Midnight Flight

Chapter 1

The entire town of Avalon on the island fits within a eight mile radius of less than four thousand people who live there year round. It's all a beachfront tourist town where everyone knows everyone. And Sam calls it her home away from home.

Walking into the small house, Sam can smell the famous cobbler fresh from the oven. Her stomach growls, aching for the sweet treat. Dropping her bag into the old recliner, Sam heads straight for the kitchen and the amazing woman who cooks her awesome meals.

"Sammie! My love, oh I've missed you!" Maisy gave her a hard squeeze hug. Cupping Sam's face in her hands, Maisy gave each cheek a kiss.

The woman is a bohemian grandmother. With a scarf around her long salt and pepper braid, she wore a long handkerchief skirt in bright colors and a green tank. As usual the woman didn't wear any shoes and not a stitch of makeup.

Sam felt at ease at last. In her secluded little world where no one can find her, she is able to rest comfortably knowing the last job is done. She never feels completely safe until she is far away from the site and from Knox. Sam knows one day he will catch her. But that day is not today.

Pouring some sweet tea into mason jars for glasses, they took the cobbler and their drinks to the rooftop where an above ground garden waits. Her aunts are hippies leftover from the sixties who believe in fresh fruit and vegetables and living a clean life.

If they ever knew what she did for a living, they would be severely disappointed in her. But Sam sadly knows that they need what she provides for them. A safe, comfortable home, a life they love and the closest thing to a daughter they have.

Sam would quit her job if she thought she could do anything else and get paid well for it. She tried that years ago when she went out on her own, but this is what she does best. She is a thief, a specialist in gems and jewelry that are hard to acquire. Some day she will quit and stay on this island for the rest of her life, but not now. For now she settles for a reprieve from her life and a little time to visit. For now, she's free.

On the other side of the country, the FBI office reeks of burnt coffee, sweat, and the leftover smell of grilled onions from someone's lunch. Knox pushed through the door and felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.

He's a hard worker. Knox went to college, he studied Criminal Justice and graduated top of his class. He worked hard to get into the FBI. And he proved himself in the field. There's only one problem, Samantha Midnight.

He has pursued her for two years. From the Rockefeller sapphire disappearance from Christie's New York to the Steinmetz Pink diamond, last seen by owner Henry Shun, six months ago. This last robbery of The Rock was the biggest one yet.

The Rock, the world's largest white diamond was mined out of South Africa in 2000. A perfect pear shaped diamond that is just over 163 carats and worth over $21.9 million. It's the second time that Christie's of New York has had one of their gems stolen. Both in the last two years and both taken by Midnight.

The case was given to him because he was the one who was still searching for the Rockefeller Sapphire. Christie's is furious that the gem hasn't been recovered and now they have lost another piece. Knox's boss believes where they find one they will find the other. Knox doubts it.

Sitting in the office with the overhead fluorescent lights flickering, he waits for the man on the other side of the desk to end his call. Maxwell Sterner, FBI director for the last five years, is having a bad day.

Cursing under his breath, Maxwell listens to the curator of Christie's. His lips have remained a hard thin line since Knox walked in. The vein in Maxwell's temple was pulsing. He is about to lose it.

"I'm aware this is the second time this has happened. Well, have you tried updating your security system?" Knox chuckled to himself. He had the same conversation with the man last night. "And when I know something I'll let you know."

Maxwell hung up the phone and rubbed his rough face. The big burly man had worked for the FBI for twenty years. The job never gets easier. Looking at the man sitting across from him, Maxwell saw a younger version of himself. The same tenacity, the same sense of justice, the same humor.

Unfortunately, he would be chewing his agent out for once again losing the only person who knows where these gems are.

"You had her in your sights again and you let her get away. Is that right, Mac?" Maxwell was furious again with his lack of results. He didn't like unsolved cases.

"She was already through the roof before we got through the door." Knox explained. Same story, different job. Samantha Midnight escaped in the night and disappeared.

It's not like Knox wasn't frustrated with the way the heist went down. He was literally seconds behind her and still out of his reach. The woman was an enigma and slippery with it.

"And yet you still lost her!" The FBI director cursed. "Knox, you know you have to find her. This is the third time she's escaped you in a year."

"I'm aware, sir. I'm trying to find a lead. She literally jumped from a twenty story building. There's no video footage on traffic cameras or security cameras around the building. It's like she just disappeared." Knox was baffled by how this woman disappeared with a snap of her fingers. No one just disappears.

"I'm assigning the case to Ronnie," Maxwell states, marking a note in the file.

"What? Why? It's my case! You know she's not nearly as good as I am!" Knox didn't like Ronnie.

Veronica Bell, a vicious barracuda who didn't care about breaking the law as long as she solved the case. And too many cases had been thrown out of court because of her actions.

Knox knew the same thing would happen with this case if she got involved. He couldn't let that happen. "Look, we know who did the job. We just have to locate her."

As if it was that simple.

Maxwell shook his head and closed the file. "When was your last vacation Knox? You're burning yourself out. You need a break."

"I'm fine! I can do this!" Not liking the assumption that he isn't capable of doing his job, Knox curls his hands into tight fists.

"I want you to take a break. Go on vacation and get your head back in the game. You have a week, Knox. Then I expect you to find her."  Maxwell ended the conversation and kicked him out of the office. He had no choice but to take the time off.

Walking out of the office, Knox ignored the person calling his name. Ronnie only wants to rub this in his face. He doesn't want to talk to anyone. For two years Midnight has escaped him. She is smart, slick and very talented. The woman slips in and out of buildings like a stealth.

Walking straight out of the building he heads home. If he can't use the bureau's resources, then he'll use his own. Not willing to let Ronnie do to his case what he has seen done to others, Knox will just keep doing his job from wherever he has to do it.

He wasn't stupid to think Midnight was still in the state. She's smarter than that. She will go to ground. Disappear for a while until the authorities are no longer actively looking for her. She will leave, probably already has left. He would have left last night.

Tapping his fingers on his knee, he watched the streets go by as the bus drove through midtown. Knox continued thinking of the case and the mysterious woman who has made his life difficult. Looking out the window, he vows to find her.

Once Knox gets home, he frowns looking around his small one bedroom apartment. He hasn't spent much time here lately. The dishes in the sink and the takeout containers on the counter remind him of that.

Later. He'll take the trash out after he gets some work done.

Sitting down at his desk, Knox boots up his computer and waits for the information to come. "Where did you go?"

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