Dangerous Love

One

Perched atop the rooftop of the apartment buildings, Randy Dodd strained his eyes and ears to assimilate every detail in the neighborhood. It was already ten pm and people were already retiring for the night while few others were seen laughing and jumping into cars for nights out.

What wouldn't I give for a peaceful night's sleep, thought Dodd, but he had to go into apartment 35A and find out why three Arabs had been trailing a medical doctor nonstop for about a week. Dodd was supposed to be on vacation in Vegas, gambling and trying to get into the pants of those Vegas beauties you find all over the casinos and hotels...but a call had come in that morning from his boss, a retired colonel Bingham, his mentor and the one reason he had a career in the CIA...."pack your bags and come back to DC, we got trouble!!!".

Colonel Bingham was not one known for flippancy....he was a gulf war vet and was known to be a by-the-books man. So Dodd didn't bother asking what the nature of trouble was, he packed his duffel bags and was on the next flight to the capital while wondering how the good old colonel found out he was in Vegas. Hell, he even knew the hotel he was staying in. Damn technology.

 Getting to DC, he went straight to the office buildings of Daryl and Fleck, solicitors and attorneys...a front for d activities of a section of the CIA that did covert work inside the states. The CIA naturally isn't allowed any jurisdiction in-country but everyone in intelligence knew and agreed they had to have first hand Intel on several happenings and also the general state of security of the US...

 As always, a garbage man was picking up an empty bin, a vendor who always never had the full set of dailies, and most surprising was the homeless man who lay on the pavement but never seemed to fall asleep. Dodd took them all in with a furtive glance and grinned while resisting the urge to wave at them...because he knew they were all agents who had one weapon of choice or the order in case of any emergencies. Taking one last glance around, he entered the building...

"Took you so long"..grumbled Dorothy...

"Yeah"..replied Dodd..."it so happened I was supposed to be on vacation, I doubt if anyone still knows what that means around here".

"He's in there...been up all night"...said Dorothy

“Just go straight in....he's with the Man"...

   At the mention of The Man, Dodd raised an eyebrow at her

"mind telling me what I'm heading into"?

This was because "The Man"..though a high school classmate of colonel Bingham never visited Daryl n Fleck...He was the Director Of Central Intelligence Agency(DCIA) and having him around meant the amount of trouble was huge!!!!." he's waiting is all I know" Dorothy said rolling her eyes and shrugging.

  Colonel Bingham's modesty never ceased to amaze Dodd...though he had access to millions of "ghost" money for his section, he made sure every cent was accounted for. The walls were reinforced bricks to keep out eavesdroppers, tapered with wallpaper in ghostly green colors, which according to the colonel, made the office feel like the jungle. 

The tables and chairs were simple furniture you could pick up almost anywhere. on the walls behind his chair hung certificates of numerous awards he got during the gulf war. Sat across him was the DCIA with a stern look on his face....

"Randy boy!!!!"....cheered the colonel gesturing with his right hand for him to come on in...

"good you could join us on short notice"..he added with a wizened smirk and sat back down.

"like I had a choice"...replied Randy grinning from ear to ear.

"When both of you are done kissing we should get back to business"..growled the DCIA.

The colonel smiled and said "Sir, this is Randy Dodd...one of our best agents in-country"

"ohhh.... the one you been going on about aye"...replied the DCIA

"The one and only" the head of the CIA stood up revealing his imposing stature and a surprising physique which Randy couldn't help but be impressed by. He offered his hands and Randy shook them, even more, impressed by the grip, "good day sir" was all he managed to say.

The thing was, Retired Colonel Jack Murray was a legend both in the military and the clandestine world. stories of the missions he and colonel Bingham embarked upon still made for good tales in and around the office. "I kid you not boy, you've gotta be on your A-game for this one....hell,I wish I was your age, I and the colonel will be running this op(operations) ourselves," said the DCIA

"But nature is an ass ain't it..."

"It sure is boss"...Dodd replied with a faint hint of humor. It was the only way he acted when he felt intimidated, which mostly never happens.

 "So… Bingie boy, fill your man in and get this closed.. no publicity and minimum or no collateral damages please"

"We'll do all we can, Jack," replied the colonel.

The DCIA nodded and left the room....colonel Bingham rarely used his name, when he did you knew he meant business. So he left with the feeling that whoever or whatever was planning an attack stood no chance.

"Bingie boy"??....Dodd said, looking at the colonel and ducking at the last moment as the colonel playfully threw a pen at him. "Shut your trap and go get my pen," the colonel said, grinning from ear to ear. Sitting down, colonel Bingham frowned as he saw the file about the mission on his desk

"Randy boy...now I'm gonna come clean with ya...you are going blind on this one, yeah I know...I kinda had that in mind...what with the urgency et al".

 The colonel was glad he didn't have to cajole Dodd like the others, maybe it was because he took him under his wing. Shaking his head he said.. "catch up on your own...you'll be meeting the guys later tonight" Randy grabbed the file and said "thanks for the holiday...at least I get to spend your money without watching my back" Throwing a mock salute, he left the office.

Colonel Bingham was always awed by how jovial and easy-going Dodd was, it was good he took his training seriously, else he would be dead long ago.