Brady Hawk Series, Books 4-6

by R. J. Patterson

  Skipping over the file on top, Thor thumbed through them until he found one that interested him. The winner was Hinata Watanabe, the Yakuza’s wakagashira — or first lieutenant—over the Pacific states region. Thor never received the reason why he was to eliminate someone. Such determinations were made in private by a group of The Chamber’s high council and decisions Thor considered over his pay grade. He wasn’t there to mete out the morality of his work. It was an assignment—nothing more, nothing less.

  However, to escape the monotony, Thor liked to see if he could draw conclusions as to the reason after reviewing each particular case. He swore he never let it affect the outcome, especially since he’d yet to fail while on assignment for The Chamber. But he admitted to himself that it could make his susceptible to deciding to go in a different direction or even falsify the results. Yet Thor played the game anyway.

  Flipping through the pages on Watanabe, Thor found nothing in the way of clues for a few minutes until he stumbled across the “Known Associates” section. Watanabe knew the Soshi Muto, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs, though the two rarely made face-to-face contact. Thor drew the conclusion that Watanabe had something on Muto and was pulling a few strings for Watanabe, such as keeping his cargo safe as it exited the country and employing connections in the U.S. to allow Watanabe’s shipments in the San Francisco harbor to avoid a thorough customs examination.

  While Thor was still missing plenty of information to make a definitive assessment, he felt firm about his cursory evaluation of the reason for the hit, and it had nothing to do with The Chamber suddenly developing a conscience and wanting to eradicate vermin like Watanabe. Thor concluded that Watanabe prevented Muto from being strong-armed into assisting The Chamber’s overarching plan. Conflicting loyalties made for a challenging coercion. The Chamber’s plan, however, remained a mystery to Thor. But after working behind a shroud of secrecy for the government and private sectors, he didn’t give it much thought. He never considered fighting against a rigged system much of a winning proposition. It was just best to take advantage of the system and pick up a big paycheck in the process.

  Thor checked his bank account online to see if Bozeman had deposited the funds. The money still hadn’t shown up.

  He turned on the television to watch the news and see if his exploits just outside Wintergreen, the Blue Ridge resort area where Blunt’s cabin was located, managed to make the news. Thor figured a home near Wintergreen consumed in a explosive fire with fatalities would qualify as newsworthy in the nation’s capital since the Washington elite loved to go play there year round on the weekends.

  Thor’s hunch was right. At precisely twelve minutes into the broadcast, a perky dimpled-face blonde appeared on the screen, a smoldering house cordoned off by police tape in the background. She gripped the microphone with both hands and turned somber as she began to talk about the fire. In a matter of seconds, she was voicing over a montage of drab videos of arson investigators pulling up to the scene and grainy photographs residents had shared on social media.

  “Local law enforcement officials announced this evening that they are launching a full-scale investigation following a devastating fire that claimed the resort home of a U.S. Gas Corp official. While many residents feared a forest fire might be spreading, first responders were able to gain control of the blaze but not until it had nearly consumed the entire structure. Initial reports were that the fire was due to a faulty electrical system and that the house was unoccupied, a fact the homeowner confirmed to us in our first report. However, as the night wore on, firefighters unearthed the bodies of a man and a woman. Nellysford Deputy Fire Chief Dale Swanson says that they won’t release the identity of the two people presumably killed in the fire until they notify the next of kin. However, one source inside the department told me that the bodies have yet to be identified due to the burns. As a result of the discovery of the bodies, Swanson said they would cooperate with FBI officials in the arson and homicide investigations since the cabin was located inside George Washington National Forest.”

  Thor smiled as her report ended. “Thank you, Ms. Kaylie Alcott. You just ensured that I got my money.”

  Despite sticking around as long as he could to get a picture of the bodies, a breaking news report gave him the evidence he needed to persuade Bozeman.

  Good enough.

  He picked up his cell phone and dialed Bozeman’s number.

  “I texted you confirmation,” Thor said. “How come you haven’t wired me the money?”

