“She’s not exactly an operative.”
“She’s not exactly the kind of asset to sit behind the desk her whole life either. It’s something I’ve known for quite a while now. She’s just like her mother.”
Blunt poured himself a drink and thought about his next move. If Hawk and Alex were going to have to fight Al Hasib’s top operatives as well as the CIA, he might be sending his best agent and top handler to the slaughter. On the other hand, Thor could possibly get the job done. He wasn’t quite as naturally gifted as Hawk, but he was capable.
Blunt waited another half hour before deciding what to do.
He dialed Hawk’s number and waited.
“What is it now?” Hawk asked as he answered his phone. “We’re kind of busy at the moment.”
“I changed my mind,” Blunt said. “Forget Washington for now. I’ve got something else for you.”
“No,” Hawk said. “I’m not going to sit idly by while terrorists kill thousands of people.”
“It’s not like that, Hawk. This is far more complicated than I initially imagined.”
“I can’t unhear what I’ve already heard. And Alex is with me. We’re going back to Washington this afternoon, and we’re going to stop Al Hasib.”
“But, Hawk—”
“Save it, Blunt. There’s no reason you can give me—other than a self-serving one—that will change my mind.”
Blunt listened as the line went dead. He wanted to drive his fist through some drywall. But this was Hawk being Hawk. For better or worse, Blunt recognized this as the guy he hired through and through. And if Hawk wanted to defy orders, Blunt only had himself to blame.
***
HAWK HUNG UP and turned his attention to the matter at hand. He glanced at Alex and then looked into the backseat of their car at Abbadi, who they’d managed to sneak out of the hotel.
“We’re going to take you to a safe house in the countryside,” Hawk said. “From there, you’ll have to find a way back to Jordan.”
“And my daughter?” Abbadi asked. “Where is she?”
“I asked someone I trust to take her there. She’ll be safe with you.”
Hawk watched a tear roll down Abbadi’s face.
“I knew it would be hard, but not this hard,” Abbadi said. “It makes me wonder if it’s all worth it.”
“Peace is always something worth fighting for,” Hawk said as he shifted gears.
“But at the cost of my own family?”
“Each man must weigh his own costs in the battle against evil. Whatever you decided, just move forward with conviction.”
Abbadi didn’t say another word for the rest of the ride, but Hawk could tell the Jordanian prime minister was considering his next move—and so was Hawk.
CHAPTER 26
Dulles International Airport
Washington, D.C.
SINCE HAWK HAD NEVER MET with the other Firestorm operatives in person, Thor held a distinct advantage as he stood waiting for Hawk and Alex to exit the private jet terminal. It was easier to track a target when it didn’t know it was being stalked.
The lingering twilight cast a purple hue across the horizon while a cool breeze swept across the parking lot just outside the terminal doors. The screaming engines interrupted what would’ve otherwise been a peaceful evening for Thor. Instead, he was on assignment to eliminate Blunt’s top asset.
Careful not to get made, Thor kept his distance as Hawk maneuvered the surface streets back to his secret apartment in Washington. However, it wasn’t a secret to Thor, who presumed that’s where they were headed. Since he had hacked all of Firestorm’s files before he left, any old secrets weren’t secrets at all. He’d stolen them right out from underneath General Johnson’s nose. And Searchlight held them all.
Thor rolled to a stop in a parking deck across the street, which gave him a perfect vantage point to stake out Hawk’s apartment. Parking between two large SUV’s, Thor remained well hidden from any curious pedestrians in search of their vehicles. He pulled out his listening device and aimed it at the window. He heard the door slam and saw the lights flicker on, and a discussion about how to stop Al Hasib’s threat at Nationals Park commenced.
Thor listened intently for a half hour until Hawk opened the French doors to the balcony and invited Alex to join him. Thor then watched through his scope.
“You’re inviting me to sit out here and drink a beer instead of watching a Bollywood movie? I’m shocked,” she said.
“All the good movies are at my other apartment. I don’t come here very often.”
“Often enough to keep the fridge stocked with beer.”
Craft beer? I need to fire a bullet into these two and put them out of their misery. Real Americans drink Budweiser.
Thor assembled his rifle and called his superior.
“I’ve tracked Hawk to his secret apartment. They’re both sitting out on the balcony without a clue that they’re being watched. I could end this now if you wanted me to. Let me know when you’re ready for me to pull the trigger.”
CHAPTER 27
HAWK OPENED THE DOOR to his apartment and stepped inside. He motioned for Alex to remain where she was while he swept the room first. He pulled his gun out and crept around the apartment. It was clear.
“Do you always do that when you come to your personal safe house?” Alex asked once they were both inside.
“Only since I found out the CIA has a vendetta against me.”
“To be fair, I think their vendetta against you is only on account of you trying to expose their plans.”
Hawk put his gun away. “When the government for the country that I love and serve is operating like this, I will do whatever it takes to unmask the immoral leaders who view human life as expendable, especially when it’s all for a power grab.”
“Agreed,” she said, dumping her bag on the floor. “We don’t have much time, so we better get a plan together quick.”
