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"Mr. Carlson... there is an eight foot base with a two foot powder at Aspen."
"Travis, don't be a baby."
"I'm not being a baby! I want my vacation!" Andy whined. He stood in Mr. Carlson's office wearing a brand new parka to go with the brand new skis he was holding.
"Can I go, Mr. Carlson?" Les Nessman asked.
The newsman had announced that morning he was going to take off for New York to pursue his life long ambition of becoming a network anchor on the evening news. But Andy was scheduled for his vacation.
"Andy?" Carlson looked expectantly at the Program Director.
"Okay." Andy conceded reluctantly.
"Why don't you trade off your vacations. When are you scheduled, Les?" Carlson queried.
"August."
"Oh. Andy?"
What was he going to tell the guys? The Skipper had been in an organizing frenzy. Besides the regular family get togethers Skip normally took charge of, he'd gotten it into his head to have a simple "guys only" weekend skiing and snowmobiling in the mountains of Colorado... Aspen to be exact. The winter had been long and there was still plenty of snow. Andy wanted to go! He would let Les pursue the dreams of a lifetime, but he didn't have to be happy, or pleasant, about it.
"August would be perfect," he replied through clenched teeth.
Andy gave a heavy sigh as he left Mr. Carlson and Les, moping back to his office to make the call. The "Four Musketeers" were going to have to do without him this time. What was he going to tell the guys?
Lee executed a perfect backhand to the alarm clock and curled up around his wife's back... again.
"Lee, how many times are you going to hit the snooze button?" Amanda asked sleepily.
"What snooze button?" his muffled voice asked innocently as he snuggled closer.
"Denial is not a pretty thing. You're going to miss your flight if you don't get up."
He sighed. "How often do we actually get to spend some time together? If I'd known your mother and the boys would be out of town, I would've made Skip plan this for another time. Five whole days. I'm going to miss you."
Amanda turned over to face her husband. "And I'll miss you. But think of what a great reunion we'll have!" She smiled and teased a hand across his shoulder, down his arm. "You always have a great time with your cousins and you know Skip... you won't have time to miss me."
Lee looked at her seriously, thinking of how very recently he'd almost lost her on their honeymoon. "I miss you every minute we're apart." He paused before continuing. "And sometimes when we're together. Not having anyone know we're married is driving me crazy. I can't even look at you in public the way you should be looked at." His face took on a mischievous grin. "If I shave in the car on the way to the airport, we could stay here for just a little while longer... "
Murphy sat in the Denver airport looking out the window at the snow on the runway. He wasn't sure how Skip had managed it, but he was due any second at this gate from Lindbergh International and Lee was arriving from Dulles within 15 minutes across the way. Skip had modestly given all the credit to his travel agent, Karen, whom he'd called a "whiz", but it still amazed Murphy. Skip knew how to organize.
The Denver detective had been looking forward to seeing everyone again, but the call from Andy came as Murphy was walking out the door. There was no way to let Skip or Lee know of their cousin's absence. They would be disappointed.
Murphy wasn't even sure he was sure why Andy wasn't coming. Something about less newsmen and New York eating someone alive. Andy was obviously not happy and Murphy hadn't pressed the issue.
Murphy stood as the passengers disembarked from the plane and soon spotted Skip. It wasn't hard. Skip never went anywhere quietly. He'd obviously met some space fans and they were gathered around him asking questions and hanging on his every word. He finally bid farewell to his new friends with a flourish and started over towards Murphy.
"Hey, Cuz!" Skip exclaimed, embracing Murphy and slapping him on the back. "I love it when a plan comes together. Can't believe we're here. Where's Andy? His plane should have landed 20 minutes ago... Ah, it's not late is it? That'll throw the whole timetable off... "
"Skip... Skip..." Murphy started.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to adjust. Did you get the cabin? Any problems? Did you...?"
"Skip!" Murphy finally got through. "Andy's not coming. He called just before I left for the airport and said he'd been trying to reach me since yesterday, but I guess the snow is causing phone problems again."
"What happened?" Skip was immediately concerned.
"Nothing serious, from what I can tell. He wasn't too clear. I know he was upset."
"Ah, it just won't be the same without ol' Walkie-Talkie. Crud!" Skip was silent for a moment. "I thought Lee might try and duck out on us. He seemed a little pre-occupied when I talked to him a couple of nights ago, but I never thought we'd lose Andy..."
"Well, Lee's due in any minute. We'd better shift over to his gate before he thinks we're not coming," Murphy said, grabbing one of Skip's carry-ons and moving across the aisle.
The long drive from Denver to Aspen flew by with excited talk and reminiscings about their good old days. Lee was reticent to join in the jocularity at first. It was a behavior dating back to his shyness as a boy, rejoining his cousins after the long year's absence between summers at the ranch, but this time it was more. He felt out of sorts without Amanda at his side. She'd been right about Skip, though. He wasn't about to let Lee or Murphy have a chance to miss anything or anybody. Lee's mood was no match for his older cousin's infectious up-beat personality and he was soon out-remembering The Skipper.
The snow was starting to fall lightly as they entered the town serving the lodges. Nearing dusk, Murphy found the rental shop he'd made reservations with. Not wanting to navigate the mountain roads at night, Lee and Murphy quickly hitched the trailer with the snowmobiles and stowed the ski gear on the top racks of Murphy's Bronco while Skip was sent on a mission to the local grocery store for supplies.
"How much farther is this cabin, Murph? We're pretty far out from town and the main resorts." Lee, on driving duty, strained through the growing darkness to see the roadmarks Murphy assured him the map showed.
"Lee, the more isolated the better," Skip began his lecture. "We're mountain men this week, roughing it, living off the land with nothing but our wits to survive."
Murphy let out a laugh. "Is that why we have a small fortune's worth of food in several dozen bags in the back? I hardly think that... Lee," Murphy cried out. "Here! This is the road!"
Road is not exactly how Lee would've described what they turned off onto. It was barely wide enough to let the Bronco pass and he envisioned their truck stuck between two trees, the doors jammed shut. At least, thanks to Skip, they wouldn't starve.
Lee stopped as the glorified path ended. Through the thick aspens, the cabin was barely visible in the headlights. Skip immediately jumped out.
