As Qureshi tumbled toward the ground, Hawk grabbed Qureshi’s hand that held his gun and pointed it at his guard, squeezing off two shots, one of which hit his guard in the head. Qureshi struggled to pull away from Hawk as the two men fell to the ground, tussling over the weapon still in Qureshi’s hand.
Hawk delivered a combination of powerful uppercuts to Qureshi’s body and then to his face. But Qureshi fought back, stomping on Hawk’s knee to send him to the ground. However, Hawk didn’t relinquish his grip on the gun.
Qureshi jerked his hand to the left and then rapidly to the right, utilizing Hawk’s leverage to point the gun at Alex. Qureshi then squeezed off a shot, hitting Alex. She stumbled backward and fell to the ground.
Enraged, Hawk kicked Qureshi in the stomach and proceeded to rip the gun away from him.
Hawk fired two bullets into Qureshi’s companion, the fellow Al Hasib agent.
Qureshi staggered for a few seconds before falling to the ground.
“When I killed your brother, it wasn’t personal,” Hawk said. “But I promised you that you would die. I always keep my word.”
Hawk didn’t hesitate, shooting Qureshi twice, once in the head, another time in the chest. After Hawk was sure Qureshi was dead, Hawk rushed over to Alex.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he knelt down next to her.
“I think I’ll live. It’s just a flesh wound.”
Hawk smiled and ripped a section of Qureshi’s shirt off, using it as a bandage to tie around Alex’s arm.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked again.
“Stop fussing over me,” she said. “We need to get that weapon back from McGinn.”
“Yeah, you’re fine,” Hawk said.
“I know. Let’s get moving. We don’t have any time to waste.”
CHAPTER 34
ARAV KATARI STRAINED TO SEE into the dimly lit dock for a person running toward his ship. He’d promised to wait for an Al Hasib agent even though Katari had never seen the man. Katari agreed to split the twenty-thousand dollars the man had promised with three other crewmembers. When an opportunity like that came along, Katari refused to pass it up. He knew how hard his crew worked, and he knew who could keep a secret.
He was still scanning the docks when he felt sharp cold steel pressed against his neck. Katari glanced down at the knife and froze.
“It’s time to go,” McGinn said. “I’m not paying you to be a taxi service. Whoever you’re waiting on isn’t coming.”
Katari turned around slowly. “And neither is whoever you’re afraid of. There hasn’t been any movement along the docks in at least ten minutes.”
“All the more reason to leave now and stop wasting my time.”
Katari raised both his hands in a gesture of surrender and strode toward the ship’s bridge.
“Faster,” McGinn growled. “I’ve got people to meet.”
Picking up his pace, Katari skipped steps as he climbed the stairs leading to the bridge. He picked up his radio and gave the order for the ship to be released from the dock. Katari watched as the crewmembers hustled back and forth to get the ship in position to push back out to sea.
McGinn, who’d followed, had put his knife away in favor of a gun.
“Who are you so scared of?” Katari asked, nodding toward McGinn’s weapon. “No one is going to attack you aboard my ship.”
“It’s not anyone on your ship I’m worried about.”
“Well, you can put that thing away now. We just cleared the dock, and we’re almost fully in the channel. I can guarantee you that we don’t have any stowaways.”
McGinn remained stoic, vigilant in his self-appointed lookout position.
“You can relax, Mr. McGinn,” Katari said. “Go enjoy yourself in the galley. Drink a beer.”
After a few more moments of silence, McGinn exhaled and a wry grin spread across his face. “You’re probably right. That bastard couldn’t follow us out this far.”
CHAPTER 35
HAWK AND ALEX DIDN’T SO MUCH move as they heard footsteps approaching. Lying flat on their backs in one of the ship’s lifeboats, they both held their breath and waited for the men patrolling the deck to pass. Once their voices faded, Hawk let out a long breath as did Alex.
“So we made it on board,” Alex said. “Now what?”
“You need to stay put while I go deal with McGinn.”
