Jim Bass: International Dad of Mystery
by Karen and LB
© 2002
Chapter 7: From Russia with Lance
March 2002
Everything seems so normal, but it isn't somehow. Lance knows that. When he awakens at 5 a.m., he lies on his back and stares at the ceiling, then reaches for the phone. JC is working in his home studio when the call comes through. "Hey, baby."
"Hey, JC. What are you doing?"
"Workin' on a song. What are you doing up? Isn't it, like, the middle of the night there?"
"Morning. I have to get up soon anyway. Something's strange."
"What's strange, honey?"
"JC, is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"Are you a spy?"
"What?"
"You heard me. Are you a spy? An agent?"
"Where's this coming from?"
"Remember last year, at Atlantis? We were kidding around, but it wasn't a joke, was it?"
"Lance, it was crazy talk."
"No, I don't think it was. I think . . . I think my father's in on it."
"Baby, your father loves you. I love you."
Lance grips the phone cord. "I know. I know that. But I'm not sure about anything else anymore. It's like there were all these signs and I'm just now figuring it all out. I just don't think my father is who I thought he was."
"You know what's important. He's a great dad."
"I know." Lance takes a deep breath. "But I feel like I don't know him anymore. And . . . like I don't really know you either."
"Baby, don't. I'm who I always was."
"What about Atlantis? Or before that--remember when I hurt my ankle on Saturday Night Live?"
"Of course I do."
"And how you wouldn't let me go back to the studio?"
"I wouldn't let you go back? We did the show, didn't we?"
"Yeah, but that's not what I'm talking about. I wanted to check out the stage after I fell and you talked me out of it."
"I wanted you to rest."
"What about . . . JC, I'm so confused."
"You shouldn't be. Everyone loves you. Nothing else matters."
"No? Then why was my father talking to some strange Russian?"
"He was what?"
"Talking to this Russian. And he handed him something."
"Okay, that IS weird."
"So you don't know anything about that?"
"No." JC is genuinely mystified. "I mean, it must be nothing. He's your dad. But . . . weird."
"My dad was never weird. And now all of a sudden he's weird. This has to mean something."
"Maybe, maybe it does."
"What are you thinking?"
"I don't know what to think."
"What do you think I should do?"
"Did you ask him about it?"
"No. You think I should?"
"Yeah. I think it's the only thing you can do."
Lance hangs up the phone and stares at the ceiling for an hour until the wake-up call comes. He dresses quickly and heads to his father's room. "Daddy, I need to talk to you."
"What is it, son?"
Lance slips past his father and searches the room with his eyes, looking for . . . anything. He takes a seat on the bed and stares at his hands. He hadn't anticipated how difficult this would be. "Daddy, I know this is gonna sound crazy, but are you . . . um, are you a secret agent?"
"What put that idea into your head?"
"Lots of stuff. And then I saw you talking to that man yesterday."
"Which man?"
"I don't know who he was. I never met him. But you gave him something."
"The guy from the hotel? The one I gave my key to because they found a bag that hadn't been brought to the room when we went up?"
Lance scratches his head. "It didn't look like a key."
"That's the only thing I gave anyone," Jim says reasonably. Inwardly, he's seething. He hadn't yet gotten a transcript, but he knew Lance had talked to JC this morning.
"Why would they go all the way to the Center to give you a key? Why wouldn't they just hold the bag here?"
"I don't know, son. VIP treatment?"
Lance lifts his eyes. "Daddy, I need you to tell me the truth. What's really going on?"
"What's really going on is that my boy is living his dream. And his old daddy is so proud of him."
The lump in his throat almost stops Lance from speaking, but he's able to muster, "I'm proud of you too, Daddy."
"Come on. We better get you some breakfast. You've got a long day." And he does. By the time Lance and company return to the hotel Lance is too exhausted to think.
The next day is another whirlwind, including a tour of the space facility, and the day after that they return to the States. As the plane lands in Denver, Lance resolves to keep his suspicions to himself. He's just being crazy, right? It can't be true. He looks over at his father, who is speaking with Jim McDonald. His father. The man who raised him, who taught him right from wrong. The man he loves with all his heart. Lance suddenly feels very young. He's anxious to get back on tour, back to doing what he loves doing, back to forgetting about secret agents and spies and back into the arms of his boyfriend.
JC waits impatiently for Lance to arrive. He has missed Lance more than he even wants to admit to himself, and he knows he has to be careful how much of it he shows. JC knows that the last thing Lance needs is to feel badly about leaving. If he gets accepted, he has to be able to go freely.
Despite his enormous fatigue, Lance swings open the door to the Toy Room and flings his arms around an unsuspecting JC. "Hey, darlin'," he whispers.
JC hugs Lance with all his strength. "Hey, baby."
"I missed you."
"I missed you, too. And I want to hear all about it. After we get through the show. After you sleep."
"Listen, there's something I have to tell you now. Can we go to the Quiet Room?"
"Of course." JC takes Lance's hand and leads him in, settling him on a couch.
"I know I was acting crazy over the weekend, but I think I've figured it out."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. See, it doesn't matter if my dad's a secret agent or you're a secret agent or everyone I know is a secret agent. What matters is that I love you and I love my dad."
"That's what I've been telling you."
"But if you are a secret agent, that's okay too."
JC pulls Lance into his arms. "Thank you, baby."
From the control room at the Agency, Dr. Yerger communicates to Jim Bass. "Well, Jim, it looks like we've done it. Not only is Lance the cutest boy on the planet, he's also the smartest."