CHAPTER 192: WEDNESDAY PREPARATIONS

They worked until midnight, dividing responsibilities and making lists. Yuna would coordinate with senseis. Ruby would handle registration and logistics. Jake would manage finances and equipment. Nina would handle publicity. Kofi would oversee everything while managing the administrative battle.

As Yuna was leaving, she stopped at the door.

"Kofi. Earlier this year, I didn’t understand why you fought so hard for things. I thought it was naive. But now I see. Some things are worth fighting for even if you might lose."

"We’re not going to lose."

"No," she agreed. "We’re not."

After everyone left, Kofi and Nina sat on their couch in the dark apartment.

"It feels like the old days," Nina said. "The magazine, fighting Jessica, all of it."

"Except now we know what we’re doing."

"Do we?"

"More than we did then."

Nina leaned against him. "I’m scared we’re going to lose the dojo."

"Me too."

"But you’re going to fight anyway."

"We all are."

"Yeah." She was quiet for a moment. "I love that about us. We don’t know when to quit."

"Is that a good thing?"

"Sometimes. This time, definitely."

Kofi’s phone buzzed. Unknown number. He almost didn’t answer, then decided to.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Dameire. This is Jessica."

Kofi sat up straight. "Jessica? Where are you?"

"That’s not important. I heard about what’s happening with the dojo. Brennan is working for my father."

"Your father’s in prison."

"His reach extends beyond prison walls. This is revenge for what you did to him. To us."

"Why are you telling me this?"

There was a long pause. "Because you saved me when you didn’t have to. Because I owe you a debt. Brennan has a meeting tomorrow night. Private. With three board members. At the Riverside Hotel, eight PM."

"How do you know this?"

"I still have access to some of his communications. Old passwords he never changed."

"Jessica, this could be dangerous for you."

"I’m already in hiding. What’s a little more danger?" Her voice was bitter. "Just stop him. Don’t let my father win even from prison."

The line went dead.

Kofi looked at Nina. "We have a problem."

He explained the call.

"It could be a trap," Nina said.

"Or it could be real intelligence."

"We need to verify it somehow."

"How?"

Nina thought for a moment. "I know someone who works at the Riverside Hotel. Let me make a call."

She dialed a number. "Hey, Marcus? It’s Nina. Yeah, I know it’s late. Listen, I need a favor."

She explained what they needed. Marcus owed her from when she’d helped him with a story for the campus paper.

"He’ll check the reservation system," she said after hanging up. "Call me back in an hour."

They waited. The apartment was quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator.

Finally, Nina’s phone rang.

"Yeah? You’re sure? Private dining room, three people plus host? Thanks, Marcus. I owe you."

She hung up. "It’s real. Private dinner reservation under Brennan Development."

"So Jessica was telling the truth."

"Looks like it."

"We need to be there."

"We can’t crash a private dinner."

"No, but we can observe. See who shows up. Document it."

"That’s dangerous."

"Everything we’re doing is dangerous."

They looked at each other.

"Okay," Nina said. "But we’re bringing backup."

"Who?"

"Jake’s good with surveillance equipment. And Yuna knows how to be invisible when she needs to be."

"You want to bring Yuna on a spy mission?"

"Can you think of anyone better?"

She had a point.

They started planning. Tomorrow night, they’d find out exactly who Brennan was meeting with and what he was planning.

The battle for the dojo was escalating.

---

The tournament planning meeting started at seven AM in the dojo. Kofi had barely slept, his mind racing through everything they needed to accomplish in the next three days.

Yuna was already there, having arrived at six to call senseis in different time zones. She’d spread papers across the floor, creating a complex organizational chart.

"Confirmed attendance from forty-three competitors so far," she reported as others arrived. "Twelve schools, five different martial arts styles."

"In three days?" Alex from the fencing team looked impressed. "How?"

"People care about this place. When they heard it was threatened, they wanted to help."

Ruby arrived with Jake, both carrying boxes of supplies. "I’ve set up online registration. We’re already getting inquiries from local media about covering the event."

