DEAD LINE
“This book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I didn’t really want to put it down. Jack Patterson has hooked me. I’ll be back for more.”
- Bob Behler
3-time Idaho broadcaster of the year
and play-by-play voice for Boise State football
DEAD IN THE WATER
“In Dead in the Water, Jack Patterson accurately captures the action-packed saga of a what could be a real-life college football scandal. The sordid details will leave readers flipping through the pages as fast as a hurry-up offense.”
- Mark Schlabach,
ESPN college sports columnist and
co-author of Called to Coach
Heisman: The Man Behind the Trophy
FURY
A Brady Hawk Thriller
R.J. PATTERSON
For Scovill, one of the military leaders
who makes his country a better place
FURY
CHAPTER 1
Cape Town, South Africa
BRADY HAWK PEERED out the window of the C130 and braced for landing. The plane dipped quickly toward the South African Ysterplaat Air Force Base runway, the tires barking as the behemoth aircraft made contact with the tarmac. Hawk had managed to hold off Alex Duncan’s curiosity about the impending mission by only telling her where they were going. He chose his words carefully. He hated lying to his savvy mission liaison, even though he was confident he could’ve justified it if he wanted to in this particular case. Everything they were doing was for the greater good of the world, Alex’s safety not withstanding.
As Hawk exited the plane and strode toward the hangar, everything in him said he should turn around and admit he’d made a mistake, or at least concoct a story about how they were needed elsewhere. But he couldn’t. He’d been involved in black ops long enough to know that opportunities to slay the head of a dangerous entity were rare at best, if not non-existent altogether. Katarina Petrov, head of the dangerous organization known as The Chamber, was willing to show her face in public to get a vital piece of information, but only from her daughter, Alex. However, Hawk had yet to reveal this information to Alex.
Hawk had numerous chances during the flight to talk with Alex and tell her the truth, but he couldn’t. He gently put his arm around her, leading her toward the hangar where a car awaited them. She looked up at him and smiled, driving daggers into Hawk’s conflicted conscience. Since he’d learned about his own betrayal at the hands of Emily Thornton, a woman he was madly in love with years ago, he struggled to move past the pain. And here he was, doing the same thing to a woman he was sure possessed strong feelings for him at the least, just as he did for her. But Hawk gritted his teeth and continued on with steely resolve.
My personal life and feelings should never get in the way of the mission.
That golden nugget of wisdom he’d learned from J.D. Blunt, the mastermind behind Firestorm. And in light of the last thing Blunt said on the phone, Hawk figured it would be an opportune moment for Blunt to adhere to his own words. Blunt’s personal feelings for Alex were getting in the way of the mission—and no matter how much he wanted to protect Alex, Petrov needed to be stopped.
Hawk checked into the Cape Grace Hotel and requested a couple keys. He handed one to Alex as they got into the elevator.
“I wish we were here on vacation,” Alex said.
“That makes two of us,” Hawk said.
Hawk stepped off the elevator onto the third floor and headed toward their room, which was promised to deliver a stunning view of the water. He swiped his card though the reader, unlocking the door.
“Are you finally going to tell me what we’re doing here?” Alex asked as they stepped inside.
Before Hawk could answer, Emily Thornton sauntered into the room, creating an awkward situation.
Alex cast a sideways glance at Hawk. “What’s she doing here?”
“That’s part of the reason I didn’t want to tell you about this mission until now,” Hawk said. “I was afraid you wouldn’t go if you knew we were working with Emily.”
Emily forced a smile and stepped forward. “Perhaps I can explain. You see—”
“Perhaps you can explain?” Alex said, erupting into a rant. “Perhaps you can explain? Are you serious? I want nothing to do with you.” Then, turning to Hawk. “How could you not mention this to me at least once? This makes no sense.”
“Maybe it will if you’ll allow me to speak,” Hawk said.
“Forget it.” Alex snipped, storming down the hall. She emerged a few seconds later. “Where’s my room?”
Emily pointed, and Alex disappeared down the hall before she slammed the door shut. Hawk could hear Alex growling and swearing all the way down the hall.
“It was a bumpy flight,” Hawk said, lending a little levity to the situation.
“Must’ve been turbulence from the moment you took off until the moment you landed,” she said.
Hawk looked up at Emily. “Pretty much.”
“Now what do we do?” Emily asked.
“We let her cool off—then we tell her the truth.”
***
A HALF HOUR LATER, Alex emerged from her room. She shuffled into the common area and sat on the couch opposite Hawk and Emily, refusing to look at them.
“Will you let me explain?” Hawk asked. “I just want a chance to tell you what’s going on?”
“You had twelve hours to tell me on the flight, but you didn’t,” Alex said. “You acted like this was some secret mission and you couldn’t talk about it in front of the other military personnel onboard.”
Hawk nodded. “That’s true. I couldn’t. I don’t know who’s listening in and who’s on what team these days. It wouldn’t shock me to know that one of the men on the flight had been coopted by the CIA to track us down and reveal our location. From now on, every move we make will be scrutinized, followed, analyzed—all as long as the CIA has eyes and ears on us.”
