“What has this world become?” Blunt asked. “We’re seeing brazen attacks from extremists intent on weakening our government.”
“And it’s working,” Wood said. “As much as I respect the president, he needs a dozen more teams like yours to eliminate more of these threats at once.”
“Problem is, there’s only one of me,” Blunt said with a wink, “and the only three agents I’d ever trust to do such work are under my direction. So, I don’t know how the president is going to conjure up new operatives as good as the ones I have or even train them to a highly-skilled level, but that’s a monumental task for sure.”
One of the firemen shouted in Wood’s direction and then signaled for him to come over.
“What’s that about?” Blunt asked.
“I told them to get me when they determined it was safe to go inside,” Wood said. “They got the fire out rather quickly, but we needed to make a sweep of the building for any more explosives. I’m assuming it’s clear now.”
Wood led Blunt over toward the fire captain managing the crews inside the charred remains of the president’s living quarters.
“You sure you wanna see this?” the captain asked.
Wood nodded and looked at Blunt, who also gave an affirming answer.
“Well, follow me. I just hope neither one of you have eaten lately.”
The captain took the men into the White House and helped them navigate the smoldering ashes and toppled beams. Blunt whistled as he stopped and gawked at the hole about six feet in diameter that ripped through three walls.
“What kind of explosives were they using to do this?” Blunt asked.
“I’m not sure, sir,” the fireman said. “But I believe someone on the FBI bomb squad said his unit was already analyzing everything.”
They continued picking their way through the debris until they reached a body covered with a white sheet.
Wood put his hands on his hips. “Let’s see it.”
The captain revealed the body and immediately looked in the opposite direction. “Think that’s the first lady?”
“I don’t know who that is, but she must’ve been standing on top of the bomb,” Wood said.
“Got any gloves?” Blunt asked.
Wood forked over a pair from his pocket, and Blunt slid them on. Then he knelt next to the body and gently lifted the left arm. Moving slowly to be extra careful, he slid the ring off her finger and examined the inside.
“We sure as hell can’t identify her from her face,” Blunt said. “We’ll need a dental exam to get a positive ID, but this is her wedding ring.”
Wood shook his head. “I don’t know who’s responsible for this, but if they thought they could win over the American public with some protest stunt like this, they couldn’t be further from the truth.”
“Agreed,” Blunt said. “But it might be terrorists who don’t give a damn about trying to change hearts and minds. They might just be satisfied to scare us all to death every day when we’re driving to school or work. Simply seeding the idea that another attack might happen at any moment could be enough for them.”
“Whoever did this is going to feel the brunt of an interagency hunting expedition,” Wood said. “And Lord help anyone who gets in the way of that investigation.”
“Ain’t that the truth. We just might yet get a dozen more units like mine,” Blunt said. “When President Young recovers, he’s going to go ballistic and then unleash us on these pukes.”
“We just need to pray that he survives.”
Blunt checked his watch. “I need to pass this information along to my team. It might be useful for them soon.”
Blunt dialed Hawk’s number. “It’s the first lady, all right.”
“You’re sure she’s dead?” Black asked after Hawk put the call on speaker.
“I’m holding her wedding ring,” Blunt said. “It’s about the only thing I can identify on her at this moment.”
“That bad, huh?” Hawk said.
“One of the worst I’ve ever seen,” Blunt said. “And that includes me seeing a guy get both legs blown off just above the knee during the war.”
“Glad it was you that had to verify that stuff and not me,” Black said.
“I wouldn’t wish this viewing on anyone,” Blunt said. “And I just hope the president never sees her body like this. It’ll be an image seared into his brain—and one he’ll likely want to soon forget. Now hurry up and find Joseph. We need answers and fast.”
CHAPTER 29
HAWK CALLED ALEX to see if she was making any headway on finding out where the missing ambulance might have gone. He and Black drove to Georgetown to learn that the president was there and in stable condition. And as evidenced by the swarm of Secret Service agents, he was also well protected. But there wasn’t the faintest sign of where Joseph might have been taken.
“You found him yet?” Alex asked as she answered the phone.
“Everything has been a dead end so far,” Hawk said. “We managed to identify where all the other ambulances went, and we can confirm Joseph went elsewhere based off all the information we have. So where did he go?”
“I just started compiling all the closed-circuit footage I could find,” Alex said. “And I found an ambulance that disappeared around First and M streets.”
“That’s just north of the beltway,” Hawk said. “If they jumped on that, by the time we figure out which way they went, they’ll be long gone.”
“That’s the thing,” Alex said. “They didn’t get on the highway. They were very particular about avoiding it for some reason.”
“So, they just vanished in that part of the city?”
“They’re still there,” Alex said. “I have to find them somehow. It’s like a needle in a haystack.”
“Now we need to burn some hay to find them.”
“And how do you suggest we do that?”
“Look at all the warehouses in a five-block radius of where you last saw them,” Hawk said. “Then cross-reference that with the name of people and shell corporations that rent or own those facilities, likely some transaction initiated in the past couple of years.”
