Her mind was frantically trying to find a way, something she could do. She was too scared to move. A look out of the window made her frozen feet melt. A man had gotten out of the Mercedes and he was walking towards the front door of her building. Without a second of hesitation, she reached for her coat and slid it over her nightgown. She slipped into a pair of loafers while her left hand grabbed the keys and her purse from the table. Then she ran across the apartment, through the kitchen and out onto the backstairs.

She didn't know how, but she made it down the stairs, through the alley and out into the back alley without having a stroke out of pure fear. Within a second she managed to hail a cab.

"Whereto?" the cabdriver asked when she jumped into the backseat.

Danielle stared at him. She had no idea where to go whom to trust. She suddenly realized that she did have someone to trust.

Out of her pocket she pulled the card Edward had given her. She looked at his handwriting, telling her the time and place of last week's dinner. Then she looked at the other side and smiled. Thank God for men with printed business cards, she thought and gave the cabdriver the address.

Danielle paid the driver and got out of the cab, preoccupied by looking at the building in front of her. It looked like the building had once been a warehouse of some kind, but the number of mailboxes told her that now it was a popular apartment building.

Once she had gotten in she looked at the board on the wall to locate Edward. She found the name E. Marcase on top of the board, second floor on the left.

Danielle had her first doubts when she stood outside the door.

"What am I doing?" she whispered to herself.

After a brief but passionate discussion in her head weighing the pros and the cons, she raised her hand and knocked on the door before all of her courage left her.

She waited and listened. Nothing. She knocked again, this time a bit harder. Now she could hear footsteps on the other side of the door. Then it was opened.

"I'm not going to work. It's my day off."

Edward blinked as he recognized Danielle.

"Danielle?" he managed to utter:
"What are you doing here?"

She tried to smile, but the expression on her face was one of pure fear.

Edward saw that and opened the door wider.

"Come in."

When she walked pass him, he noticed a shine of white satin underneath her coat and realized that she had to be wearing her nightgown.

She stopped in the middle of the room and turned to face him.

"I'm sorry," she stuttered:
"I know you needed to sleep and I didn't want to disturb you but I didn't know where else to go."

Edward stared at her, the air of worry was obvious in his eyes.

"What's wrong?"

Danielle shook her head in distress and tried to talk, but nothing came out.

Edward put his hands on her shoulders.

"Take it easy. You're hyperventilating."

He caught her eyes at last.

"Take a couple of deep breaths. Come on."

He breathed with her until the color started coming back to her face.

She looked directly at him and the expression on her face was so close to a smile that he concluded that she had in fact calmed down now.

"Now, slowly, tell me what's wrong? Take your time, I'm not going anywhere."

Danielle took one very deep breath and exhaled slowly.

"I'm being watched," she finally whispered.

"Watched?" Edward asked:
"What do you mean watched?"

She shrieked.

"I know how it sounds. You think I'm crazy, don't you? Maybe that's what they're trying to do. Make me crazy."

"Who?" Edward asked:
"Who's trying to make you crazy?"

She took a couple of step away from him, tearing herself out of his grip.

"Do you think I would be like this if I knew? No way. I'd be sitting at the police station filing a report. How should I know who they are? I don't even know why they're doing this?"

Edward ran a hand through his hair as if it helped clear his head.

"What exactly have 'they' done to make you feel watched?"

Danielle was staring out of the window, down on the street. No cars were in sight.

"There's this car. A Mercedes. It's been following me for a week now. When I leave work, it follows me, and when I'm at home, it's parked across the street."

She turned around to face him.

"I hadn't really thought about it until tonight when I woke up. I had had a nightmare about that same car. As if my sub-conscience was trying to tell me something. I got so scared. I grabbed the phone and dialed 911. But just before I got through there was this - click - on the line and I knew someone was listening in. For a second I thought I'd seen to many thrillers on TV, but then a man got out of the car and walked towards my building. He stared right at me Edward. It scared me so much, I just grabbed my coat and hurried out the back."

She took a deep breath and plunged down into the couch. It had been quite a speech she'd made.

Edward was walking back and forth in front of her, he seemed to be thinking about something.

"So the car was there when you left?"

She nodded.

"Of course. The driver had gotten out and I'm pretty sure they didn't see me leave from the backside of the alley."

She looked at him.

"What are you going to do?"

Edward picked up the phone.

"I'm gonna call Michael and have him pick me up. Then we'll go check out this ghost car of yours."

Danielle pulled the phone out of his hand.

"No, don't. Don't leave me alone."

Her eyes begged him to stay and the thought of him leaving made her start shaking again.

"Please don't go," she whispered.