"Come on, Guys! Let's get settled in." He grabbed several sacks, searching for the path in the quickly accumulating snow. "Hey, Murph, toss the keys this way." Skip balanced the groceries in one arm, caught the keys and was off again.
Taking the suitcases Murphy handed him, Lee shook his head. "He's always been like this, hasn't he?"
"Yes, and he always will be," Murphy sighed in his best long suffering voice. "Better hurry up before he has everything assigned. I don't want to sleep on the floor."
Murphy and Lee followed their cousin.
"This is roughing it?" Lee asked, putting his burden down just inside.
"My friend said it was an old skiing cabin," Murphy replied as he took in the interior.
The "cabin" had two stories. The first floor contained a kitchen, bathroom, dining area and huge living room with a wood burning furnace next to the color TV... cable box attached. The sliding glass doors led to a decking of some kind. Lee could see into the pantry where a washer and dryer were visible.
Skip yelled from upstairs, "If you don't get up here now, I'm assigning bedrooms."
"I told you," Murphy said.
Anxious to see what their overeager friend would leave them, Lee and Murphy raced up the stairs. Four doors greeted them. The first led into a very modern bathroom with marble counters and a glass enclosed bathtub. There were three bedrooms, two with multiple single beds. The larger one boasted a king size bed with a telephone and answering machine on the nightstand. Skip was sprawled diagonally across the bedspread in what could only be described as the master suite. He looked up as the others entered.
"Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!" he declared in his best Daffy Duck impersonation. "Isn't this great... oh, guys, I get the jacuzzi in the downstairs bathroom first when we're unpacked." He hopped up and headed for the stairs.
"Murphy, did I miss when we traded Davy Crockett for Robin Leach?" Lee asked incredulously.
"I think..." Murphy began but was interrupted.
"Good thing I opted for Jiffy Pop. The note on the microwave says it takes 20 minutes to do popcorn... " The comments filtered to them from downstairs and trailed off as Skip headed out the door to continue his unloading.
The travelling and excitement of being among his best friends had exhausted Lee and allowed him a mostly undisturbed night until early morning, when he reached over for Amanda and her absence woke him. Loneliness crept in and the decision to call his wife won out, contrary to the agreement to salvage what was left of their "roughing it" by remaining totally isolated. Lee reasoned a quick call couldn't hurt, just to see if everything was okay at home. The guys would never know.
Lee had showered, then waited for what seemed an eternity for his cousins to get up and do the same. Finally alone, he crept into Skip's room and dialed the Q-Bureau.
"Desmond here."
"Francine? Is Amanda there?"
"Oh, uh, hi, Lee. How's the skiing?"
"We haven't done any yet. Where's Amanda?"
"Oh, uh, well, um, Billy wants to talk to you," Francine stammered out. "Please hold."
"Wait..." Lee's annoyance grew as the muzak version of "The Search is Over" played in his ear.
The section chief came on the line. "Lee, how's the skiing?"
"Billy, what's going on?" he snapped. "Amanda's scheduled for in-house all week, and all I can get out of anyone when I ask for her, is questions about skiing. Is she okay?"
"Everything's fine. Now how did she know you would panic when you couldn't reach her?" Billy laughed. "Amanda asked me to assure you when you checked in, as she knew you would, that she's fine. She's completely recovered from the bullet she took and the doctor's given her a clean bill of health to be on full active duty. She's assisting the DEA and Boston PD. Simple stuff. They're short handed and asked for help. Mostly paper pushing. Amanda's missing a partner this week and volunteered."
"For your information, Billy, I had a few free minutes and thought I'd see if there was anything I'd forgotten to do before I left. I was not checking in."
"Riiight." A knowing smirk was quite apparent in his tone. "Better watch it. Unpredictability has always been your strong suit, Scarecrow. You're losing your edge."
"Very funny." Lee paused, embarrased his wife could read him so well. "If Amanda does call in, there's no need to tell her I called... is there?"
Billy's tone turned warm, knowing his two friends were more than just partners, while not officially being aware of anything. "No, not really. Details are always missed when an agent goes on vacation. Commendable of you to contact us, Scarecrow." Billy's mock seriousness made Lee grin... how much did his boss really suspect?
"Billy, this place has a telephone if there's a need to get in touch with me, but only for emergencies..." Lee's voice got conspiratorially quiet. "Civilization is off limits. We're supposed to be incommunicado." He read the number off before hanging up.
"So much for reassurances and sweet nothings whispered in my ear," he muttered to himself as he returned to his own room to finish getting dressed.
The previous day's mild storm had left everything white and shining. It seemed a sin to break the pureness, but the plan for the day was skiing and nothing was going to deter Skip.
Murphy could think of few things better. In his L.A. days, besides the Agency and Laura, it was one of his all consuming passions; curtailed in recent years by the injury to his leg. Time was finally returning strength and endurance, but it still troubled him at the damndest times. He would pay for this activity tomorrow, but today he would enjoy the wind biting at his face, flowing through his hair. Too bad Andy wasn't here. This would have been his first experience skiing and that long shaggy mane they always loved to tease him about would certainly have flowed nicely.
Skip and Lee slid silently up beside Murphy at the top of the slope.
"It sure is peaceful here. I could almost believe we're the only people in all of Colorado." Murphy's musings were quiet, almost reverential.
"Yes, peaceful," Skip repeated in a whisper. "I guess it's up to us to fix that." He gave his best Cherokee battle cry. "Last one to that tree is 'it'," Skip yelped and shoved off.
"You heard the man," Murphy laughed. "You don't want to be 'it'."
Lee and Murphy joined the wild race down the hill.
Sore, windburnt and exhausted, the three men crawled up the steps to the welcoming shelter. It had been a long day and the sun was just starting to set. Lee stepped inside and froze. He heard a voice upstairs. He pushed his cousins back and quieted them with a finger to his lips. Grabbing a snow shovel, he slowly crept toward the sounds. Reaching the landing, he was about to make his move when he distinctly heard, "Love ya. Bye, Murph" and then a beep. He opened the door to the master suite and could see the answering machine light blinking cheerfully away.