"Good. We want witnesses."

Tanaka-sensei entered with Ms. Yamamoto, the property lawyer.

"The injunction was approved," Ms. Yamamoto announced. "No demolition or sale can proceed for thirty days minimum."

"That’s good news," Kofi said.

"There’s bad news too. Brennan’s lawyers filed a counter-motion claiming the building is structurally unsound and poses a safety risk."

"That’s ridiculous."

"They’ve hired an engineering firm to do an assessment. They’ll be here Thursday."

"The day before the tournament?"

"Not a coincidence, I’m sure."

Kofi felt frustration building. Every move they made, Brennan countered.

"Then we get our own engineer," he said.

"That costs money we don’t have," Jake pointed out.

"I’ll cover it," Tanaka-sensei said. "This is worth the investment."

They spent the morning dividing tasks. Equipment needed to be checked, spaces configured for multiple simultaneous matches, judges recruited, schedules created.

David from the kendo team volunteered to handle video documentation. "We should stream it live. Show people who can’t attend in person what this place means."

"Can you set that up?"

"My roommate’s in the computer science program. He loves this stuff."

By noon, the dojo was buzzing with activity. Students from all the martial arts programs were helping, along with volunteers from other departments who’d heard about the threat.

Nina arrived with sandwiches for everyone. "Thought you might forget to eat."

"Thanks." Kofi took a sandwich gratefully. "How’s your research going?"

"Found something interesting. Three of the board members Brennan’s meeting tonight have connections to development projects that went bad. Conflicts of interest, environmental violations. They’re vulnerable to pressure."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning if we can document tonight’s meeting, we have leverage."

They ate quickly, surrounded by the controlled chaos of preparation.

"This feels bigger than just saving a building," Ruby said.

"It is," Yuna replied. "It’s about what the university values. Community and tradition, or just money."

After lunch, Kofi had to attend his regular classes. Sitting in American History felt surreal when his actual life was consumed by very present battles.

Professor Chen noticed his distraction. "Mr. Dameire, perhaps you can tell us about the role of community organizing in historical preservation movements?"

Kofi looked up, suddenly aware the entire class was watching him.

"Community organizing succeeds when people understand that they’re fighting for more than just physical spaces," he said. "They’re fighting for identity, memory, and the right to determine their own futures."

Professor Chen smiled slightly. "Interesting perspective. Speaking from experience?"

"You could say that."

After class, Professor Chen stopped him. "I heard about the dojo situation. If you need a statement about its educational value, I’m happy to provide one."

"Really?"

"I’ve sent many students to your martial arts programs over the years. They always come back more focused, more disciplined. That’s worth preserving."

Kofi gathered statements like these all afternoon. Professors, administrators, alumni who’d heard about the threat. Each one added weight to their case.

At five PM, the surveillance team met at Jake and Ruby’s usual table in the student union.

"I borrowed equipment from the film department," Jake said, showing them a small camera and recording device. "This can capture from fifty feet away in low light."

"How did you explain needing it?"

"Said it was for a documentary project."

"Technically true," Nina said.

Yuna studied the hotel layout on her phone. "The private dining room has windows facing the parking lot. If we position ourselves correctly, we can see who enters and possibly hear some conversation."

"This is beginning to sound very illegal," Ruby said nervously.

"We’re not breaking any laws," Nina assured her. "Observing a meeting in a public place isn’t illegal."

"The parking lot isn’t public if it’s hotel property."

"We’ll stay on the sidewalk."

They refined their plan. Jake and Nina would be in a car across the street with the recording equipment. Yuna would be closer, able to move if needed. Kofi would wait nearby as backup.

"What about me?" Ruby asked.

"You stay here and keep working on tournament logistics. We need you safe."

"I don’t like being sidelined."

"You’re not sidelined. You’re doing the actually important work while we play spy."

At seven-thirty, they took positions. The Riverside Hotel was a ten-minute drive from campus, an upscale place where university officials often held events.

Jake’s car was parked with a clear view of the hotel entrance. Nina sat in the passenger seat with the camera.