“So why are we here instead of hunting down the men who have vowed to kill you?” Alex asked as she gazed out the glass window leading to the porch.
“This mission was more important,” Hawk said.
Alex took a deep breath and glanced at Emily and Hawk before returning her gaze outside. “More important than your own life?”
Hawk leaned forward in his seat. “More important than anything.”
“And what could be that important?” she asked.
“The Chamber must be stopped,” Emily said.
Alex pointed her finger at Emily and shook it. “And I suppose this mission is our one grand opportunity to do that. Am I right?”
“Something like that,” Hawk said.
Alex huffed and slumped back into her chair. “Great. So, what’s the plan?”
Emily took a deep breath. “There’s something else we need to tell you first.”
“Wonderful,” Alex said. “From your tone, I can tell it won’t be good. This day is shaping up to be just dandy.”
“I hate for you to learn like this, but it’s important—and I feel like we owe it to you.”
“We?” Alex said, cutting her eyes at Hawk and pointing back and forth between Emily and Hawk. “You both knew?”
Hawk nodded. “I just found out myself, but I didn’t just want to dump this piece of news on you. It needed to be done in an appropriate place, a place where you could process privately.”
“Gee, Hawk. How thoughtful of you. Just keep me in the dark as long as possible so it doesn’t create some discomfort.”
“It’s not like that, Alex,” he said. “I care about—”
“About what?” Alex snapped. “About fulfilling your damn mission, no matter the cost.”
“You haven’t even let me tell you what’s going on yet,” he pleaded.
“I’m sure it’s only going to piss me off more.”
Emily stood up. “Katarina Petrov, the head of The Chamber. Are you familiar with her?”
Alex
rolled her eyes and nodded. “Of course I am. She’s a nasty woman from all accounts.”
“Well, there’s no gentle way to break this to you,” Emily said.
“Break what to me?”
“Alex, Katarina Petrov is also your mother.”
Alex knitted her brow. “I’m afraid you must be mistaken. My mother died years ago with my father in a car accident.”
Emily shook her head. “No, she didn’t.”
“Do you have proof of this?” Alex asked.
“For years in the intelligence community, there had been rumors Katarina Petrov had been a Soviet spy living in the U.S. under the married name of Katherine Duncan. But it was difficult to prove since her body was rumored to have been cremated. With Petrov’s DNA on file, the only other way to prove Petrov’s relation to you was to do a simple test.”
“How could you—?”
“When Searchlight captured you, there was no ill intent. Above all, we needed to test your DNA and see if it was a match with Petrov. Our only regret was that you were able to locate our facility once you escaped.”
Alex’s gaze darted back and forth before she finally covered her slack-jawed mouth with her right hand and slunk to the floor. “Petrov is my mother,” she said aloud as she shook her head. “I don’t believe this.”
Emily squatted next to Alex and offered a file folder. “I know this is a lot to take in, but I thought you might want to see for yourself.”
Alex took the folder and stood, dropping the file onto the table. She pulled out the documents and started perusing them.
“How do I know this isn’t all a lie?” Alex asked.
Hawk, who took in the entire moment without speaking, put his arm around Alex.
“Don’t,” Alex snapped. “You knew, didn’t you?”
“Alex, I—”
“Just give me some space, will you?”
Hawk and Emily both walked toward the door.
“We’ll be down in the bar,” Emily said. “We’ll check back in on you in an hour. We still have a mission.”
As they walked down the hall, Hawk looked at Emily and spoke in a hushed tone.
“She’s going to hate us no matter how this operation goes,” he said.
“If you have to find another partner, it won’t be the end of the world,” Emily said.
***
HAWK AND EMILY RETURNED to the room to discuss the operation with Alex.
“Are you all right?” Hawk asked.
Alex nodded, though her red face and tear-stained cheeks betrayed her.
“So, what do I need to do?” Alex asked.
Emily explained the operation. The Chamber felt threatened by the rise of a new populist presidential candidate in France, Henri Dubois, who was someone they couldn’t control. However, Searchlight concocted a story about Alex, who was a skilled hacker in her own right—a fact The Chamber would know. However, Alex had gone rogue and managed to steal the schematics for the voting machines used in the French elections. Alex would only hand over the information in a face-to-face meeting with Petrov along with the wiring of twenty million to a private offshore account. It was a flawless plan.
When Emily finished, Alex expressed her concerns about the plan.
“What happens when they check the information?” Alex said.
“We have the actual schematics and protocol for updating the software on the machines,” Emily said. “We’ve thought of everything.”
“So, you’re just going to hand over this type of information and put it out there?” Alex asked. “This seems reckless and dangerous.”
“France will be utilizing a new system by the time the next elections roll around. In the meantime, this will allow us to trap her and bring down The Chamber,” Emily said.
“And what about me? How do you plan to protect me from becoming implicated in all of this?”
“We’ve already taken measures to take care of you. No one is going to pursue you. And if they do, we’ll protect you.”
