“A watched pot never boils,” one of her supervisors at the CIA once told her, “and a re-tasked satellite never moves.”
Alex snickered. “I saw them move three times last week.”
“Never spoil a good idiom.”
She decided to take a break and go see Cookie. It’d been a few days since she visited The Golden Egg, and she needed to vent to someone.
“The usual, doll?” Cookie asked the second Alex’s fanny hit the seat at the bar.
“You know me, Cookie. Once I get in my routine . . .”
He winked at her. “Coming right up.”
Alex glanced at her watch. She estimated she had about twenty minutes before the satellites were in position to monitor Hawk. Satisfied that she had enough time, she turned her attention to Cookie, who had just cracked the last egg and tossed it onto the grill.
Wiping his hands on his apron, Cookie turned around and eyed Alex closely.
“So, what is it now? Men problems?”
Alex chuckled. “Men problems? I’d be ecstatic if there was just one man—and I was having problems with him.”
He put his hands on the counter and leaned forward, shrugging before he spoke. “Well, you had that look.”
“A look?”
“Yeah, that one you get when there’s something deeply troubling you. And usually, it’s only about men.”
A faint smile spread across her lips. “Cookie, you know me about as well as any man does.”
“Well ain’t that a shame.” He spun around and jostled the eggs before he turned back to face Alex. “You’re gonna make a lucky man very happy one day. You mark my words.”
“Thanks, Cookie. You’re always so encouraging.”
“That’s what I do.”
She watched him transfer the food from the grill to her plate, which he slid in front of her.
“That and make a mean plate of eggs.”
She took a few bites before she got Cookie’s attention. “Let me ask you a question.”
“Shoot.”
“If you suspected someone was lying to you, how would you trap them into telling you the truth?”
He furrowed his brow. “Are you sure you don’t have men problems?”
“Positive.”
“Well, all right then.” He took a deep breath. “If it were me, I’d probably say something like, ‘Alice, I know you’ve been cheating on me with Frank.’ And then sit back and watch the person try to wriggle out of it. At least, that’s what my third ex-wife did to me when she caught me gambling.”
“Three ex-wives, Cookie? And you are just itching to give me relationship advice?”
He held up his left hand, showing all his fingers. “Five actually, but who’s counting. Now trust me when I say this, but the majority of the advice I give is what not to do—and it’s all based off personal experience.”
“So, what should I not do if I want this person to admit the truth?”
“You should confront them.”
“Even if it costs me my job?”
“There’s little value in working with people you can’t trust, especially someone like you who’s in the finance industry.”
Alex forced a smile. She hated lying to Cookie, but she realized it came with the territory. He was a friendly—and lonely—chef at a diner, completely harmless. Yet she lied to everyone she knew about what she did and who she really was. She’d developed such a knack for it that sometimes she started to believe her own cover story was true.
She gobbled down the breakfast food that served as her lunch before returning to the office.
Her watch buzzed the second she sat down, and she realized the satellite re-tasking process had been completed.
“All right. Let’s see what we got here.”
She put her comlink in her ear and tried to connect with her asset.
“Hawk, come in,” she said. “This is Duncan. Do you read me?”
Nothing.
She tried again. Still nothing.
In a matter of seconds, she had the comlink’s most recent location, though diagnostics showed that it was no longer functioning. She cross-referenced the location with intel she had on Demby and realized that Hawk had been—or still was—at a facility owned by Sefadu Holdings.
“Hawk, come in,” she yelled.
Silence over the airwaves.
After five minutes of trying to raise Hawk to no avail, she decided to track his cell phone, which had also been located in the same facility. But, like the comlink, it had ceased responding about an hour ago.
She zoomed in on the location and identified several armed guards heading into the building.
“Hawk, Hawk! Come in. Please.”
She had eyes on the facility, but as far as Hawk was concerned, she was dark—and so was he. This time, all she could do was hope that he could get out of this predicament by himself.
CHAPTER 34
HAWK HEARD DEMBY WHISTLE for his guards to administer some punishment. Dragging Hawk and Ackerman out of the small closet and into an open warehouse space, the guards followed Demby’s instructions. They tied Hawk face-first to a large support beam before one of the guards pulled out a whip and started lashing Hawk, sending Ackerman into hysterics.
“Stop it, Demby. Just stop it,” she screamed.
He turned to her and smiled, flashing his pearly whites interspersed with several gold teeth. “This is the price of your betrayal, Doctor. But don’t worry—you’re next.”
Hawk tried to ignore the searing pain emanating from his back and spreading across the rest of his body. Concocting an escape plan was the only mental diversion he had. He noticed the sharp edges on the support beam and started to work his plan.
Following the next blow to his back, Hawk wailed and dropped to the floor.
“Get up,” one of the guards said as he grabbed Hawk around his shirt collar and yanked him back to his feet.
Another lash, another collapse to the floor, another jerk to his feet. The cycle continued for about a minute until Hawk was satisfied the rope was sufficiently frayed. One strong tug and he’d be free. All he had to do now was endure the pain and wait for the right moment.
