by Mike Ryan
Parker patted his chest, “don’t let Cole hear you say that. You may give him a new idea,” she smiled.
“Oh. Yeah,” he nervously returned the smile.
“From now on, no more secrets?” she asked, kissing the corner of his mouth.
“No more secrets.”
They spent the next hour getting intimate with each other, again. They were getting dressed again when they heard a loud knock on the door. Turner looked to see who it was.
“I think I’ll let you get it,” he said, stepping back after seeing it was Cole.
Parker hurried to the door and let him in. “I see you two wasted no time in getting your booty call on.”
“What’s up?” Parker asked.
“Well, while you two were shaking your bon bons, I was in my room doing some work.”
“And?”
“Got a call from my contact. He wants to meet. Says he might have something that we might be interested in,” Cole said.
“When?”
“As soon as we can make it.”
“All right, well let’s go.”
“Let me get my shoes on,” Turner expressed.
“Oh no,” Cole replied, pointing at him. “You stay here.”
“Cole’s right, Ryan. This guy knows us. A new person might make him nervous,” Parker agreed.
“Plus you might say something stupid.”
“I wouldn’t say something stupid…probably.”
“I’ll be back soon,” Parker said, giving her boyfriend a peck on the lips.
Turner folded his arms and sat down in a chair, annoyed that he didn’t get to go. Parker and Cole immediately left to meet his contact. They agreed to meet in an ice cream shop.
“Does this guy only know food places?” Parker asked.
“You know what they say, food is comforting,” Cole responded.
They drove about twenty five minutes to get to the ice cream store. Much to the agent’s surprise, it was actually pretty busy. There were about thirty tables in the joint, and ninety percent of them were filled. It was mostly packed with kids and families. They saw Cole’s contact in the back and walked over to his table, sitting down across from him. He was eating an ice cream sundae.
“Cole, good to see you again. And it’s good to see you again too,” he said, looking at his sexy partner.
“You have something for us?” Cole asked.
“Might. You guys want some ice cream? I’ll have the server drop off a couple scoops.”
“We’re good.”
“You know, looking at you, I still can’t believe you work with this big guy,” he told Parker. “Him…him, I can understand, he looks the part. But you, you should be in pictures or something with that face and figure of yours.”
Parker pretended to be angry and tersely exchanged a glance with Cole. “You know what, forget the information, let me just slice his neck with my heel.”
She started reaching for her shoe before Cole grabbed her arm to stop her. “You really don’t want to get her angry. I saw her do this trick to a guy in Venezuela last month. There was blood everywhere. It even made me squeamish,” he lied.
The man laughed and waved his hand at them. “You guys are too much. She’s not even wearing heels. I saw you when you came in,” he told them, noticing she was wearing sneakers when he saw them enter the building.
“I could still take that spoon of yours and kill you in less than two minutes after I’ve carved out both your eyeballs,” Parker informed him.
The man looked at Cole, who simply smiled at him.
“You’re a feisty one, aren’t you?” he laughed. “I like that in a woman. You’re a firecracker, huh? God help the man that steps out of line with you.”
“Now that we’ve established that, let’s get down to business,” Cole said.
“I got a line on the guys you’re looking for. At least one of them anyway.”
“What you got?”
“The head guy, uhh, Asenemyev or something…”
“Arsenyev,” Parker corrected.
“Yeah, yeah, that guy…he’s supposedly got a really hot woman he’s been hooking up with.”
“We already know that. He’s dated some of the girls at the strip club he owns,” Cole refuted.
“No, no. Not that one,” the man replied. “A different club.”
Cole looked at Parker, then back at his contact. “What do you mean, a different club?”
“He’s apparently got a piece of another club. It’s apparently hush hush. It’s a place called a…Strip It Down, yeah, that was it.”
“Are you sure?”
“Am I sure? Of course I’m sure. Cost me plenty to find out too, let me tell you,” he said, implying that he was hoping to get paid back.
“If the information checks out, you’ll get paid, you know that,” Cole reassured.
“What’s the name of the girl?” Parker asked.
“Misty something or the other, I didn’t really get a last name.”
“With a name like Misty, I’m sure we’ll be able to find her,” Cole stated.
“So I did good for you?”
“If it checks out.”
“How’d you find out about this girl and the other club? It’s not in any of our files.”
“Arsenemyev or whatever his name is apparently has been keeping it on the down low. Both the other club and the dame.”
“That still doesn’t explain how you know.”
“If you want information about a woman…ask another woman. There’s bound to be one that’s unhappy with the situation and willing to talk.”
“Or get even.”
“Either way.”
“What about the other guy? Zubov,” Parker said.
The contact shook his head, not knowing anything about him. “Nah, I couldn’t get anything on him. I didn’t want to dig too deep and ask too many questions in case it got back to the other guy and they hit splitsville thinking the heat was on.”
“It’s fine. You did good,” Cole told him.
“If the information checks out,” Parker said.
“It will.”