Her eyes were shining because of a few tears of fear and Edward smiled at her.

"I'm not leaving you."

He put his arms around her.

"Nothing on Earth could make me leave you now."

He felt her arms around his neck and sighed.

"I'll tell you what," he said, to get his mind preoccupied with something other than the young woman in his arms:

"I think I know exactly what you need right now."

She looked at him:
"What?"

Edward smiled:
"You need some sleep. Sleep always works wonders for me and I'm sure it will for you too. And in the morning when we feel awake and with a fresh mind, we'll get Michael and then we'll check out your place. Okay?"
Danielle nodded:
"Okay."

Edward led her to the bedroom, got the coat of her and sat her down on the bed. While he took her shoes of he smiled at her.

"Now you lie down and close your eyes. And if you need anything, I'll be right in the next room, on the couch, okay?"

He turned around to leave, but Danielle grabbed his hand.

"Don't go. Please don't go."

Edward could see pure unadulterated fear in her eyes as he sat down beside her.

"I'll be right next door," he whispered.

"No," she replied:
"I want you here - with me. Please."

The look in her eyes changed into something else.

They were still shining, but not with fear. Edward wasn't sure, but he thought he recognized a strong burning desire deep in her beautiful eyes.

"We've only just met," he whispered.

Danielle nodded.

"I know."

She kept staring at him with firm eyes.

"I knew from the moment I saw you that this was it," Danielle mumbled:
"It can't be wrong then, can it?"

Edward shook his head.

"I knew it too."

He reached up and let his fingers run down her neck, down to her collarbone and unbuttoned the first button in her nightgown.

"Are you sure?" he whispered.

Danielle looked at him, her eyes were burning.

"I want to be with you," she whispered:
"Now. Tonight."

When she had spoken the last word, Edward bent forward and his lips touched hers. A shock wave went through both of them and Danielle threw her arms around his neck and clung herself to him. All of her fears had been wiped away.

Danielle woke up with her head on Edwards' chest. When she moved, he groaned and opened his eyes. For a second he just lay there, looking at her. Then he smiled:
"Good morning."

Danielle smiled back:
"Good morning."

She let her fingers caress his chest and curled up close to him.

"Thank you for not leaving me."

Edward laughed.

"Think about what I would have missed if I had left you."

He put his arm tighter around her waist and kissed her gently.

"I hope you realize I'll never leave you now."

Danielle smiled.

"I was hoping you'd say something like that," she whispered:
"Because if you hadn't said it, I would."

She put her head on his chest again.

"I can't think of anywhere else in the whole wide world I'd rather be than right here."

Edward smiled:
"Then it's just right."

He put his other arm around her.
"I think Michael takes his morning run right about now. We won't be able to reach him for at least an hour - maybe even two."

Danielle smiled.

"Good," she mumbled and received Edwards's kisses with eager anticipation for more.

Edward and Danielle finally made it out of bed at noon, and while Danielle searched the kitchen cabinets for some breakfast, Edward called Michael.

Michael picked up immediately.

"Edward?" he said:
"I didn't expect to hear from you while you were off duty?"

"I need a favor," Edward answered.

"Anything," Michael said.

"It's personal."

"Just tell me what you want me to do."

"Can you come pick me up in an hour? I'm at home."

"I'll see you then," Michael said and hung up.

Edward took a deep breath and went into the kitchen to help Danielle with the breakfast.

There was a knock on the door exactly one hour later. When Edward opened, Michael smiled at him.

"Not ready yet?"

He looked at Edward who was trying to do three things at one time. Put a T-shirt on, button his pants and getting his feet in a pair of hiking boots:
"And I thought this was important."

"It is," Edward uttered:
"I've just had a lot on my mind."

"I can see that."

Edward looked at Michael and realized that his colleague was no longer looking at him, but something behind him. Edward turned and saw - Danielle!

She was standing in his bedroom door, wearing one of his T-shirts and with a look on her face he couldn't quite make out. She finally mounted a smile and walked up to Edward.

"Hi Michael," she said as casually as possible:
"It's good to see you again."

Michael laughed:
"Yes it is. It really is."

He was smiling so much, Edward had to say something to break the silence.

"Why don't we get going?" he asked.

"What are we doing?" Michael said.

Edward shook his head.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you on the way."

He grabbed his coat and Danielles keys and kissed her gently.

"I'll see you later."

She smiled:
"I'll be here, don't worry."

Edward smiled back, then he left the apartment with Michael right on his tail.

Danielle took a deep breath. She was alone!

Michael walked through the open door of the apartment with his gun drawn. He checked the entire place before he returned to the door and waved Edward in.

