“Like what?” she asked.
“Perhaps that you just found out you have cancer and only have a few weeks to live,” Hawk said. “That should spur him back quickly.”
“If I tell him that, he’ll never believe me again for as long as I live.”
Alex rested her hand reassuringly on Mrs. Templeton’s forearm. “If this organization isn’t stopped, none of us may live much longer.”
Mrs. Templeton sighed before taking a long drag on her cigarette. She sent a plume of smoke towering upward before responding.
“I don’t like the idea of being used as your bait, Mr. Flannigan,” she said. “And I don’t like the way you’ve implicated my son in the murder of your mother. But I’ll do it. I’ll tell him I’ve got cancer with only weeks to live in order to get him to come back home. However, I must warn you that he could also come here with a whole army of thugs if he gets suspicious about anything.”
“We’ll be ready for anything he throws at us,” Hawk said.
“Just promise me you won’t kill him,” she said.
“I’m not sure I can—”
“If you do have to kill him,” Mrs. Templeton interrupted, “please don’t do it in front of me.”
“We’ll do our best not to,” Alex said. “But it’s hard to make those promises without knowing what the future holds.”
“I understand. Just do your best, okay?” Mrs. Templeton said.
Hawk nodded and stood along with Alex, and they followed Mrs. Templeton into her house. Once they reached the kitchen, Mrs. Templeton took the phone off the hook and dialed her son’s number.
Taking a few steps back to give her space, Hawk watched Mrs. Templeton as she spoke with her son. She wasn’t anything like Hawk’s mother, though not many women were. But there was a familiar trait he noticed, one inherent in all mothers.
Mrs. Templeton cared about her son.
As she talked, Hawk noticed how her voice softened and her eyes lit up. Even the most cynical person could see that she cherished her son. Whatever misfortune she had experienced didn’t seem to dampen the joy she exuded when speaking with Mack. Her eyes twinkled, and the corners of her mouth seemed to be permanently etched upward.
But then her face fell.
“There’s something I need to tell you, son,” she said. “And it’s serious. I’ve only got a few weeks to live.” A tear trickled down her face before she sniffled. “I want you to come see me as soon as you can, okay?”
Seconds later, mascara-streaked tears were rolling down her cheeks as her eyes turned red as she hung up the phone.
“He’ll be here tomorrow,” she said before shuffling into the living room and collapsing on the couch.
Alex walked over to Hawk. “I told you this wasn’t the right way to go about this. Look what you’ve done to this poor woman.”
“I probably should’ve listened to you,” Hawk said, “but what’s done is done. Now we just have to watch her every move until he gets here.”
CHAPTER 21
AN HOUR AFTER MRS. TEMPLETON delivered the news to Mack, he called the house again and asked if he could meet her at their spot the next morning at 10:00 a.m. He said he was flying in but had a little surprise for her.
“Where’s your special place?” Hawk asked.
Mrs. Templeton ignited another cigarette and didn’t respond until she cycled smoke through her lungs and out her nose.
“There's an overlook in the Santa Fe National Forest that we used to go to all the time when he was a kid,” she said. “We didn't have much money, so we went hiking all the time as opposed to having him sit in front of the television playing shoot-'em-up video games. A lot of good that did.”
“Anything in particular you can tell us about this overlook?” Alex asked.
“I have plenty of pictures,” she said. “Would you like to see them?”
Hawk and Alex both nodded.
Mrs. Templeton walked over to a bookshelf and selected a photo album.
“I know you young people may have never seen one of these,” Mrs. Templeton said, “but this is how we used to look at pictures back when we developed them into prints and didn’t have them on our phones.”
Hawk smiled at the woman’s wit. She was growing on him.
After she took a seat, he and Alex sat on Mrs. Templeton’s left and right, respectively. She opened up the book and thumbed through the pages, skipping through several until she reached a page full of pictures of the overlook.
“It’s just beautiful up there,” she said. “Mack told me that he always felt so tall and invincible when we went up to El Diablo Point.”
“It’s called El Diablo Point?” Alex asked.
“Yes, the local Spanish settlers called it that because they thought it was the kind of place the devil would’ve taken Jesus to tempt him, like the story in the Bible. You can see all of Santa Fe from that vantage point.”
“So it’s a popular spot?” Alex asked.
Mrs. Templeton shook her head. “It’s a rather difficult hike.”
“Can you still make it?” Hawk asked.
“It’ll take me longer than usual, but I can still hoof it up the mountain without too many issues.”
Hawk asked for directions to the bathroom and excused himself.
“Are you getting all this?” he asked over the coms.
“Loud and clear,” Black said. “I’ll make a little trip up to El Diablo Point right away since I don’t suspect you’re tempted to leave.”
“I’m warming up to this woman,” Hawk said, “but I still don’t trust her.”
“Can’t say that I blame you, though her sobbing sounded pretty genuine.”
“There’s no doubt that she’s scared, but I think she’s manufacturing some of this.”
“Just wait until she turns out to be Mother Theresa.”
Hawk chuckled. “If she is, Alex will have my hide. She’s already upset about how things went down.”
“You could’ve approached the woman in a less threatening manner.”
