Chapter 27
“How could you just let him go like that?” Charity asked, her frustration boiling over the calm she normally maintained. She kept her voice low as her eyes darted back and forth to see who else might be around. Ramzi was no longer in the area, having been taken to a classroom to work with one of their instructors. Charity hadn’t wanted to take a chance on him becoming caught up in whatever was going on with Kofi and the FBI.
She turned to spear Oliver with her heated glare. Her fury might be unreasonable, but feeling the need to be angry with someone, Oliver happened to be the one standing in front of her.
When the meeting in the conference room had ended—a meeting that she now regretted leaving, she’d offered a searing glare to Agent Meckle, hoping it might incinerate him. But when he’d walked out of the room with a gleam in his eye and a smug expression that she was sure translated into a promotion for him, she knew her ability to turn someone into ashes with a glare was nil.
Next came Landon Sommers, a handsome agent with a kind face that was now twisted into a discomfited expression. He and Oliver had clasped hands to shake and tilted their heads in for a quiet conversation.
Kofi exited the room with Oliver and didn’t rush up to her as she’d wished. Instead, he walked over with Oliver and Landon, shaking their hands and now being part of a private triad conversation. Then with only a nod toward her, Kofi left with Agent Meckle and Landon.
And when it was finally just Oliver approaching her with a tight-jawed yet somehow sheepish expression, she unleashed her pent-up fury.
“He’s not an adult! It’s like sending him back into the lion’s den! How do we even know that the Halstons will believe that he is back to do work for them? Is anybody watching him, Oliver? This is ridiculous! How could you have gone along with this?”
Initially on the defensive, Oliver had his hands jammed into his front pockets, but he withdrew them and firmly but gently grasped her by the shoulders. “Charity, sweetheart, I couldn’t stop it. The FBI had the right to make the offer, and Kofi had the right to agree or disagree. I did ensure his rights were protected, the choice was his, and that the FBI agreed that neither he nor Ramzi would be arrested or prosecuted for their part of the crimes.”
She attempted to jerk away when he stepped closer, bending slightly to stare into her eyes. “You think this doesn’t make me crazy, too?”
She dragged her tongue over her bottom lip, torn between holding on to her anger and realizing it wasn’t fair to direct it solely at Oliver. She exhaled a heavy sigh as her shoulders slumped. He gently brought her forward, his arms now sliding around her back, enveloping her.
“I’ve already talked to Carson, and he’s sending Leo and a couple of the others down here. I’m heading out in a few minutes so that I’ll be with Landon and Meckle. Once Kofi lets us know which ATM he’s hitting, we’ll be there. Kofi will meet with Meckle, and he’ll get prints off the skimmer. We’ll be nearby when Kofi plants the skimmer. Then the FBI will be in charge after that, monitoring what the Halstons do with the information. As soon as they pull money, they’ll be arrested. And Kofi and Ramzi will be free. They can testify if it goes to trial, but that’s all. With the evidence that Meckle gets, I can guarantee you that the last thing the Halstons will want is for this to go to trial.”
She listened to every word he said, even though her lips remained tightly pressed together. “You’ve got this all figured out, don’t you?”
A scoff erupted. “I don’t have anything figured out, sweetheart. I just know that I want to protect the boys while allowing them to make good decisions.”
With her cheek pressed against his chest, she nodded and felt the air leaving his lungs in a long sigh. Finally leaning her head back, she peered up. “I know you need to leave. I’ll take care of Ramzi until you and Kofi come back safely.”
He lifted his hand and cupped her cheek, and she pressed against the warmth of his palm. Her eyes were still on him as he bent closer, and his breath whispered over her face.
“I’ll be back and plan on spending the night with you.”
“If you keep this up, I might get used to spending the night with you.” She spoke half in jest but was curious as to what his reaction would be.
His eyes danced between hers, and he smiled. “If that’s the threat, I’ll take you up on it. And if it’s a promise, I’ll hold you to it.”
With a silent nod, their lips met in a fleeting kiss. As always, the air became electrified between them. She felt his reluctance as he broke away, and he headed out the center”s front door with a gentle smile aimed in her direction. She stood for a long moment, a solitary statue in the middle of the lobby with others moving around. Finally, she offered a tremulous smile toward Paula and hurried into her office. For once, she welcomed the mundane tasks that occupied her before checking to see how Ramzi performed on his evaluations.
After staring at the same report and grant proposal for almost an hour, she finally acknowledged her slipping focus. She headed to the multipurpose room, spied the afternoon school bus pulling up, and hurried to the door. She greeted each student before accompanying them inside, giving them her full enthusiasm while her insides were tight with worry.
The teens knew what they needed to do and quickly dispersed. She walked to the classroom but didn’t see Ramzi. Poking her head into the next room, she spied the teacher. “Hey, did Ramzi finish his evaluation?”
Betty”s smile radiated reassurance. “He’s a very bright young man, as I’m sure you know. Once I do a few more evaluations in the next couple of days, we can sit down and talk to him about his options.”
