[NRPG : Sorry Alton, Leo can't be with Jordan and Zenya when you visit Amanda Ericsson. Leo's currently being hunted down by Rebecca, just to keep the timeline straight. I was going to get Rebecca and Cliff out of the country in my last installment of The Hunt, but if the demand for them to stay is wanted, then I can postpone their departure. :) ]
RPG :
[Crosstech Inc., D.C. building. Amanda Ericsson's office. Early afternoon]
Rebecca watched, carefully, as Leo's car moved across the D.C. city streets, always moving, always cautious. Why had she singled Leo out for death? She didn't know exactly, but it seemed like a good idea. A swift way to destroy the morale of that damned FBI team, after all, a loss to one is a loss to all, right? Besides, he's proven himself to be an equal match for this game of cat and mouse that Rebecca loved to play. It would be a pleasure to have him die in front of her eyes, crushing a key member of Zulu, and hopefully taking the wind out of the team.
"Hmm... a bowling alley and bus station. What do you suppose he's doing?", Amanda wondered out loud.
"Who cares?" Rebecca answered, as she saw Leo's car head across town. "Just as long as we know exactly where he is."
A low snore came from the sofa as Cliff took a short nap. The work he had to do over the past couple of days seemed to drain the energy out of him. Rebecca and Amanda just looked at each other and sighed as they turned their attention back to the screen.
"So, becca, what's next?" Amanda asked, a questioning look on her face.
Rebecca looked at her younger sister and smiled. "We wait till he settles down for the night, then we deliver a surprise for him in his car. That way he can start off his morning with a bang."
Amanda laughed at this for a while, then her face turned serious once again. "And how about you? All of this couldn't be too good for the baby."
"Oh, don't worry about that." Rebecca answered, her hand rubbing her slightly distended belly, feeling the child within, now in it's 5th month. "He's doing quite well inside there. I've been taking it pretty easy. All I'm gonna do is stand there to watch Cliff plant the bomb and see Leo get blown to bits. No stress, no problem."
"Just be careful, sis." Amanda said, sitting back in her chair. "We know how important this is to you, Ted, and your father-in-law."
"I know, manda." Rebecca chuckled to herself. "I know."
She turned back to the screen on the wall to see where Leo was going to put down for the night. After all, he can't drive around town forever, can he?
Soon after, the intercom on Amanda's desk buzzed. A voice on the other side informed Amanda that Agents Stern and Gorky were here to see her. Looking at Rebecca, she told the guard downstairs to detain them for a while, giving Rebecca and Cliff time to get out of there.
"Take the chopper, you'll be able to track Leo from there." Amanda said, as she opened the door to the hidden stairwell for her brother and sister. "For god's sake, be careful."
After straightening things up, she reached for the intercom once again and told the guard to send them right up. She then pressed another button on her desk that lowered the painting of Thaddeus Cross over the monitor that showed Leo's progress across D.C.
[Vacant Lot, across from the Hotel St. Claire, Washington D.C.]
Leo, being no stranger to the hunt, knew that he was being watched, or at least monitored with every move he made, he just didn't know how or where. If his hunch was right, then his car was probably bugged, even if he didn't have the time to search it. But then again, that's what he wanted, wasn't it?
Looking around, making sure no one was around that he could see, he opened up the briefcase on the seat next to him. After making sure that everything was as it should be, he flipped a switch and took something out of the briefcase and tucked it in his jacket pocket. Closing the briefcase once again, he left his car and made his way to the parking garage of the Hotel St. Claire that was just across the street where he knew his other car was waiting. Once he got there, he just sat on the hood of his "Old Faithful" and waited.
[Washington Executive Hyde Field Airport]
As the helicopter touched down, Rebecca took note of the location where Leo's car came to rest. Getting into the waiting car with Cliff, she could feel the adrenaline pumping within her. The hunt was getting near its end and she could feel her victory at hand. Nothing, No one, not Zulu, not anyone could come between her and whatever she wanted. She was just about to prove it now. As they got closer to the Hotel St. Claire, the thought of a trap never entered into her mind.
[Crosstech Industries, Lobby]
As Jordan and Zenya debated on whether they should storm up to Amanda's office or not, Jordan's phone started to ring.
"Stern here."
[Hello? Jordan, this is Martin. I may have more bad news.]
"What's wrong? Has anything else happened to Emily?"
At the mention of Emily, Zenya turned to Jordan with a questioning look on her face.
[No, Emily just called me when she heard the news report coming in. Leo's apartment building is on fire. According to witnesses, an explosion occured in the vicinity of where Leo's apartment is. I'm going over to check it out.]
"You do that and keep me informed of what you find. Be careful, Martin"
[Will do. Bye.]
With that, Jordan closed his cell phone and put it back in his coat. Turning to Zenya, he told her about what Martin had just said about Leo's apartment building and the explosion. Before she could say anything in return, the guard returned to tell them that they could go up to see Amanda Ericsson now.
[Vacant Lot across the Hotel St. Claire, 10 minutes later]
Leo had never felt calmer as he saw the black Monte Carlo pull into the lot, far away from where Leo's car was parked. He saw how Rebecca and Cliff got out of the car and scanned the surroundings, Cliff holding a bag of some sort and Rebecca just standing there, looking smug. Making sure that the immediate vicinity was safe, Cliff started to walk across the lot towards Leo's car. As he watched, Leo took out the remote and his cell phone and called Rebecca. Seeing the startled look on her face as her phone started to ring gave Leo a chuckle.
"Hello?", Rebecca's voice sounded a little uncertain. "Manda?"
[Hello, Rebecca. You certainly look radiant today, I must admit that pregnancy Sure does agree with you.]
"Leo Jones. How'd you get this number?"
[You shouldn't have called me from your phone when you tried to blow me up. My caller ID system is much more advanced than your ordinary one.]
Stepping away from the car, Rebecca looked around. All of a sudden, it wasn't the adrenaline of going in for the kill that flooded her system, it was now fear. Something in Leo's voice made her blood run cold and she didn't like it one bit.
"What do you want?"
[Who's hunting who now, Rebecca?]
Cliff was already two-thirds of the way to Leo's car when realization hit Rebecca. She dropped her cell phone and ran towards her brother, yelling for him to stop. "Cliff! It's a ...." was the only thing she could get out of her mouth before Leo activated the detonator, sending his car into a million directions at once. A small fireball flew outward as shrapnel followed, the force of the explosion throwing both Cliff and Rebecca back nearly 5 feet. The shrapnel from Leo's former car tore ribbons in Cliff's clothes. Rebecca was a little luckier as pieces of Leo's car fell around her. The only thing that she experienced that worried her was the fact that she landed on her stomach after being lifted, thrown, and spun about by the explosion. She felt a stab of pain go through her midsection as she made her way back to the car, the pain nearly doubling her over. Cliff managed to get up and also make his way back to the car, carrying Rebecca in. Before he got in to drive away, Leo squeezed off a shot, flattening one of their back tires.
"That ought to slow them down." Leo thought to himself as he got into his own car and started to follow them.