“I’m on it,” she said. “I’ll call you when I find something.”
Hawk hung up and looked at Black. “Let’s go to First and M.”
“You think this is gonna work?” Black asked.
“You got any better ideas?”
“Not off the top of my head, but I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
“In the meantime, while that sawdust in burning, drive.”
Black shook his head and cast a sideways glance at Hawk. “You know we’ve got to come back with something.”
“We will,” Hawk said. “Obsidian has proven to be one step ahead of us, but whoever’s running that organization is bound to slip up at some point. And when they do, we’re going to be there to catch them.”
Black sighed. “I’m just afraid it’s going to be too late by that point. They’re sliding pieces around like this is a game of chess, and we don’t even know how to move or who we’re playing.”
“Look, I know you just wanna shoot somebody. It’d probably make you feel better for a few minutes, too. But this isn’t like our typical assignments. Obsidian feels like this virus that’s spreading its tentacles everywhere so it can squeeze at the right time, choking out its hosts and assuming total control. And as long as Obsidian thinks it’s in control of everything, it won’t see the need to squeeze just yet. We just need enough time to find the person calling the shots.”
“Like I said, that’s what I’m afraid of. We’re going to run out of time.”
“Chin up,” Hawk said. “We haven’t done that yet. Obsidian thinks we’re playing Whack-a-Mole as we try to catch some of the lower-level operatives. But I have a hunch we’re close to a big break.”
Black chuckled. “Your hunches have gotten us into trouble plenty of times lately.”
“But we’re still fighting, aren’t we?”
Black turned the radio on as he continued to drive toward the area Hawk identified. A news anchor delivered details of the White House bombing in a somber voice, introducing a report from a woman claiming to be on the scene. She described the destruction and speculated on what happened and who may have been behind it.
“She thinks some extremist terrorist group is behind this?” Black asked, shaking his head.
“Must be her first assignment,” Hawk said. “Any veteran reporter would know that this is either an accident or an inside job. No terrorist would be able to get close enough to the White House to attack the president’s personal living quarters.”
Hawk and Black continued to dismantle the proffered theories but were interrupted when Alex called.
“Are you there yet?” she asked.
“Almost,” Hawk said. “We’re about a block away.”
“Good. I found something for you.”
Hawk shifted in his seat and put the call on speaker. “Black can hear you now too. What did you find?”
“Almost all of the warehouses in that area have been rented for a long time or are vacant . . . except for one.”
“What’s the address?”
Alex gave him directions to the warehouse before launching into an explanation of what she found. “This particular facility had been unoccupied for several years, and then six months ago it was leased by someone you might remember: Milton Reese.”
“He had to be higher up in Obsidian than we realized,” Black said.
“Or they were just using him as their patsy,” Hawk said. “Whoever’s behind all this is setting up layers of people to insulate them from the real action.”
“It’s smart,” Alex said. “I feel like we’re a one-legged duck swimming in a circle on this one so far.”
“You’re starting to sound like Blunt,” Hawk said as he winked at Alex. “But don’t worry because that’s all about to change.”
Their car came to a stop along the street just outside the warehouse. According to Alex, the previous owner used it as a direct mail sorting facility. But there wasn’t anything she could find online or filed with the city about what Reese intended to do with the building.
Black killed the lights and the engine before both men slipped outside.
“We’re here,” Hawk said. “I’ll call you when we know something.”
“Just be careful, Hawk,” she said before hanging up.
Hawk and Black stayed together, scaling a chain link fence to get inside the property. In the center was a large cinderblock building with an aluminum roof. It was as simple of a structure as anyone would find in this part of the city, which was heavily commercial peppered with a few mixed zones of residential and retail.
As they neared the building, Hawk noted a pair of security cameras positioned on the corner but no motion sensor flood lights. A pale streetlamp humming just outside the gate provided all the light in the area.
“You got your silencer on you?” Hawk asked
Black nodded. “I’ll take out that light.”
A few seconds later, the perimeter fell dark with only ambient city lights enabling them to see.
“Good work,” Hawk said as Black returned.
“How do you want to do this?” Black asked. “Guns blazing? Or come at them from two different directions?”
“I think we need to stick together on this one,” Hawk said. “We don’t need to get isolated and pinned down.”
“Agreed,” Black said.
A row of small windows lined the exterior, set about three-fourths of the way above the ground at about fifteen feet. Hawk shimmied up a drainage pipe so he could peer inside. Most of the building was dark, but there was what appeared to be a small set of enclosed offices in the far back corner. A faint beam of light streamed from beneath one of the doors. He looked near the rollup door and saw an ambulance.
“They’re here,” Hawk said. “Come on.”
He wedged his knife between a rubber sealant strip and the window to open it. Wriggling his way through the small opening, he eased down until his feet touched on a support beam running along the outer wall. He waited for Black and whispered instructions so they could get to the floor as stealthily as possible.
