“Whoa,” Alex said. “That’s heavy. I’m so sorry you had to go through all that.”
Black sighed. “It wasn’t the ideal childhood, but it did help shape me into the man that I am today.”
“I just can’t believe you’re so well adjusted.”
Black laughed softly. “Looks can be deceiving.”
“Hawk, are you still there?” Alex asked.
“I’m about five minutes out,” Hawk said. “Any change in your status?”
“We’re still down here in the dungeon and alone at the moment.”
“Roger that.”
The door at the end of the corridor creaked as it flung open. A quartet of guards entered and strode toward them.
“Check that,” Alex said. “We have company. Four of them.”
“Roger that,” Hawk said.
Once the men reached the front of Alex’s and Black’s cell, a guard hastily unlocked it and yanked the gate open. The other men stormed inside and began beating both Alex and Black. The punching and kicking lasted no more than a minute, brought to an end by the entrance of Dr. Becker into the room.
“That’s enough,” Becker said.
Alex was on her hands and knees, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. She wiped it with the back of her hand as she rose to her feet.
“I didn’t tell you to stand, did I?” Becker said before sweeping his leg behind Alex and sending back to the floor.
He circled them in silence with his arms crossed. Alex wanted to give him a piece of her mind, but she was aching all over and preferred to avoid any more physical combat.
I wish I had a gun about now.
* * *
DR. BECKER WASN'T USED to having his home descended upon by foreign agents, though it had happened before—once. Becker was beaten and nearly left for dead during a scrappy fight in the great hall. The fracas came to an abrupt end when he was being pinned down near the fireplace, and he managed to grab a poker and impale his attacker. That was the last day he didn't employ at least four full-time security guards.
Despite the Americans’ best efforts to disguise themselves, Becker knew that they weren’t the Muncies. The facial recognition camera had told his staff as much when Alex and Black walked through the door. But Becker was curious about their identities and what their reason was for being here, allowing them to proceed unimpeded for most of the night. However, when they tried to get away with his phone to contact Obsidian, he decided it was time to not only take his phone back but also to send a message to whoever was handling them. The phone didn’t really matter since every week a new number was assigned as well as a new device to call her on. But it was the principle of the situation that mattered to Becker. He was going to right a few wrongs. No longer was he pretending to be the scared and meek scientist.
Becker narrowed his eyes and set his jaw. “How dare you enter my house and make demands of me. You’re only alive because I wanted to see what you were up to. Now, it’s time for payback.”
Becker whipped a cropping stick from his belt and pounded it into his left hand while continuing to circle his captives.
“So, any volunteers for who would like to go first?”
He looked down at them, and neither was responding, let alone moving.
“In that case, I’ll choose Mrs. Muncie.”
She mumbled something that he couldn’t make out. He knelt down next to her.
“What was that, Mrs. Muncie?” he asked again.
“I said, I can’t hear you.” She curled up into a fetal position, covering her head with her arms and almost disappearing.
Before Becker could respond, a piercing pain resonated in his ears. He staggered to the ground and gritted his teeth to fight through the pain.
CHAPTER 9
ALEX KNEW WHAT THE NOISE was as she’d tested it on herself in the Phoenix Foundation lab one day when assessing the device’s usefulness. The ear-splitting sound emanating from the tiny box was something Hawk had deployed in an effort to make his extraction mission run more smoothly. She raised her head to see him running down the corridor, firing shot after shot at the guards. When all four crumpled to the ground, Hawk flung a canister of smoke in her direction.
She knew what he was doing, creating a smokescreen in case reinforcements entered at the opposite end of the hallway. But he didn’t see Becker still trying to fight through the noise.
“Becker’s still alive,” she warned over their coms. But it was a pointless plea. The high-pitched blast rendered their coms useless.
She looked over at Black, whose hands were cupped tightly against his ears. He grimaced as he looked back at her.
Staying on the ground, Alex heard the sounds of bodies dropping to the floor. Counting them as they fell, she was concerned when the number stopped with four. She glanced around and saw Becker refusing to succumb to the ear-splitting sound.
Alex strained to see through the smoke that had now wafted throughout the corridor, making it difficult to see in either direction. Seconds later, the gas cleared away enough that she could make out Hawk's silhouette down the hallway. She nodded toward the opposite doorway, gesturing the direction they needed to go. While pointing would've made it so much easier, she wasn't about to remove her hands from the side of her head for even a second.
Hawk gave her a subtle nod, and she started to run toward him. However, she didn’t go more a few feet before she felt herself getting pulled backward. Spinning around to see what was holding her up, she noticed Becker’s hand clutching a fistful of her shirt. Black didn’t hesitate to help, lowering his shoulder and ramming Becker against the wall. But he didn’t relinquish his grip that easily and slammed Alex into the hard stone also.
Becker tried to train his weapon on Black, but Alex jerked back and forth, making it impossible for the scientist to steady his hand to get a good shot. He fired anyway, the bullet ricocheting off the ceiling. Alex delivered a solid kick to Becker’s midsection, enabling her to get free of his grip.
