by Jeff Adams
The reception before dinner was easygoing—people milled around talking, having appetizers and drinks, and looking at items in a silent auction. The forty-five minutes passed quickly.
Oliver Glenwood stayed close to my dad while Marcella was near Mom. I had yet to meet Sofia. Apparently she was coming straight from the recording studio. Christian assured Oliver that she’d be on time for at least dinner so that her arrival wouldn’t be a distraction.
As the charity’s director came to the podium to give brief remarks, the daughter of the honoree had still not arrived. Dinner was to come right after these remarks. In the research I’d done, the press presented Sofia as someone with a rebellious streak. However, she did seem to stay close to her family and attend functions with them. Maybe her delay was as simple as traffic. With the issues that had occurred, however, the fact that no one seemed to know her exact location bothered me.
As the speech continued, I moved closer to where my parents stood with the Glenwoods near the front of the crowd. I silently came up next to Dad who must’ve caught me out of the corner of his eye. He gave me a smile and put his arm around my shoulders for a brief hug. The speech, which talked about the number of kids who were on the street because they’d come out, no doubt pulled on his parental heartstrings.
When the speech concluded, the attendees were directed to the dining room. As the crowd filed out, Sofia quietly slipped through a side door and came up to her parents.
She wasn’t what I expected. The entourage and flashier clothes were missing. She was dressed as elegantly as the rest of us and looked as poised as Marcella.
The six of us stayed together near the rear of the crowd.
“Sofia.” Oliver sounded very happy to see her. “Glad you’re here.”
“Yes, I was beginning to think I’d be left with an empty chair next to me.” Her mother leaned in and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
“I’d never do that to you. At least not without calling first.” Sofia flashed a huge smile and returned Marcella’s kiss. “Plus, you know I’ve got a song for you.”
“Sofia I’d like you to meet the Reeses,” Oliver said. “This is Victor.” He gestured at my dad. “He’s the college friend I told you about who works for Homeland.” Oliver spoke in hushed tones. “This is Katherine, an agent with the FBI, and their son, Theo, who, it turns out, is a cybersecurity expert.”
Sofia nodded but didn’t step away from her parents to shake hands or offer any other greeting. “Man, you must have a helluva time getting away with stuff. I thought I had it tough with security on me all the time.”
“You have no idea.” She and I laughed. It was the right small talk to make with her, even though I never tried to get away with anything.
“Sofia, over the next few days the Reeses will be with us as much as our security is. They’re going to help us figure out what’s going on. Theo’s going to be hanging with you as part of that.”
Sofia looked like she was hearing this for the first time and was none too pleased about it. In fact I’m sure I had the same expression when I heard I was coming to New York.
“Can we talk about this later? I don’t see how this dude’s gonna fit in with my crowd and I don’t see what the point is if he obvs doesn’t belong. No offense, man.”
“None taken. I’m sure we can work something out. But you’re right. This isn’t the place to talk.”
“We’ll save this for home.” Oliver made it clear the topic was closed. “We should head to dinner. We don’t want to keep the honoree from her dinner.” He smiled proudly at his wife.
The room had emptied out of everyone but us and two of Oliver’s guards.
Oliver took Marcella’s hand, and they walked out as Dad and Mom followed closely at their side. I drifted slightly behind so they could get through the doorway and was surprised that Sofia fell in step next to me.
“Seriously, man,” Sofia said quietly, “I’m sure you’re a nice guy and probably good at what you do, but there’s no way my friends’ll believe we’d be hanging out.”
“I get it. I have no problem feeling awkward if it keeps you safe. I’m sure we can come up with a story for why I’m suddenly staying close.”
Sofia shrugged. I hadn’t noticed when she arrived, but she walked with just a little bit of strut. Was it arrogance? Confidence? Fake? I couldn’t read it. Was it more pronounced when she wasn’t at an event like this or when she was around the posse she was trying to keep me out of? I guessed I’d figure it out over the next few days.
In the dining room, we made our way to the front because the family needed to be near the stage. Oliver and Sofia had their presentations, and Marcella would speak. All of that would happen after dinner.
The five men of Oliver’s security team were easy to spot. One of the things Mom or Dad needed to do was train these men to blend in better because it would make it more difficult for anyone trying to make trouble because they couldn’t tell who was on guard.
We were at a circular table that sat eight. And the Glenwood’s were surrounded by us. Mom was next to Marcella with Oliver next to his wife. Dad was flanked by him and Sofia while I was on the other side of her. The director of the organization and her wife rounded out the table.
The ballroom was loud as everyone chattered throughout dinner. The conversation at our table remained educational, at least for me and probably for my parents too, as we found out more about the organization Marcella devoted so much time to.
“So you’re seriously some major computer expert?” Sofia asked during a lull in the table conversation. “I mean I know guys who design video games and do music and whatever but security?”
“I’ve had a knack for computers for as long as I can remember, and I went into security because I really enjoy the problem solving and the algorithms. And as long as I’m good at it, I might as well earn some money too.”
“Cool that people pay you. Do you work for anyone I might know?”