“How would you have done it?”
“Same way you did,” Black said. “Though I probably wouldn’t have even mentioned anything about the gun to Alex beforehand and let it be a surprise to her too.”
“You’re going to have a hard time with marriage,” Hawk said.
“I’m not trying to get married here. We’re trying to catch a man who might be able to help us stop a virus that will wipe out half the world’s population.”
“Fair enough. Now when you get back from El Diablo Point, call me so we can discuss the lay of the land. I don’t want any surprises tomorrow.”
“Roger that.”
* * *
HAWK CHOSE TO BACK OFF and let Alex work her magic with Mrs. Templeton. While Alex often bucked authority, she had a tender side that could win over even the coldest of hearts in little to no time at all. Offering to help or being attentive to a person’s needs, she could make another person feel like he or she was the most important soul in the room. That trait was also one that endeared her to Hawk.
In an effort to stay out of the way, Hawk flipped through a collection of magazines on the coffee table, most of them focusing on the beauty of the Santa Fe. There was little doubt that Mrs. Templeton enjoyed living there and was indeed proud of her hometown. She had held several creative jobs over the years, working for a local communications company. Everything from a photographer to a graphic designer and plenty of jobs in between filled up her resume. But it was her most recent job, the one she’d taken after she officially retired, that caught Hawk’s attention.
She was a trail guide at the Santa Fe National Forest before her knees started acting up—at least, that’s what she told Hawk and Alex. If anyone knew their way around the area, Mrs. Templeton did.
“So I imagine you’ve been to El Diablo point many times,” Hawk said.
“Of course,” she said.
“In that case, can you draw me a rudimentary map of the area and show me what I can
see from the top of the point?”
“Sure,” she said as she began scribbling onto a piece of paper. As she used her art skills to sketch out El Diablo Point, she penciled in labels on certain portions that could be viewed from that height. In a matter of minutes, Hawk had a good idea what was in store for them in the morning.
* * *
AFTER SHARING A PIZZA they had delivered, Mrs. Templeton said that she wanted to go to bed. Alex asked if she could sleep on the floor in Mrs. Templeton’s room.
“Are you afraid that I’m going somewhere?” she asked.
Alex shook her head. “No, not at all. I just thought it might be a better way to ensure that we all get a good night of sleep and you’re not worried that we’re going to storm in here and shoot you. That’s all.”
“You could storm in here in the middle of the night and shoot me?” Mrs. Templeton asked.
“That’s not going to happen,” Alex said reassuringly. “That was just a poor choice of words. Especially after the way we got off on the wrong foot coming in here with blazing guns. I’m just thankful that you’re helping us and see your assistance for what it really is—the heart of someone who deeply cares about the fabric of our society.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone put it in those terms, but I would say that’s fairly accurate. I love my son, but if he’s involved in something this sinister, I can’t allow that.”
“I know,” Alex said. “As difficult as it might be for you, you’re doing the right thing.”
Mrs. Templeton smiled and then said she was going to the bathroom.
“Of course,” Alex said. “Take your time. Take all the time that you need.”
Alex crept into the hallway to connect with Hawk one final time before bed.
“How are things going back there?” he asked.
“Fine as far as I can tell,” Alex said, keeping her voice low.
“You trust her?”
Alex sighed. “I don’t know. She seems pretty sincere. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.”
“Do you think you can handle her if I leave you two alone?” Hawk asked. “Black and I need to discuss plans for tomorrow. He went up to El Diablo Point and scoped it out for us this afternoon.”
“I’m good. You go on. I’ve got this.”
Hawk kissed his wife on the cheek. “Be careful.”
* * *
HAWK EASED OUTSIDE, pulling the door shut behind him. He scanned the area but didn’t see Black.
“Where are you?” Hawk asked over the coms. “I just finished up inside and thought we could plan for tomorrow now that you’ve been up there to take a look at it.”
“I’m getting takeout at a Chinese place up the street here,” Black said. “You want me to get you something?”
“I’ve already eaten,” Hawk said. “But thanks for the offer. When will you be back?”
“Five or ten minutes, depending on how long it takes them to make my food.”
“Okay, I’ll be outside taking a little walk.”
“Roger that,” Black said.
Hawk paced back and forth in front of the residence along the sidewalk for a minute or two before a pair of men jumped out of a black SUV and grabbed him. He tried to fight back, but one of the men snatched Hawk’s gun while the other man jammed a taser into Hawk’s neck and then yanked the com units out of his ear.
“You’re coming with us,” one of the men growled.
CHAPTER 22
TWO MEN DRAGGED Hawk into their SUV before a driver stomped on the gas and sped away from the house. After a couple minutes, Hawk regained consciousness and realized his hands were tied behind his back.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Why don’t you tell us,” the man next to Hawk said.
“Who are you?”
“Lester Sanders, FBI,” the man said as he displayed his badge. “Those men are Special Agents Baker and Underhill. And we know who you are.”
Hawk sighed. “I doubt that because if you knew who I was, you wouldn't dare try to interfere with what I'm working on and would stay the hell away.”
“We took a picture of you and ran it through the federal database,” Sanders said. “Apparently, we don’t have access to your file, but we know you’re in there.”