“Give me a couple days. If it’s good, you’ll get a nice little bonus,” Cole told him.
“Your word’s good enough for me, pal.”
“Yeah, well, if you hear anything else, you call me.”
“Will do.”
Parker and Cole left the ice cream store and started driving back to the hotel.
“Let’s get Ryan working on it,” Parker said.
“What? Why?”
“So maybe he can find something by the time we get there. Time is of the essence, right?”
“Do we have to?” Cole whined.
“Yes, we have to.”
Parker called Turner and told him about their meeting with Cole’s contact. She instructed him to find out whatever he could about Strip It Down and a girl that worked there named Misty. Turner immediately dropped what he was doing and started working on it, Parker hoped he could turn up something interesting by the time they returned to the hotel. She was disappointed, though not surprised, that he didn’t have anything for them when they got there. Seldom did information come that easy.
“So you just been whacking off for the last twenty minutes?” Cole kidded.
“Really? You do know I can’t just snap my fingers and make information appear, right?”
“Yeah, yeah. A good analyst would’ve had this information for us yesterday.”
He got a sharp look from Parker, and just shrugged, making a face that he was done with the sarcastic comments.
“Do you have anything?” Parker asked.
“Not really,” Turner answered. “I’ve been able to get into their work records and their payroll information but I don’t see anyone named Misty.”
“Maybe that’s just her work name,” Cole surmised. “Try finding a web site for the club and seeing if her name’s on there.”
“Worth a shot,” Turner respond
ed.
“Just don’t look at the pictures too closely!” Parker warned.
Turner faked a cough, “uhh, right.”
Turner pulled up the strip club’s website, a very tantalizing picture appearing on the main screen. Parker put her hands over her boyfriend’s eyes, not wanting him to see any more.
“Ahh, really? C’mon now!” Turner exclaimed.
“We can take it from here,” Parker told him. Sitting in his chair, she pulled the chair out away from the computer to allow enough room for Cole to take over.
“You know this is cruel and unusual punishment.”
“You really wanna look?”
“Uhh, no, no, not at all. I was just saying.”
“Remember, nitwit, she’s still a trained assassin that could kill you in over two hundred different ways,” Cole gleefully told him.
“I’m only too painfully aware. I’m pretty much constantly reminded of that fact.”
Cole found the page of the girls that worked there, complete with bios and pictures, both headshots and full body. The full body shots were most revealing.
“Now this is my kind of work,” Cole happily stated.
Parker rolled her eyes. “Why are men so turned on by this type of stuff?”
“We’re very visual.”
“So I’ve noticed. They’re not even that pretty.”
“Says you.”
“Do you think they’re pretty, Ryan?” Parker asked, still not taking her hands off his eyes.
“No. Nope. Not pretty at all. Even if I could see them.”
Cole laughed. “What’s the matter, Parker? Am I hearing a little jealousy there? Afraid that your little boy toy might find one of these broads a little more attractive than you?”
“Pfff!! Yeah, right,” Parker scoffed.
“Oh yeah? Why you got your hands over his eyes then? What’s he, a teenager again?”
“Fine,” she replied, taking her hands off his eyes.
Once his eyes were free, Turner batted his eyes and glanced around the room, trying hard not to look at the computer screen. Cole moved slightly to his left to give Turner a chance to see what he was looking at.
“What’d you think, Turner? Do anything for you?” Cole excitedly asked.
Turner briefly glanced at his girlfriend before taking a quick look at the screen, careful not to look too long, as he felt the heat seeking stare from his other half. “Uhh, yeah, doesn’t really do anything for me,” he plainly stated. “And I’m gonna go get a drink!”
“See, not everyone’s as big a dog as you are,” Parker told her partner.
Cole laughed. “Please, he only said that cause you’re here. But at least you’re training him well, cutting off his balls and all. I think he’d be singing a different tune if you weren’t a highly trained assassin.”
“Please, he knows I’d never hurt him.”
“Maybe. But that threat still looms in the air over him,” he teased.
“Just look at the photos and find her. Quickly!”
“Don’t rush me.”
“We only need to find one named Misty. You can satisfy your urges later tonight if you want.”
“Fine. Spoil all my fun.”
Cole quickly scanned through the pictures until he found the one that they were looking for. About halfway down the page, they found the picture of Misty Sweet.
“Cute name,” Cole observed.
“Yeah, real cute,” Parker replied.
“Not bad looking either.”
“Yeah, if you like them cute and trashy,” she said, forgetting who she was talking to.
Cole nodded, approving. Cute and trashy was just the way he liked them. “I love the school girl look.”
“I’m sure you do. Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“Guys, is it safe for me to come back in yet?” Turner yelled from the kitchen.
“Yes,” Cole replied.
“No!” Parker shouted. “Finish your milk.”
“It’s not milk,” Turner said.
“Well, have some, then.”
“Well, we found our girl,” Cole said.
“Let’s find out her real name, then we can get eyes on her,” Parker stated.
“I’ll go for that,” Cole smiled.
