Operation Midnight

by Sharon C. Cooper

  Hours later, Malik knocked once and opened the door to Wiz’s office. “Is this a good time?”

  “Yep, come on in.”

  Wiz glanced at his watch, surprised that it was after four in the afternoon. It had taken him at least an hour to get focused on his work, but surprisingly he had gotten a lot done not realizing he had worked through lunch.

  Malik unbuttoned his suit jacket and shook out of it. “I figured while we’re meeting, we can talk about Greg’s needs at the jewelry store.”

  Gregory Bates, a client and a friend, had recently hired their agency to look into a matter of missing diamonds. Diamonds being replaced with synthetic stones to be specific.

  Malik sat at the small round conference table, his long legs stretched out and his thick arms folded across his chest. “I was thinking about something you said earlier. Does what you wanted to talk about have anything to do with Quinn? I know you told him that the Los Hermanos organization have been brought down. Did something change?”

  Wiz shook his head and leaned on the back of one of the chairs. “Nah, my contacts say Los Hermanos have officially been disbanded in both Mexico and the U.S. And that situation with the CIA agent, Vance, not an issue anymore. Quinn and Lan can return to America whenever they want.”

  “Then if it isn’t them, what’s going on?”

  Wiz straightened and shoved his hand into his pants pockets. “Olivia wants me to search for her sister.”

  Malik narrowed his eyes. “You have to be fuckin’ kidding me.”

  Wiz told him about her request as well and how he responded. Minutes passed as Malik digested the information.

  “Why now? Why the hell would she all of a sudden want you to find Midnight now?”

  Wiz ran his hand over his head and down the back of his neck. Operation Midnight. Malik had dubbed their search for Keisha in connection with Olivia’s disappearance all those years ago as a mini op. And had since referred to Keisha as Midnight.

  “Why now?” Malik asked again.

  Wiz had been asking himself the same question.

  “Man, I don’t know. Supposedly, Keisha’s been on her mind and Olivia suddenly wants to reconnect with her.” Wiz blew out a frustrated breath.

  That same sick feeling that had been gnawing at him for the past couple of days rose to his throat. The things he had said to Olivia that night and the fear he’d seen on her face when he eased up on her, cursing her sister, would forever haunt him.

  He had left their suite for a few hours to hang out in the hotel’s bar. She had called his cell phone, leaving tons of messages for him to call her and for him to let her know that he was okay. By the time he returned to the room, she was asleep and barely said two words to him the next day.

  Malik strolled over to the wall of windows, his hands stuffed into the front pockets of his dark suit pants. “What do I always say?” He glanced over his shoulder and Wiz knew what was coming. “Never leave loose ends. Never leave frickin’ loose ends! First Quinn and that shit with Los Hermanos and now this. You should have told Olivia years ago that her sister is de—”

  A knock sounded at the door, halting Malik’s words.

  “Come in,” Wiz called out. He assumed it would be Raeanna, his tech assistant, who was working on a couple of projects for him.

  The door swung open and Raeanna paused, her gaze going from Malik to Wiz. “Hey.” She stepped in but stayed near the door. “Sorry to interrupt. Are you guys ready to discuss the Jefferson case? Oh, and Vicky wants to know if you want her to bring dinner back with her?”

  “Yes and yes,” Wiz answered as he and Malik reclaimed their seats.

  Glad for the distraction, Wiz wanted to do anything but think more about the conversation he knew he had to have with Olivia. Since she taught night school on Mondays, he at least had the rest of the evening to come up with a way to avoid any mention of Keisha. But how was he going to tell Olivia that finding her sister was going to be impossible?

  Chapter Four

  Olivia rinsed her mouth and dabbed her lips with a paper towel. She thought for sure that she was over the flu, especially since she’d been feeling better the past couple of days, but her stomach was still queasy. If only she had known that before eating the turkey sandwich before class. Then again, if she had to eat another bowl of chicken noodle soup and crackers she was going to hurt someone.

