Chapter 1

Why does that man look familiar to me? FBI Agent Thomas Seldon lowered the binoculars from his eyes and frowned. One of the three men standing outside the Green Worldwide Enterprises warehouse in Los Angeles reminded him of someone...

He could swear he'd seen him before... "Hey partner, hand me those last photos headquarters sent us."

Special Agent Charles Richards brought him the group of suspects' photos. He'd been studying them, but the man they saw a few weeks earlier was the only one he'd recognized from any of the pictures. And headquarters had already confirmed that he was Robert Warren, a man suspected of working with Central and South American gunrunners for the last few years.

Tom muttered, "This man who showed up last night ... I feel like I've seen him before and it's driving me crazy that I can't figure out why! You've taken a picture of him, right? As well as the other two men with him?" Charles nodded. "Good."

They would get the film back to the office so it could be developed and send the photos to headquarters and see if they could I.D. the men.

Tom raised the binoculars to his eyes again. "It looks like they're leaving. I wish we could put a tail on them now ... find out where they're going." But Washington still wanted more proof before they'd authorize them to go any further. "Damn it ... I just know there's something going on here and our hands are tied until we can prove that Warren is actually dealing with this company!"

"Well, maybe once these other men are identified and the fact that they showed up late at night, it will give us the proof we need," Charles said hopefully. "Come on, partner. Let's pack up our gear and head out. We've been here all night and I'm beat. And Diana's getting upset that I've been spending so many nights away from her recently."

"Yeah ... Lynda hasn't been real happy with me lately, either. But I know how to make it up to her. She's a very understanding woman ... once she gets her fill of my cock!" Tom chuckled.

Yeah, I wish she'd gotten her fill of mine, too ... Aw hell ... stop that... Charles exclaimed, "Damn it, Tom! Don't say things like that! I don't want to hear about your sex life!"

"Hey ... you weren't fantasizing about my wife again, were you?" Tom asked jokingly.

Charles replied sarcastically, "Yeah. Ha, ha, ha ... fuck you, Seldon! It's your own fault! You shouldn't have told us guys how good Lynda is at ... aw, forget it!"

Tom chuckled again. "Boy ... twelve hours away from your own wife and you act like you're about to climb the walls! What's the matter, partner? Not getting enough of your wife's sexy body lately?"

"No, it's not that at all. It's just the opposite. Ever since Thanksgiving, she's been on me every time we're alone together. She seems desperate to get pregnant and she's taken almost all the intimacy out of our lovemaking. And I don't know why she's so desperate ... she won't talk to me about it." Charles anxiously stuffed files and photos into a briefcase.

Tom picked up a bag and packed it with the items they'd brought for surveillance. He glanced at Charles. "I think I might know what's behind Diana's desperation."

Charles stared at him.

"Lynda told me the only thing that keeps her from getting hysterical every time I walk out the door to go to work is the fact that she's pregnant. Knowing she's carrying my baby helps her to stay calm and not worry so much about me."

Charles closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "Yeah ... that would explain it."

She was scared for him ... That's why she'd been even more nervous than when that bastard Ed Hood had come after her again. He'd have to talk to her when he got home. Her nerves were probably frazzled after what she'd been through the last three weeks. Not to mention the last five months...

Saturday morning, December 8, 1956 at about eight o'clock, Charles undressed and snuck into bed to snuggle up behind his beautiful wife. He kissed her soft, shining, golden hair, put his hand up under the pajama top she was wearing and fondled her generous breasts. His hard shaft was pressed against her shapely ass in her silky panties.

"Mmm ... you shouldn't be doing that! My husband will be home soon. I told you to get out of here, big man! Oooh ... OW!!!" Her nipple was pinched painfully and Diana's eyes popped open.

"Not funny, pretty lady! You know better than to make jokes like that about HIM!" he growled.

Diana snorted. "Then don't come crawling into bed at eight o'clock in the morning expecting to get fucked immediately!"

