The Vendetta:
Part 4


Christy Ambrose


Just as Lee was packing up to go home for the night the phone rang.
"Stetson."

"Lee it's Ron. The President has thirty minutes open tomorrow at
10:00 AM and can see you then. The rest of the senior staff will also
be there, so you can question them then if you wish."

"Thank you. Amanda and I will be there."

When he arrived at home a short while later, he came in to find that
not only had his wife beaten him home she already had supper on the
table.

"Something smells good," Lee said as he walked into the kitchen and
wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Lee stop doing that!" Amanda exclaimed.

"Stop doing what? Holding my wife?" Lee asked.

"No, stop sneaking up on me," Amanda replied as she gives her husband
a kiss. "Now get out of my kitchen so I can finish supper."

"Ok."

Later as they sat down to supper Lee told Amanda about the call he got
from Ron just as he was getting ready to leave.

"So 10:00 am, we're supposed to be in the Oval Office to meet the
President?"

"Yes."

"And his senior staff?"

"Yes."

"Ok."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the White House

Josh pop's his head into Sam's office. "Hey I'm getting ready to head
home. You need anything before I go, or want to stop for a beer?"

"Ok, number one Josh, no I don't need anything. Two, I still have work
to get done. Three, stop worrying I'm fine. I think everyone is over
reacting to this, and four, even if I wanted to go get a beer on a
weeknight when we have to be back here early in the morning I don't
think that my protection would like that very much."

"OK OK, I get it, I'm outta here. I'll see ya tomorrow."

Late that night up in the Presidential bedroom Abby took one look at
her husband's face and asked in a soft voice, "What happened today
Jed?"

"Someone's put a hit out on Sam."

"Oh my God, do they have any leads?" Abby asked in a shocked voice.

"No nothing at this time," Jed replied in a little boy voice.

Abby walked over to her husband and took him into her arms. "It's
going to be ok," she murmured, while at the same time she looked up at
the ceiling and thought, `please God let it be alright'

~~~~~~~~~

The next morning at the White House shortly before 10:00.

"Mrs Landingham," called the President

"Yes sir," she says from the door.

"Could you have the staff come here please? And when Lee and Amanda
Stetson arrive send them right in."

"Of course."

The senior staff all arrived just a few minutes before Lee and Amanda.

"I wanted you all to be here when the two agents get here," The
President told them.

"When are they supposed to be here?" Josh asked.

"Just any minute now"

"Mr President," Lee says as they walked into the room. "I'm Lee
Stetson and this is my wife Amanda."

"Please have a seat," the President told them after hands have been
shook all around.

"Now what can you tell us?" He asked the pair.

"Well, yesterday morning I received a call from one of our informants
asking me to meet him so he could tell us about some information that
he had overheard. Upon arriving, he told Lee and myself that what he
had overheard was two men talking about the hit on Mr. Seaborn,"
Amanda said.

"How reliable is this informant?" Toby asked.

"I won't lie to you, he's been wrong before, but he's never
intentionally given me bad information," Lee said

"What are the chances that he's wrong this time?" Josh asked

"My instincts tell me he's not, that this information is right on the
money," Amanda told them.

"And it's been my experience not to question my wife's instincts.
Most of the time she's right on the money."

"Did the informant overhear what might be the reason for this hit?"
Leo asked.

"Just that Mr Seaborn had ruined his boss and that he had to pay for
it." Lee replied.

"Stating that he had to pay for it could cover a lot of things," Leo
said.

"The exact statement was that he had to pay with his life," Amanda
clarified.

At this Sam paled a little.

"Ok, So what do you suggest?" Josh asked.

"Alright. As I understand it, you used to be a lawyer Mr Seaborn?"
Amanda asked.

"Yes, and call me Sam."

"Since we don't really have a lot to go on at the moment we really
don't want to miss anything. So, we would like for you to think back
over some of the cases you worked on before coming to work for
President Bartlet for anyone that might be holding a grudge against
you," Lee told Sam.

"It would probably also help if you could give us a list of people
that might be holding a grudge against you for something that you've
done since coming to work for the President," Amanda said.

"Try Congress, and any of the candidates for President that we beat
out," Josh told them.

Looking at each other Lee and Amanda both take a deep breath as the
same thought goes through both of their heads, `just what have we
gotten ourselves into this time?'

"Well if you could just try to get us a list of most likely suspects,
both from before and now, that would give us a start," Amanda told
them.

"I'll get on it, but it'll take me a while to compile a list of the
cases I had before working on the campaign," Sam said.

"Well just as soon as you can," Lee said.

"Since that's out of the way I'm sure that you would like to know
something about us. Lee and I had one of the best success rates in
the business as partners. Not much got past us for long. I'm not
ashamed to say that most of the people we have worked with consider us
the best. Do any of you have any questions for us?"

After no one said anything for a few minutes Amanda and Lee stood up
to leave. "Here are our cell phone and pager numbers if anything
happens or you think of anything feel free to contact us at anytime.
Oh by the way, I don't suppose by any chance your secretary Mrs.
Landingham, is related to a Mrs. Marsten is she?"

"Not that I know of, Why?" The President replied.

"She just reminds me of a secretary that we had at The Agency once,
not much ever got past her. Lee said with a smile.

"Well be in touch," the President said just as they leave the room.

"Sam, why don't you get to work on that list. Josh you can help him,"
Leo told them.

"I'll need to get some notes from my townhouse. I've kept notes from
some of the freelance cases that I took while I was working for
Gage-Whitney."

"Ok, well get back here just as soon as you can."

With that everyone stood and left the room.

Part 5

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