Twenty-Nine Cozy Bears

43

Tehran, Iran Walking the main streets

The Major walked beside Sara, trying to follow the verbal stream of description she provided as they walked down a sidewalk filled with people, while keeping an eye out for potential problems in the traffic and groups around them. He had reached the edge. Not overloaded. Rather, he felt clogged. A log-jam in his cortex.

They were walking down some of the best food streets, Sara told him. The smells and sounds around him were foreign to his palate. Enticing, however. They were scents he wished to know more about. The sights were often surprising, but equally attractive. His stomach growled softly.

It was this minor stomach rumbling that sent them out of the library in search of food.

If the IRGC were following them, he never spotted their agents. Which was just as good. He knew they were there. The fact even calmed him a little, with Sara so near. At least something was watching who would not approve of him pressing his amour.

It felt slightly ironic that this was one of the first training lessons they put him through — the control of emotions around attractive people. He couldn't remember any of the details of that training. He remembered going, where the exercise was located, and even the names of his instructors, but nothing to the point.

It was not sunset quite yet. The golden orb glowed with vibrant life above the horizon, and flashed off the reflections of passing windshields. The bustle around him felt good, close. Friendly. Many people were smiling, something he did not experience often.

While scanning the pedestrians on the other side of the street, a flash off a windshield made him wince and turn away — to find himself looking at a familiar face. It took him microseconds for his mind to conduct a friend or foe test and come up foe. The man's name was Philip the last time they met. His true name was Doug. An American.

Gently, he took Sara's upper arm, "Please let me guide you for two minutes."

She glanced up at him, "Is that all you want?" Her voice felt enticing, like her smile.

He pulled her as a large family group passed them, blocking the view in the direction of the Americans, and guided her into an alley. "Not even close to what I want, but we have this to do first."

Glancing down he found her grinning up at him, and he liked that expression on her lips.

Tucked inside the alley with her pressed against him, he scanned the crowd behind them until he located the American again.

"There is an American agent on the street behind us," he explained to her.

She pressed up against him, "Is he following us?"

"No, I don't believe so. And they are crossing the street now."

"They?" she asked.

"He is holding the hand of a young woman wearing a red and gold hijab," he said.

She looked around him, pressing closer, he could feel her breast against his body. "Those two? The ones stepping up on the curb?"

"Yes."

"What are they looking for?"

"Not sure, but it isn't food. There are more food shops on this side."

"Maybe he knows one he likes over there."

"Then he wouldn't be searching like that," he reasoned.

Pulling back, but not moving herself off him, she looked up. "Are they important?"

"Maybe," he said. "Yes, I think they could be helpful."

She glanced across the street just as the two American's went between two shops. The space wasn't an alley, but a person could walk down the space.

"How do you want to do this? Are we not lacking in resources? Just the two of us?"

Sara had a good point. While certain that the two of them could follow the Americans, what if others were following them as well? It didn't pay to have too many people curious about you. Besides, he did not want to tip this to the IRGC just yet.

"Find CCTV cameras, that capture that walk space. Or shop cams or ATM cams. Anything. You know this area better than I do. I'll stay here while you find them and text me their locations."

"What will you be doing?"

"Missing you and waiting for them to come back out of that walkway."

"What if they do not?" she asked.

"Then we get some food and get back to my place before prayer."

"And what will we do there?" she asked.

"Eat, and enjoy each other, the company and the warmth."

She nodded her head, "This is a good plan. Let us begin."