“Oh, come on, Hawk. You’re just gonna leave me here to twist in the wind. At least give me a weapon to defend myself.”
Hawk eyed her closely. “If you stay here, you shouldn’t need a weapon. I don’t plan on capsizing the ship, but if I do, you’re in the best place to be. Just release that lever on top and …”
“If this boat starts to sink, I’m certain I’ll have company. I’m not sure the guys on board are the women-and-children-first type of sailors.”
Reluctantly, Hawk handed her the extra weapon he’d picked up. “Whatever you do, don’t leave this lifeboat. I’ll be back shortly.”
Hawk peeked out from beneath the tarp to make sure no one could see him. Once he was convinced the coast was clear, he slipped onto the deck and steadied the boat before sneaking down into the hull of the ship. Tugging his hat down low across his face, Hawk moved through the ship as if he were almost invisible. He’d observed how disjointed the crewmembers seemed to be and how they rarely used each other’s names while communicating, particularly the captain. It was a patchwork crew, and Hawk acted on his suspicion that they wouldn’t even know if he was part of the crew. And he was right.
Hawk’s search throughout the ship for McGinn wasn’t an easy one. Twice he thought he spotted McGinn, but the traitor wouldn’t stop moving. In one hand, he was clutching the weapon; in the other, a gun. Hawk quickly realized he would have to make this kill in tight quarters. A gunfight would put Hawk in a precarious situation with the rest of the crew, and he only had one clip.
After a few minutes of trailing McGinn, Hawk saw an opportunity to make his move when McGinn entered the boiler room. Hustling to catch up, Hawk crept inside and crouched low. McGinn’s footsteps echoed off the walls, the metallic reverb creating a gracious cover for Hawk to move into place.
“I know you’re in here,” McGinn said. “I spotted you a couple minutes ago. But I wanted you in here. Apparently, I need to finish the job that Qureshi couldn’t finish.”
Hawk wanted to tell McGinn that Qureshi was dead, but Hawk refused to give away his position on a vain retort.
“Don’t worry,” McGinn said. “I know where you are, and I’m going to end this right now.”
The room wasn’t well lit, relying on a handful of lights encased in red glass against the wall to illuminate what was visible. Hawk remained low to the ground, moving stealthily into position to surprise McGinn.
Peeking around one of the pistons, Hawk made eye contact with McGinn, who didn’t hesitate to fire a shot in Hawk’s direction. With two doors on opposite sides of the room, he realized he’d walked into another kill box. But without another couple of soldiers, it wouldn’t serve as one for him.
Then Hawk heard footsteps storming toward the boiler room. He braced for the showdown.
CHAPTER 36
ALEX ONLY MOVED TO BLINK and breathe as she lay on her back staring up at the tarp covering the lifeboat. The chatter on the deck was sporadic and calm, likely the opposite of what was occurring below if Hawk had ventured there in pursuit of McGinn. After ten minutes, she decided that it was a waste for her to remain pat. Getting the Sarin was one thing; turning the ship around to head back to port was another. But the latter was something she could influence the captain to do.
She waited until the footsteps of the patrolling guards faded before peeking through the tarp to inspect the deck. It was clear. As she wrestled with the tie downs, Alex feared she might make too much noise and attract attention. She finally jiggled the rope free and lifted the tarp. Taking great paints to ensure a silent exit, Alex slid through the opening she’d create
d by loosening the covering and climbed onto the deck. It was a nearly flawless exit until the boat started to sway, the hinges squeaking loudly.
She ducked behind a couple nearby crates in the hopes that no one would spot her. Alex peeked around the side but didn’t notice anybody. She remained crouched low as she scampered across the deck to the base of the steps leading to the ship’s bridge. Standing with her back flushed against the wall, she took a deep breath.
There’s a reason why I’m not fond of field work.
After checking both directions, she stepped away from the wall and was about to walk up the steps when she heard a man speak from behind her.
“Not another move,” he said.
Alex put her hands in the air and turned around to see a guard with his rifle trained on her. He motioned for her to walk back down the steps.