“If you were going to blow up a baseball stadium, how would you do it?”
“If I had the help of the CIA?”
Hawk bit his lip and shook his head. “This is messed up, isn’t it?”
Alex nodded. “Let’s stop it first, okay? Then we’ll figure out a way to expose Michaels and his corrupt administration.”
“I’m sure this extends much deeper than Michaels.”
“You’re probably right, but we’ve got to focus on one thing at a time. Are you with me?”
Hawk took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “If I were going to blow up the stadium with a maximum casualty kill, I’d try to destroy the structural integrity. The giant broken slabs of concrete would do the rest. To be honest, I don’t think it would take that much, just a few pounds of explosives in key locations.”
“This all depends on how involved the government is with this operative. Do they know about it and are simply allowing it to happen? Or are they aiding Fazil directly?”
“I’d bank on the former. The fewer breadcrumbs, the better as it pertains to being linked with Fazil and Al Hasib. If anyone in Michaels’ cabinet could be tied to Fazil in any way, I doubt all the immunity and pardons in the world would protect the President. It’d be a bloodbath.”
Alex pulled out her laptop and started to make some notes. “So, let’s look at this schematic of Nationals Park. If you only had a limited amount of C4 explosives, where exactly would you place it?”
Hawk studied the image closely. “Without being easily noticed?”
She nodded.
“In that case, I’d plant it in these locations,” he said, pointing to various locations on the map.
“You think that’d do it?”
“That’s where I’d put them.”
Alex closed her laptop. “That was easy. Now we’ve just got to sneak you into the stadium early tomorrow without getting caught.”
Hawk laughed. “That might be the most difficult part of this whole assignment.” He walked over to the fridge. “How about a beer? We n
eed to unwind and relax before tomorrow.”
CHAPTER 28
MALIK MUDIN ZIPPED UP HIS BACKPACK and threw it over the fence into the Nationals Park concourse behind center field. He’d scouted out the area plenty of times in the past, and it remained the least trafficked portion of the stadium’s exterior. He watched the night patrolman disappear around the corner before he attacked the fence and clambered over it.
His hands began to sweat profusely as a flood of emotions overwhelmed him. For starters, he didn’t want to get caught. He held a strong desire to complete the mission he’d trained so long for. But he also felt a sense of dread about the end of his assignment. It wasn’t as if there was something else awaiting him after this, not in this life anyway. If he succeeded—or quite possibly if he didn’t—the end of this job carried with it the weight of finality in so many ways.
Mudin scaled a section of the wall and slid the first explosive into place well out of view. He flicked the switch as the radio transmitter attached to the detonator came to life, the small red light confirming that the signal was live.
As he climbed back down, he thought about his son, Tabiq. Would Tabiq be proud of his father in five years? Ten years? Or would Tabiq feel betrayed and abandoned, left to fend for himself and his mother in a vicious and cruel world? Mudin wasn’t sure, which created a sense of apprehension about what he was doing. Not that it mattered. Death was imminent.
Perhaps this is all for nothing. What if there is no Allah? What if I’m simply perpetuating a cycle of violence? What if my death is meaningless?
Mudin wondered if his thoughts were original or if every jihadist wrestled with the same types of issues. There wasn’t a way to find out. Those who carried out their assignments always died. Those who didn’t were killed for their lack of faith and failure. At least if he went through with it, Mudin knew he’d be hailed as a hero. However, he didn’t care about what everyone else thought about him, just Tabiq.
Over the next hour, Mudin moved stealthily around the park, securing the four explosive devices into place. Once he finished, he climbed back over the fence and casually walked along the sidewalk surrounding the stadium.
Mudin walked for another block before he stopped and dropped his bag on the ground. He knelt down and unzipped it, staring at the stacks of cash he’d swiped from Fazil’s stash while his boss was high. Mudin doubted Fazil would even notice it was gone. But the money gave Mudin reason to pause.
There was another way. He could complete his assignment and see his family again. He looked at the money again and quickly calculated how much it would be. He figured out how much he needed to start over in another place, a place where he could live at peace with his family. That’s all he really wanted anyway. And he wasn’t sure jihad was the way.
Perhaps my fate isn’t sealed.
He zipped the bag up and slung it over his shoulders. He’d have to make a decision soon. He hoped he wouldn’t regret it, for both his sake and his family’s.
CHAPTER 29
THOR PEERED INTO HIS SCOPE and considered pulling the trigger without waiting for the green light from his commanding officer. It would be a risky proposition, but he figured he could ask for forgiveness later if he did. Eliminating Brady Hawk would be sweet revenge. Blunt made it clear that Thor was number two in the pecking order behind Hawk, and every time Blunt reminded Thor of that fact, it was like a dagger into his ego.
However, Thor thought better of ignoring his orders. He was still new to Searchlight, and his superior likely wouldn’t stand for such rogue behavior. The reaction could go either way if he decided to not kill Hawk, though Thor wasn’t sure what the big hold up was. Thor kept Hawk in his sights and relished the thought of squeezing off two rounds into him. Thor even smiled to himself when Hawk’s beer bottle was directly over his heart.
