Jim Bass: International Dad of Mystery
by Karen and LB
© 2002
Chapter 6: The World Is Not Enough (I Want the Universe, Too)
Jim noticed a certain glow about Lance when they arrived at Atlantis. But there was no time to dwell on it. He had to make sure the specially trained dolphins were ready.
JC immediately felt safe in Atlantis. The resort was certainly much easier to secure than the open beaches of Miami, and knowing Tim McGraw would be there was especially comforting. Tim was widely known in agency circles as one of the finest agents around.
Lance was so excited to see Tim. He couldn't wait to sing with him, but first he and the guys were going to swim with the dolphins, one of Lance's favorite activities. He laughed as JC kissed one of the dolphins, unaware that the dolphin was really communicating JC's next orders.
The trained dolphins had to be the coolest thing the agency had to offer, JC thought. He watched as one swam away with Lance, knowing that it could take Lance to safety if need be, and enjoyed playing with his own dolphin even as it communicated its intelligence to him.
Filming on the tower made Jim a little nervous. Anyone could snatch his boy away from there. When they filmed in the underwater tunnel, Jim made sure to have divers stationed in the tank, and in the casino at night agents were everywhere. Everything went smoothly. A little too smoothly. It wasn't until they returned to Florida that the news that would rock Jim would hit. "I'm going to space!" Lance told his father on the phone.
"You're WHAT?"
"Daddy, it's everything I ever wanted." Lance explained about the meeting with David Krieff and how they were just beginning to work out the details.
"Do we know anything about these people?" Jim asked, emailing one of his assistants to start background checks as he listened to his son's excited words. Within minutes a preliminary report came back: nothing odd on David Krieff except a note that in 1980 a David Krieff died in a car accident. "I want round-the-clock surveillance," Jim stated. "Phones, video, everything. And get me Stanislov in Russia."
JC stared at the phone incredulously. Bad enough that Lance might be doing something potentially dangerous. That he might be gone for six months. But to hear it first from Jim . . . "I apologize, sir. I didn't . . . he didn't tell me."
"He just told me. He'll probably be calling you in a few minutes. Don't let on that you know anything. It's important that he thinks this is all came out of the blue. We need to find out what exactly the Russians are up to."
"He's going to want to do this no matter what."
"I know. And if we try to stop him he'll get suspicious. So we wait and watch. I think sending him into space is just a cover. Until we find out for what, we just let him talk to Krieff. In the meantime, we've got the Olympics to worry about."
"Is it possible that Krieff is sincere and just being used by the Russians?"
"We're not sure. We think the real David Krieff died years ago and this man is an imposter. We'll be watching him. For now, you concentrate on keeping Lance safe during the Olympics."
"Okay, I know we've got Pat O'Brien on alert for the concert, but the closing ceremonies are huge. Who do we have besides Charlotte Church?"
"Who else? Agent Estefan. She's one of our best. And that's all you need to know. Lance will be so busy, he'll never know he's surrounded."
"Okay. I'll be in touch when there's anything to report." For a while, there wasn't anything.
March 2002
Lance's eyes flutter open. There WAS something that happened during the Olympics. It wasn't anything big, but now . . .
February 2002
They were at the hockey game. Chris was cheering and everyone was having a good time. Right after the first period, two girls approached and asked Lance, Chris, and JC for a picture. They complied, happily, but after they walked away Lance watched as they handed the camera to a man at the top of the steps. Lance shrugged it off when the players took the ice and thought nothing of it.
"Um, that's my phone," JC said, pointing at his pocket. "It's too loud in here--I better take it outside." As soon as he was out of Lance's sight, JC called in the man's description. Then he headed back to his seat, stopping to pick up drinks for everyone.
Unbeknownst to Lance, a near-kidnapping attempt was averted by none other than Sarah Hughes herself. After her victory on the ice, she insisted on meeting 'N Sync. It was at that point that the Russians were about to take Lance, but Sarah's quick thinking prevented it.
The closing ceremonies were huge, with many, many distractions. JC felt tired just trying to keep an eye on everything. They had been invited to sit with the American athletes for part of the ceremony, but when JC discovered they would be next to Sasha Cohen, he convinced the other guys to decline. She was tiny, but she was tough, and even the presence of Picabo Street was not enough to make JC feel comfortable.
"You've been jumpy all night. What's wrong, JC?" Lance asked between acts.
"You know, everything's happening at once. This, and the Grammys, and the tour starting, and the news about you maybe going to space breaking . . . "
"Is that what's really bothering you? The space thing?"
"No. I mean, it's scary. The thought of you being away for so long. But it's really more about everything happening at once."
"We always have a lot of stuff going on."
"This is important stuff. I mean, tonight, like the whole WORLD was watching. I'm allowed to be a little stressed, right?"
"Tell you what--when we get back to the room I'll give you a massage."
"You're the best. And have I mentioned how hot you look in that coat?"
"It IS warm." Lance had no idea how hot he really did look. His cuteness quotient rose exponentially after they sang the national anthem.
"Not that kind of hot."
Lance nudged JC. "You're biased."
"Yeah. But I'm also right."
With the Olympics over, the boys were off to LA and the Grammys. Three busy days of rehearsal didn't leave them much time for anything else, but since he was in LA Lance met with David Krieff.
JC managed to convince Lance to bring Beth along, to take notes and such, and he had Mike with him, of course, but JC and Jim were still worried about the meeting.
"Sir, they want him to go to Russia for some medical tests."
Jim groaned. "When, Beth?"
"March. During the tour."
"I'll deal with it. Thank you, Beth." Jim severed the connection and waited for the call he was sure would come.
"They'll want to know everything, Jim," Dr. Yerger said. "They're smarter than we thought."
"I'll try to talk him out of it. And if that doesn't work, I'll go with him." There was no talking Lance out of this. Jim even tried to make the tests sound more grueling than anyone would want to go through. But Lance wouldn't back down. It was his dream, after all. So Jim assembled a team. JC understood why he couldn't be part of the team, but he wished he were anyway.
"I'm going to miss you," he told Lance quietly as he watched the younger boy pack. "A lot."
"I'll miss you too. But it's only a weekend. I'll be back before you know it."
"And I guess I'll have to, you know, get used to it."
"I might not even pass the tests."
"You will." In spite of his trepidation about the motives of the Russians and all the other key players, in spite of his sadness at the thought of losing Lance for six months, JC found himself pulling for Lance. It WAS his dream, after all.
"I hope so. I think I might actually have a shot at this. I want it SO bad. I still can't believe this is all happening. It's what I've always wanted."
"I know. That's why I want you to be able to go. Even of it means being apart. Even if it means losing you."
"You are NOT going to lose me."
"I don't want to. But I have to be willing to let you go, right?"
"You don't have any reason to even think about that. It's NOT even a possibility. Unless you're trying to tell me something."
"No. No way. I want you to have your dream. And then I want you to come right back to me."
"How do I know YOU won't find someone else while I'm away?"
"You just gotta believe in us. I do."
"I do too. I wish you could come with me this weekend."
"We'll talk on the phone. And you'll be back before you know it," JC quoted teasingly.
"I guess. I'm glad my dad's coming with me."
"Yeah. It's so cool that he's going with you. He loves you so much."
"And I love him. And I love you." Jim knocked on the door then announcing that it was time to leave for the airport.
"See you in Denver," JC said softly. Jim locked his gaze on JC and nodded. And they were gone.