“Place your gun on the ground,” he said.
She complied, kneeling slowly to lay her gun down. While she did this, she scanned the area for anything that might help her gain an advantage on the guard. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a fire extinguisher attached to the wall. Slowly rising to an upright position, she eyed the man closely.
“Is there a problem?” she asked, flipping her hair back.
The guard seemed taken aback by the slight flirtatious act, his eyes diverting down for a second. And that was all the time Alex needed.
She ripped the fire extinguisher out of its holder and swung it at the guard’s head. The blow sent him stumbling backward across the deck toward the edge. Alex ran after him and delivered another devastating hit, knocking the man out cold.
After tossing the extinguisher into the water, Alex proceeded to strip the man of all weapons he carried, including a tactical knife and two hand guns. She threw his rifle into the water for good measure.
With the guard out, she dragged him to a storage room off the main deck and shut him up inside. The deck remained quiet, yet she maintained her low profile, sneaking across the deck and climbing up the steps to the bridge. She slipped inside and caught the captain off guard.
“What’s going on here?” asked the captain, scowling at Alex.
“You’re going to take us back to Berbera right now,” she said.
“I don’t think so.”
“Me and my gun say otherwise.”
“Look, I don’t know who you are, but you can’t hijack my boat like this,” he said. “There will be people up here soon, and you will be outnumbered.”
“Perhaps I’ll just shoot you and turn the ship around myself.”
The captain laughed. “Let’s be honest. You’re not going to use that thing.”
Alex fired a shot at the captain’s foot, ripping a hole in it.
The captain hopped around on one foot, screaming in pain.
“Let’s go over this once more slowly,” she said. “You need to turn this ship around right now and take us back to Berbera.”
The captain knelt and grabbed his foot, writhing for a few moments in pain before he staggered to his feet. He spun the wheel around as the ship slowly began to backtrack over its previous course.
“Maybe next time you’ll do what I say the first time I ask,” Alex said.
CHAPTER 37
THE SHIP LURCHED PORTSIDE and groaned as she turned. Outside the doorway to the boiler room, Hawk heard a clatter of footfalls and retreated, standing flush against the wall. The last thing he wanted was for the crew members to open the door to the room and see him first thing after entering the room.
When the door flung open seconds later, two men hustled downstairs, stopping two steps shy of the bottom. They both wildly waved their guns into the dimly lit room.
“Where is he?” one of the guards asked.
“Look to your right,” McGinn said.
Hawk’s head was flush against the walls as he looked left at the doorway. He had less than half a second to decide what to do as the crew members would inevitably whip their heads in his direction.
Thinking quickly, Hawk fired a shot at one of the pipes on the other side of the room, throwing the men into confusion. Instead of looking right like McGinn had said, they turned left and shot blindly toward some electrical equipment. Sparks flew, and McGinn screamed at the men to stop. But it was too late. Hawk had stealthily climbed onto the steps behind them. With such precision and efficiency, he stabbed both of the men in the back of the neck. It happened so quickly that the man on the right had started to collapse to the floor before the man on the left even noticed what was happening. Neither ever had a fighting chance.
Hawk used the handrail to swing back down to the ground floor. He worked his way around the room while McGinn blabbered away, giving away his precise location each time.
“If you’re lucky enough to kill me, Hawk, just know that this endless parade of betrayal and attacks are never going to stop,” McGinn said. “You’re on the CIA’s most wanted list now.”
Tell me something I don’t already know.
Hawk felt the door behind him on the far side of the room from where he had entered. He needed to flush McGinn out into the open to get a clean shot.
“President Michaels knows about Firestorm now, too,” McGinn said again. “It’s over. You’re done. The whole project is going to be shuddered, especially after you screwed things up in Washington.”
Hawk tried to ignore McGinn, who apparently knew quite a few more details about Hawk than he would’ve guessed. All it did was make Hawk angrier.
I’m gonna take you bastards out one at a time then.