Almost all of the smoke had evaporated, and Hawk was only a few meters away. She turned and ran toward him, praying that Becker wouldn't be able to get a shot off. As she looked ahead, she noticed Hawk sprinting with his gun aiming just to the left of her head. He squeezed off two rounds.
Alex shot a final glance over her shoulder to see what happened to Becker, but he was gone. Hawk grabbed her hand and told her to run, while he backpedaled with his weapon, ready to fire if Becker reappeared around the corner.
The crippling sound device ended, allowing them to speak to one another for the first time.
“We have to move quickly,” Hawk said. “There are more guards out there, and they will pin us down if we aren't careful.”
“We need to take Becker with us,” Alex said. “He knows what’s really going on.”
“No,” Hawk said. “I’m nixing that idea.”
“This is our chance, Hawk. He’s obviously not just some low-level delivery boy like he wanted us to believe. My gut tells me that whatever Obsidian is up to, Becker is playing a pivotal role in it all.”
“We don’t have time,” Hawk said. “We need to go now.”
“But Hawk—”
Hawk grabbed Alex’s arm. “Now.”
She huffed as she withdrew from his grasp before spinning toward the door. As she looked down, she noticed a cell phone lying on the ground, the same one she’d swiped from Becker earlier. Alex knelt down and picked it up.
“Come on, Alex,” Hawk said. “This is deadly serious.”
“I’m coming,” she said with a growl.
* * *
WHEN THE GUARDS started dropping, Becker knew he was in for a fight. But he underestimated the ability of the American operative to storm his castle without any idea about its layout and successfully extract a pair of prisoners.
The bullet that tore through his left bicep was painful and needed immediate attention, but he wasn’t going to let his captives escape that easily. He hustled around the
corner to get out of harm’s way and slumped against the wall. Glancing down at his bloodied arm, he gritted his teeth and winced as his arm felt like it was on fire. After ripping off part of his shirttail, he tied the piece around the wound to ensure constant pressure was being applied.
He radioed the head of security to give him an update and to make sure that the gate was still closed.
“Don’t let anyone leave the grounds,” Becker said.
“I only have two men with me,” the security chief said. “Where are the four I sent you?”
Becker looked at one of the men still writhing on the ground, groaning as he couldn’t stop the bleeding from a gunshot wound.
“They’re gone,” Becker said.
“All of them?”
“Yeah.” Becker knew he could save the man in front of him, but the result would be the prisoners escaping. And Becker wasn’t about to let that happen.
“Help me,” moaned the other guard.
Becker closed his eyes and looked away.
To hell with my oath.
Becker slowly rose to his feet before hustling back to the security office to see about getting a better idea of his guests were.
Then he stopped and froze, checking his pants pockets for the cell phone. It was gone.
I must’ve dropped it in the cell.
He didn’t have any time to lament the loss of the phone. Once he caught the couple posing as the Muncies, he would have the cell back in his possession soon enough. He’d also have the opportunity to find out just who these people were and what they were doing crashing his fundraiser.
At the security office, he talked strategy with the chief before scanning all the monitors.
“Where was the last place you saw them?” Becker asked.
“They were in the wine cellar, sir.”
“And most of the guests are still here?”
“They noticed a slight commotion when several of the guards left, but no one seems to be too concerned.”
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
Becker started checking the screens. They weren’t anywhere to be found.
Where did you go?
“Lock down the gate,” Becker said to his security chief. “Inspect every vehicle thoroughly before it leaves the grounds. Let the guards know we're looking for two men and a woman. And share still images with the remaining guards so they know who they're looking for.”
* * *
HAWK HOISTED HIMSELF onto the veranda using the stone fencing surrounding the area. A man stood outside alone, leaning on the railing as he smoked a cigar. When he noticed Hawk, he dropped his glass tumbler, shattering it on the ground.
Hawk put his index finger to his lips and gestured for the man to move into the shadows.
“Do you have a car?” Hawk asked.
“What on Earth is this all about?” the man asked with widening eyes.
Hawk brandished his weapon. “Do you have a car?”
“I drove here with my wife,” he said. “Why do you ask?”
“Because you’re going to help me and my friends get out of here. Go ask the valet for your car.”
“Why would I do that?”
“We need to leave, and you’re going to drive us out of here.”
“What if I refuse?” the man asked.
“I have a partner inside right now. We know what your wife looks like. All I have to do is say the word and your wife won’t go home with you tonight.”
“You’re bluffing,” the man said with a sneer.
Hawk glanced at his gun. “You sure you want to take that chance?”
The man sighed. “Let me get my wife.”
“I’ll meet you out front,” Hawk said. “Five minutes. Don’t be late.”
Hawk climbed back over the railing and shimmied down to the ground where Alex and Black were waiting.
“Once the old man I found requests his car, go ask for yours,” Hawk said. “That will clear out the other valet and make it easy for us to get into the car.”
“Don’t you think they’ll be expecting us out front?” Alex asked.
