than Billy had ever seen him before.
"So, what's up, Billy?" Lee asked, bringing Billy out of his musings.
Picking up a folder, Billy opened it, removing a photograph. He handed the picture to Lee, and while Amanda leaned over to see the photo, he began describing their next case.
"That is Obed Glaktov. We have very little information on him, but some recent evidence ties him to several terrorist attacks spanning the last 10 years. This is important, as, until now, these incidents had not been linked. They include attempted bombings at both U.S. and Russian embassies around the world."
"U.S. and Russian?" Amanda interrupted.
"Yes. I know it's odd, Amanda, that is why these events weren't linked before now. However, Glaktov was working at each of the events where the attempted bombings took place. We got an anonymous tip that he should be watched."
"Billy, you keep referring to these as 'attempted'?" Lee pointed out before Billy could continue.
"Yes," Billy agreed. "All of the previous attempts were failures. Somehow, word always got out before the bomb went off. However, this tip claims that Glaktov has made some pretty influential friends in the past few years. If the information we have is correct, his future attempts will be much better planned and probably a lot more successful."
"Excuse me, sir, but I'm still confused about why the targets are both U.S. and Russian. Whose side is Glaktov on?" Amanda asked.
"Good question, Amanda. Glaktov is Czech. It appears that he is a Marxist. He believes that Communism is not pure Marxism, and thus is not a Russian supporter or an American supporter."
Amanda nodded her head, although in reality she wasn't completely clear on the differences between Marxism and Communism. She doubted it would be important to the case, though.
"So," Lee picked up the conversation, slapping his thigh lightly, "where is the expected next target?"
"The American embassy in France," Billy replied.
"We need to go to France?" Amanda asked. She wasn't even sure if she was upset or happy. It would be great to go to France, and yet, she doubted she'd get much time to sightsee and what would she tell Mother and the boys?
"Hopefully not, Amanda," Billy answered. "Glaktov is currently in D.C. and we believe he's been making plans with his Czech contacts here. There is a party at the Czech embassy tomorrow night. I am hoping that with a little legwork, you two can finish the case before then. I'll make sure to secure two tickets to the party and hopefully you can wrap up any loose ends there."
Lee smiled, standing up and taking the folder from Billy's hand. "Thanks, Billy. Amanda and I will start looking through this and then hit the streets."
Hearing her cue, Amanda also rose, and the pair moved out of Billy's office and toward the elevator, Lee's hand guiding Amanda the whole way.
**************************************************************************** *
Up in the Q-Bureau, Lee began looking through the case file. Amanda finished up some filing, then sat down to join him. He handed her the case file as he finished with it, then sat back in his chair, trying to comprehend the data. Turning it over in his mind, he tried to make sense out of it. Glaktov seemed like a small-time player, and he was not very successful. However, if the tips the Agency had received were correct, he had made friends with some pretty high-powered individuals. The question Lee could not figure out was why were these people backing Glaktov? He hardly had a successful history.
He looked at Amanda reading the file, and couldn't help but smile. Her brow creased while she tried to make sense of it as she read. Sometimes when he saw her, Lee had to fight the urge to laugh. What was Amanda King doing mixed up in all of this? She was just a simple mother of two from the suburbs. And yet, as her day job she tried to stop a Czech terrorist from striking again? It was mind-boggling.
Amanda finished the file and looking up, caught Lee staring at her. Both looked away embarrassed, and silence descended upon the room. Unlike the silence of earlier, where both were working, this silence was uncomfortable and heavy.
Finally, Lee could take the discomfort no longer, and clearing his throat, said, "So, I guess we should hit the streets. I can't seem to wrap my mind around this case from the file. You have any luck?"
"No, I don't have any ideas." Amanda replied as she got up.
Again placing his hand on the small of her back, Lee led her out the door.
**************************************************************************** **
Once in the Corvette, Lee turned to Amanda. "So, partner, any ideas on where to start?"
"Hmm…I don't know. Who would have information on this? Rhonda?"
"Maybe. Why don't we start there? The gas station is on the way to the Czech embassy anyway. I have a contact there that may be able to help."
As the pulled up to the gas station, Rhonda spotted the familiar car, and walked over. Leaning into the driver's side window, she smiled. "Howdy, stranger. Hi, Amanda." Looking back over at Lee, "Fill 'er up?"
"Please." Lee said as he handed her his credit card.
As she waited for the credit card to process, she came back to the car. Lee and Amanda had both gotten out "to stretch their legs" they claimed. Lowering his voice, Lee asked, "Ever hear of a man named Glaktov?"
"Sure. A couple of KGB officers were here this morning talking about him. I thought he was their enemy from the way they were talking. Said he's in town, and they need to get into a party at the Czech embassy."
"Yeah, he is their enemy, too. But I was wondering if you had any other information."
"Nope, sorry. But I'll keep my ears open." Rhonda headed back inside to get Lee's credit card.
Getting back in the car, Lee and Amanda headed over to the Czech embassy. As the pulled up to it, Lee turned to Amanda briefly, before turning back to the road. "Listen, Amanda. Maybe you should stay in the car for this one. I won't be gone long." As he turned off the ignition, he glanced her way.
She smiled at him, "Sure, Lee. Whatever you say," but he could see the anger in her eyes. Deciding not to dwell on it, and leave while she was agreeing, he got out and walked toward the building. Glancing back behind him as he walked toward the embassy, he could see her shaking her head. She was clearly unhappy.
Entering the embassy, Lee asked for Valdmir Cosak, his contact. He was sent to Valdmir's office, and the two walked out to the balcony where Valdmir could speak more freely. However, Valdmir didn't have much more information than Rhonda had. He had heard of Glaktov and he knew that Glaktov was to be at the embassy party the following night, but not much else.
"I'm sorry, my friend," Valdmir said to Lee in his stilted English. "I know little more than you do. I will get back to you if I hear anything at all."
Lee thanked him and started to leave when Valdmir called him back. "A word of advice, Scarecrow. I would not leave your pretty partner alone out there. We know there are people in these walls who do not like you and would be more than pleased to capture her."
Lee looked at him bewildered, "How did you know Amanda was waiting for me in the car?" Suddenly it occurred to him. She wasn't waiting in the car. Of course, she wasn't. She never waited in the car. He shook his head in annoyance before Valdmir responded.
"One of my coworkers commented on the pretty brunette sitting outside in the silver sports car just before I was told you were here. She is with you, no?"
Feeling somewhat embarrassed at not having trusted her, Lee nodded his head. "Yes, she is with me. Next time I will bring her up, for now I'd better get back to her."
"Yes, my friend mentioned that if he were with her, he would not want to be without her for long either."
Lee stepped out of the door, amazed at how a passerby, seeing Amanda through the window, could be that taken with her. What was with this guy? It was just Amanda. Sure, she was pretty, but come on…
To Be Continued…