I shrugged. “Afraid I can’t tell you. Everything I do is secret because no one wants their security info made public.”
“I hear that.” I had Sofia’s undivided attention. I thought she’d sit at dinner and be bored with the conversation since it didn’t exactly fit the lifestyle the media portrayed for her. Even when it was our parents talking, she still seemed engaged. “It’s hard to keep the music under wraps these days. Everybody wants to get the early track. It’s ridiculous. I know Dad has a huge cyber team to keep all the music secure. Not just preventing leaks but also trying to keep the streaming channels and digital stores secure.”
The problem stretched across all the entertainment industries. There were stories about companies like HBO targeted by hackers who leaked programs early. And piracy of movies, music, and books had been a problem for as long as the internet had been around.
“Can you do work like that?” Sofia asked.
“The principals of what I do would apply for sure. If your dad wants, maybe I can look over what his team’s already doing.”
“Since we’re going to spend time together, maybe you can give me some tips on how to keep my stuff as secure as possible between my home setup, the studio, and when it gets released.”
“Sure. I bet we can make time for that.”
“Cool, man.” Sofia put out her fist, and I bumped it.
Oliver leaned over and kissed Marcella on the cheek before he got up. It must be time for the program to start. Oliver made his way to the stage and took note cards out of his jacket pocket as he walked.
The lights lowered, although not down to completely dark. The stage was brightly lit, with an extra bright spot the podium. Oliver had everyone’s attention even before he stepped to the mic.
“I want to thank you all for coming tonight and donating some of your hard-earned cash to help support the Ali Forney Center and its efforts to eradicate homelessness among LGBTQ youth in New York City. In particular I’m honored to pay tribute to my wife, Marcella, who works tirel
essly with this organization to help accomplish its mission.”
I took a moment to scan the crowd. With everyone seated, it would be even easier to record with the lenses. No one looked out of place among those I could easily see without being too awkward.
Oliver spoke for several minutes, interrupted more than once by applause. Marcella sometimes dabbed at her eyes with a tissue she’d pulled from her handbag.
“I’d like to ask our daughter, Sofia, to join me.” As Oliver spoke, three men brought out a keyboard along with two more microphones. “This collaboration marks a first for us, and it seemed appropriate to join forces to honor Marcella.” Sofia got up, kissed her mom and hugged her shoulders before going to the stage. “We’ve written—and, yes, you heard that right—we’ve written a special song. Marcella, this is for you.”
Father and daughter hugged before Oliver stepped behind the keyboard, and Sofia came out front to the microphone.
“Before we start, Mom, I want you to know how proud I am that you do what you do. Not everyone is as lucky as I am to have such wonderful parents. ‘Guardian’ is for you, Mom.”
I’d only heard a couple of Sofia’s songs last night before I left Eddie’s. This had a distinctly different, more complex melody. Even before Sofia sang a single note, I liked it. Then Sofia started, her voice wrapped around the music in a gorgeous marriage. The lyrics spoke of a strong woman who defended those who could not protect themselves.
The similarities between Sofia and Oliver as they performed were striking. They were lost in the music, but they also occasionally looked directly at Marcella as if she was the only one in the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her get a second tissue.
This was a song I’d download because it had a great rhythm, meaningful lyrics, and soaring vocals. Hearing her live made me wonder if she used electronics on her voice because she didn’t sound like this on her recordings.
As Oliver played the final chords, Sofia bowed and blew a kiss to her mom.
The audience got to their feet, cheering. Oliver came forward and put his arm around Sofia’s shoulders, and they both bowed.
Oliver stepped close to the mic and held up his hand to get the audience’s attention. “We’ll release that song tomorrow for purchase. All proceeds will go directly to AFC to continue to help those who need it the most.” The audience cheered louder. “All of you here tonight can get an early copy. We have them available for purchase at a special price that will also get you an autograph from Sofia and myself. Those are available at the tables in the back. Thank you for your support.”
The lights went out.
For a moment it seemed like a glitch—the wrong button pushed to bring up the lighting on the audience perhaps. When it continued more than a couple seconds the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.
I blinked four times rapidly to bring up the contact lenses’ menu. I activated on the night vision.
Everything went green and it took me a minute to adjust because I wasn’t used to working in this mode. Four men moved confidently and quickly around the tables, and they had night-vision goggles on. Oliver’s security blindly felt their way along the walls, trying to get to the stage.
While the lenses were supposed to be a secret, even from my parents, I had to say something because Dad was getting up and had no idea what the threats were.
“Dad!” I yelled to be heard over the crowd who talked louder the longer the lights were out. “Four men with night vision. Mom, keep hold of Marcella. Dad,” I said as I got up, “I’m coming around for you and we’re going to the stage.”
“Theo, can you see my purse?” Mom asked. “Can you put it in my hand.”
I loved my family--no one even asked why I could see. “Yeah. Right here.” As I passed her, on my way to Dad, I put her hand on it.
I grabbed Dad’s shoulder and told him to stay close. “Sofia and Oliver haven’t moved.”
“New gadget, huh?” Dad asked quietly.