"Hey guys, all clear. Come on up." Lee shouted at them.
Murphy and Skip joined him. Lee was by the phone, playing with the recorder's buttons.
"Skip, just wanted to say hi and we miss you." Mel's voice came through loud and clear. "Hi Dad" was screamed in the background. "Can't wait for you to come home." Beep.
Skip had the decency to look sheepish. "Well, I thought if there were any problems, they'd have to get in touch..."
Sherry's voice interrupted his ramblings with the message Lee had already heard.
"Looks like Lee is the only one who knows how to leave the world behind on a vacation," Murphy apologized when his wife finished.
Lee couldn't help laughing, then confessed. "Amanda's on 'location' in Boston. They said she'd be back at the end of the week."
"Some great wilderness men we turned out to be," Skip added. "Come on. Let's see if we can get that Jiffy Pop going while we wait for the Banquet dinners to heat up. I've got some instant hot chocolate. If you're both very good, I might even spike it up a bit for good measure."
"Amanda's becoming quite adept at this 'filmmaking' thing, isn't she?" Murphy asked as they descended toward the kitchen.
"Best in the 'documentary business'... after all, she was taught by the best," Lee admitted with feigned modesty and earned a playful slug on the arm from Murphy.
Hearing all the messages from home started Lee thinking about Amanda again. He'd gone to bed thinking of her... His dreams filled with her presence... Lee imagined her with him in the cabin and his mind was still on her as they headed out to navigate the hillside trails the next morning. In fact, his last conscious memory was of her... well, except for Skip's yell about "the tree". Lee admitted that was probably the last thing he actually remembered.
Murphy told him he was lucky it was only a large sapling, not really a tree yet.
The doctor told him he should be thankful nothing was seriously hurt... did pride count, Lee wondered... just a nasty bump on the head. Not even a concussion. A day's rest would find him good as new.
Skip told him it was a good thing they'd only gone a few hundred yards, otherwise they'd have had to leave him there until after the spring thaw. Then offered to let Lee borrow his good luck piece the next time he hit the slopes.
Lee told them he wouldn't let the day's excursion be ruined because he happened to like skiing with his eyes shut. They shouldn't worry about him. He would just lay there and watch soaps and throw in a pot pie or something for lunch. The late start would require the use of the snowmobiles, but they shouldn't cancel because of him. He wouldn't hear of it.
Reluctantly, they left Lee alone with the cable TV and his wounded manhood and promises to return by dusk.
To incapacitate himself and ruin the Skipper's well laid out arrangements, all before 9:30 in the morning... amazing! The only thing keeping the self-pity at bay was the longing for his daydreams to come true. His reaction to the whole situation was totally irrational. He would see his wife in three days... if she was off her assignment. Another wave of loneliness swept over him and he chided himself. If he didn't stop this, he would spoil everyone's vacation, not just his.
Interrupting his reverie, Lee thought he heard a tentative tap at the door. He rose as the knocking became more insistent. Opening the door, Lee stood for a second looking at the answer to his prayers.
"Lee, I'm so glad you're here. I'm sorry. I know this is for you guys only, then I ended up in Aspen waiting for the detective from Boston to show up and I missed you so much and the rendezvous isn't until late this afternoon and so I asked in town how to get out here. Murphy, Andy and Skip will understand I hope..."
Lee silenced his wife with a kiss filled with all the passion bottled up since their parting. He loosened his hold on Amanda far enough to gaze into her eyes. "It seemed like years, Amanda. I can't believe you're here." Lee picked his wife up and carried her into the warmth of the house, over to the couch.
Removing her bulky winter coat, Amanda turned to Lee, noticing for the first time the bandage on his head. "You're hurt!"
He gingerly touched the sore spot. "It's nothing. A little disagreement with a tree this morning, that's all. Billy said you were paper pushing in Boston. What's this about a meeting?"
Amanda grinned at him. "You checked in with Billy, huh?"
"No," he started, but quickly changed his story. "Well, yeah. I wanted to see how you were doing. So, what's going on?"
"It got a little complicated," she began. "The DEA is working with the Boston PD to break a drug smuggling ring out of Colombia. They were planning to arrest someone they thought was a low level courier, but what they actually got was the head guy's brother-in-law. He knows all the routes, schedules, people... everything. He got into the 'family business' through his marriage and couldn't get out because he knew too much. He's never liked it, and he's more than willing to talk for immunity and relocation."
"What does this have to do with you? They've got plenty of agents they can use." The whole situation was starting to sound dangerous and Lee sure didn't want Amanda to have anything to do with it.
"The DEA needed to get Poncho... that's his name, George 'Poncho' Henshaw... he's actually American and a very nice man. He wouldn't tell me how he got his nickname. I think it's very embarrassing. But I think with enough patience I can get him to tell me once..."
"Amanda, you're digressing." Lee laughed at his wife's usual narrative style.
"Oh, right." She blushed slightly. "Well, the DEA needed to get Poncho out of the Boston area and somewhere they could question him and they have a facility in Denver. They were concerned the Colombians might know all their regular agents so Poncho's coming with Buddy and I was sent..."
"Buddy? Who the heck is Buddy?" Lee interrupted.
"Officer Buddy Capatosa. He's with the Boston Police Department," Amanda continued. "I was sent ahead to leave a false trail... I've been all over the country in the last day... and now I have to meet Buddy at Sardy Field in Aspen tonight. We're the officer and agent of record on the bust and..."
"You arrested this guy? Amanda, how did you get in on the arrest? I've only been gone two and a half days." Lee was confused.
"I got the call to go to Boston while I was at the airport dropping you off. Billy paged me and asked if I wanted the assignment. With you and the boys gone for the week, I jumped at the chance to keep busy and my plane was leaving in twenty minutes. Buddy and his partner, Rafael Torres, met me at the airport." Amanda tentatively continued. "Buddy and I hit it off right away. It was as if I'd met him before; he was so familiar... he reminds me of someone, but I still can't put my finger on it."
Lee waited patiently this time for his wife to resume her story. It really did no good to point out the ramblings; she would finish in due time.
