Blunt chuckled. “Certainly wasn’t for the first two. I’ve got plenty of money and my first love is this country.”
“Then you were running from something?” one of the agents said.
“Yes, I was. Ironically enough, I was trying to escape from a very powerful person in this country.”
“Next you’re going to tell us that it was the president,” the other agent said as he laughed.
Blunt didn’t laugh with him, remaining stoic.
The agent covered his mouth with his hand. “It was the president. Oh my god. What happened?”
“There are some things I just prefer not to relive,” Blunt said.
When they finally arrived at the safe house, Blunt retreated immediately to his room and announced he was taking a nap. After a restless hour of sleep, he wandered into the living room and turned on the television.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” one of the agents said as he tried to take the remote control from Blunt’s hand.
“I’m bored as hell, and I’m not going to sit around and do Sudoku puzzles for the next however many days despite how subtle the suggestion is made in my room by the dozen Sudoku books piled on my nightstand.”
“But there are some things on television you probably don’t want to see.”
“If you’re worried about my feelings, don’t be,” Blunt said. “I’ve seen enough fabricated stories about me to last several lifetimes. And I’m immune to it all. I’ve never been one to be bothered by another person’s opinion about me.”
“Fair enough,” the agent said, releasing his hand from the remote. “Just don’t come crying to me when Anderson Cooper starts saying mean things about you on television.”
Blunt settled down onto the couch and turned on the television. He flipped through the channels until he came across a mid-afternoon cable news program where a fiery debate was underway about the election. Then a question flashed up on the screen: Will Blunt’s Arrest Sink Young’s Election Hopes?
Blunt watched as the pundits sparred verbally over the impact of his arrest and how it was effecting polling numbers. None of the discussion was encouraging to Blunt, and even more devastating to Young’s hopes of staying in the White House.
One of the agents leaned against the doorjamb leading into the living room.
“See, I told you that you wouldn’t wanna watch this.”
Blunt felt sick to his stomach. Whatever had transpired over the past twenty-four hours while he was held up in the FBI headquarters wasn’t good for him or for Young’s campaign.
Blunt felt the urge to get out of there and do something about it—and fast.
CHAPTER 19
ALEX DIDN’T HAVE TIME to grab her go bag before the FBI agents had stormed her apartment. All that she was left to survive with was the money she’d crammed into her pocket as she attempted to keep all the incriminating evidence hidden. She knew she could likely talk her way out of anything and get Blunt to help her out by pulling a few strings, but there wasn’t time to plead her case and explain the urgency behind her actions. Hawk was in danger, and she needed to help him—only now she couldn’t. Without a computer and thousands of miles away, Alex was left to scramble for help and hope that she’d still be able to make contact with Hawk once she was back up and running.
Following her beat down in the alley, she trudged to the street corner and caught a cab ride to a seedy motel on the edge of the city limits. Washington was pricey, but there were still a few places with cheap motels, though not the kind she ever wanted to frequent. But she had no choice.
She barely slept the night before, subjected to raucous noises from the room next door. After the third set of couples took up residence at 4:00 a.m., she questioned whether the place was actually a motel. She finally managed to get a long stretch of sleep between 5:00 and 8:30 a.m. before housekeeping rapped on her door.
“Come back later,” Alex said with a groan.
“Sorry, toots,” the cleaning lady said. “Time’s up. Check out is at 8:00 a.m. for the rate you paid.”
Alex walked over to the door and cracked it open. “I’m going to get another day then. Come back later.”
“No can do, lady. Boss man’s orders.”
“Fine,” Alex said before stumbling out of the room and purchasing another night.
When she returned, she found the room barely cleaned. Her bed was still messy, and nothing had been thoroughly wiped down.
Alex stepped back outside and called out toward the woman. “You call this clean?”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have made such a big mess,” the lady replied. “Besides, you wanted me to come back later anyway.”
Alex sighed and retreated inside her room. She took a shower, hoping it would clear her head. She needed to get back online but required the kind of help she couldn’t afford at the moment. While she was washing her hair, she remembered that she still had one ally she could reach out to who just might be able to help.
If anybody can help me, Mallory Kauffman can.
Due to her fugitive status, Alex was reticent to involve Mallory. But Alex was desperate. Hawk was flying solo in the middle of the desert, yet she had no idea what was happening with him or if he was even still there. If he needed her help, she didn’t know it.
Once Alex got dressed and straightened up her room, she called Mallory.
“Long time, no see,” Mallory said as she answered the phone.
“These days, the no see is kind of the point,” Alex said.
“Trouble always seems to follow you, doesn’t it? What’s the problem this time?”
“I’m not sure I want to get into it over the phone, but I do have a problem that I think you can help me out with.”
“Tell me what you need, and I’ll see what I can do.”
“Some punks stole my laptop yesterday, and I need to get it back.”
“Of course,” Mallory said. “Not sure I can help you with that though.”
