Moth(33)

It’s too late. I’m making you dinner tonight at your place. What time do you get out of class? – Moth

I watch her body movements as she paces around contemplating what to see in response. I can’t allow her to push me away, not when I’m getting close.

You can’t come here. – W

She’s obviously worried about who might see. I wonder if someone is close. Then I start to think maybe I’m not the only one who has cameras installed in her apartment. This is something I’ll need to research while she’s at the pharmaceutical company today.

Whatever you’re afraid of is nothing I can’t handle. I’ll meet you at your apartment at nine. I’ll bring the food. – Moth

She sits down on the edge of her mattress and stares at my message. Then she falls back with the biggest smile on her face. She’s happy. Her smile is contagious. I’m giddy over this reaction.

Her final reply is meant to deter me from what she’s determined to hide.

Fine. If you insist. Pushing me won’t make this friendship mutual. – W

Like I said before, I’m not afraid of anything. I like challenges. See you later, beautiful. - Moth

I’m too tired to carry on this conversation. She has to get to work, and I require at least a couple hours of rest before I can begin to function properly.

It’s mid-afternoon when I awake. The sun is blazing through the open window, making it difficult to roll over and fall back asleep.

When I check my messages I find one from Renner.

Heard from Malone. Calls to cellphone are using same loop system as Alizar. Could be coincidence, but wanted you to know. - R

I wipe the corner of my eyes and try to focus what this could mean. Malone has been doing research from her desk back in Miami, where I’d rather she stay. She’s not built for field work. It’s nothing against women, she’s just a fragile type. Her brain is bigger than her bite.

If she’s calling then the director has already been informed. It’s only a matter of time before he’ll expect more, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to provide it. Each angle we take seems to lead us in the same direction, with no real result.

Maybe this new approach will only leave us with more dead ends. We’ve tried to catch this guy. We’ve done everything in our power to bring down his operation. Now there’s more going on we have to look into. I’m beginning to wonder if this is exactly what he wants. If Alizar is as smart as we assume, I can only imagine what he’d set into motion to throw me off his trail.

After a much needed hot shower I check to make sure Windy had left her apartment, then call the guys to meet me there. We’re going to search every nook and cranny of that place again, this time focusing on listening devices. If there are eyes on her apartment we’ll find them.

It takes them nearly an hour to show up with the lock kit. I’ve walked to the coffee shop twice to kill time. Once inside we get to work, checking light fixtures, tables, electronics, and even the mirrors.

I’m not shocked we uncover four bugs that aren’t DEA issued. I was right. Someone else is watching her, and now we need to figure out who and why. Without directly asking fake Windy, I’m going to have to continue with the ruse of dating her. It’s the only way I’m going to quickly obtain answers.

We spend the rest of the night looking into the hardware manufacturer to try and trace who purchased them.

At eight in the evening I head out to purchase something to make for dinner. It’s been a while since I’ve cooked for a woman. Usually I’m ordering pizza, or throwing shit in a pot to make chili that my team can eat for the next week. Tonight has to be different. I’m out to impress the girl, not give her a case of bad gas and explosive diarrhea.

I purchase vegetables, pasta and some wine. I’m going to make a special sauce for the linguini that will give her a flavor orgasm. For dessert I’ve picked up some brownie mix , cream cheese and a can of whipped cream. It’s nothing fancy, but I’ll make it work. Before my mom decided to flee the country with a younger foreigner, she made a crazy good black-bottom. It’s the only desert recipe I know how to make. I guess she didn’t leave me with nothing after all.

I show up promptly at nine and knock on her door. It’s quite comical knowing how easy it would be to pop her lock and show myself inside. While I’m still entertaining the idea, I hear the latch unfastening and see her standing with the door half ajar. Her hair is up in a messy bun. She’s wearing a pair of black rimmed glasses, dark yoga pants, and a T-shirt that doesn’t cover her belly button. I should be offended she’s dressed so comfortably, but it hits me right in my tender spot where sex appeal is at it’s best. “Hi,” she says while still blocking me from entering. It’s obvious she can see I’m struggling with the two large brown bags, so she offers to take one. “Let me help you with that.”

“I was starting to think you weren’t going to answer the door.”

She glances back with a ornery grimace. “I was thinking about it.”

“Good thing you didn’t. I’m about to awaken your senses with some Italian.”

“What if I don’t like pasta?”

“Trust me, you’ll like anything my hands create.”

We reach the kitchen and place both bags on the counter. “Does everything you say have to have pun?”