Dangerous Love

Three

Sitting on her table, she glanced at the files on her desk and thought about the work she had left. She was supposed to be immersed in work now but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone had been in her apartment. She thought about calling the colonel and letting him know. But the same conclusion she came to about telling the cops hung on her mind.

"I don't wanna be labeled a nut," she thought. Also, if the colonel got wind of it, he might decide she needed someone to keep an extra eye on her.

With that in mind, she decided not to worry about the incident and just move on.

   At that same moment, a white delivery van drove into the block of apartment buildings and parked directly opposite the building where Dr. Mary Allen lived. It was the three Arabs, Ahmed, Salif, and Abdul.

Ahmed was the driver and also the boss of this cell of three. He was 5"11, built like a UFC fighter, and had a crooked nose that had been broken in one of the countless fights he had been in.

Turning to Salif, who was seated beside him at the front, he said

"Are you sure she has left for work?"

"Yes, Ahmed...we double-checked," replied Salif. standing at exactly 6feet, with a boyish face to match...he was always the person sent ahead of the team in case of any intrusion or they had to communicate with anybody who they might happen to run into. He was handsome and suave, without any trace of an accent as he was born in the US unlike the other two.

"right now she'll be at her table in that CIA place" concluded Salif.

"He's right, her car is no longer parked in the garage" chipped in Abdul.

He was fixedly gazing at his laptop screen and his fingers were busy working the keyboards. He was the tech guy of the cell, he had come into the country with Ahmed. He was slightly built and slender, had the body of a girl(according to Ahmed), and didn't care much for physical exertion except when he had to fight, which happened rarely.

  Ahmed got out of the van and motioned for the others to do the same. They were all dressed in workmen overalls in case they ran into anyone."do I have to go in with you two, who's gonna keep an eye on the van?" moaned Abdul.

"Keep quiet and hurry along" growled Ahmed. "We have just 15minutes to go in and out before someone notices us. The van is replaceable, but you ain't" he glanced back at Abdul and added, "lucky you".

Abdul knew Ahmed had it in for him. Ahmed was old school and didn't appreciate guys who sat behind "toys" instead of getting their hands dirty. But without him, they would long be behind bars.

Exactly 15minutes and 26 seconds later, they were out and back inside their van...heading back and wondering why the Dr's apartment was devoid of anything relating to her research.

                   _________

 The Arabs found nothing at the apartment partly because Dr. Allen had left all her research data at work. It was only her absent-minded scrawlings Dodd had found.

Picking up her cell phone...she called the colonel. She was one of a few people who had his direct cell number. One because of the nature and sensitivity of her job and also because he wanted to personally keep an eye out for her.

 He had grown fond of her and wished that Randy could just wiggle down his whoring ways and pitch up with her. She seemed the only person who could tame him...

  He picked on the third ring..." any good news doc?".

"I wasn't gonna tell u, but I think someone was in my apartment last night" blurted Mary before she could hold her tongue.

"How did you come to this conclusion," asked the colonel. "I dunno,I woke up and felt or rather perceived a different cologne from mine in my apartment".

"anything missing?" the colonel said, a sense of dread filling him up.

"I don't think so," replied Mary. "most of my work data is left in this building and no casa or pieces of jewelry are missing".

   The colonel gripped the phone a little tighter, it either his boy was slipping up or those damned terrorists were getting real good 

"I'll put my man on it," said the colonel and ended the call. Frustrated, Dr. Allen slammed her phone on the table, telling herself she needed to be a better liar.