  “Your confirmation this time raised a lot of questions for me, as well as the rest of the team.”

  “What kind of questions?”

  “The kind that make us wonder if you’re actually working for us or not. I’ve been working in this field a long time with operatives such as yourself, and I’ve never had any of them claim to have completed a task by simply sending a picture of a building on fire,” Bozeman said.

  “Did you just watch the news?”

  “I don’t have time for such things.”

  Thor narrowed his eyes, half wishing he could reach through the phone and place his hands around Bozeman’s neck. “Look at The Washington Post’s website. I’m sure it’s on the homepage by now. Two people were killed in the blast according to the report.”

  “But was it the two people you claim supposedly died?”

  “Who else could it have been? Another random man and woman?”

  “This is Blunt we’re talking about. The possibilities are endless.”

  “Nobody would admit it anyway,” Thor said. “To do so would have require a confession that they couldn’t catch the sonofabitch.”

  “Very well,” Bozeman said. “I tend to agree with you. Even if we managed to get definitive IDs on the bodies, I’d still be weary of their tactics.”

  “Trust me when I say this—there’s no way they could’ve survived that blast. It has to be them.”

  “Fine, I’ll transfer the money. But next time just stick it out and get pictures or DNA—or both.”

  “Will do, sir,” Thor said before he hung up.

  Thor waited all of five minutes before he checked his bank account. The money wasn’t there. Be patient, Thor. It’s coming.

  Five minutes more elapsed before Thor checked again. This time, every last dime was there, save a small transaction fee.

  Thor yawned and stretched, his fingers tickling the low-hanging ceiling. He started to get ready for bed, entering mindlessly into his evening routine. Once he finished, he lumbered down the steps and double-checked the locks on his doors and windows in his modest condo in Georgetown. He also made sure the security alarm was armed before shuffling back upstairs. Once he reached his room, he fell back onto the bed and slung a pair of sheets over his large frame.

  With his head resting on his pillow, Thor closed his eyes and dreamed about what the end of his career might look like. He surely had enough money to retire comfortably. Barely giving serious thought to his future as an assassin for The Chamber, Thor smiled, satisfied that he’d performed admirably. He felt like he was the best in the world—and he proved it by killing who others believed to be the top assassin.

  He’d almost started to drift asleep when he heard an unfamiliar sound, at least a sound that was unfamiliar when he was in bed and almost asleep.

  The sound of a floorboard creaking echoed in the hallway just outside his room. He knew that creak. It was the second step on his staircase. Thor’s eyes widened as he sat up in bed.

  “Who’s there?” he whispered.

  He waited. No response.

  Nothing but silence.

  CHAPTER 38

  HAWK CROUCHED LOW behind the island in Thor’s kitchen. When considering how to proceed, Hawk pondered simply slitting Thor’s throat as he slept. But Hawk wanted answers from his former colleague, like why he’d defected and who was behind ordering the hit. It likely wouldn’t mean much, but Hawk wanted the closure. He also wanted a deeper target, somewhere
else to direct his fury.

  After Alex had hacked into Thor’s security system and temporarily disabled it, Hawk managed to slip through a window on the first floor. In an effort to gain a tactical advantage, Hawk searched for a creaky step to bring out his target. Hawk could barely sleep a night after a kill—and he bet Thor was the same way. If not, he’d at least be a light sleeper, prone to investigate any curious sounds echoing throughout the home. Either way, Hawk considered it as close to a fool-proof plan in his line of work as possible.

  Hawk peered around the corner of the island as Thor crept down the staircase. Catching a glint off the weapon Thor clutched in his hand, Hawk tightened his grip on the blade in his left hand. He knew it was ill-advised to bring a knife to a gun fight, but this wasn’t some standoff in the street like an old Western. Hawk needed to execute this kill without drawing any extra attention. It ensured that if there was a gun fired, it’d be Thor’s—and the investigation into the mysterious man who killed him would go nowhere.