“My identity needs to be kept a secret,” Hawk said. “I’m sure you can appreciate that.”
“That doesn’t change the fact that you’re treading into our territory here,” Baker said.
“I’m only going to warn you once more,” Hawk fired back. “I’d hate for you gentlemen to be caught up in the crossfire.”
“There’s no crossfire here,” Baker said. “You’re just screwing up our operation.”
“And what operation is that?” Hawk asked. “Because whatever it is, I can guarantee you that it’s not nearly as important as the one I’m on.”
“Smuggling,” Sanders said. “Or more specifically, smuggling women across the border and selling them to traffickers.”
“We’ve been following this woman for months and almost have enough on her to put her away for years and put an end to this illegal ring,” Baker said.
“That is until you butted in earlier today,” Sanders said with a snarl.
Hawk shook his head. “Look, I know you think what you’re doing is important and that it’s the right thing—and it might be. But I swear that if I told you what I was doing—which I can’t—you’d abandon your stakeout in a New York minute and let me proceed with what we’re doing with Mrs. Templeton.”
“All our work will go down the drain if you try to pull this stunt on us,” Sanders said. “You have to at least try and see things from our perspective.”
“I could try, but it’d be a waste of my time and yours,” Hawk said. “The reality is we’re talking about millions of people dying if you pull me off this operation.”
“Sorry, Slugger,” Sanders said. “We’re going to put you on the sideline until tomorrow at noon when we bust that old lady’s trafficking ring.”
“Sorry,” Hawk said. “No can do. You can have her after I get through with her tomorrow morning. What we’re doing doesn’t even really involve her but her son, but I can’t tell you anything more.”
“Doesn’t look like you’re in a position of leverage, now does it?” Sanders said. “And if you’re not going to cooperate, we’re going to make sure that you do.”
“And how’s that?” Hawk asked.
“We’re going to detain you at one of our black sites,” Baker said.
Hawk shook his head. “That’s not a good idea.”
Sanders chuckled. “Whatever, mystery federal agent. We’ll take our chances.”
Hawk eased his hands, which were tied behind him, over to the seatbelt latch and slowly depressed the button. Once he was free, he put his shoulder into Sanders and drove him against the SUV door. For good measure, he smashed his head into the window twice, rendering him unconscious.
Baker, who was sitting in the passenger seat in the front, didn’t react quickly enough. Hawk smashed his hands over a sharp portion of the console in the front, breaking his hands free. Then he grabbed Baker’s seatbelt and yanked hard against it, pinning him against his seat.
Underhill went for his firearm, but Hawk reached down with his free hand to pull Sanders’s gun out of its holster. Hawk clicked off the safety.
“I suggest you keep your hands on the wheel where I can see them and just drive to the black site,” Hawk directed.
Underhill eased his hands back onto the steering wheel and drove on for several minutes until they reached the old warehouse.
“You put that gun where I can see it,” Hawk said.
Underhill slowly complied.
“That’s it,” Hawk said. “Nice and easy. We don’t need to make a mess out of things over jurisdiction, especially since you’d lose.”
Sanders moaned and was starting to regain consciousness before Hawk pistol-whipped the FBI agent in the head, knock
ing him out again.
Hawk led the two men inside and secured them with zip ties to a pair of weight-bearing poles a good ten meters apart from each other. While Hawk never wanted to disparage federal agents, he didn’t appreciate getting tasered by Sanders. Instead of kindly hoisting the man over his shoulder, Hawk wanted to drag Sanders through the gravel parking lot before tying him to a tree.
But that was too far, despite Hawk’s feelings of being disrespected and condescended to. Hawk picked up Sanders and carted him into the warehouse before setting him down at the base of another nearby pole. Once Sanders was secure, Hawk searched all three of the FBI agents. Satisfied that they weren’t going anywhere, he paced around the room.
“Believe me when I say this,” Hawk started, “because it is with all sincerely I confess that I didn’t want to do this. However, you forced my hand. And as a result, you can thank me later. Now, I must be off, but I promise you that the moment I am through conducting my operation, I’ll notify someone of your location and have you cut free.”
Hawk hustled back to the SUV and returned to Mrs. Templeton’s bungalow. He pulled to a stop behind Black’s vehicle. Stooping down, Hawk tapped on the window, gesturing for Black to unlock the door.
“Where have you been?” Black asked. “I thought something happened to you. I tried raising you on the coms and everything.”
“Unlock the door, and I’ll tell you what happened.”
Black complied and stared wide-eyed at Hawk. “Take a tumble there, big fella?”
“More like a rumble with some federal agents.”
“Are you kidding me?”
Hawk shook his head. “I wish I was. Apparently, Mrs. Templeton isn't the saint she portrays herself to be. And based on what those agents said, she's involved in some sort of human trafficking ring by smuggling illegals over the border.”
“A National Forest is a great place to hide people,” Black said.
“Whatever that woman is up to, it’s not good. And I’m really concerned for Alex now.”
“She can handle herself.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Hawk said. “It just seems to me that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I’m starting to wonder if she didn’t give Walsh some kind of signal when she spoke.”
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