Hawk continued with this dance around the room until a pattern emerged from McGinn’s movements. Even as random as McGinn had to think he was being, Hawk had figured out McGinn’s next move and was one step ahead of him.
Hawk moved into position and waited, enduring more drivel from McGinn in the process.
“You, Alex, Blunt—you’re all gonna die,” McGinn said.
Hawk exploded from his position, delivering a swift punch to McGinn’s throat. McGinn staggered back and attempted to raise his weapon and get off a shot at Hawk. But Hawk kicked the gun out of McGinn’s hand before bull rushing him. Hawk placed his shoulder into the center of McGinn’s sternum and drove him against the wall. The thud of McGinn’s back hitting the steel beam was followed by a crack. Hawk unleashed a wicked punch to McGinn’s nose, breaking it and sending McGinn to the ground.
But before McGinn slunk all the way to the floor, Hawk ripped free the knife that McGinn had tucked into the side of his belt.
“In case you haven’t noticed, I’m not a big fan of terrorism, no matter who is doing the terrorizing,” Hawk said. “But I trust myself more than anyone else, and I know what’s going on here.”
“And what is that exactly?” McGinn asked.
“You sabotaged this mission to get rich,” Hawk said.
McGinn laughed and shook his head. “You think you know me so well, do you? I hate to break it to you, Hawk, but that’s not the kind of man I am.”
“You certainly aren’t a man of principal.”
“No, I’m much more—I’m a man of duty. And that’s exactly what I was doing here. I was fulfilling my duty.”
“To steal Sarin for the CIA.”
McGinn sneered. “If you only knew.”
“Enlighten me.”
“I don’t care to waste my last few breaths.”
Hawk knelt so he could look McGinn in the eyes. “You set me and Alex up. I could pardon you for trying to kill me. But Alex?”
“Just get it over with,” McGinn said as he lunged for the knife in Hawk’s hand.
Hawk yanked the knife back in an attempt to move it out of McGinn’s reach.
“You bastard. Don’t drag this out,” McGinn snapped.
Hawk grabbed McGinn’s ear and pulled his head to the side before inserting the knife into his chest. “Whatever horrors my own government planned end today.”
McGinn slumped down, his eyes barely open, life fleeting from his
body. “They will find you, you know.”
Hawk wiped the bloody blade off on his pants. “I’m counting on it.”
CHAPTER 38
AN HOUR LATER, THE AJAGAR ENTERED the harbor in Berbera with a frazzled Captain Katari at the helm. Hawk stood calmly behind the captain. Other than revenge, there was no reason for Katari to retaliate against Hawk and Alex. The package that McGinn had entrusted Katari to transport had been dumped into the Arabian Sea, and, with it, Katari’s big payday.
“I know it may feel like a disappointment now,” Hawk began, “but you would’ve lived with a lifetime of regret the moment you heard about the hundreds of people killed by Sarin gas. Trust me. We did you a favor.”
Katari didn’t flinch, keeping his eyes on the waterway in front of his ship.
“McGinn would’ve probably killed you anyway,” Alex said. “Had you even seen any money.”
Katari wouldn’t turn around.
Hawk fingered the gun in his pocket, unsure if Katari might explode. “I hope you understand this isn’t personal for us, but we were sent here to do a job. Somewhere along the way, we were ambushed, yet we never wavered in our mission. I’m sure as a captain you can appreciate that.”
Nodding almost indiscernibly, Katari continued steering the ship to the port they’d departed from a few hours before.
They continued on for a few minutes in silence before Katari spoke.
“Do you know what it’s like to see your family suffer? To watch your grandmother nearly faint due to the unbearable heat? To listen to the cries of your son with a hungry belly? I take no pride in what I did, but I saw an opportunity to change the course of my family’s life, to give them a chance to thrive instead of survive. And I did what any man would do—I took it.”
“But is that worth your integrity?” Hawk asked.
“Integrity doesn’t keep our homes cool or put food on the table. But money does,” Katari said, shaking his fist.
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