Rantings of an Arranged Mind

"How do you know those guys again?" Calla asked.

"They're with the FBI. I met the older one after the explosion at my dad's building. They've been investigating the possibility that it was a terrorist attack."

"No one claimed it as one," Calla said, "I paid a lot of attention to the news that week."

"They suspect someone the public doesn't know about. I'm not even supposed to know, but they approached me as the new head of the company to see if I'd ever seen their suspect."

"Had you?" she asked.

"Not before, no. They had footage of him in the building that day, but nobody knows why. They assume he's involved because the explosion was shortly after and that's apparently his modus operandi."

Calla nodded. "Kind of freaky, to think someone like that is out there. Why don't they want the public to know?"

"I think he's very good at keeping a low profile. They have nothing to link him to any crimes, just a general suspicion, I guess. You can't start a nationwide manhunt without a warrant, and video of a man in a lobby isn't grounds for that. There's more footage of me in the building, or the janitor." I shrugged.

"You keep speaking in pronouns. You can't use his name?" Calla looked up at me.

"Um, I don't think so. It's supposed to be a high security matter. I only know because they thought he might contact me after the explosion. They wanted to use me as bait."

Calla's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

I shrugged.

"That's preposterous! The government wanted to use a private citizen as bait for a terrorist?" Calla's voice rose a little. I put my hands on her arms and rubbed them soothingly.

"Calla, I'm fine."

"Yes, but they seem to think someone was here, in the club. What if it's related?"

She seemed genuinely worried. I pulled her closer and hugged her. "Shhhhh, they would evacuate us if there was a problem. They're just checking out a lead. Don't worry, we're fine."

Calla trembled a little in my arms. "Frank, I just... it's been a long month. I've worried about you a lot, the idea that you were actually dangled out as bait by people who are supposed to protect us... That freaks me out."

"I'm right here. I love you. Nobody's endangering me, it was speculation."

She looked up at me, her body snuggled into my chest. There was a single tear on her cheek and I gently wiped it away with my thumb. Calla smiled.

"I love you Frank. Will you marry me?"