“Thanks. He really is special, isn’t he?”
Betty laughed and nodded. “As you always say, they all are.”
She smiled as the tension eased just a tiny bit. “Do you know if he’s back in his room?”
“I’m not sure, but he seemed anxious to find out about his brother. He said when he left here that he was going to find Kofi. I assumed he meant he was heading up to your office.”
Charity scrunched her nose and waved goodbye to Betty. She hated that Ramzi was worried, but the only thing that would make him feel better was when Kofi walked back through the door. She had no idea how long it would take for the FBI to have the evidence to arrest the Halstons, but she was determined that the boys would be finished with their risks today.
She walked back through the multipurpose room and started into the boys’ dorm area when she ran into Helen. “Have you seen Ramzi?”
“Not since this morning.”
She continued and popped her head into the room that he and Kofi shared, but it was empty. Turning, she walked back down the hall, each step becoming a little more determined as a snake of unease began to slither through her gut.
She hurried to the lounge and other rooms but still didn’t see him. Now running into her office, she grabbed her laptop and pulled up the camera views Poole and Tricia had shown her how to work. “Dammit!” She continued cursing under her breath as she fiddled with the program, finally figuring out how to back it up and view the digital feed from the outside cameras.
She gasped as she watched Ramzi dart through the front door and quickly looked at the time stamp. Almost twenty minutes had passed, and she wondered if she could catch up to him. Grabbing her purse and shoving her phone into it, she ran through the lobby and out the front door.
Dialing Oliver, she jumped into her car and pulled out of the parking space. “Oliver! Where are you?”
“Across town with Landon, keeping an eye on Kofi. What’s wrong?”
“Ramzi’s gone. I saw him on the camera leave about twenty minutes ago. I’m heading after him.”
“Wait, you don’t even know where you’re going. We’re bringing Kofi back to the center when everything’s finished today.”
“Ramzi was left out of all of Kofi’s plans. I’m afraid Ramzi has gone back to the Halstons. He probably thinks that’s where Kofi has gone back to.”
“We’re near the ATM that Kofi was at… the one that Cory sent him to. He’s placed the skimmer in after Meckle got the prints. I’ll get to the Halstons as soon as I can, but stay put. Don’t do anything until I get there.”
“Oliver, there’s no way in hell I’m going to wait for you to get Kofi and drive back here in late afternoon traffic. Anything could happen to Ramzi by that time! I’m gonna find him, pick him up, get him back to the center.”
“Don’t do anything in haste. You don’t know what you’re walking into!”
“I don’t act rashly!” She turned the steering wheel sharply, hoping Oliver didn’t hear her tires squealing.
“Oh, like you didn’t slam into me while trying to keep me from chasing the boys when we first met them? Or you racing down a dark alley after them?”
“I mean that I’m not usually rash!”
She heard him telling someone that he needed to get to the Halston’s house and assumed it was Landon. “Oliver! I’m close to where they said the house was. I don’t see Ramzi, so I’m going to park down the road and just look. It’s not like I’m going into the house! I’m just trying to catch him before he gets there.”
Suddenly, she spied a young teenager in a dark blue hoodie darting around an alley behind some houses. “I see him! I’ll get him back to the center with me.” She dropped her phone into her purse. Parking next to the curb, she hopped out of her car, pulling her purse crossways over her shoulders as she darted after him. Racing into the alley that ran behind the row of houses, she maneuvered between the trash cans. “Ramzi!”
He didn’t hear her, and by the time she made it to the back fence, he’d disappeared into the back door, the screen just closing behind him. “Dammit,” she muttered. The house was two stories, and she remembered what Kofi said about the basement. She looked around, wondering what to do, when she heard a woman talking in a loud voice. Sneaking through the backyard, she stayed near the fence edge, partially hidden by overgrown hedges, and stood below a window close to the door Ramzi disappeared through.
“You and your fuckin’ brother—more trouble than you’re worth!”
The hoarse voice growled, causing Charity’s heart to beat faster while she worked to keep her breathing steady.
“I told you, I was just out last night. Me and Kofi?—”
“What about you and Kofi? Huh? Tell me where you were, boy, because I’ll bet your stories won’t match.”
Charity”s eyes widened in fear. Kofi had been here and talked to the Halstons. She couldn’t see Ramzi but could imagine the fear racing through him. There was no way Ramzi would know what Kofi had told her. A flash of anger bolted through her at how Agent Meckle wanted Kofi to hustle to do one more job and never thought about Ramzi back at the center.
Her hands shook so badly that she could barely pull her phone from her purse. Firing off a text to Oliver, she hit send. At Halstons. Danger. Hurry.
Her heart pounded even harder, and she placed her hand flat against the bricks, both to hold her up and a desire to connect with him. With danger for Ramzi filling her mind, she eavesdropped on the conversation, thankful it was taking place in the kitchen and terrified that Oliver wouldn’t arrive in time.