  Hawk withdrew and relied on his hearing to follow Thor’s movements. Thor stepped lightly, but it wasn’t completely without sound. Hawk had noticed earlier how Thor rolled the ball of his foot gently across the floor as he made contact with the hardwood surface. Every training program Hawk had been through emphasized that this method was the most effective way to move stealthily through a house, proven through measuring decibel levels on a wide variety of surfaces with different sizes of agents. It was effective, but not perfect.

  Thor entered the kitchen and turned right. Hawk crept on his haunches to his left, remaining two sides of the island cabinet ahead of Thor. He wanted to force Thor backward and into the living room, which was adjacent to the kitchen in the condo’s open floor plan. But Hawk needed to wait until the right moment to explode.

  Stopping on the other end of the island, Hawk listened and readied himself.

  The moment Thor’s foot came into view, Hawk exploded upward, delivering a vicious blow to Thor’s throat. Thor staggered backward and tried to maintain his balance while simultaneously firing a shot toward Hawk. The bullet whizzed past Hawk, lodging in the island’s wood façade behind him.

  Hawk rolled to his left and kicked Thor’s hand from the ground, jarring the gun loose. After sliding the gun to the side, Hawk scrambled to his feet, wielding his knife and preparing to attack his former colleague, whose jaw had yet to close after seeing Hawk alive.

  “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Hawk said.

  Thor held up his fists, preparing for the impending conflict. “How did you—?”

  “That’s not important, Thor. What is important is how you want to die. Will you die like a hero? Or a coward?”

  “I’m going die, but not on your terms.”

  “We’ll see about that,” Hawk said before he lunged at Thor.

  Thor jumped back. And the moment he left his feet, Hawk delivered a vicious kick to Thor’s gut that sent him sprawling to the ground. Thor responded quickly with a leg sweep. Hawk tumbled to the ground and struggled to maintain his grip on his knife.

  With an opportunity to even the fight, Thor kicked at the knife, shoving it to the side and out of Hawk’s reach.

  “It’s time for a little mano y mano,” Thor said. He rushed at Hawk again. Grabbing Hawk’s right arm, Thor used his thumb to dig into the wound he could see oozing through Hawk’s shirt. Hawk yelped in pain, mustering up enough strength to push Thor back.

  Hawk’s eyes narrowed. “Who ordered the hit on me?”

  Thor forced a laugh. “You think I’m going to tell you that?”

  “It’d give you one final chance to atone for your pathetic life before you die.”

  Thor shook his head and smiled. “Ah, what difference does it make? I’m about to kill you anyway.”

  “So, who is it?” Hawk asked.

  “Harry Bozeman,” Thor said. “Name ring a bell?”

  “I’ve heard that name far too many times, more than I want to count. But it seems to be tossed around, like a meaningless trinket.”

  “I guess you’ll never know,” Thor said before taking a run at Hawk.

  Hawk slid to the side and grabbed the back of Thor’s shirt before slamming his head down onto the granite countertop. Hawk repeated the move twice more before Thor wriggled free and stumbled backward. Thor reached behind him on the kitchen counter and pulled out a butcher’s knife.

  Hawk knelt down and grabbed the knife Thor had kicked away. When Hawk did, Thor went for the kill, hurling the butcher’s knife. Spinning to the left, Hawk managed to avoid the blade.

  Undeterred, Thor reached behind him and started chucking every sharp object from the wood block on the counter. Seizing the opportunity to gain the upper hand, Hawk dove to his right near the gun and snatched it off the floor. He kept rolling to avoid Thor’s assault until Thor finally ran out of things to throw.

  Hawk trained the gun on Thor while walking steadily back to the kitchen.

  “It’s over, Thor,” Hawk said. “But answer me one thing: Why the vendetta against me? What did I ever do to you?”

  Thor’s gaze bounced around the room for a few seconds, searching for a way to extend the fight. Though there wasn’t one apparent, Hawk wasn’t sure he’d won until he caught the defeated look in Thor’s eyes.

  “You’re done,” Hawk said. “Just unburden your conscience before I kill you.”

  “The beaver trap,” Thor finally muttered. “It was the beaver trap.”