Amanda's puzzled expression slowly disappeared. "Anyway, we were on our way to headquarters when we got the word on the walkie talkies that the bust was going down right there and to assist immediately. Next thing I knew, Rafie was out of the action. He'd broken his leg leaping over luggage... I think he thought he was O.J. Simpson... and I was arresting Poncho. Buddy and I are scheduled to do the initial interview."
Lee had to smile. Only Amanda could have gotten herself into this kind of situation while on a simple desk job.
She suddenly looked around. "Lee, where are the guys? You're here all alone?" She looked at him suspiciously. "You're sure you're okay?"
"Yes," he assured her. "Andy never made it. He got sidelined before we even got started and the Skipper and Murphy would not have left me if I were in critical condition. Really," he added when he noticed the disbelieving expression on Amanda's face. "We were going to explore an old ghost mining town in the mountains today. It was an all day thing and the doctor felt I should stay put for a few hours. No concussion, just bruising. Honest!"
Amanda grinned. "An all day 'thing', Mr. Stetson? They won't be back all day?"
"No, not until dusk."
"Oh, and I was so looking forward to spending some time with your cousins again, but with you injured and all, Lee, I suppose we'll just have to make sure you get better. Did the doctor recommend complete bed rest for you? I'm more than willing to do what I must to help." Amanda's innocent tone did not match the gleam in her eyes.
"No," Lee looked at her seriously. "No bed rest. That wasn't it."
Amanda was disappointed at his attitude.
"I believe his prescription was something about the jacuzzi." Lee reached over and made a grab for his wife. Amanda tried to elude his grasp but when capture was certain, she surrendered. She had said she would do anything necessary.
Skip looked up at the growing darkness in the clouds and signalled for Murphy to stop. They'd been gone for almost two hours and they were finally closing in on their destination. Skip was still staring upward when Murphy pulled his snowmobile along side and cut the motor.
"I've been noticing it, too." Murphy indicated the oncoming storm. "What do you think?"
"I think we're gonna get dumped on if we don't get outta here... and soon. It's coming up fast." Skip looked uncharacteristically sober.
Murphy nodded and started his engine. He gave one more look toward the sky and made the wide loop necessary to get back on the trail. Skip followed right behind him. They would have to push their vehicles if they were going to beat it home. It was going to be a tight race.
Murphy and Skip managed to keep ahead of the storm until just within a mile of the cabin. The flurries had continued to grow in intensity and power. Soon the snow was thick and whipping about them. They pulled up alongside the building and secured their vehicles.
The last thing either of the men expected when they entered the house was the table elegantly set for two with candles burning and the overhead lights on dim. Soft, romantic music was playing from somewhere and smells that definitely did not come from a frozen pot pie assailed them. They stared for a long moment.
"Are we in the right place?" Skip finally asked. "What's all this?"
"I'm not the cousin you need to ask." Murphy was looking around.
A shuffling could be heard upstairs.
"I'll check on the breadsticks. Hurry down, lunch is almost ready." Lee rounded the corner at the bottom of the steps and ran into Murphy, who stood with his arms folded across his chest, looking very stern.
"Well, Cuz," Murphy began, trying hard to hide the smile threatening to appear. "We leave you alone, wounded, for a few hours and you turn our retreat into a winter club."
Lee sputtered guiltily, "You're not supposed to be back for another couple of hours..."
"Lee, I thought..." Amanda almost collided with the three cousins. "Murphy! Skip!" Amanda gave each man a big hug.
"Amanda, it's good to see you." Skip grinned at her. "I'm sure you're not aware of this small detail," he began, then looked around to see if anyone suspicious was listening. "But this is Colorado, not Boston. Your locations are going to be all wrong."
Amanda blushed. "I'm sorry guys. I ended up in Aspen with some time to kill..."
"No need to apologize. You're always welcome, Amanda." Murphy put his arm around her and steered her into the living room. "Why don't you tell Skip and me all about your 'documentary' while we warm up. Lee can finish getting lunch ready. Oh, Lee, I think your breadsticks are burning..."
Amanda had always liked Lee's cousins. Too bad Andy wasn't here; the four of them were like one entity when all together. They were so much alike, yet so different. How was that possible? No matter. They always made her feel comfortable, especially now, when she knew she was intruding on their time. Even with the ribbings about documentaries and locations, she knew they knew. It was wonderful to be among friends she and Lee could share confidences with and not worry about spilling the beans about the Agency and their chosen profession.
It saddened her not to be able to share their personal confidences as well, but their marriage was a secret she and Lee both believed would be best kept that way.
Amanda came out of her reflections as Skip finished describing their harrowing escape from certain death as the blizzard had closed in.
"We were just lucky I'm the excellent trailmaster I am. Ol' Murph would have been totally lost without me. Right?" Skip looked to his younger cousin for confirmation.
"Definitely, Cuz," Murphy nodded his head in agreement, then gave Amanda a wink.
Amanda looked at her watch to hide the grin, then rose and started to clear the empty plates. "Well, guys, thanks for a wonderful lunch and the wonderful company."
"You're not leaving?" The Skipper entreated. "If you leave us now, we'll be stuck with Lee and that lost puppy dog look of his."
"I really am here on assignment, Skip," Amanda answered him. "If I don't go now, I may not make it to the airport in time to pick up Buddy and Poncho, especially with the weather as nasty as it is."
"Besides," Lee added. "You won't be stuck with me. I'm going with Amanda."
"I don't think so, Lee." Amanda turned to confront her partner. "This was my bust and is my interrogation. I don't need help. You're on vacation."
It looked like it was going to be a battle of wills and Skip and Murphy had enough sense to clear out of the dining area. The dishes were quickly gathered and taken into the kitchen.
"I'm not going to argue with you," Lee began again after watching his cousins' retreat. "The weather is worsening by the minute and even if Skip was a little melodramatic, it's dangerous in these mountains."
"I don't need a babysitter. I'm a full agent and I can handle myself." A stubborn resolve was apparent in her stance.
"Humor me. Just let me drive you to the airport to meet them. You can drop me back here on your way into Denver and then you're on your own. I swear!" Lee crossed his heart, giving Amanda the best heart-melting smile he could muster.
She relented. She knew he knew she would. She was going to have to work on some defense for that smile of his. He'd used it on her one too many times.