  Olivia took one last glance in the university’s bathroom mirror, hung her hobo bag across her body, and headed to the door. Normally she couldn’t wait to get home after class since Wiz made it a point to be there by the time she arrived. Yet tonight, she couldn’t take more of the tension between them. Clearly discussing Keisha was going to be out of the question moving forward.

  “Have a good night, Professor Miller,” a student called out from across the hall.

  “You too.” She gave a small wave as he headed in the opposite direction.

  After receiving her Masters of Fine Arts degree, Olivia had entertained the idea of someday teaching at the college level. When her friend Valerie asked if she would be interested in filling in for her that semester, Olivia didn’t hesitate. She had no idea she would enjoy teaching this much.

  Olivia reached into her jacket pocket for her car keys. The moment she turned the corner, she bumped into someone.

  “Oh I’m sorry. I didn’t …” She smiled when she realized who it was.

  “Hi, Professor Miller,” one of her most enthusiastic students greeted.

  “Hey, Amanda.”

  Olivia hadn’t learned every student’s name, but this one she knew. Happy, full of energy, and extremely talented, Amanda stood out from the others. They had talked after class about Olivia’s work, which Amanda had taken a great interest in, as well as other more famous artists.

  “Thanks again for helping me with the art project last week. Not too many instructors would have spent so much time with one student. I feel as if I should buy you lunch or dinner. Something to show you how much I appreciate all the extra help.”

  “It’s my pleasure. I think you’re more than ready for the national art competition.”

  “Yeah, thanks to you.”

  “Hey, you did all of the work. I was just there for guidance and support. By the way, the drawing you handed in yesterday was remarkable.” They fell in step heading to the exit. “I’m very impressed with your talent. If you continue on this path, I wouldn’t be surprised to see your work in an art gallery in the very near future.”

  The young woman beamed. “You really think so?”

  “I have no doubt. You have a gift.” They discussed some of Amanda’s other projects as they went through the double doors that would lead out to Michigan Avenue.

  “I’m sure I’m not the first person to tell…” Olivia stopped short, her hand flying to her chest when a black, tricked out Chevy Camaro came to a screeching halt in front of them. Rap music blared from the vehicle. She loved sports cars and this one had all the bells and whistles from the pristine paint job to seventeen-inch chrome wheels. What she didn’t like is the way it had come out of nowhere and stopped right in front of them.

  The dark tinted window on the passenger side eased down and anxiety coursed through Olivia’s body.

  “Come on, Amanda! I have to get going,” the driver yelled. Olivia forced herself to relax. She wasn’t all that comfortable leaving the university that time of night as it was, especially since she had to walk a couple of blocks to the parking garage. Normally she wasn’t so jumpy.

  Amanda groaned. “That’s my brother. He has to be the most impatient person in the world.” She had mentioned that he had raised her after their parents died in a car accident when she was ten. According to her, she owed him everything especially since he was paying her college tuition. “Hey, come meet him.” She grabbed Olivia’s arm and pulled her toward the car.

  “I really should be …” Olivia started but stopped when they reached the vehicle.

  “Corin, this is my professor I
was telling you about. She’s the famous artist.”

  His dark, cold eyes bore into Olivia and a tremor shook her body. She mustered the courage to hold his gaze and not cower away from the car.

  She swallowed hard. “Nice meeting you. Amanda speaks of you often.”

  Not a word. Nothing. His eyes steady on hers as though he recognized her. Olivia was sure they hadn’t met. She would remember his beady eyes, his nose that had clearly been broken a few times, and a strong jawline that made him appear hard, unfeeling. If that weren’t enough, a tattoo that looked more like a vicious scar on his right hand made him unforgettable. Oh yeah, she would have remembered this brotha.

  “Get in the car, Amanda,” he growled, still not taking his eyes from Olivia.