  Hawk thought for a moment, his brow furrowed as he tried to access the point in time Thor had mentioned. Eventually, Hawk remembered.

  “The beaver trap during training,” Hawk stated.

  “Yeah, it ate up my leg,” Thor said as he knelt down and grabbed the bottom of his pant leg. “Let me show you what it did to me.”

  Thor hadn’t pulled his pants up more than three inches before Hawk noticed the holster strapped to Thor’s ankle.

  Hawk, satisfied that he’d gotten his answers—even if they weren’t completely accurate—didn’t hesitate. He fired two shots into Thor’s chest and watched as the assassin collapsed, blood flowing quickly from the fresh openings.

  “A beaver trap,” Hawk said with a shrug. “There are pettier things to hold a grudge over—but there aren’t many.” Hawk paused. “You made a big mistake trying to kill me, but I’m sure you realize that by now.”

  Thor nodded almost imperceptibly before mustering up enough strength to spit in Hawk’s direction. Hawk shook his head at the weak attempt. He emptied the clip from Thor’s Glock and tossed it at the dying man.

  “Don’t worry,” Hawk said. “I’ll avenge the death of the people who put you up to this. There will be justice.”

  Thor’s eyes closed, and he proceeded to slump to the ground.

  Hawk knelt down next to his latest victim and checked his pulse once more.

  “He’s dead,” Hawk said over his com to Alex, who’d been listening the entire time but never said a word. “I’m going to grab a few documents here before I leave. I just found his hit list . . . And you won’t believe this collection of names.”

  “I don’t care about that right now,” she said. “As long as you’re safe.”

  CHAPTER 39

  LATER THAT NIGHT, Hawk lowered himself into a plush leather chair at Alex’s apartment and cracked open a beer. He felt his arm, pressing tenderly against it. He’d been in worse scrapes before, and he figured he’d be in worse scrapes in the future. But that didn’t lessen the pain of Thor’s bullet or the subsequent injury inflicted on Hawk during their struggle earlier.

  “I can’t believe he’s dead,” Alex said. She paused for a moment. “This isn’t going to get rid of The Chamber, you know?”

  Hawk nodded. “It’s only going to embolden their resolve to take me out, I’m afraid. Meanwhile, Al Hasib will thrive.”

  “Maybe that’s part of The Chamber’s plan.”

  “I wouldn’t doubt it,” Hawk said. “Everything they’re doing seems
to center around the central theme of chaos when it comes to the global troublemakers.”

  “And coercing government liaisons to fall in step with them—or else,” she added.

  He took another swig of his beer before he set it down and pulled out his phone.

  “Do you want to do it or let me have the honors?” he asked.

  She stood and threw her hands in the air. “It’s all you, Hawk. That is the kind of news I don’t really want to deliver.”

  “It’s not all bad news.”

  “He won’t care about that. Trust me.”

  Hawk’s cheeks dimpled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “I’m not sure you care about me as much as you say you do.”

  She shook her head. “Nope. Not going to work this time, not on me.”

  Hawk dialed Blunt’s number.

  “Are you still working for me?” Blunt asked upon answering the call.

  “Of course. Who else would have me?”

  Blunt grunted. Hawk could hear the ice clinking in what he hoped wasn’t Blunt’s glass of scotch that early in the morning in Zurich.

  “I’m assuming you vanquished my former number two assassin,” Blunt said.

  “Most unceremoniously.”

  “He probably never thought it would happen,” Blunt said. “He always thought he deserved to be my top agent. Yet I don’t take any pride in you proving me right.”

  “Thor was a good man—when he was on the right side.”

  Blunt sighed. “And what side are you on these days, Hawk? The side that runs around settling vendettas? Or the side that is focused on eliminating the threats to our freedom, like The Chamber and Katarina Petrov?”

  “I chose to protect my personal freedom, namely my survival.”

  “Not just you. Alex, too.”

  “We’re a team, sir. Without her, I’m not half as good as I can be.”

  “We need to get back to placing her in a central office location.”