"Fine, but then you're back on leave, Scarecrow! Understood?"
"Yes, Sir." Lee saluted and Amanda went to retrieve her parka.
Murphy's expression was concerned as he walked over to where Lee waited. "Are you sure either of you should be going out? The snowplows won't be able to operate after dark on these roads and you may just get stuck somewhere."
"Well, Murph." Lee slapped him on the back, raising his eyebrows in a suggestive fashion. "If we get stuck in a drift, I promise I'll be able to come up with some activity to keep us occupied and warm."
"Lee, I'm serious."
Lee gave his cousin a nod. "I know. We'll be careful but Amanda has a job to do and I plan to make sure she's safe while doing it. It's not like we're heading into a camp of bad guy rustlers or anything. We'll be fine." Amanda joined the two men.
"It'll only take a couple of hours to get to the airport and back. I'll see you about 5 or 6," Lee said as he and Amanda headed out. "If I'm not back by then, you can send out the cavalry."
Skip came over to stand next to Murphy as Lee and Amanda disappeared into the blowing whiteness. "I sure do hope they know what they're doing."
"So do I," Murphy heartily agreed.
The snowplows had managed to keep up with the weather and the road to Pitkin Airport was still clear. At the terminal, however, Amanda and Lee found the DEA's chartered flight had come in two hours earlier.
Amanda stared at the word "arrived" of the board of the charter counter. Everywhere else the "canceled" sign flashed on monitors. "Buddy must have convinced them to come in before the storm hit. If I were him, I wouldn't hang around the airport waiting. I'll see if he left a message for me at Information."
"I'll check with the rental car agencies," Lee informed her. "Meet you back here in 20 minutes."
Amanda found the booth and was handed a note which simply read:
Amanda sighed. They'd braved the snow for nothing. She looked around for a pay phone to call the Agency for a status on the case.
Lee leaned against the rental counter and waited patiently for the young woman to finish with her customer. "Hi. I'm sorry to bother you, Miss, uh, Andrea," Lee glanced at her badge and filled in the name. "That's a beautiful name, Andrea. As I was saying, I'm sorry to disturb you, but I was hoping you could tell me if..."
"You're looking for Buddy, aren't you?" she interrupted, giving him the once over and smiling broadly. "Of course you are. I can see that. Same opening line even."
Lee was confused but she was enthusiastically giving him information he needed. "Yes. Yes, I am looking for Buddy. He didn't want to wait for me so he rented a car and headed for Denver, didn't he?" Lee adopted a hurt expression.
Before she could reply, Amanda came running up out of breath.
Lee drew her aside, excusing himself with an apologetic shrug. "What is it?"
"I just checked in with Billy. We've got trouble. He's been trying to reach me. The DEA just ferreted out an informant in the organization. He's been leaking information about their operation to the Colombians. They know Buddy and Poncho were headed for Aspen... they knew to ignore the trail I was leaving."
Lee ran a hand through his hair. "Great. At least Capatosa has a head start. We can call the safe house and warn them to move out."
Amanda started to rummage in her purse for her notebook.
"Uh, excuse me," Andrea called. "You won't find Buddy in Denver. With this storm, I recommended he and his friend stay at the Krisch Inn for the night. It's not far from here and the owners always find room when the weather's like this."
"Do you have the number?" Lee asked as he moved back toward the counter.
"Yes, but the snow's knocked out the phone lines to all the smaller hotels again." She stopped and ducked below the counter as she searched through a drawer. "Darn. I gave my last map of that area to Buddy's business associates, but I can give you directions."
"Business associates?" Amanda joined Lee at the desk. "There were other people looking for Buddy?" Andrea nodded.
"Can you tell me anything about them? How many were there? Did they say anything about their plans?" Amanda quizzed her.
"They said they were Buddy's partners from Mexico and they had to get with him tonight, something about a deal going through." Andrea paused, looking at Lee. He smiled encouragement to her and she continued. "There were two of them, very nicely dressed and the one who spoke had a Spanish accent. They rented a car from me and I gave them the map."
"How long ago were they here?" Lee asked.
"Not more than 45, 50 minutes." Her expression grew worried. "Is Buddy in some kind of trouble? I mean, he's okay, right? We have a date for this weekend."
"No, no trouble," Lee assured her. "We must've all gotten our schedules mixed up. You were saying you could give us directions to this hotel?"
"Sure." Andrea gathered up a pen and pad of paper and drew a quick map of the route. "Be careful. Tell Buddy I'm looking forward to Saturday."
"I will." Lee turned to Amanda and lowered his voice. "We passed the turnoff about halfway here, it's not too far from the cabin. Better alert the locals about our problem. See if we can get some backup."
Amanda headed toward the bank of phones with Lee close behind. "You should call Skip and Murphy and let them know you'll be late."
"Right." Lee tried to sound nonchalant. "Amanda, what's this BPD officer like?" Amanda looked at him questioningly as Lee continued. "I mean, he's not in Colorado more than a few minutes and he's got a date. Sounds like a real charmer."
Amanda had to smile. "Lee Stetson! You're jealous!"
"Jealous!" Lee was indignant, but relented after seeing his wife's knowing look. "Well, maybe a little. You're on assignment in far off lands with a daring, handsome, witty, heroic police officer and he doesn't know you're married... I trust you, but I don't know him!"
"I'm flattered you're worried about my honor, but he's a gentleman and barely more than a boy. He can't be much older than 25, Lee." They reached the row of telephones and Amanda glanced about quickly then dragged Lee into a recessed corner. Before he knew what was coming, she pinned him to the wall with her body. "Besides, my fantasies were always about secret agents, not cops." She drew him into a passionate kiss. "Now let's get back on this case so we can finish our business later."
"Yes, Ma'am," Lee agreed. "As soon as everything's settled, you'll have to go into more detail about those early fantasies of yours."
They resumed their trek toward the phones, this time hand in hand. Lee only reluctantly released her as they reached the first telephone and he had to dial the cabin.
All he got was silence. He hung up and leaned closer to Amanda, trying to hear what was being said at the other end of her line.