“Maybe, but there aren't many guards left, and they're going to scouring the grounds for us,” Hawk said. “With a guard at the gate, I'm banking on them expecting us to go over the wall somehow.”
“I hope you’re right,” Alex said.
“This is definitely our best move,” Black said.
Hawk and Black connected with a quick fist bump before they crept along in the shadows. Once they reached the front, the old man was there with his wife. He handed his ticket to one of the attendants and waited on the steps. Meanwhile, Hawk followed the valet into the underground garage and then ambushed him, easing up behind him and putting him in a headlock. In a matter of seconds, he went to sleep. Hawk pressed the key fob, activating the car's horn to locate the old man's vehicle. He pulled around to the front, surprising the man again when he stepped from behind the steering wheel and opened the door for him.
Once the man and his wife got in, Alex slid into the backseat, while Hawk and Black piled into the trunk. Hawk poked the armrest forward just far enough that he could hear everything taking place in the front.
“Just stay calm,” Hawk said. “We'll be out of your lives in just a few minutes.”
“I will,” the old man said. “Don’t worry.”
They rolled to a stop just outside the gate and were greeted by a guard. He wore a scowl along with a semi-automatic weapon slung around his neck as he lumbered toward them.
“Did you have a nice time at the party?” the guard asked.
“Fine time, sir,” the old man said.
“If you had such a fine time, why are you leaving so soon?” the guard asked. “You’re the first guests to leave.”
“I have an early flight tomorrow morning.”
“Would you mind letting me check the trunk?” the guard asked.
“Be my guest,” the old man said without flinching. However, he didn’t pop the trunk. Instead, he just sat there with the car idling.
“Sir,” the guard called, “I need you to open the trunk so I can inspect it.”
The old man didn’t move.
“It’s okay,” Hawk said. “Do what he says. We can handle ourselves.”
Hawk trained his gun upward and waited for the trunk to swing open.
CHAPTER 10
HAWK STARED UPWARD and tried to think two moves ahead once he eliminated the guard. The gunfire was sure to draw attention and send what remaining security force Dr. Becker had running toward the entrance. Hawk decided that kicking the trunk open could surprise the guard and knock him out before any weapons went off.
As a result, Hawk recoiled his legs, pressing his feet against the top of the trunk and waiting for the lock to click free. Hawk had already plotted out what to do next and mentioned the next course of action to Black.
“You good?” Hawk asked.
“Roger that,” Black said.
Hawk swallowed hard as he heard the sound of the guard fingering the latch. The trunk barely moved an inch before Hawk thrust his feet upward, slamming the metal into the guard’s face. He staggered sideways before Hawk caught the man with two hits, one to the throat and the other to the face. Before he had a chance to fight back, he collapsed to the ground, out cold.
The old man shifted into gear and stepped on the gas while Hawk was still dragging the guard’s body into the station.
Alex cocked her gun. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The man stomped on the brakes and waited for Hawk, who joined Black in the backseat.
Packed tightly inside, they shifted from side to side as the old man wove down the winding road leading away from the castle.
“You don’t need to drive so fast,” Alex said. “There’s no one right behind us.”
“I’m not slowing down for anything. They’re probably already after us.”
“You need to slow down up ahead because that’s our van,” she said
.
He growled as he eased off the accelerator and tapped the brakes. Once the car came to a stop, he popped the trunk, sending Hawk and Black scrambling out of it.
“Thank you, sir,” Hawk said.
The old man flashed a rude gesture before stomping on the gas and speeding away.
“Time to get home and figure out what’s really going on,” Hawk said.
The team piled into the van and was tearing down the mountainside seconds later.
* * *
THE NEXT EVENING, Blunt welcomed the team home at the Phoenix Foundation offices, convening to discuss what they gleaned on their visit to Switzerland. Hawk nursed a cup of coffee as he settled into his chair next to Alex.
“Trying to wake up?” Blunt asked.
Hawk shook his head subtly. “It’s been a long thirty-six hours. I still haven’t recovered.”
“All that time on the plane and you didn’t catch up on your sleep?”
Black walked into the meeting and sat down across from Hawk and Alex as Blunt finished his comment.
“No matter how tired you are,” Black began, “it’s difficult to settle down after an operation like that. At least, I know it is for me.”
“Well, you're all awake enough to be here, and it's time to talk about what you found at Dr. Becker's fundraiser,” Blunt said.
Alex opened up her laptop. “I couldn’t sleep on the flight home either, so I started working on the phone we lifted off Dr. Becker.”
“Was it encrypted?” Blunt asked.
Alex nodded. “Yes, but I managed to crack it just before we touched down. Whoever is running Obsidian has some advanced technology. I couldn't get a geolocation on any of the numbers dialed from this phone. They were essentially all phony numbers.”
“How can that be?” Blunt asked.
She shrugged. “I’ve read about some software that can do this while visiting the dark web, but I’ve never come across it.”
“So, the phone is a dead end, just like the trip,” Blunt said.
“Only if Becker warned his Obsidian contact,” she said. “But according to him, this was the only way they communicated, and it was always a one-way communication.”
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