Charles forced her onto her back and pinned her shoulders to the mattress. "What the hell is wrong with you now? Lately, I haven't been able to keep you off me because you want a baby and now you're deliberately pissing me off! What is going on with you, Diana?"

Her face contorted as she began to cry. "I started last night ... I'm not pregnant!"

"Oh, pretty lady..." Charles sighed. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm so sorry. I know how much this would mean to you, but we just started trying! Sometimes it can take a little longer. Especially after everything your poor body has been through the last several months! When the time is right, it will happen for us."

Diana sniffled and squeaked, "But what if something happens to you ... or me ... before we have a child? There won't be anything left of us ... of our love ... to show what we mean to each other!"

Charles stared directly into her teary gray blue eyes—eyes exactly the same color as his.

How many people have witnessed what we mean to each other, pretty lady? How many people do you think are as connected as you and me?

Diana's eyes flinched when she heard his voice inside her head. "How do you... ?" She was cut off when he put his hand over her mouth.

Don't say it ... think it. I'll hear you. She stared at him. Come on, pretty lady ... try.

She frowned at him and mumbled behind his hand, "I am."

Well ... try harder! If you can hear me, I should be able to hear you! You called to me first ... remember?

Diana growled in frustration and closed her eyes. Damn it ... why are you pushing this? What the hell good will it do us anyway?

It may not do us any good ... but it could sure come in handy playing cards with our friends. Don't you think?!!!

Diana's eyes popped open again and they laughed. He moved his hand away from her mouth.

"I guess the trick for me is that I have to close my eyes and have some kind of emotional outburst. When you heard me before it was because I was scared to death. Just now, I was getting pissed! I can receive you easily, but it's harder for me to send. Maybe it'll get easier with time ... and practice." She closed her eyes again. I love you, sexy man. What can I do for you?

Just lay here and hold me until I fall asleep ... I love you, too, pretty lady, but it's a good thing your period came because I'm exhausted...

Charles chuckled with her as she wrapped her arms around him. He groaned contentedly as she scratched his back then he drifted off to sleep...

That Saturday evening, Charles and Diana had dinner at Tom and Lynda's house in Brentwood, just a mile from their home. The women were cleaning up after dinner while the men sat at the dining room table with photos of the suspects from their arms smuggling investigation.

Their boss, Assistant Director Peter Woods, had stopped by a little while earlier with photos of the three men they had taken that morning.

"Pete said they already forwarded copies of these photos to Washington for identification. Hopefully we'll hear back from them within the week. I just wish I could figure out why I feel like I've seen this man before!" Tom muttered as he stared at the photo of a man who appeared to be fiftyish.

Lynda walked up beside her husband. "Would you like some more coffee, my love?"

Tom absently shook his head. "No, thank you, sweetheart."

Lynda started to turn away, but one of the photos on the table caught her eye. She gasped. "Oh, my God! That's Donald!"

Tom frowned. "What? Donald who? Which photo are you looking at, Lynda?"

She pointed to the photo of the bastard she had hoped to never see again. "That man. That's Donald Price ... my ex-husband."

Diana came out of the kitchen when she heard that. "Oh, my God ... What are you guys doing with a photo of him?"

Charles looked up at the two women. "He showed up at the warehouse we were watching last night along with these two men. Do either of them look familiar to you?"

The women shook their heads.

Tom said worriedly, "Lynda, sweetheart ... now would be a good time for you to tell me everything you know about your ex-husband."

She frowned. "There's not much I can tell. I lived with the man for seven years, but I hardly knew him. I mean, I thought I knew him ... up until the day he walked out on me!" She closed her eyes and frowned harder. "He's an accountant. He was obsessed with making a lot of money and he was never happy with me because we didn't have enough of it!" she stated forcefully as she opened her eyes again. She started again, quietly, "That's why he left me ... He said he'd found himself a stupid little girlfriend who's daddy was rich and that he was going to help her daddy make a lot more money!" she gritted through her teeth.