  Amanda grumbled something, but said her good-byes to Olivia and slid into the car. Her brother peeled away from the curb the moment she shut her door. Clearly he was showing off the car’s ability to go from zero to sixty in five point nine seconds. It was almost as impressive as her Mustang.

  Olivia shivered remembering how his gaze bore into her. She would hate to run into him in a dark alley, or anywhere for that matter. The guy was scary looking probably without even trying to be.

  Olivia pulled her jacket closed and turned to head in the direction of the parking structure where she left her car, glad to see others walking in the same direction.

  Good, I won’t have to walk the whole two blocks alone.

  Before she could take two steps, rain mixed with snow started falling from the sky.

  “Oh no.” She put her arms over her head, remembering that she had left her hat and umbrella in her office.

  Hurrying back to the building, she trotted up the three concrete stairs and flung the door open. She took a step and “Boom!” The eardrum-busting sound cracked the air, sending her crashing into a nearby wall. She cried out when her head made contact and a blast of pain shot through her skull.

  Throat tight, heart pounding she squeezed her eyes closed as she cradled her head, willing the room to stop spinning.

  “Help me!” she screamed.

  Breathe. Just breathe.

  She slowly opened her eyes, blinking rapidly against the blurriness. Smoke filled much of the area and with her view from the floor, she could barely make out the bodies running past her. Her gaze darted around when she realized the only thing she could hear were muffled sounds.

  Oh God. I can’t hear.

  Don’t panic. Don’t panic, she told herself over and over, tears pooling in her eyes. Her head spun and her eyes burned as people shoved past her hurrying toward the exit.

  As the smoke slowly cleared, she saw one of the professors waving his arms and saying something. She tried reading his lips.

  “Go! Go! Go!”

  Panic roared through her body as her heart beat double time.

  With her hands on the wall, she stood, but crumbled to the floor when a shooting pain exploded through her ankle. Desperate to get out of there, she tried again, feeling along the wall, fear chilling her to the bone.

  She flinched when strong hands grabbed hold of her arm.

  “I have you, Olivia,” the man said close to her ear. She almost sobbed with relief that she could hear him, barely, but at least she heard what he said.

  She peeked over her shoulder. Adrian, one of the professors she shared an office with, guided her out the building.

  The freezing sleet pelting against her added to her battered nerves. Dizzy, with her head throbbing and the ringing in her ears, she did everything she could to keep the nausea down.

  With Adrian’s arm around her waist, she hobbled alongside him, her ankle burning in pain. They kept moving toward a large group of people across the street and half way down the block.

  “What happened?” Olivia asked, quickly realizing that talking made everything hurt even more. The November weather chilled her to the bone. She tried snuggling deeper into her coat, hating she didn’t have anything on her head.

  “I’m not sure, but I’ll find out as soon as I get you somewhere safe.” It sounded as if he were whispering. Maybe she was still having trouble with her hearing. She stumbled on a crack in the raised sidewalk and cried out. “I have you.” Adrian held her tighter, practically carrying her. She didn’t think her ankle was broken since she could put weight on it, but it throbbed enough to let her know she needed to get off of it.

  Adrian helped her into one of the buildings that had a wide-open foyer. Though it was packed, he did find a place for her to sit near the window of a store that was closed.

  His lips were moving, but she couldn’t understand what he was saying. Pointing to her ears she started to shake her head, but stopped when the pain became too much.

  “Can you hear me now?” he asked closer to her ear.

  “Yes.”

  “You’re not looking too good. I hear some sirens in the distance. I’ll make sure we get you checked out. Someone should especially look at that cut on the side of your forehead. You might even need to take a trip to emergency.”

  She reached up with shaky hands to touch the spot, but Adrian stopped her.

  “I’m sure I’ll be okay,” she said, not wanting to go to a hospital. Her vision wasn’t as blurry, though the ringing in her ears was still prevalent. With her pulse pounding and her hands shaking, she tried to slow her hammering heart by breathing in and out. She had to pull herself together because no way was she letting them take her to a hospital.

