Lee was jarred by is voice. Lifting his tear soaked face from his hands he jumped up and grabbed at it.
" Well, come on play it!"
Billy jammed the tape in a player on his desk. Billy listened intently in his chair while Lee paced frantically.
"My name is Oleg Kreitzer. Many of you are familiar with my involvement with the Kosavo Freedom Fighters and their resistance against NATO strikes. About a year ago one of your men Lee Stetson, codename Scarecrow, terminated a weapons deal that would have greatly aided my allies. It is now payback time. I need a list of all strike sites in Kosavo by 4:00 tomorrow. A complete list of all your strategies and your fronts. You will be notified as to further instructions. Only then will I returned what I have taken from you. What do you Americans say? Tit for Tat? I feel this is an even trade. Good Day."
"That's it. Billy pushed the stop button.
"That can't be it! There has got to be more!"
"There isn't Lee. You head him, more information is coming. Lee continued to pace, his head turned to the ceiling.
"Lee, is it possible he knows who Jenny is? Or do you think this was completely random?"
"I don't know..."
All of a sudden Lee unraveled. Any thing he saw he grabbed and hurled them across the room. The phone. A blotter. Files. Finally he collapsed on the couch running his hands through his hair, trying but failing, to stop the flood of tears.
"Lee! Billy screams, "You have to pull yourself together..."
"That's my baby girl, Billy!" Lee gave up holding back the tears on Billy's account.
"Lee we have 12 men working on this. We will get her back. You need to hold yourself together. For Amanda's sake. You need to be her support." Billy did not know what else to say. He had never seen Lee cry before. It almost scared him. He always thought of Lee as a being completely void of emotion. He should have known that when it came to Amanda or his family, the pendulum would swing in the direct opposite direction.
"Billy, I want to head this investigation. I owe it to..."
"No way," Billy jumped in. I am. "Amanda is going to need you."
"Oh God, Amanda." Lee whispered, hanging his head to the floor. "You know when Amanda and I decided to keep our marriage a secret, we thought it would protect our family from the things like this. We were thinking of Phillip and Jamie, never really a child of our own." Lee swallows hard and continued, 'I had Amanda and believe me, she was all I ever needed or wanted. When she told me she was pregnant I was so scared. Happy, but scared. Since the time I fell in love with Amanda I dedicated my whole being to her. I wanted to protect her from everything… keep her safe. I would die for her in a heartbeat. The baby only made her more fragile to me."
"When Jenny came along, I was so overwhelmed. People always say that having kids changes you and Billy it really changed me. Amanda and I created this small little creature and..." Lee gulped and wiped a lone tear of his cheek. "Amanda loves her children more than life itself and believe me she has a special place for Jenny since she is always wanted a daughter. How am I gonna tell her that because some crazy guy is after me, her whole would is ruined. Some husband I am."
Billy was quiet, obviously moved by what Lee had just said.
"Lee we will find her. You got to believe that."
Lee nods. Tired of speaking
Just then the phone rings. Billy picks it up.
"Yes send her in."
"Lee, Amanda's here. Remember you got to be strong."
Lee straightened up, smoothed down his hair and cleared his throat. When he saw his beautiful wife approach the door he thought his heart would burst.