Demby laughed smugly at the scene. “Mr. Martin, I admire your tenacity and your commendable attempt to infiltrate my organization, but I’m afraid in the end it’s going to be nothing more than a footnote on your way to an untimely death on our dangerous continent. Perhaps you’ll slip into crocodile-infested waters and be eaten alive or trampled by an elephant during a stampede while hunting or killed by a band of marauders looking to strip the wealth from an unsuspecting foreigner. The possibilities are almost endless.”
Demby held his hand up to halt the beating. He walked slowly toward Hawk before stopping just inches from his face.
“Do you think I’d be so unprepared as to not have alternative ways to transport my diamonds to their desired locations? Your scheme might be quicker, but there are other ways out of Sierra Leone. The threat of death can be a powerful persuader.”
“Speaking of death, if you’re going to kill me, I advise you to do it now and make it quick.”
Demby threw his head back and guffawed. “You’re not in any position to be telling me what to do.”
Hawk glanced over at Ackerman and winked. With one ferocious pull, Hawk severed his bindings and hit Demby in the throat. Demby staggered backward before Hawk followed up with a flying kick to Demby’s chest.
Surprised by Hawk’s sudden freedom, the guards scrambled to get into a position to shoot him. With Demby nearby, they appeared reluctant to shoot out of fear of hitting their leader.
Hawk scurried behind another beam, utilizing it as a shield. He lunged for Demby’s body and dragged it back as the guards remained hesitant to take a shot. Hawk delivered a knockout blow to Demby’s face before scavenging his belt holster for a knife and handgun.
With his back against the beam, Hawk craned his neck around the corner to assess the situation. Nothing had ch
anged. One guard held Ackerman, another held a whip. Ibrahim and another guard stood about ten feet away from the other two—all four of them out in the open.
Hawk eased to his feet by bracing his back against the beam and stayed out of sight from the guards. With one swift throw to his left, he took aim with the knife at one of the guards next to Ackerman. Before the knife found its target, Hawk spun to his right and shot both Ibrahim and the other guard in the head. By the time he turned back left, the guard holding Ackerman tightened his grip around her neck and fought with her to move backward. He dragged her behind a stack of wooden boxes.
Seizing the opportunity to regain a tactical advantage, Hawk snuck behind a pile of cargo. He worked his way across the room and used the cargo lying around as a shield as he dashed from one hiding place to another. After about a minute, he’d climbed on a heavy-duty shelving unit, positioning himself above the guard and Ackerman.
While Hawk would’ve preferred to shoot the guard, grab Ackerman, and escape, he refused to abandon the mission. He needed to know Demby’s plan for exporting the diamonds, information Hawk figured would be easier and quicker to extract from a guard than from Demby.
Hawk took a deep breath and leapt onto the guard. Under the weight of Hawk, the man crumpled to the ground. Panicked, he started firing his gun, hitting Ackerman in the arm.
She wailed in pain, writhing on the floor.
“It’s okay, Doc. I’m gonna get you out of here,” Hawk said, breaking from his legend.
Hawk turned his full attention to the man pinned beneath him. “Where are the diamonds?”
“I-I don’t know. They never tell me anything.”
Hawk’s eyes narrowed. “The way I see it, you’ve got three options. You can walk out of here, crawl out of here, or end your miserable existence on this very spot. It all depends on how you answer my next question. So, I’ll ask it again: Where are the diamonds?”
“They’re headed for a train depot along that border that connects with Monrovia,” the guard answered.
“Where can I find this train?” Hawk said.
The man didn’t answer.
Hawk jammed his gun into the man’s kneecap. “Remember when I said one of your options might be to crawl out of here?”
The man nodded.
“Where is this train?”
“It’s a three-hour drive south of here on the Manu River. You’ll never make it in time.”
Hawk punched the man in the face, knocking him out.
Grabbing the guard’s gun and knife, Hawk re-armed himself and rushed over to Ackerman, who was reclining against a box several feet away.
“You’re coming with me. You need help,” Hawk said.
She waved him off. “I’m fine. Just give me a minute. I’ll get out of here on my own.”
“You know more guards will be coming, don’t you?”
Hawk didn’t wait for her answer, instead scooping her up and tossing her over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she said.
“Making sure you get out of here alive. Ethan Jacobs will take care of you,” Hawk said as he ran for the door.
“The outfitter? He’s in Demby’s pocket. You might as well be carrying me to my death.”
“If I leave you here, you’re as good as dead anyway. Besides, I pegged Jacobs as a man who will do anything if the price is right.”
“And you’re betting my life on the fact that the price you’re going to pay him is high enough?”
“Would you rather bet it on the goodwill of these goons?”
“I guess I’m gambling either way.”
Hawk froze as he scanned the room near the door.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Demby. I was going to finish him, but he’s gone.”
“He’s like a cockroach, I swear. You’re not the first person to come in here and try to kill him.”
“If I’d tried to kill him, he’d already be dead.”