"Someone was definitely here. Unfortunately they're also long gone."

Edward looked around.

"They really trashed the place didn't they?"

Michael nodded:
"It's a good thing she's staying with you. It'll take weeks to clean up this mess."

Edward looked at Michael.

"It wasn't my imagination that night at the club was it? You were actually playing matchmaker on my behalf?"

Michael laughed:
"I'm sorry about that. But it worked, didn't it?"

Edward shrieked.

"You won't hear any arguments from me."

They both looked around the apartment.

"What about the phone?" Edward asked:
"Is it tapped?"

Michael didn't move and Edward put a hand on his shoulder:
"What?"

Michael pointed towards the couch. The phone was lying on the carpet, divided into pieces.

"I don't think there's any point in checking."

Edward took a deep breath.

"Should we get someone to dust for prints?"

Michael shook his head.

"No point in that either. Whoever did this knew what they were doing."

Edward sighed.

"Now what?"

"Now we go through everything anyway to try to prove I'm wrong."

He looked at Edward.

"Don't just stand there. Start looking."

Edward sighed again.

"Let's get this over with."

Three hours later they hadn't found anything to lead them any closer to whoever trashed the place. Michael had leaned back in a comfortable chair when Edward came out of the bedroom. He had a bag in his hand. He saw the questioning look in Michael's eyes and smiled:
"I packed some clothes for Danielle. I don't want her back here tonight and she can't keep wearing my T-shirts."

"Why not?" Michael asked:
"She looks better in them than you do."

The first thing Edward saw when he walked through the door to his apartment was Danielle, dancing around - in one of his T-shirts. The air was filled with music and Danielle was singing along. She hadn't even noticed him yet. When she spun around, she stopped the moment she set eyes on him.

"Edward?" she uttered:
"I didn't hear you come in."

She reached out and turned down the stereo.

The expression on her face was that of a scared mouse, having been caught in something she wasn't quite sure if she wanted to get caught in.

"Did you find out anything?"

Edward walked to her and pulled her down on the couch with him.

"There was no car," he started.

Danielle looked griefstruck.

"But," he continued:
"Someone was listening in on you."

He held her hands.

"Unfortunately they got there before we did. They not only trashed your phone to remove their listening device. They trashed your entire apartment."

Danielle stared at him:
"What? Why?"

Edward shook his head.

"I don't know. Maybe to prove some kind of point."

He looked at her.

"Do you have any idea who could be doing this to you?"

Danielle shook her head.

"No idea. I don't think I'm prone to making a lot of enemies working with what I do."

She sat back.

"The only thing I can think of is that it all started the day after I met Michael, but that's crazy. Michael wouldn't do this to me."

"Not Michael," Edward said:
"But someone who was watching Michael when you met."

He jumped out of the couch and Danielle stared at him.

"What?" she said:
"What are you thinking about?"

He started pacing back and forth across the living room floor.
"I just got a very bad feeling about this."

He jumped when the phone rang.

The conversation was short, in fact, Edward didn't say a word in the 15 seconds he held the phone to his ear, until he put it down again.

"I don't believe this," he mumbled:
"I have to leave on an assignment. Rendezvous at the Mansion is in one hour."

"The Mansion?" Danielle asked.

Edward nodded.

"A big secluded place near Reston. It's headquarters to our team."

"What team?"

Edward turned:
"Michael didn't tell you?"

She shook her head.

"He didn't tell me anything - except every little private detail he knew about you."

Edward smiled.

"I should have known that much."

He kept talking while starting to pack a bag of clothes and a few medical supplies.

"Both Michael and I are members of a bio crisis team. We're the tip of the spear if you want. We're the ones they send in when all else fails. The expendable ones you know."
She nodded:
"Yeah I know."

She recognized the bag on the floor and opened it.

"You got me some clothes," she laughed:
"Thank you."

She was trying to fit something together when she suddenly realized that Edward had stopped right in front of her.

"What?"

She looked at him with a smile.

"I want you to get dressed," he said:
"You're coming with me."

Danielle didn't say anything, she didn't know what to say.

Edward put his hands on her shoulders.

"You won't be safe here while I'm away. Not if my assumption about who followed you is correct."

He put the bag in her hands.

"But at the Mansion you'll be under surveillance 24 hours a day, right until I get back and we can deal with this thing."

He started pushing Danielle towards the bedroom door.

"But isn't it a government facility? How are you going to get me in?"

Edward smiled:
"We'll worry about that obstacle when we get to it. Now, you get dressed, we leave in exactly ten minutes."

He shut the door behind her and sighed. Now he had to get ready himself.