Fifteen- To find a strong lead or not

The ride to the clubhouse was a very fast one. Without a doubt, the rush was to make sure the news didn't get out. Chloe doubted that. Such news never wasted time.

As she adjusted the strap of her shoes, she wondered if she would find any strong evidence at the scene. It was high time she found that very, very strong lead that would change the game.

"Does she have to come along?" The grumpy man asked Nathaniel who waved off his question. "But we hardly know her."

"You hardly know her. I am not leaving her out here, it is too dangerous." He got down and helped her with her door. Chloe inwardly appreciated his sense of protection, but she would have been able to take care of herself if she were to be left alone.

But she was nonetheless more glad that they were allowing her accompany them.

Chloe's darting eyes did not miss the two police vehicles around a corner which meant either the cops had come for Amir or they just came to have a crazy night. Her bet was on an undercover job.

A strong, familiar arm grabbed her by the waist. "Stay close to me, it is wild in there." She smiled and let him hold her close, very close.

It was indeed very wild. Not only was the music so loud ones ears could bleed off, the mix of so many drugs filled the air to produce something totally new and dangerously different. And there was the reckless dancing here and there that did not in any way go in rhythm to the exhilarating beat being played by the DJ under so many flashing lights.

As the three of them made their way away from the intoxicated crowd and finally had them blocked out that nothing but distanced beat came, Chloe released her breath which came out loud.

"Hey, are you okay?" Nathaniel asked softly.

She nodded and they resumed their walk.

"I said, I did not do it!" Amir's voice came from one of the rooms and Nathaniel let go of his hold on Chloe and rushed into the place.

"I'll be right back." Chloe followed the built man's figure until he disappeared at the end of the corridor.

"Let me take over from here," Nathaniel's voice brought her back to the room which she was standing in front of. Moving closer, she noticed that the whole space was a bedroom and from the state of the regular sized bed inside, she could tell that some business had gone down. "Amir, what is going on?"

Amir was seated at the edge of the bed, shirtless and sweating profusely as his eyes met Nathaniel's who was seated right in front of him. Amir's eyes went blank as he answered his friend, "I did not do it."

Nathaniel sighed and sat up to face the men inside the room with him. "What happened?"

"Well," one of the men who looked like workers replied. "A couple of minutes ago, we heard a scream from the room next door. When we got there, we met a lady squirming in pain. When we asked her what happened, she said the man from room 005 had just raped her. When we checked the occupant of the said room, it turned out to be Mr. Cook here."

"Where is this lady?" Nathaniel surely wasn't sparing Amir who he kept eyeing angrily.

"She has been taken to the hospital."

"Was it that bad?" Nathaniel slapped his face with his palms and slowly dragged them down. "Amir... what have you done?"

"I did not do anything." Even Amir was beginning to look angry.

"Sir..." Their bodyguard came running in, almost hitting Chloe out of the way. "I have taken care of it."

Chloe frowned. Taken care of what? The situation? Had they swept the issue under the carpet already? Chloe's hands were beginning to fist as she thought within her.

"Good. The lady is in the hospital, take care of that too. And..." He got up. "Don't forget to get me the results."

"Noted sir."

"And, you two, if a single word of this gets out there, I will have you dealt with." He moved a step closer to the duo who were clearly affected by the warning in his eyes and the danger in his crossed arms. "Again, not a single word."

They both nodded and rushed out of the room.

"Amir..." He looked up with a sigh. "Let's go home. We have a lot to talk about."

"I... I really didn't do it."

"We will find that out soon. Let's go." It was as though Chloe was invisible, the way the both of them walked past her with tense silence all over their steps.

With a lot of curiosity in her as to how things were going to play from that moment, Chloe found herself feeling glad for once at the idea of being in the same house with the NAG brothers.

~

Everyone was about to disperse after dinner when Nathaniel monotonously commanded all of them to wait behind.

Chloe knew he wanted to talk about something and with no doubt, about Amir's issue. It had been two days after the incident and since then, the house had become very tensioned. Apart from dinner which the men had together, they hardly conversed with each other since that day. They didn't even meet in their conversation room to discusss business.

"Amir..." Nathaniel adjusted in his seat. "This is the umpteenth time I am asking you, did you or did you not rape that lady?"

Amir, whose head was ducked earlier, sprang up in instant anger. "Really Nathaniel? Really? Even if you are going to ask me that damn question, do you have to do it in front of the maids?" For some reason, Chloe felt uncomfortable in her seat.

Nathaniel didn't even bother to look his way as he replied, "I felt if I embarrassed you in front of them, you would confess."

"Wh- wh-" Amir's breath raged as he tried to form words. Taking a few steps back, his hands went over his head and they stayed that way as Amir bored his sight into a firm Nathaniel. " I can't believe this." His hands came down. "I can't believe you of all people doesn't believe me."

Nathnaiel's eyes flickered to him. "I want to." His hands reached for an envelope which he jammed onto the table. "That envelope says otherwise. It gives me reason to doubt you."

"What do you mean?" Amir's eyes searched in Gabriel's direction. The latter had his arms folded and his eyes shut as he patiently listened. "What is in there?"

"Inside that envelope is the proof that your sperm was the one found in that lady's private part. Do you care to confess now?"

"I am repeating, I did not do it!"

"Don't dare raise your voice and tell me what happened."

Amir stomped his feet on the ground and repeated firmly, "I did not do it."

"I guess you don't mind going to jail then."

"Uh?"

"Amir," Nathaniel got up to level with him in stance. "This is the third time this is happening. With this one you have done, the Police will definitely get an air of it. So..." He reached for his shoulder. "Do yourself a favour and please confess."

Amir shrugged off his hold and took steps back. "I did not do anything. I have never raped anyone."

"Explain to me then, how on earth was your sperm found in each of the girls." Chloe was still shocked that there was one more girl. She wanted to slap Amir there and then. But she had been silently reading his body language, he wasn't lying. But she couldn't be too sure.

"I am definitely being framed, it is obvious."

Nathaniel sighed and backed out. "This is useless."

"Why don't you believe me? I can't..." Amir was seemed to be hyperventilating. "You know what, I am going to show you all, I will prove to you all that I did not do it. I will find a very strong lead soon. Then, maybe you would believe me." He stormed out.

Chloe sighed as the crazy tension he left behind plunged them all into a different kind of silence. No one could look at anyone. No one could say anything.

Chloe was beginning to feel bad for Amir, she really was beginning to see signs that he wasn't lying. And one thing she wouldn't want to do even as an Agent is to detain an innocent man.

True, she was working with what the Agency gave her as information, but she clearly was having a chance to know the truth about the whole Amir issue.

It was clear what she had to do. She had to help Amir prove his innocence. That is if he is.