“Yeah. Glad I decided to use this as a field test.” I looked behind us. “The four guys are spreading out. I don’t see guns, but I assume they’re armed.”
We got to the stage, and I guided us to step up.
“It’s Theo and Victor.” It was weird using Dad’s first name. “We’re right here. Katherine’s got Marcella.”
I reached out and grabbed Sofia just below the elbow. Then I guided Dad’s hand to Oliver’s arm.
“What’s happening?” Oliver sounded panicked, a surprise given how calm he’d been so far in discussing the past abduction attempts.
“Four men in the room. They’ve got goggles. Theo?”
“They’re having a hard time getting up here. People keep getting in their way. Having the tables so close together is making it difficult, especially as panic grows.”
“We should get you out of here,” Dad said. “Theo, I can keep these two. Can you get your mom and Marcella out?”
Light illuminated our table. It looked like Mom activated her flashlight app. The night vision blotted out in that area leaving me with just a peripheral. It would do the same for the bad guys.
More phones lit up, making it increasingly hard for me to see. I blinked and brought up the menu for the lenses and chose to keep one eye on night vision and one normal.
“Mom’s got Marcella safe,” I said. “Let’s get these two into a more secure area.”
Oliver’s security had one of the guys. Another was about to be apprehended as he struggled to get his goggles off. Mom indicated an exit just off the stage to our left. Dad and I nodded acknowledgment.
Despite the phone lighting, people scrambled to get to the exits causing general chaos. I’d lost track of the other two guys. With the night vision activated I wasn’t able to accurately see details, so I didn’t have any idea what they looked like. If they ditched their goggles they could blend in.
We moved to the exit door staying close together. Marcella and Mom were going there too when they were tackled to the floor by a woman in a ball gown.
That wasn’t an accident—the woman was not someone trying to get away.
Oliver broke away from Dad and went to help.
“Get her out of here,” Dad called to me as he went after Oliver.
My grip on Sofia’s arm tightened. “Come on.”
“No way, man. I’m not leaving my family.”
I moved us toward the exit despite her resistance. I leaned into her—not as forcefully as I would a defenseman but enough to get us moving. “No. We’re leaving here now.”
She jerked against my hold but couldn’t break it.
“Let me go!” She was furious.
“My parents got this.” I pulled her with me. “We’re going out that door.”
The scene couldn’t be easy for her to witness. I didn’t like it either. Mom grappled with the woman who’d attacked them. Dad had Oliver and Marcella on a path for the rear doors of the dining room. Dad’s mouth moved but I couldn’t hear him over the noise. We should’ve been on comms. My earpiece was in, but only to record audio for the lenses.
There were no guns in sight. The team must only be interested in getting their hands on the family without injuries. Sofia and I got to the door. According to the plans I’d studied earlier it would lead into a service corridor and ultimately to the kitchen. From there we’d be able to get into a stairwell that would exit onto the street.
The door pushed open easily and we slipped through. It was pitch black. Did they cut the electricity to the entire building? It would’ve been easy enough to control the lighting in the dining room, but it seemed extreme to take out more than that.
“We need to go back.” Sofia jerked hard against my hold. I stopped us a few steps inside the corridor. “We can’t even see in here.”
“I can.” I adjusted the lenses so both eyes could see. “We have to go. Our parents are expecting us to get outside.”
The door burst open behind us. I turned and found a man pulling goggles over his eyes.
I swung Sofia around behind me.
“Hey!” Sofia shouted in surprise.
I got into a defensive stance as the guy charged me.
“I only want the girl,” the attacker said. “Don’t make me go through you.”
My heart raced as the adrenaline pumped. It was time to trust my training.
“Sofia, get outta here. Run for it!”
“Why are you making this difficult?” The man sounded exasperated. The corridor was wide enough that three or four people could walk side by side. He tried to go around, but I dodged in front of him, continually making myself an obstacle. He apparently didn’t want to engage in a fight.
“I can’t see, man. How am I supposed to run?” Sofia whined, her tough facade faltering.
“It’s a straight line down the hall.” I kept focus on blocking the guy as I shouted instructions. “Keep your hand against the wall and go.”
The guy finally had enough of the dodge and weave. He tried to grab me, but I got his arm instead. I crouched down to lower my center of gravity and pulled him hard toward me. He cried out. Was it surprise or pain?
The click of Sofia’s heels told me she was on the move.
I punched the guy, ensuring I knocked his goggles askew. He was dazed and ended up losing his goggles altogether. To ensure he stayed in the dark, I crushed the lenses under my shoe. I debated incapacitating him more but decided to take off after Sofia instead.
“The kids are headed for the kitchen.” His voice was slightly slurred.
Great. They’ve got comms.
I turned back and hit him in the side of the head with my open hand—a move I learned from John. He staggered into the wall before crumpling to the floor. I couldn’t have him reporting anything else. Sofia was down the hall, and I sprinted to get to her.
Chapter Eight
IN A few seconds, I caught up to Sofia. She moved slower than I’d care for, but she did what I told her to do. She stopped as I came up behind her.