Three days later, I finally emerged from my bat cave and headed over to headquarters. I needed time to figure out were my mission went wrong. After three days, I still couldn’t put my finger on it. Needless to say, my ego was a little crushed. I had spent time reaching out to my contacts to find out any information they could tell me, that I didn’t already know.
“Good morning, Zeke,” the guard said as I stepped off the elevator.
“Good morning. Is she here?”
“Yep, haven’t left in three days waiting on you.”
I just laughed as I made my way through the old mill. The government was good for purchasing old buildings and turning them into covert locations. Outside it looked run down, but inside it was some Wakanda type shit. All kinds of gadgets and technology that we had acquired over the years, but majority was created by I-CAT.
“Welcome back,” Omar said as I walked over to my desk. Omar is our technology guy. He was a part of a regime in Sudan, and I recruited him to come work with us. Which has definitely worked out in our favor because the dude is a genius.
“Thanks. So, what’s been going on around here?”
“A lot.” He tossed me a thumb drive. “Everything you need to know is on here.”
“My man.” I was about to plug it into my computer when I heard my commander’s voice. She was standing on the landing that over looked the plant.
“Zeke, welcome back. Conference room in 1.”
I looked over at Omar, “You going up too?”
“Hell no. You’re on your own,” he chuckled.
I already knew that she was probably going to chew me out for the way I handled the situation and blowing my cover. But, I already had a plan. I just needed time to put it in place.
When I walked in the conference room, there was someone else there as well. She had her back to me. I wasn’t sure who she was or what she was doing there.
“Good morning.”
“Good morning, Commander. How are you?”
“I’m good. Would be better if you called mom to let her know you are ok once in a while.”
I smirked. Crysten Jordan wasn’t just my commander, she’s my big sister. Twin sister to be exact. “I’ll call her tonight. So, what’s going here?”
“I want you to meet your new partner.”
“Partner.” My sister knew good and damn well I didn’t work with a partner. And, I wasn’t about to start now. “Listen, I got this.” I was headed out the door when I heard my “partner” say my name.
“Carvonté Ezekiel Jordan.” She slowly turned around in the chair. Good thing I learned the poker face at 7 from my pops because at that moment I was in sheer disbelief. It was Aaliyah. Old girl from Blue Face Robotics. “It seems we meet again.”
“Aaliyah.”
“It seems for the second time I’ve given you the wrong name.” She stood up looking good as hell. She was wearing a black dress that accentuated her in every way. I looked down to see if she was wearing heels. Nope. All black Pumas. “Morgan Sinclair.”
“Mrs. Sinclair.”
“It’s Ms.”
I couldn’t believe it. Crysten must have felt my vibe because she started explaining that Morgan is one of our operatives that was recruited a few years ago. “She’s a computer whiz and has an aim out of this world. She won a gold medal in archery in the 2012 Olympics.” Crysten informed me. “Zeke, I know you’re not used to working with a partner but you need one. Especially one who’s been on the inside.”
“I understand, but.” Before I finished my statement Morgan laid a thumb drive on the table.
“While you were busy causing a ruckus, I was able to download the plans for you. You see we’re already a team. You’re welcome.”
I didn’t want to hear what either one of them was talking about. For the last eight years, I’ve worked alone. And, that’s how it was going to stay. I grabbed the drive, “Thank you,” I mumbled as I headed out the door.
“There’s more,” Crysten yelled when I was half way down the steps. “They are creating a biological weapon that will make coronavirus look like the common cold. EV-20.”
Big Sis knew how to get my attention. I turned and headed back to the conference room to hear what she had to say. Our current crisis with coronavirus was sending the world into a panic. And, the fact our pandemic team was dismantled with the current administration didn’t help. But, I digress until November.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
“They are auctioning it on the darknet. Once we secure the goods, we’re going to send a team in to retrieve it. And, I want you to head the team alongside Morgan.”