"Yes, Sir. I understand, Sir. We will. Thank you." Amanda sighed and placed the receiver on the hook. She turned to Lee. "We're on our own. The blizzard's already cut Denver off from this area. They'll send us help as soon as anyone can get in. Did you get through?"
"No. Skip and Murphy'll just have to be a little worried about me. Andrea was right... phone service is out. I just hope we can get to that hotel."
"Buddy's a good cop. He'll be careful." Amanda looked through the terminal doors at the snow. "I just pray that's enough."
Lee took the mountain roads at a crawl. With darkness, the plows had ceased their clearing and the Blazer Amanda had rented skidded along dangerously on the fresh snow. Lee looked over at his wife, her outward appearance dead calm, but he knew better. Her knuckles were white from gripping the arm rest and she kept glancing at her watch. They both knew the need for speed was imperative, but they both also knew it would do no good to land in the snowbank Lee had kidded Murphy about.
The turnoff was finally reached and Lee zeroed the mileage counter on the dashboard.
"Andrea's directions say the inn's about a mile and a quarter from the main road," Lee explained. "I want to stop a little short of it and head in on foot in case our Columbian friends are there."
Amanda reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a standard Agency issued pistol. She expertly checked the clip, then set the weapon down on the dash for easy access. Lee saw her perform this classic agent ritual and shook his head in amazement. When had Amanda become so casual around firearms? He would still always worry about her coming to harm during a situation, but he knew there was no other agent he would rather have at his side. The Arlington homemaker he had accosted at the train station was still evident, but she'd evolved into one of the best operatives the Agency had. He could take credit for some of that expertise, only some. The rest was her own natural abilities. Even more amazing, in her evolution she'd transformed Lee into a better agent. They made one hell of a team.
Lee checked the distance they'd travelled and stopped the car, cutting the headlights. "The snow's too heavy for them to see us coming. With only two inside, if we can get a bead on the scenario, we can..."
A tap at the window halted Lee's directions as Amanda grabbed for her gun and leveled it at the face that appeared out of the nothingness. Skip pulled back his hood, took one look at the gun, half smiled and waved. Another figure hovered behind him, pointing at the locks on the back doors.
Amanda lowered her weapon as Lee let his cousins into the car. They settled in quickly, closing the door against the storm.
"It's about time you two showed up," Skip complained. "Do you know how cold it is out there?"
Amanda's voice shook a little. "I almost shot you, Skip! What are you doing here?"
Murphy unzipped his heavy winter coat, trying to let in some of the warmth from the heater. "It seems you've got a problem in there."
"Tell us something we don't know." Lee gave a short ironic laugh.
Murphy smiled at his cousin's annoyance. "The two you were supposed to meet arrived here safely but about an hour later four goons showed up to try and liberate Poncho from his escort."
"Four?" Lee broke in. "Damn! Andrea said there were only two... This isn't going to be easy."
"They musta picked up two more." Skip continued where Murphy had left off. "Apparently this Officer Capatosa doesn't take anything for granted. He planned for every contingency. He'd scoped out the hotel. When the bad dudes took over, he managed to hustle Poncho out the back where a snowmobile was waiting."
"How do you know all this?" Amanda asked.
Skip indicated for Murphy to take over the narrative. "If you don't follow those windy mountain roads, our hideaway's only a short stone's throw from here. Poncho ended up at our cabin, told us what was going down and we figured it was time for the cavalry. We hopped on our own snowbikes and headed over. We got here about 20 minutes ago and checked it out but decided to wait for you to show up before doing anything."
Lee looked incredulously at his cousins. "The only thing you'll do is stay here. Give us the layout. Amanda and I are going in."
Murphy and Skip exchanged glances before Murphy spoke back up. "Everyone's in the lobby. One guy's watching out the front and two of them are at the table eating. The final guy's moving all around, very nervous. He keeps checking out all the windows. He almost spotted us."
"What about hostages?" Amanda wanted to know. "Buddy? Anyone else?"
Murphy thought a minute. "One woman, two men. One's probably your friend, Amanda. He was laying on the sofa in the front room and the woman was checking a bandage of some kind on his head. And," Murphy looked at Lee defiantly, then checked for Skip's nod of approval to continue. "We're going in with you, don't even try to stop us. There are four of them..."
"Besides," Skip cut in. "We have a plan..."
The door to the Krisch Inn flew open, a swirl of snow and wind bringing two parka-clad figures in with it. The man by the door had no time to react before the new arrivals breezed past him toward the front desk, oblivious to the other occupants of the room and their weapons.
"Honey, I told you we would make it." A woman's voice was muffled beneath her winter clothing.
"Yes, Amanda, dear," Murphy emphasized her name as he took his coat off. "But we almost froze before we did and we had to leave most of our luggage in the car, which will, I hope, not slide off that cliffside it's stuck against. Next time you'll listen to me." Sarcasm was quite thick in Murphy's voice. "If they say don't travel, we don't."
"Oh don't be such a spoilsport. We're here now and I'm sure we'll have a delightful time." Amanda finished with a flourish as she threw off her own outer garb.
Everyone's attention was on the two apparent lunatics. Coming out of his initial shock at their arrival, the man who'd been pacing stepped forward with his back to his hostages, gun ready for anything these two might do. The lookout came forward a bit, his weapon raised slightly.
"Could someone please check us in and show us our..." Murphy's raised voice faded at the sight of the heavily armed hotel residents.
"Yes, we'd like some service and now would be nice," Amanda finished.
"Amanda, hush..."
"Nonsense, dear, we're customers and we have a right..."
One of the men at the table came forward with his semi-automatic pointed right at Amanda, finally getting her attention.
"You have a gun," she started hysterically. "Why are you pointing that gun at us?"
"Senora, I don't know who you are, or what you're doing here, but you'd better shut up and cooperate." He was joined by the other man from the table.
"Of course, of course..." Amanda clutched her chest, gasping for breath. "My pil.. my pills. I need them..."
The two Colombians looked at each other, coming in a little closer. All eyes were on Amanda as she appeared ready to fall to the floor.
