Love don't live here anymore

Chapter 18:

Samantha studied the photos that were developed of the factory. She marked the entrance and in her head played ten different scenarios on how she planned to infiltrate the factory, and every one of them gave her an uneasy feeling. Perhaps she should sleep on it.

Sleep on it. That's a joke!

She looked at her wristwatch. Was there any point in going home? It was going to be many, many hours before her body acquiesced to sleep. There was only one agenda her body wanted indulgence in. She had tried in the last forty eight hours to erase Blake from memory, but it was a wasted effort.

She did not want to go home. But where ever she went Trent had to follow. She'd thought her Director will back off a bit with his protectiveness, but he was worst than a mother hen sometimes. Samantha almost wished she had not called in and quit her "waitressing job." That could help her do something with the long hours at night.

With the operation she was planning she could not focus on anything else. She needed to give that her undivided attention, and so she set up somebody else to go in and "apply" for the waitressing job she'd quit. She'd still get all the intel she required from the "new waitress."

She picked up her handbag. She needed some air, thankfully Trent would retire for the night in about two hours. Dodging his night shift colleague would be a piece of cake. She knew just how she was going to fool the "rookie."

'You still here?' she teased her Director.

Firstly she was surprised that he was in the building that late, and secondly Jeff had been walking towards her office.

'What's wrong?' she asked perceptively.

'What did you do to Blake Trescott?' he murmured.

'I beg your pardon?' A million frantic thoughts were flying through her head.

'Platinum has been hit,' he sighed.

Damn it she did get the Intel, she should have increased security measures there.

'What___. Is Blake okay?'

'Yes he's fine, because he's not in the country,' he spoke quietly.

Not in the country?

'What happened?' she asked, feeling the need to sit down, but also the need to go to Blake.

'His security called him in London to inform him of the break in. Luckily he has most of his precious stones there with him, he's displaying them at an exhibition there. But he had left three or four here, which apparently has now been stolen,' Jeff filled her in.

Thank God he's out of the country.

Not that she was expecting him to pop in and visit. She knew he'd do no such thing. And not that she was planning to visit him either.

'So what did you do to him?' her Director repeated.

'What do you mean?' she murmured.

Jeff looked at her uncomfortably before he muttered, 'he explicitly demanded that if NPS was going to handle the investigation, he does not want you involved.'

Samantha felt like Blake had slapped her across her face. She felt like the wind had been yanked of her sails. She did not know if she had succeeded in masking her emotions.

'He also said if his wishes could not be respected, then he did not need the South African Police Services looking after his interests, he's quite happy to write of his losses,' Jeff finished.

I hear you loud and clear Blake!

'Excuse me, I need to be somewhere,' Samantha mumbled and hurried out.