I laughed. Big Sis was still trying to get me to partner with Morgan’s fine ass.
“And before you say no, the team is already in play. Staying away for three days, you lost all say so,” Crysten said as she rolled her eyes.
“What are the effects of EV-20,” I asked.
“It works fast. Once contracted, the patient has 36-72 hours before it begins to boil them from the inside out. Fevers spike up to 110 to 120. At first, you’ll think that you have the flu or the common cold. And, by the time you realize what’s happening, it’s too late.” Morgan knew the ends and outs of the virus.
“How much is the bid?”
“To get invited, you must post a 50 million dollars to the site within the 24-hour opening period which starts in two hours,” Crysten stated.
“We have the money?”
Morgan stood up, “Yes. But, we want VE-20. The cure. Which is auctioned separately.”
I laughed. Just like the government to swoop in with the cure and save the day. And, if that’s what they wanted, that’s what I was going to get them. “Where’s the pickup spot?”
Crysten looked at me, “That’s the tricky part. Location is only disclosed to the highest bidder at the end of the auction. Then, they have 48 hours secure it. If it’s not secured in that time, they put it back on the auctioning block.”
That was too much money to lose. “We need to make sure I have clearance for a plane.” I looked over at Crysten, “It doesn’t take a team to handle this.”
“I don’t need you going off on your own and doing your own thing,” Crysten snapped. “Morgan and the rest of the team is going with you.”
“They’ll just weigh me down.”
“Whatever Zeke,” Crysten snapped again. “Follow the plan.” She walked out the conference room and didn’t look back. Normally, my sister wasn’t so tense but this operation had her worried. I could feel it.
“She’s got the top guns breathing down her neck. Don’t take it personal. This purchase is major.”
“I get it but she knows how I roll."
“And, how is that?”
“Solo.”
I didn’t have much to say after that and headed downstairs to my desk. I plugged in the drive that Omar had given me. It was a list of the buyers that would be at the auction. There were some major players on the list. The government was really going to allow the virus to fall into the hands of terrorist.
“So, are you going to call me for dinner?”
I looked up to see Morgan standing at my desk. After everything that went down in the conference room, I had forgotten all about asking her out. And, at this point she was a colleague and for me that was a no, no.
“We’re colleagues now, and I have a rule about dating colleagues.”
“Actually we’re partners. So, dinner could be considered a business meeting.”
I just looked up at her. Her breast were sitting up so perky. And, honestly she was giving me a run for the money. She fooled me real good. I thought I knew every member of I-CAT. Guess I was wrong.
“Candlelight dinner, followed by us heading down to The Poet’s Lounge to hear Malik the Poet.”
“Umm, that would be nice. But, don’t you think it’s too early for candlelight dinner. I was thinking more of watching Ironman and crab legs."
“Sounds good to me.”
“See you tonight. I’ll text you my address. And, be there at 8.” And, just like that she walked off.
I finished going over the list with a fine-tooth comb. It was nothing more on the list except for one name I recognized. Roosevelt Sullivan. He was the head of one of the largest software companies that contracted with the government. A mastermind.
“I’m heading out for the day. Don’ t forget to call mommy,” Crysten said as she walked by my desk.
“You’re leaving early.”
“No I’m not. It’s after 8.”
“Damn.”
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing.” I grabbed my phone and kissed Crysten on the cheek. I was late for my date with Morgan.
ON MY WAY
Twenty minutes later, I pulled up to Commons Lake with a bottle of Chardonnay from the reserve at headquarters for Morgan. And, a bottle of D’usse for me.
Commons Lake was the newest development on the outskirts of town by the interstate. There were a total of three towers, that started at eight-hundred thousand. I-CAT paid us six figures, but the low six figures compared to what the condos cost.
I was even more impressed when I stepped off the elevator into the lobby of the third floor. Each floor only had 4 condos. And, each one was either facing north, south, east, or west. Morgan lived in 3W, which meant she could see the sunsets.