Murphy grabbed up the small overnight case he had brought in and started throwing things out, shouting orders to the Colombians and comfort to his companion. "It's right here, Dear. Just relax. Don't excite her. Help her to a chair for heaven's sake. I know it's right here." Murphy finally pulled out Amanda's agency gun and leveled it at the two. "Okay, hands up." The front door burst open and Lee entered with his own pistol drawn. Skip stayed in the background, ready to assist.
The Colombians were taken by surprise but were far from ready to give up without a fight.
Amanda threw a perfect flying dragon kick at the man closest to her, sending him sprawling across the front desk. She had no time to contemplate how proud Leatherneck would be. His private lessons were finally paying off. She dove for the dropped machine gun and came up off the floor in time to see Murphy disarm the man nearest to him.
It took Amanda only an instant to realize Lee was engaged in a very uneven kick boxing match with the guard at the door so she turned her attention to the last man who, in all the excitement, had forgotten the disabled cop laying on the couch behind him. Even wounded, Buddy seized the opening she and Murphy had given him and was wrestling his former captor to the ground.
The fight ended almost as quickly as it had begun. Amanda and Lee started securing the prisoners and looking out for any possible casualties. With only two guns to begin their assault, Skip had been left with nothing to do but watch.
"Skip, see if Buddy needs anything," Amanda called as she noticed the officer leaning on the couch for support.
The two other former hostages made their way around the fallen gunmen to approach Amanda.
"Thanks. I don't know how we can ever repay you." The man offered his hand. "I'm Jerry and this is my wife Tiffany."
Amanda accepted his handshake. "Amanda King. I'm with the government. Do you have anything we can tie these guys up with? Rope? Clothesline?"
"Of course," Tiffany said. "I'll go get it."
"We're just lucky it's the middle of the week and this blizzard kept everyone away." Jerry looked around his inn. "Normally we're full with customers. This could have gotten really hairy."
Lee herded his man over to Murphy, who was still keeping his gun trained on his captive. "Good work, Cuz. The other two will be tied up before they wake up." Lee turned to Amanda. "Where did you learn that kick? That's not in the standard training regimen."
"You liked it, huh?" She grinned at him. "If you're very good, I might consider teaching it to you... later."
"We seem to have a lot to discuss later. I'd like to know just when this lat..."
Skip's startled cry of astonishment caught them all off guard. Lee ran over to his cousin who'd been checking out Officer Capatosa's injuries. Skip, mouth open, was staring at the man. Lee came around the couch to his stricken friend. "Skipper, what's wrong?"
Skip refused to tear his gaze away from his patient. "Lee, it's J.J. It can't be, but it is."
Lee turned, his own eyes widening at the image of their long dead cousin.
Buddy was confused and annoyed. His head hurt and these guys were acting like they'd seen a ghost. "What's the problem, here?" he finally asked. "What're you staring at?"
Lee didn't answer him. "Amanda, cover those guys! Murphy, get over here!" he ordered.
Murphy knew something was upsetting his friends but was unprepared for what he found. "J.J.!" was all Murphy managed to gasp out before he sank down on the coffee table behind him.
"Look! I don't know who you are. You're obviously friendly and with Amanda... And the rescue was very much appreciated, but my name's not 'Jay Jay'; it's Buddy. Officer Buddy Capatosa of the Boston PD."
Lee gained his composure first. "I'm sorry, Buddy. Lee Stetson. Murphy Michaels. Skip Carmichael." Lee pointed at the appropriate relatives as he spoke. "I'm Amanda's partner and these are my cousins."
"Do you always bring family on a rescue mission?" Buddy interrupted.
"Not usually on purpose," Lee laughed. "But they can come in handy at times." He paused. "This isn't going to be easy. I'll just say it." Looking to his companions and received the appropriate agreements. "You look just like a cousin of ours. His name was Jacob Michaels, Jr."
"Lee's understating the situation." Murphy leaned in towards the couch. "You could be twins. You could be J.J. the last time we saw him, just before he... he shipped out to Vietnam. Of course that was over twenty years ago."
"I don't suppose you have any relatives in New Mexico," Skip added. "You know, the long lost type?"
Buddy's already hurting head started spinning. "This is all very interesting. I am adopted, but I happen to know who my parents were, and they didn't hail from the Southwest."
Amanda walked up and interrupted the uncomfortable silence. "Those men are all secured," she stated. "So, what's going on here?"
"I've heard that everyone has a doppleganger in the world," Lee explained to her. "I'd like you to meet our cousin, J.J.'s"
Amanda looked at Buddy. "Jake's son? That's why he looked so familiar. I've seen all those pictures of J.J. that Cassie has at the ranch and now that I think about it, he does have that Michaels' cousins' look about him. I'm glad that one mystery is solved. So, you must be related somehow?"
"Not in any recent times, Amanda," Buddy told her. "My real parents are dead and I hardly think you'll find any of my family ranching out west. They were all strictly city dwellers." He looked around to his enthralled audience. "Now if you don't mind, this is very nerveracking, having you all gawking at me like this. Why don't we drop that subject. You can tell me how you came to be here and what's happened to Poncho."
Skip gladly assumed his storytelling stance.
The prisoners were locked away tightly for the long night's wait. The storm's fury was diminishing rapidly and brought hope the authorities would be in early to collect the thugs.
"Buddy's asleep," Amanda informed her friends as she joined the feast the Krischs had prepared as a thank you. "He'll be fine by morning."
"And you'll be continuing on to Denver to interview Poncho," Lee added disappointedly.
"Well, actually, Buddy and I discussed it. He's going to finish this up, I'm taking a vacation for a few days. I'm sure Billy will okay it. Do you guys mind if I join you? I know I can rough it with the best of you in that jacuzzi."
"Course we don't mind, Amanda." Skip smiled mischievously at her. "We'll have to work on the sleeping arrangements, though. I guess since I have the largest room and bed, I suppose I can share with you."
"I think we'll be making other 'arrangements' in that area," Lee reached over and took Amanda's hand in his. The looks they gave each other were not lost on Murphy and Skip.
"Ya know, Lee," Skip observed. "For someone who could barely handle sitting next to his partner at the last reunion and had to be begged into bringing her, you two sure seem to be, now what's that word...?"
"Friendly," Murphy offered helpfully.
