Amanda's maroon Taurus was already in the driveway as Lee pulled up to the house. The blue van-the same kind that he'd seen last Saturday near Dotty's house-was parked across the street and it appeared to be empty.
They haven't left yet, he thought. That meant there was still time. But where was Amanda?
Lee parked behind the Taurus and got out, holding his gun ready as he approached the house. The door was wide open. He closed and locked it softly behind him as he entered. The TV in the family room was blaring, some kind of game show.
"Maybe you didn't hear me before, Howard," the angry looking woman on TV was saying to a man who looked as though he wished the earth was swallow him whole' "NEXT TIME WE DO IT MY WAY." Lee scanned the room-nothing out of place and no signs of struggle.
From upstairs he heard it- the sound of a thump followed by a muffled cry. Heart pounding, Lee made his way slowly up the staircase and down the hallway.
"-should know better than to try and fight me, little one," a heavily-accented voice was saying. The voice came from Jenna's room. "Maybe you need another lesson, eh?" The door to her room was slightly open-through the crack Lee could see a very large dark-haired man towering over his daughter, who was crouching on the floor, both arms covering her face protectively.
"Please," Jenna said. "No-don't-" she gave a shriek as the man grabbed one of her arms and yanked her roughly upwards, pulling her back against him and holding her in a chokehold.
"Now," the man said, taking a syringe out of his pocket. "Some of this and you won't be any trouble at all." Deciding he'd seen enough, Lee kicked open the door.
"Alright," he said, leveling his gun at the man's head. "Let her go now." But instead of letting go of Jenna the man pulled her closer, tightening his arm against Jenna's neck until she gasped.
"I said let to her go!" Lee cocked his pistol.
"I wouldn't do that, Mr. Stetson," the man said. "You shoot me and I'll crush her windpipe before I hit the ground. I might be dead but so will she." His grip tightened. "Do you really want to take that chance?"
Tears were running slowly down Jenna's face as she looked at Lee-an angry looking red mark covered one side of her face.
"Drop it," the man said
"Daddy?" Jenna whispered. The pain and confusion in her voice tore at him-this was all his fault. Slowly Lee lowered his gun.
"On the floor," the man said. "Kick it away." Lee did as he was told, his eyes never leaving his daughter's face.
"Just let her go," he told the man. "Please. She's no threat to you-she's got nothing to with this."
"On the contrary," Franco Necci came into the room. He was holding Amanda with her arm up behind her back and a gun to her head. "Jenna is the one that we came for, Scarecrow, but it looks like we've got the whole family as a bonus." Shoving Amanda towards Lee, he walked
towards Jenna.
"What happened here?" Franco said, touching the side of Jenna's face, chuckling as she flinched.
"She fought me when I tried to drug her," Rudolpho said. "I had to teach her a lesson."
"Well I don't think the drugs will be necessary anymore," Franco said, smoothing Jenna's hair. Lee swallowed hard. "She's too frightened to cause us any more trouble, aren't you?" Lee felt Amanda's hand slip into his-he knew she was feeling the same thing.
"Get them into the back of the van and tie them up," Franco said. "We don't have any more time to waste."
SMK SMK SMK SMK
The back of the van felt like an oven, the air very hot and close. Ruldolpho pushed them inside. Franco followed his nephew, keeping the gun trained on them. The floor of the van was covered by a dirty mattress and a blanket. They had been planning to take Jenna, Lee thought, drug her and keep her in here; he fought to control his growing rage.
"Sit," Rudolpho said. "Over against the wall. I know it's hot but you won't be in here that long." Lee and Amanda sat, Jenna in between them, and Rudolpho preceded to tie their wrist and ankles.
"Not giving me any fight now, are you, Jenna?" Ruldolpho said as he tied Jenna's ankles, pulling the rope tight with a sudden yank. "Maybe you did learn your lesson." Jenna said nothing. Lee could see that her dark eyes were wide, the pupils slightly dilated and her breathing slightly faster than normal.
"Did you learn your lesson?" Rudolpho asked, leaning closer to Jenna. "Answer me!"
"Enough," Franco said. "We don't have time for this foolishness, nephew. Time to go." The van doors closed, leaving them in semi-darkness-the only light coming from a skylight just overhead.
"Jenna?" Amanda said. "Sweetheart I know how scared you must be, but we will get out of this." Jenna said nothing in reply. Her silence was really starting to frighten Lee.
"Munchkin, please just talk to us," he said. But instead of talking Jenna closed her eyes and began a rhythmic rocking back and forth, whispering to herself.
"My name is Marcie Ann Johnston, My name is Marcie Ann Johnston, My name is Marcie Ann Johnston-"
Dear Lord- a flashback. "Jenna," Lee said, raising his voice over her whispers. Dr Pfaff had taught him this technique after Jenna's kidnapping a year and a half ago and he could only pray that he was doing it right. "Jenna open your eyes. Please open your eyes-open your eyes. Jenna!"
"Can't-" Jenna said. "I'll get hurt again. I don't want to get hurt-"
"You won't get hurt," Lee said. "Your Mom and I are the only ones here right now. You won't get hurt. Just open your eyes and turn your head to the left –look right at me-that's it," he said as Jenna looked at him, her eyes focusing- "Just concentrate on breathing in and out-just like me." He wasn't really sure how long they sat there doing this, but after a while Jenna's breathing began to slow.
"Mom?" Jenna said. "Where's Mom? Is she here?"
"I'm right here, sweetheart." Amanda said. Jenna turned her head, looking at her and then back to Lee again. Her eyes suddenly filled with tears again, spilling down her cheeks.
"It's okay to cry," Lee said. "I'm sorry you got mixed up in this-it never should've happened."
"What am I mixed up in?" Jenna said. "What's going on? That other man called you Scarecrow -Are you gangsters?"
"No munchkin, we aren't gangsters," Lee said "This isn't exactly the way we wanted you to find out the truth-we should've told you long before this."
"Before what?" Jenna said. "I don't understand. You've always told me that you worked for IFF making movies."
"No IFF is just a cover," Amanda said. "What we really do is work for the federal government, gathering intelligence."
"Intelligence?" Jenna repeated the word. "Do you mean that you and dad are spies?"
Author's Chapter Notes:
Standard disclaimers apply-don't own `em, just write `em. Please let me know what you think *