“It’s not that complicated. I just need you to look up the location on a website for me and go with me to that place and get my computer back.”
“If it’s that easy, why do you need my help?”
Alex sighed, unsure of how much to divulge on the phone. “Look, I don’t want to get you in mixed up in the middle of all this, and I wouldn’t unless it was absolutely necessary.”
“So, it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Let’s just say at the moment that I don’t have access to any computer, nor do I have enough money to do so.”
“You need to fill me in,” Mallory said. “Give me the website address and your current location, and I’ll come pick you up.”
Alex shared the information with Mallory and waited for a few moments while she looked up everything.
“What are you doing staying at the Beltway Motel? I’ve heard stories about that place.”
“Trust me,” Alex said. “They’re all true. If you’ve ever heard about a senator coming here, just know they are either working with an organized crime group or hiring a hooker.”
“Classy place, huh?”
“You’ll see it for yourself when you pick me up.”
“Can’t wait,” Mallory said. “And, oh, I’ve got a hit on your laptop tracker. It’s still active. It’s in a shady part of town too. You sure you don’t want to call someone else?”
“Just bring your gun and your badge. We’ll manage.”
“Be there in half an hour.”
Alex hung up and waited. She imagined the worst when it came to what happened to her computer: The punks who stole it stripped it clean—or worse. She wondered if they’d already reformatted the hard drive. Both were nightmare scenarios.
When Mallory knocked on the door, Alex hesitated before opening it. Her situation was an utter embarrassment, especially for someone who used to have a dream job at the CIA. Instead, she was holed up in a sketchy motel in a questionable part of town, reaching out for help regarding a situation she was u
ncomfortable talking about on the phone. Alex took a deep breath and forced a smile before turning the deadbolt.
Mallory smiled and gave Alex a friendly hug. After they both stepped back, Mallory scanned the room.
“What have you gotten yourself into this time, Alex?”
“I know it might seem strange, but I can explain.”
“Why don’t you tell me on the way,” Mallory suggested. “I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.”
“Fine by me.”
Mallory clicked her key fob. Alex eased inside and buckled her seat belt. She waited patiently for Mallory to do the same before explaining the events that led to the laptop theft.
“That’s quite a story,” Mallory said. “How much longer can you go before you run out of cash?”
“Tonight,” Alex said. “I’m paid up through tonight, and then I’m out of cash.”
“Go grab your things,” Mallory said. “You’re staying with me until this thing gets sorted out.”
“I really don’t want to drag you into this, Mal.”
“Too late. I’m here, and I don’t care what you want. I’m going to help you. Friends don’t let friends stay at the Beltway Motel, even if it is for only one more night. Besides, where were you going to go after this anyway? A friend’s couch? The street?”
Alex didn’t say anything.
“You were planning on staying on the street, weren’t you?” Mallory said. She pointed at the room door. “Go get your bag now.”
Alex hustled inside and scooped up scant belongings before shoving them into her bag. She returned shortly to Mallory’s running car.
“I’m going to take care of you,” Mallory said as she drove out of the parking lot and in the direction of the laptop’s tracker. “Whatever is really going on here, I’m sure we can sort it out. I’ve just never known anyone who finds herself in such predicaments on a regular basis.”
“Believe me when I say this, but I wish it wasn’t that way.”
“Pining for your old job as a CIA analyst, are you?”
“Not exactly,” Alex said. “I wouldn’t trade this job for the world. I just . . .”
“Just what, Alex?”
“I just wish a different group of people supported it.”
“You mean like the government?”
“Yeah. Just not some shadowy organization that constantly seems to be at odds with those in the intelligence community.”
“Well, I’ve got an office full of people who would gladly trade places with you. There’s not a day goes by when we all wish we were in your shoes, including me.”
“Even after you saw the situation I’m in now?”
“It’s still much better than the ham-fisted bureaucratic mess we have to deal with. As much as the Beltway Motel is a human-sized roach trap, it’s still worlds better than navigating all the red tape and overinflated egos we have to endure daily.”
“Would you still feel the same way if I told you the cleaning lady yelled at me this morning and called me ‘Toots?’”
“Still more pleasant than getting groped on a regular basis by one of your superiors and ogled by the most recent divorced agent.”
“I guess you have a point,” Alex said.
“And besides, you get to work with Brady Hawk. It can’t be all that bad.”
“I’m not gonna lie. He’s about the nicest eye candy around.”
Mallory cast a sideways glance at her passenger. “Is that all he is? Just some eye candy?”
“I’m not ready to predict anything right now. But I will say things are moving in the right direction.”
“I knew it,” Mallory said, pumping her fist and smiling. “That guy is crazy good looking. I thought you’d be a fool if you didn’t break protocol and entertain the idea of a relationship with him.”
“It won’t come to much of anything if I can’t get my laptop back so I can help him.”
“That bad, huh?”