Once the reached the ground, Hawk took the lead as they approached the office. When they were about five yards away, the light turned off.
Hawk turned to Black. “They know we’re here.”
“Look for some cover,” Black said.
Hawk looked over his shoulder toward the area that served as the staging for the direct mailers. He darted toward a slew of tables scattered haphazardly in one corner of the room, and Black followed. Before they reached safety, a shot echoed off the building walls. They scrambled behind the tables before gunfire erupted.
The shooting lasted for less than a minute before the two combatants were hit and crumpled to the ground dead.
“We need to sweep the area,” Hawk said. “Joseph is still at large.”
Black tossed the men’s weapons aside and emptied all the ammunition, while Hawk walked around the perimeter in search of another potential location for Joseph. Near the front, Hawk found a door with a placard that read “storage.” He stopped and made eye contact with Black before pointing at the sign.
Hawk counted down, holding his fingers in the air.
3 . . . 2 . . . 1.
Hawk swung the door open and was greeted with several shots. He dove to the ground and crawled into the room on his belly. Moving to the right, he took cover behind a shelving unit and tried to assess the situation while Black raced to the left side of the aisle.
Hawk peeked over the top of a shelf and barely got a glance before another bullet ricocheted off the wall behind him. He waited a moment before taking another look, and this time he was able to see the situation more clearly.
“We’ve just got one shooter,” Hawk said. “He looks like he’s holding Joseph hostage.”
“Want me to see if I can flush him out?” Black asked.
Hawk nodded. “Do it.”
He watched as Black crept to the outer edge of the shelving units on the left-hand side. They were clunky and metal, echoing every sound that hit them. Black eased down the side and disappeared from Hawk’s sight. A few seconds later, a burst of shots peppered the area in front of where he had last seen the gunman—then return fire aimed in Black’s direction.
Hawk eased down the righthand side until he arrived at the aisle parallel to Black. He held up his gun and motioned to it. Hawk understood the signal: Black’s gun had jammed.
Before Hawk had a chance to consider their next move, he heard metal crunching against metal. He looked up to see the shelving units toppling over like a dominoes chain reaction.
Hawk preferred to stay on the outside, but he knew it would back him into a corner. So instead, he made a dash for the center aisle. However, he was clotheslined and knocked to the ground by a crowbar.
Hawk fell hard, landing on his back on the concrete floor with the iron rod clanking to a resting spot next to him. His grip loosened as his gun dropped out of his hand and slid out of reach. The attacker snatched the gun off the ground. He then stood, looming over Hawk.
“My, how our fortunes can change,” said the man as he trained Hawk’s gun on him.
Hawk gasped as he recognized the man’s voice and then his face.
It was Shane Samuels.
“Good night, Brady Hawk.”
CHAPTER 30
HAWK SET HIS JAW as he glared up at Samuels, who wore a smug smile. Hemmed in against toppled shelving units, Hawk couldn’t do anything but brace himself for the bitter and painful end. A thousand thoughts rushed through his head at once, mostly about how he didn’t want to leave Alex.
But in an instant, everything stopped.
The smirk pasted across Samuels’s lips was replaced by twisted agony when a crowbar was lodged into the side of his head. Samuels teetered for a few seconds, dropped his gun, and coll
apsed on top of Hawk. He scrambled to get away from the dead body of a man who just moments before appeared menacing and on the threshold of taking Hawk’s life.
Hawk had been so focused on Samuels that he hadn’t seen Black reach down and pick up the crowbar. Black stooped down and offered his hand to Hawk before yanking him to his feet.
“Cutting it close their, partner,” Hawk said.
Black cocked his head to one side. “I was hoping more for a thank you.”
Their barb trading ended abruptly when they turned in the direction of metal scraping against the floor.
“It’s the senator,” Hawk said as he hurdled one of the downed shelves and raced to cut off Joseph at the door.
Hawk arrived at the same time as Joseph and pinned him to the wall with a forearm.
“What do you want from me?” Joseph asked. “I think it’s pretty clear this guy abducted me.”
“This guy?” Black asked as he joined the two men. “You mean you don’t know him?”
“I’ve never seen him before in my life,” Joseph said, his voice escalating several octaves.
Hawk chuckled and looked at Black. “Do you know how to tell when a politician is lying?”
Black nodded. “When his lips are moving.”
“Exactly,” Hawk said, returning his gaze to Joseph. “Now you’re going to tell us everything.”
“I was hoping you could explain everything to me,” Joseph said.
Hawk grabbed a fistful of Joseph’s shirt and led him outside and across the building to the other offices where he’d previously been with Samuels.
“What are you doing to me?” Joseph protested. “Do you even know who I am? There are going to be serious repercussions for you two. You’re taking a U.S. Senator hostage.”
Black looked at Hawk. “Should I knock him out cold so we can discuss how we want to handle this lying sack of shit?”
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