***
AFTER DELIVERING ACKERMAN TO JACOBS and satiating him with a stack of cash, Hawk headed south on the Bo-Kenema Highway toward the border. Jacobs, who promised to keep Ackerman safe, proceeded to give Hawk a brief overview of the rail line located on the Liberian side of the Manu River. Primarily used for transporting mined elements to Monrovia for process and shipment, the Manu River Railway provided the safest route for Demby. The direct route and lack of regular civilian passengers meant Demby or his men were assured of reaching their destination with little or no threat of robbery.
According to Jacobs, the train left the Manu station daily at midnight.
“That gives you three hours or maybe four. This is Africa,” Jacobs said. He concluded his directions by telling Hawk how to slip across the Manu River undetected by the Liberian army.
Hawk rushed to his vehicle, hoping to arrive on time. He used the long bumpy drive to formulate a plan for seizing the diamonds and get an update from Alex.
“Alex, how are you on this fine evening?” he said, starting the phone conversation.
“Better than you, I’m sure.”
“I don’t know. Have you been whipped and shot at in the past six hours?”
“Let me think while I sip on my latte. Hmmm. Nope. My biggest conflict in the last six hours was making sure some rude businessman didn’t steal my cab. I’m pretty sure, my evening is going better than yours.”
“Great. I was hoping so. I also wanted to tell you that I’m not sure the missiles are here. If they are, Demby’s team has done a pretty good job of hiding them.”
“Keep looking. Blunt swears they’re there somewhere.”
“Will do, but I’ve got more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.”
***
FIVE MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, Hawk pulled up to the station. There was little activity around the rail yard. A few men trudged past Hawk and hopped onto a flatbed truck that already had at least a dozen men in the back. Then Hawk heard a sound that made him panic.
The train on the track at least fifty meters away wooshed, releasing its breaks and chugging forward.
Hawk broke into a sprint, going largely ignored by the workers still scattered on the grounds. As he reached the platform, the train was clear by ten meters and gaining speed. Hawk didn’t hesitate, leaping off the platform and racing after the train on the track. And after twenty seconds of hard running, he caught up with the final car and grabbed onto it before pulling himself up.
One by one, Hawk shimmied between the two-dozen cars trailing the engine until he found one that contained a pair of Demby’s henchmen.
Look what we have here.
It was dark, but he could make out at least one familiar face. One of the men was holding a briefcase. The other pulled a gun, training it on Hawk.
Hawk put up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “Sorry. I don’t want any trouble.”
He noticed a hatch above the two men had been left open. Backing slowly out of the door, he scaled the outer portion of the car before climbing on top. He peered through the hatch and could make out silhouettes of the men.
Here it goes.
He jumped feet first through the hatch, surprising the men as they tumbled to the ground. Hawk immobilized the one with the gun first, kicking the weapon out of the man’s hand before shoving him out the door.
The guard holding the briefcase drew his weapon and prepared to shoot Hawk before he dove to the ground and caught the man off guard. Hawk ripped his knife out of his pocket and slung it at the guard, hitting him square in the chest. The guard clutched the knife before dropping his weapon and collapsing.
Five minutes into the trip, Hawk had gained possession of the diamonds, but he needed to exit immediately. He grabbed the handle of the suitcase and peered into the Liberian jungle, lit only by a pale moon. With each passing second, Hawk realized it would make his journey back to his car and then to Koidu that much longer. He needed to jump soon.
Hawk stuck his head out of the car and peered into
the dark forest surrounding the train. He noticed a small clearing up ahead that looked like it would make for a safe landing spot. Hugging the briefcase, he jumped.
Hawk landed hard, rolling for at least twenty meters before coming to a stop. With at least an hour hike ahead of him, Hawk first stopped and removed the diamonds from the briefcase. He shoved them into his pocket and began his journey back toward the station to his vehicle.
***
IT WAS NEARLY 2:00 a.m. when Hawk returned to his Forerunner and headed north on the Bo-Kenema Highway. He jammed his foot on the gas and called Alex. After debriefing her on the details of the mission, he decided to delve into other matters with her for his long drive back to Yokodu.
“Talk to me, Alex,” he said.
“What do you want to know about?”
“It’s just past two here, and I’m about to fall asleep. Anything that will keep me awake will suffice.”
“What about my love life?”
“I said anything that will keep me awake.”
“Apparently being a bad ass operative doesn’t suppress your sardonic wit.”
Hawk chuckled. “What can I say? I possess many skills.”
“Not sure I have much interesting to say about my love life, but there are some other interesting developments taking place right now.”
“Go on.”
“I’d rather save this type of conversation for when we meet in person.”
“And break protocol again?”
Alex sighed. “Since when did you suddenly start caring about following all the rules?”
“Good point.”
“Yes, but I’m still failing miserably at coming up with a conversation to keep you awake.”
“Mulling over what you can’t say might suffice, though if it doesn’t work, it’s not like I can pull into a convenience store and grab a Red Bull for the ride.”
“You know where to find me if that doesn’t work.”
“There is one thing you can tell me.”
Alex’s voice perked up. “What’s that?”
“Have you been able to find those missiles with any satellite imaging?”
“Nope. Not a thing. I’m beginning to wonder if that was bad intel.”
Deep Cover (A Brady Hawk Novel Book 2) Page 12