  Her mind tried to register what had just happened, but she wasn’t sure. All she could remember was a loud boom and debris flying everywhere.

  She lowered her head, cradling it between her hands. The throbbing wouldn’t stop.

  “Olivia?”

  She jerked her head, quickly regretting the move when she slumped to the side, almost hitting the floor from dizziness.

  “Whoa. I don’t think you’re okay.” Adrian bent closer. Despite her eyes burning, she could make out the concern on his face. “I know it’s cold outside, but not in here. Yet, you’re shivering like crazy.” He shook out of his jacket and put it around her shoulders right on top of her coat. “You might be going into shock.”

  “Hey! We need some help over here!” she heard Adrian say. “Olivia? Olivia, stay with me.”

  “Okay.” Her one word was barely a whisper. The heavy pounding in her head and the constant ringing in her ears made it hard to keep her eyes open. “Please, no hospital. Just call … call my husband.”

  *

  “Anything else on our little impromptu meeting agenda?” Malik asked and yawned. “I’m ready to get the hell out of here.”

  “That should be it, except where are we with Gregory Bates, Raeanna?” Wiz asked. He glanced at his cell phone thinking that he would need to head home soon. He and Olivia might not be on the best of terms at the moment, but he still wanted to be there by the time she arrived.

  “You told me to let you know when I received the security footage from Mr. Bates. I talked to him earlier today.”

  “Okay. Were you able to save the information to the E server?”

  “Not exactly. He couldn’t figure out how to copy and send it to me. One of us will need to go to the jewelry store and get the information. I can stop by there sometime tomorrow if you want.”

  Raeanna, one of their newest IT specialists, had recently graduated from college with mad IT skills. She’d been shadowing Wiz for the last few weeks, proving that they’d made a good choice in hiring her.

  “Actually, I have to go there to get Olivia’s birthday present. I’ll take care of it.”

  “Okay, just let me know if there’s anything else I can do to help. Oh,” she pulled a flash drive from her back pocket, “Carter asked me to give this to you regarding the Hollis case.”

  “Thanks.” Wiz put the flash drive in the top drawer of his desk.

  “You’re welcome. Do you need anything before I head out for the day?” Wiz and Malik said no. “All right, then you guys
have a good night. See you in the morning.”

  Once Raeanna had closed the door behind herself, Malik stood. “What are you going to do about Olivia?”

  Wiz shook his head. “Not sure yet. I’m think—”

  The door flew open, grabbing both their attention, and Victoria hurried in.

  “I’m glad you’re still here.” The rush in her tone and the concern in her expression immediately put Wiz on alert.

  “What going on?”

  “It’s Olivia. There was an explosion.”

  Chapter Five

  Fifteen minutes later, Wiz rushed through the throngs of people crowding the sidewalk on Michigan Avenue, in search of Olivia. While Malik drove him downtown, Adrian, Olivia’s coworker, had filled Wiz in on her condition and what he knew about the explosion which wasn’t much. He also told him that Olivia had refused to go to the hospital which concerned Wiz, but wasn’t a surprise.

  Wiz kept moving, stretching his neck as he approached the location where Adrian said they would be. The area was sheer chaos with the number of people and cops blocking the streets.

  He spotted Adrian standing on a curb looking around, probably for him. A few feet behind him, he caught sight of Olivia.

  His heart constricted.

  Wiz hadn’t seen her so distraught since … He slowed and blew out a breath, not wanting to travel down that memory path that he wished he could keep buried. Instead, he focused on the fact that she was alive and apparently giving the paramedic hell based on the frustration written on his face.

  “Adrian,” Wiz said when he approached the man who had called him. They only met once during an open house early in the semester, but Wiz recognized him immediately.

  “Oh good, you made it.” Adrian stretched out his hand and they shook.