"Right, 'friendly' will do." Skip leaned in towards the two. "So cough it up. What's the story? When do we find out you're engagged?"
"Engaged." Murphy corrected.
Amanda cleared her throat and Lee shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Neither one spoke up.
"Come on, come on. You can't make us believe the subject hasn't been discussed yet." Murphy looked from Lee to Amanda and back again. "Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows you're perfect for each other. You have to know you're perfect for each other. Lee, I hope this isn't anything ridiculous like a fear of commitment."
"You were the hottest topic of gossip in Anaheim last fall," Skip tried to lighten the sober mood the conversation had turned into. "Will they or won't they?"
"It's not a matter of commitment." Lee sounded like he was reading a carefully rehearsed dialogue. "It's a matter of the business we're in. The safety of our... Amanda's family. We can't chance someone finding out about the boys and using them as hostages."
"What kind of hogwash are you trying to feed us?" Skip exclaimed, his easy going personality vanishing. "With Amanda as an agent, you face that possibility anyway. Married or not, it could happen. You safeguard the best you can and prevent any harm falling that way." Skip took a breath and calmed down. "Besides, with the way our family attracts trouble and danger, you could both be CPA's and you'd probably be worse off. You wouldn't be trained to handle the terrorists, spies and goons who are sure to be after you."
Lee tried hard not to look at anyone at the table, especially Amanda. She tugged insistently at his hand until he gave in and glanced her way. She gave him a "go on" gesture and smiled.
"Sorry guys. Can't tell you we'll be engaged any time soon," Lee stated flatly.
Murphy and Skip frowned. Murphy started to say something but Lee interrupted.
"We were married in February."
Lee lost his hold on Amanda's hand as his cousins slugged and playfully shoved at him.
Murphy leaned over and kissed Amanda on the cheek. "It's about time I get to welcome you officially to the family, Cuz."
Amanda beamed at her newly acknowledged relatives.
Skip sat back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You were on your honeymoon in California when Amanda was shot? Weren't you?"
"If that's what you could call it, yes." Amanda took in Skip's serious mood.
"You haven't really had a honeymoon yet, have you?"
"Maybe someday, Skip." Amanda sighed.
"Maybe today, I think," Skip told her. "I know with everything going on here, I'd just as soon get home to Mel. How 'bout you, Murph?"
"Yes," Murphy agreed, then a gleam appeared in his eye. "I'd just as soon get home to Mel, too."
"Stop it." Skip laughed. "I'm the comedian."
"He's right, you know," Murphy picked up the enthusiasm. "This is the perfect time for the two of you." Murphy amended his statement. "Well, maybe not tonight, but after we leave and your four buddies in the other room are disposed of, I'm sure the Krischs can find you appropriate accommodations."
Amanda looked hopefully at Lee. "It would be nice to have some time for just us."
"I guess we're on our 'second honeymoon', Wife."
"Lee," Murphy began. "Don't think we're going to forget any time soon you kept this a secret from us!"
"We didn't tell anyone..." Lee half apologized.
"So you'll be sending out official engagement announcements... when?" Murphy asked pointedly.
"Amanda and I will have to discuss it," Lee cautiously replied. He stalled Murphy and Skip's protests. "But you're both right and it will be soon," he assured them. "We'd better let Andy know right away or we'll have him after us too."
Skip was thinking again. "He's the last hold out, you know."
"Yeah, but did you see the way he was acting around Steele's sister," Murphy put in. "I don't think he'll be holding out much longer."
Morning brought back communication to the outside world. The federal authorities had arrived shortly after and escorted the Colombians away.
"Skip, Murphy, I'll meet you at this cabin of yours," Buddy told his newfound friends. "Do you think Poncho will still be there?"
"He seemed very impressed with the color TV and cable," Skip explained. "I think there was an all night Cagney marathon. He'll be there."
"It was good working with you, Amanda. I think you deserve this vacation." Buddy turned to Lee. "Sorry I can't be a long lost relative of yours. From what I've seen, it would be an honor."
"Take care of yourself, Buddy." Amanda leaned over and hugged him. "Take care of Poncho, too." She was sorry to see him go, but silently vowed to keep in touch with this nice Michaels' lookalike.
Buddy gathered up his luggage and took his leave.
"Lee, Amanda, happy honeymoon." Murphy embraced his cousins and headed for the snowmobiles.
Skip held back a minute. "You both do deserve the happy part. Don't ever forget it." He followed Murphy out.
Lee put his arm around Amanda. "Is this honestly going to happen? Billy actually gave us a whole week leave, without a fuss?"
"Yes, he did," Amanda affirmed as she guided him up the stairs to their suite.
She started to open the door, but Lee stopped her.
"Not like that," he told her as he picked her up in his arms and carried her in. A bottle of champagne rested in a silver bucket by the bed, flowers were on the nightstand and a mint was on each pillow. Lee gently nudged the door shut with his foot. If anyone had been listening, they would have heard a soft, "Wow!" followed by an "oohhh".
Andy walked into the lobby of WKRP with a scuba tank and flippers in hand.
"I got a call from my cousins," he announced, out of breath from carrying the heavy thing around. "Their vacation was cut short and we've moved the get together."
Jennifer Marlow and Arthur Carlson looked at him questioningly.
"I got the guy to take back the ski equipment and I bought this instead."
Mr. Carlson came around the desk and leaned over towards Andy. "Do you think Les went to New York?" he queried.
"Of course he did, he's nuts," Andy told him as he tried to put his burden down on Jennifer's desk.
She shooed him away.
"I was just gonna set it down there for a second," he complained as he backed off and left it in a corner.
The station manager walked back into his office, ignoring Andy, but he didn't really care. He would get his "guys only" weekend in August, scuba diving off the shore of Malta. Murphy had called to explain Lee would be by in a few days to let him know all the details. Actually, Murphy had been very vague about those details... almost mysterious.
No matter. It would be nice visiting with Lee. He rarely got to see his cousin from D.C. Hopefully Lee would have some exciting gossip to share, but most likely not. Andy had heard about the bad weather in Aspen. That was probably what had thrown the week off track... nothing spectacular like bad guy rustlers or anything.