I could shoot two things I despise in one shot.
Thor panned over to Alex.
So, that’s what she looks like. She’s even better looking than I thought.
Thor had never interacted on a mission with Alex as General Johnson made it clear that she worked exclusively with Hawk. But Thor had spoken on the phone a few times with her. He tried to picture what she looked like based off her voice—and he was pleasantly surprised.
Or maybe I’ll just shoot her right in front of him. It’s not like he hasn’t experienced that before.
Thor set his crosshairs on Alex and lingered on her before panning back over to Hawk. But he was gone.
What the hell? Where’d he go?
Thor withdrew from the scope and strained to see what was going on. Alex went inside too.
Damn it. I can’t believe this.
Thor tried to look through his scope again to see what was going on, but he couldn’t see anything. The lights were out. He switched over his scope to infrared mode, but still nothing.
Over the next minute, he split his attention between the balcony and the front door. Killing them out in the open would be messy, but he’d do whatever was necessary.
The front doors to the apartment swung open and they both walked out, Hawk glancing around and checking his surroundings. Thor put his sights back on Hawk and tried to gauge how much longer before the target walked out of view.
Thor’s phone buzzed, and he answered immediately.
“Do you still have them in your sights?” the man asked.
“Just say the word,” Thor said.
“Stand down.”
“Roger that,” Thor said as he pulled away from his scope and watched Hawk and Alex disappear around the corner. “Why the change of heart?”
“We think he may still be of use to us.”
Thor sighed. “How so?”
“That’s above your pay grade, Thor. See you back at mission control.”
I should’ve shot that bastard when I had the chance.
CHAPTER 30
Saturday, 9:00 a.m.
Nationals Park
HAWK TESTED HIS COM LINK and looked at his watch. The center field gates opened an hour and a half ahead of the 1:05 p.m. start time. With the New York Yankees in town for an interleague clash with the Nationals, a capacity crowd was expected. At best, Hawk figured he had less than hour to identify all the explosives, remove them, and escape without getting seen.
He donned an orange vest and carried a toolbox, flashing his credentials to the lone attendant at the gate.
“I’m here on a call about some busted pipes,” Hawk said.
The attendant looked down at his clipboard and rifled through a few pages. “I don’t see anything on here like that.”
“Why don’t you call your supervisor? I’m sure he can straighten everything out.”
The man shrugged and waved Hawk inside. “No need for all that.”
“Thanks, buddy,” Hawk said, who slapped the man on the arm after he walked through the turnstiles.
Hawk walked about fifty meters before he spoke into his coms.
“I’m in,” he said.
“Excellent,” Alex said. “I’m in, too. I just got patched into the security feeds on the CCTV. So far, the coast is clear. Just a few vendors milling around here and there. You should be good to go.”
Hawk slipped into the stadium and stashed his toolbox underneath a seat on the back row. He readjusted the backpack he’d been wearing beneath his work vest before he entered the stadium. The bag was necessary only to collect the explosives. It’s also where he kept his weapon.
Hawk figured if he acted like he knew what he was doing, no one would hassle him, especially with the number of people already buzzing in the seating area. But the concourse remained relatively traffic free.
He slid his glasses into place, giving Alex the ability to see what he was seeing.
“Is this picture coming through for you?” he asked.
“Crystal clear,” she said.
“Excellent. Now, can you help navigate me to the point where we thought one of the explosives might be?”
�
��Look at the aisle number for me,” she said.
Hawk turned to his right and spotted the aisle numbers.
“Okay, keep walking. Go up two more sections and then start climbing.”
Hawk followed her orders and found the area they identified would contain a structural weakness if destroyed. He looked around to see if anyone was watching. They weren’t.
He took hold of the iron metal work and scurried up toward the logical hiding spot. Once he ascended high enough, Hawk looked around.
“Help me out here, Alex,” he said. “I’m not seeing anything.”
“Look up for me.”
Hawk directed his gaze upward.
“Go up about ten more meters.”
“Seriously?”
“I know where I’d hide it.”
Hawk continued climbing and finally saw what Alex saw: a small platform off the iron that could easily hold enough of the required amount of explosives. He carefully raked it toward him.
“Jackpot,” he said.
“Nice work. Be careful.”
Hawk gently placed the explosives in his bag and zipped it up before beginning his descent.
“Might want to hang there for a second,” Alex said. “You’ve got company.”
Hawk looked down to see a security guard roaming the concourse beneath him.
“Keep watching for anyone else,” Hawk said. “I’m going to try and slip past this guy once he moves along.”
“Roger that.”
Hawk watched the guard saunter along a few steps at a time. He stopped and admired the field for a few moments before continuing on. This was a pattern he repeated several times until he moved far enough away that Hawk believed he could safely get to ground without the guard spotting him.
However, Hawk didn’t see the guard who’d just exited the bathroom. And neither did Alex.
“Damn it, Alex,” Hawk said.
The guard drew his gun and glared at Hawk. “Keep your hands where I can see them.”
Hawk obeyed the man’s orders.
“I swear, I never saw him go in, Hawk. You gotta believe me,” Alex pleaded over his com link.
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