Alex exhaled slowly as she threw her head back and stared at the ceiling. “I’d feel much better about going along with this if you two had been honest with me from the beginning.”
Hawk sat down next to Alex. “This isn’t the kind of news you just spring on someone on a noisy plane ride. And—”
“It’s also not the kind of story you spring on someone right before they go on a mission,” Alex snapped. “Besides, you know how Blunt feels about me going in the field.” She paused and glanced at Hawk. “He doesn’t know we’re doing this, does he? You lied to the general, didn’t you?”
Hawk nodded slowly. “Blunt would approve of this mission.”
"Perhaps the end but not the means.”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Blunt, it’s that I would rather ask for forgiveness than permission.”
“Fine. I’ll do it. But I want to go on record that I don’t think this is a good idea. And I’m only doing this to help bring down The Chamber.”
Emily forced a smile. “That’s the main reason we’re all doing this.”
After they went over the logistics, Emily said she needed to take a walk and left the room.
“Are you going to be able to handle this?” Hawk asked. “I mean, seeing your mother again after all these years…”
His words hung in the air as he closely eyed Alex. He watched her fight back tears until they started to gush.
“Ever since you asked me if I saw my mother’s body after the accident, I started to think about it. What would it be like if she were still here? What would I say to her? Would I take her back or would I want to slap her and walk away? I would have so many questions.” She paused and wiped the streaking tears around the corner of her eyes. “But now I find out that my mother is indeed still alive, yet I have to help stop her evil schemes that endanger the world. How is this even fair? Who deserves to have this thrust upon them?”
Hawk slid closer to her on the couch and put his arm around her shoulder. “No one deserves this, Alex, especially not you,” he said. “It’s cruel in every way.”
“Then why did you drag me down here in the first place? There had to be another way.”
Hawk sighed and rubbed his forehead. “I don’t know. Perhaps there was another way, but this was an opportunity that seemed so perfect that I feel like I’d blame myself forever if The Chamber continued on with its plans and millions of people died. I couldn’t live with knowing I could’ve done something.”
Alex reached for a tissue on the coffee table and then wiped her face and nose.
“But, Hawk, we make decisions like this every day. Every day when we go out on a mission, we make decisions about people’s lives. Sometimes we get it right, and sometimes we don’t. But we’re trying. And I think we can both agree that whatever we do, we want to err on the side of mercy and compassion.”
Hawk nodded. “I agree.”
“Then why did you exhibit no compassion toward me regarding this operation? I’m sure we could’ve come up with another way and—”
“Alex, she’s a ghost. We only know what she looks like from just a handful of pictures taken by the agents who’ve been able to infiltrate The Chamber.”
“Why not have them kill her?”
“You know that wouldn’t work. The Chamber’s destruction needs to be complete for it to stick; otherwise, they’ll just rebuild with someone else at the helm.”
Alex sighed and shook her head.
“I’m doing this as a favor for you, but then I’m out of here. Never again.”
“Alex, come on. We’re a team and a good one at—”
She stood, cutting him off. “I’m going for a walk. I’ll be back and ready for this exchange. And then I’m done.”
CHAPTER 2
JUST BEFORE 10:00 A.M. THE NEXT DAY, the fog had burned off and the rain gave way to a radiant sunshine, which Alex welcomed. She closed her eyes and threw her head back, absorbing as much of the heat as possible. She jammed her ha
nds in her jacket pockets and tried to stay warm. Such thoughts were a nice diversion to the ideas that had flitted around in her head since the moment she found out Katarina Petrov was actually her mother.
Alex walked steadily toward the exchange point in De Waal Park, a seventeen-acre public green space. Easy escape routes along the roads that bordered the area made it a nightmare to contain. And the thick trees created a challenging environment in which to guard against any surprises on the ground or in the canopies.
She adjusted her shirt, twisting the concealed Kevlar vest. It was uncomfortable, though not as uncomfortable as getting shot, according to Hawk. She took his word for it and donned the body armor without a second thought.
Alex glanced at her watch and scanned the area before taking a seat on the bench.
Ten o’clock. Right on time.
She swallowed hard and tried not to think about how vulnerable she felt. Despite the fact that there were nearly a dozen agents in the area who could rush in at a moment’s notice, she felt alone. Contributing to her anxiousness was the looming meeting with her mother.
What will I say? How do I act?
Alex had yet to get a grip on her emotions. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to hug her mother or slap her. The conflicted feelings were distracting, so much so that Alex didn’t notice Petrov approaching until she sat down on the bench.
“Good morning, Sunshine,” Petrov said.
Alex’s forehead creased as she turned toward her mother.
“I—I don’t even know what to say to you right now.”
Petrov shrugged. “At least you’re saying something. That’s more than what I expected, to be honest.”
Alex sighed. “I’m not a mother yet, but I don’t understand how you could just do that to our family—to Dad, to me. It makes no sense.”
“Sometimes you have to sacrifice everything for the people you love the most.”
“But you killed Dad. That’s not exactly love.”
Petrov stared at the ground. “Do you have the information?”
Brady Hawk Series, Books 4-6 Page 28