"The blonde woman who left this morning? Was she coerced?"
"No, it's... well, it's a long story." She sighed. “Would you like some tea or coffee?”
“Coffee, please,” he replied.
He pulled back and looked around the interior of the vault. To say it was stunning would be an understatement. Midnight tucked her hair behind her ear and motioned for him to follow her.
“What is this place?” he asked.
She gave him a crooked smile. “Home. Mine and Junebug’s.”
She walked to an open kitchen area. He slid onto a tall barstool. On the counter was a sophisticated-looking expresso coffee machine. He studied the interior while she brewed their coffee.
Beautiful mosaic tiles not much larger than his thumbnail covered the floor and about halfway up the walls. The design on the floor looked like Van Gogh’s Starry Night while the walls reflected the changing scenes of Brooklyn.
“Who did the mosaic?” he asked.
She looked up from where she was pouring the coffee and followed his eyes to the walls. He was struck once again by her beauty when the pensive expression on her face relaxed for a moment and pride glistened in her eyes.
“My sister, Junebug. She's the creative one,” she said, finishing their coffees.
He took the cup she offered and continued to examine the room. The kitchen was sparse, but modern. The cabinets were made from quality maple wood. The countertop was mosaic. The furniture was eclectic with a bohemian flare, the colors vivid. What fascinated him was the bank of dark computer monitors along the back wall. The setup rivaled the ones in the Intelligence Command Center two levels below his own office back in Jawahir.
“Impressive,” he commented, motioning with his hand.
Midnight glanced at the dark screens before she sipped her coffee. She cradled the cup with both hands as she lowered it to the counter.
“Junebug is… special." She took a breath. "Please don’t betray what I’m about to say. No matter how I feel about you or whatever is going on between us... if you do, I'll kill you and anyone else who tries to hurt her.”
The quiet promise in her voice, as if she would have no recourse but to follow through, sank into him. There was no doubt in his mind that she meant what she said. He leaned forward and touched her hand.
“I would never do anything to compromise you or your sister. You have my solemn promise.”
She breathed deeply before she spoke again. “Junebug is a world-class hacker who goes by the name of Bugs. She only uses her skills to help people, and she's incredible at what she does, but she's.... well, Mama and I always made sure her life was very sheltered because... because she's vulnerable. She was diagnosed with hyperactive ADHD when she was younger, and she just... needs someone to look out for her. Her social skills are almost non-existent, she only sees the good in people, she tends to say exactly what is on her mind, and she has a very difficult time staying still. My biggest worry is that she is not only beautiful on the inside, she is stunning on the outside, and she won't be able to protect herself from someone trying to.... The sheer amount of enemies she has, Junayd. I need to find her!"
He nodded, his mind mulling over everything she had told him.
“Is her real name Junebug?” he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Midnight stared at him with a blank expression before she laughed and nodded.
“Our mother, Rainbow, found me in Central Park under a full moon around midnight. Junebug was found in the exact same spot—in June. Mama said Junebug was as cute as a bug, and voilà, the name stuck. We also used to play with the bugs when we were kids. Don’t ask… we had a very unusual upbringing,” she dryly commented.
He smiled. “It is unusual, but it makes sense."
She nodded. “I told Junie about you early this morning. She said I should let you kidnap me." She grinned, looking down at the coffee cup cradled in her hands. "She always believed in fairy tales and happily-ever-afters. I told her I… couldn’t let you. I guess she decided to take matters into her own hands.”
“What exactly did she say?” he asked.
She pulled the note out of her pocket and handed it to him. He read the note, his lips twitching. He liked Midnight’s sister already.
“I think Jam-man might be your brother. I need you to ask him if he's heard from Bugs. I have to find her before something.... If Colin Coldhouse or Bronislav discover who she is—” She paused and shook her head. “There is a long line of bad guys who would want her, Junayd, and to her, it's all a game. She has never had to deal with the reality of what her help has changed.”
“Doessheknow the identity of Jam-man?” he asked.
“Are you kidding? Of course she does. The question is: Where is he? Can she make it to him without being found or killed?”
“I’ll call Jameel. Can I reveal her identity or do you want me to keep it a secret?” he asked.