“How you doing young man?” A woman in her early 50s, if I had to guess, asked as I stepped off the elevator. “I guess Morgan is finally going to knock the cob webs off.”
I smiled. I was pretty sure that was some information that Morgan didn’t want me to know. But, if she needed help I was all in.
“You be safe out there. It’s almost curfew.”
“I know, that’s why I’m going out,” she winked.
Coronavirus had major cities and small towns issuing curfews and limiting the amount of people gathering. When I talked to my mom on my way over, she kept quoting Isaiah 26:20. She was serious about not coming out the house.
I took a quick look around, just in case I had to get out of there in a hurry. The condos were built with the latest technology. Instead of ringing a doorbell, it was based on facial recognition which was then uploaded to the resident.
I figured she would just buzz me in, but she didn’t. “You’re late.”
I didn’t say anything, I just lifted the bottle of Chardonnay. But, she grabbed the D’usse. She was checking my boxes off one by one. A girl who loved cognac was my kind of girl.
“I apologize,” I said as I followed her into her condo. “I was working on a couple of things.”
“Like the thumb drive Omar gave you.”
“You know about that?” I raised my eyebrow. She was either good or nosey.
“Yeah. Of course Omar doesn’t know I know,” she smirked.
I didn’t say anything as I walked over to get a view of the sunset. It was gorgeous. I could get use to sitting here and watching it.
“I hope I’m not too late to get some of those crab legs.”
“You’re 45 minutes late, and you really think you deserve crab legs?”
I grabbed a plate off the counter and piled it up. “You want some,” I asked.
“Really. You’re starting to work my nerves.”
I laughed. I spent the first few minutes eating. The butter garlic sauce she made was out of this world. “This is delicious.”
“I know.” She sat a shot of the cognac down in front of me. “So, what did you discover on the drive.”
Morgan Sinclair definitely has game. I should’ve figured she was asking me over for something. I took my shot and pushed my glass over for another. “Let me ask you a question?”
“What’s up?"
“Were you responsible for me going through the DNA scan at Blue Face?”
“Umm, that would be accurate,” she said with a big ass grin on her face.
“Why?”
“They knew you were coming. So, I had to do something fast.” She grabbed a crab leg off my plate.
“And, you figured a DNA scan was the answer?”
“It worked didn’t it. I figured the great Zeke Jordan could get out of anything.”
I smiled and took two more shots of D’usse. After dinner, I decided it was time for me to reveal what was on the drive. “It was a list.”
“What was a list,” she asked as she finished loading the dishwasher.
“On the drive that Omar gave me.”
“Oh. Recognize any names?"
“Only one. Roosevelt Sullivan.”
Morgan turned around with this spooked look on her face.
“What’s wrong?”
“I have something to tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone.”
“Ok.” We hadn’t known each other 24 hours and we’re already revealing secrets. I hope she wasn’t thinking I would reveal one next.
“Roosevelt Sullivan is the reason I’m here. He’s my father.”
Now it made sense her living in this condo. Morgan was an heiress to the Sullivan empire. And, the last time I checked he was worth a little over eight billion. That was two years ago. I’m pretty sure he’s worth a lot more.
“I got in a bit of trouble with the NSA, and my father did a few favors for them. And, in return I came to work for I-CAT.”
“You’re an indentured servant.”
“No,” she laughed. “But, it feels like it at times. I use my middle name to keep from being associated with my dad.”
“What kind of trouble are we talking?”
“I hacked into a few agencies and was able to fund my art project.”
“Hacker and thief. My kind of girl.”
She started laughing. I just stared at her because she had the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. As we were talking we both received text to report to headquarters. ASAP.
“Can you give me a minute to change, so I can ride with you?”
“Sure.”
While I was waiting, I sent Omar a text to find out everything he knew about Morgan Sinclair. If she was going to be my partner, I needed to know everything. And, I mean everything.
