Diane (The Town of Pearl 6)

He disconnected the call and stared at the desk filled with numerous documents. Marzban Samir’s face stood out on the computer screen as well as pictures of Zand Yousef and Arshad Ehsan. He had contacted some of his informants and obviously one of them held a higher allegiance to the bad guys. Mark placed his hands on the desk and felt the anger consume him. This wasn’t right. These assholes have been getting away with too much. Hell, Samir was headed to the United States. What were the chances that Brenda would be with him. She’d pulled off disguises before. She was a resourceful agent, and the more information he gathered, the stronger his gut felt that she did not commit treason.

He turned toward the laptop and the small picture of Brenda on the screen. She was an attractive woman. He felt that guilty feeling for even looking at her like that or letting his mind remember the short affair they had. He didn’t love her. They were lonely and there was an attraction. They had sex and it was over. They both knew it was nothing more than that, and they never felt weird about it or acted differently. T

hey became close friends. There were other opportunities where they could have had sex again and they didn’t. They knew there was nothing more than friendship between them.

He would have trusted her with his life and to have his back. That thought now made him feel foolish and used. Could she have turned her back on the United States? On the bureau? On her team, including him? Why had she called the week before disappearing? Why had she said she was working on a similar case where there might have been a connection to Samir? It didn’t add up.

He stared at her picture. What the hell did you get yourself into? Who else knows what’s really going on?

“Mark? What is all this?” Drake asked as he pushed the office door open.

Mark turned to look at him and Drake and Lucas looked immediately at the small screen and the picture of Brenda.

He couldn’t tell them about the threatening phone call, or his gut instincts that Brenda was innocent. He needed more evidence. He needed to find out where she was and how the team could get to her. This was his job, his profession.

He pressed the button on the laptop and closed down all the screens on each computer at once. But that guilty feeling hit his gut. He never lied to his brothers.

“There’s been some changes in the case. I’m not so detached from it after all.”

“What does that mean?” Drake asked.

“It means, whomever Brenda is involved with knows myself and the rest of the team members who worked together. They’re making threats.”

“Threats?” Lucas asked.

Mark stared at him.

“I’ve got it under control. The newest information coming in from informants is leading me to believe that there is more going on here. I’m not certain, but obviously I’m getting close.”

“You trust these informants?” Drake asked and Mark knew he was concerned about the last time and how his own informant turned on him and Mark was stabbed, nearly killed and left for dead.

“I’m not taking any unnecessary chances. Just let me handle this. I shouldn’t give you guys too much information because this is a government investigation. But you need to know my involvement is necessary.”

“You better keep us informed, government operation or not.” Drake replied. Mark nodded his head but could tell that Drake and Lucas were concerned. So was he.

“How did the lunch date go?” he asked, now feeling like a fool for missing out on spending time with Diane. He wanted her in their lives. She was why he would end his career with the government once Brenda was located.

“You should have been there with us instead of worrying about her,” Drake said as he pointed toward the black screen.

“I told you too much about the case. There’s no more for you to know. Just leave it be, and tell me about Diane. How did she look? Did you make any progress?”

“You would know if you had come,” Lucas added. Great, now he was pissed at Mark, too.

Mark ran his fingers through his hair and then placed his hands on his hips.

“Why are you doing this to me? Just fucking tell me.”

“Which part? The part when we first arrived and three guys were hitting on her, whispering in her ear wanting to see her in the lingerie she sells, or the part where she told us she’s going to New York to pose for some magazine?”

“What? No. She’s not doing that. When the fuck did that decision happen?”

“Apparently because of us, and our support, and making her feel attractive and wanted,” Lucas told him, and then they explained their deep conversation with her and her need to feel loved, beautiful, and accomplished.

“We can make her feel all of that. She doesn’t need to pose in sexy lingerie for some catalogue that millions of people will see.”

“Well, maybe if you were there to talk with her and hear her emotions and need, you would understand more,” Drake stated with an attitude.

“I do care. I want this to happen, for the four of us to start a relationship.”