Chapter 7
After some cross referencing, they finally matched Misty Sweet to her real name, also finding an address for her. She lived near Inglewood. It was just a little past four o’clock, and Cole noticed Parker pacing around the room.
“What’s bugging you?” he asked.
“Nothing. I’m fine.”
“Fine, my eye. You’re wearing out the carpet.”
She kept checking the time as she paced around, appearing quite nervous. Turner had left an hour or so before that, going to Vicki’s place to see if he could help with dinner. She was worried about meeting his father. She dodged the bullet once before, but this time, didn’t think she’d be able to do it again. Even if she objected, since they were there on business, she’d have to do it soon enough anyway since she didn’t have much time left in the agency.
“I’ve never seen you so jumpy before,” Cole noted.
“I’m not jumpy.”
“Well, something’s wrong.” After another minute of thinking about it, Cole realized what it was. “You’re nervous about dinner with the family, aren’t you?”
“I’m not nervous,” she refuted.
“Yes you are. You’re nervous about meeting the parents,” he gleefully said, finding humor in her predicament.
“I’m not nervous. Besides, it’s only one parent. His mother died a few years ago.”
“I never thought I’d see the day when Alex Parker looked like she was gonna have a nervous breakdown.”
“What should I do?”
Cole shrugged. “I dunno. Eat dinner maybe.”
“I mean, what do I do or say to his father?” she asked, twiddling her thumbs. “You’re coming, right?”
“Me? Oh no. You’re not roping me into this,” he objected.
“But you were invited too.”
“Yes, but I’m not dating any of the people involved. Besides, one of us has to work on this case while you’re playing house.”
“Maybe I should just cancel too. I mean, I probably shouldn’t do this while we’re working.”
“You’re only having dinner. You’d have to eat anyway. Might as well do it with the rest of the family,” Cole stated.
“They’re not fa…,” Parker said, realizing what she was saying.
“What was that?”
“Maybe I should skip dinner and stake out the strip club.”
“Ain’t nobody at the strip club yet. Doesn’t open till later. Nobody will be there, you know that.”
“What about Misty’s house?”
“I’ll sit on it while you’re at dinner. If anything happens, I’ll let you know.”
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this.”
“Say what?”
“I’m terrified. I’m actually sweating,” she finally admitted, wiping the moisture off her forehead.
“He’s just a guy. You’re more terrified of meeting his father than if you were standing in front of a roomful of terrorists with a .357 staring you right in the face.”
“That’s cause I’m trained for that. I’m not trained for this.”
Cole laughed, quite amused by what his partner was going through. It didn’t get any better over the next half hour. Turner got back, strutting through the door and looking satisfied with the evening plans. As soon as he saw Parker though, he began worrying. She looked a little pale.
“What’s the matter? Are you sick?” Turner worried.
Cole laughed. “Sick with fear.”
“Huh?”
“Uhh, I think I’m gonna get ready,” Parker said. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Both men watched her as she went into the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
“She’s petri
fied,” Cole said.
“Of what?”
“Dinner. The whole parent thing.”
“Oh. I know she’s never really done the whole relationship thing much before, but I still have a hard time understanding it,” Turner replied.
“Well, she’s been doing this since she was a kid. She didn’t have the luxury of going to school, meeting boys, going to dances and having dates, like you did growing up. All she’s ever known is secret identities, guns, killing, and whatnot.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s all new to her. Maybe in time she’ll get more used to it.”
“She will. It’ll be rough going at first though. You’re gonna have to keep an eye on her tonight,” Cole told him.
“Why?”
“Cause until she does get used to it, she’s more likely to stab somebody with a fork than to engage in a meaningless discussion with them,” he smiled.
Turner patiently waited for Parker to get dressed, though it was starting to get strained. Thirty minutes went by, and she still wasn’t out yet. Parker wasn’t usually the type who took that long to get dressed.
“You think she’s OK?” Turner wondered.
“It’s the nerves,” Cole responded.
A few minutes later, they heard the handle of the door start to jiggle. The door opened and out came Parker, looking stunning. Her hair was down, she had on black heels, and a black dress that went just above her knee, with a plunging neckline. Though she looked beautiful, the expression on her face screamed pure terror. Turner had never seen her look so terrified before. Neither had Cole, for that matter. She walked further into the room so Turner could get a better look at her.
“Well? What do you think?” she asked, turning completely around.
“You look, uhh, beautiful,” Turner replied.
Cole nodded in agreement.
“It’s not too much, is it?” Parker wondered, fearing she might have overdone it.
“You look great no matter what you have on,” Turner told her.
“You’re sure? I mean, I just want to look good tonight.”
“Well, you succeeded cause you look fantastic. Considering what I’m wearing, you’re putting me to shame.”
Cole just looked at him and shook his head, knowing he said the wrong thing.
“What? Really?” Parker asked. “It’s too much. I knew it was. I’ll go change,” she said, quickly doing an about face and marching right back into the bedroom, closing the door again.