Alex nodded. “We’d uncovered one of Al Hasib’s hideouts, and he was about to break into the compound when my satellite feed went out. The coms followed shortly thereafter. And this was all a few minutes before the FBI stormed into my apartment.”
“Well, we’re almost there,” Mallory said. “Just let me handle this for you, okay? It’s the least I can do.”
“You’re a life saver, Mal. I appreciate you sticking your neck out like this for me.”
“You know I’m always down for your crazy adventures. Beats looking at numbers and listening to phone calls all day.”
A few minutes later, Mallory slowed down as she checked the address. “Looks like we’re here.”
They both got out of the car and strode toward the apartment.
“Will your tracker tell us which floor they’re on?” Mallory asked, glancing at her phone.
“No,” Alex said, “but I can set off an alarm. There are only three floors here, so I’ll go up to the second floor and you stay here on the ground. Select the alert function and listen. We should be able to tell which one it is.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
Alex hustled up a flight of stairs before signaling to Mallory to activate the alert. It went off for five seconds before Alex motioned for Mallory to join her.
“It’s up here,” Alex said.
Mallory hustled up the steps and pounded on the door with her fist.
“Who is it?” a man asked.
“Mallory Kauffman from the CIA. I need you to open up now.”
“Do you have a warrant?”
“I don’t need a warrant,” Mallory said. “I’m going to give you to the count of three to open this door. Otherwise, I’m coming in.”
Alex heard some rustling in the house and fleeting footsteps. “They’re headed out the back.”
Alex raced down the steps and around the building where one of the men was preparing to leap to the ground. He was focused on his leap and never saw Alex.
The moment the man hit the ground, Alex kicked him in the face. He rolled to his left and felt the corner of his mouth for blood. Once he stood, he narrowed his eyes and glared at Alex.
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that,” he said as he started to rush toward her.
Mallory clicked off her safety, her gun trained on the man’s back.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she said.
The man turned around and noticed Mallory.
“Who are you people?” he asked.
“We’re just here to retrieve some stolen property,” Mallory said. “Now I suggest you hand that nice young lady the laptop in your backpack before I pump some lead into you. Think you can go along with that deal?”
The man didn’t say a word, seething as he dug through his bag and fished out Alex’s laptop. He handed it to her.
“Is that it?” Mallory asked.
Alex turned it on and stared at the screen as she waited for it to come to life. The computer whirred, and the login window appeared.
“This is it,” Alex said.
“Good,” Mallory said before looking directly at the man. “You got off easy today. If I as much hear you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll send an army of DEA agents over here and they’ll have your sorry ass in jail for the twenty years. You understand?”
“Lady, I don’t even do drugs,” he said. “I just—”
“Just what? Hustle vulnerable women in dark alleys? I think that’s even worse. But don’t you worry. Whatever charges come your way will most definitely stick.”
“I’ll stop, lady. Just point that thing elsewhere,” he said, gesturing toward Mallory’s gun.
She lowered her weapon and eyed him closely.
“I suggest you get on out of here and find a respectable means of employment.”
He nodded and dashed off down the sidewalk.
Alex smiled. “You may have just turned that man’s life around right there.”
Mallory rolled her eyes. “He’ll be locked up before the end of t
he week. The only things he regrets right now are that he got caught and he got kicked in the face by a woman. I doubt either of those things will score him many points with his gang.”
“Well, let’s get out of here before we draw any attention,” Alex said. “I need to find out where Hawk is and if he needs my help.”
Alex looked down at her comlink as it started to blink.
“What’s that all about?” Mallory asked, gesturing toward the device.
“Someone’s online,” Alex said as she inserted the earpiece. “It’s Hawk.”
CHAPTER 20
HAWK BUMPED ALONG THE ROCKY ROAD in the truck that he’d stolen from Al Hasib. He shoved in his earpiece and had fallen into a rhythm of trying to raise Alex on the coms every five minutes or so without much luck. But he persisted and was rewarded when Alex finally answered him after a couple of hours.
“Are you okay?” Hawk asked.
“I should be asking you that question,” Alex answered.
“Since you weren’t responding, I figured something had to have happened to you. It’s not like you to leave me stranded in the middle of a mission.”
“Well, your suspicions are correct. Something did happen to me, but I don’t want to get into it right now. Tell me how you are and how I can help.”
“I’m alive,” Hawk said. “And currently, I’m speeding along one of these godforsaken Iraqi highways headed for a port so I can get to the Strait of Hormuz.”
“Did you get captured?”
“Captured, tortured, and questioned.”
“And released?”
“Not exactly,” Hawk said. “Fazil left me alive because he said he wanted me to watch him bring the world to its knees. Then I learned that the weapons system is going to be utilized in the Strait of Hormuz. It’s going to cripple the world’s oil prices and give Al Hasib control if they manage to commandeer any boats as they hold all these tankers hostage.”
“How’d you escape?”
“It’s a long story, but the short version is that I had some help by a nice young man who’s infiltrated Al Hasib to take revenge for the death of his uncle.”
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