“I can’t let you see all this, but I’m—”
“Why the hell not? I’ve probably got a higher security clearance than you do.”
“I’m going to let you see a few documents, though some of the names have been redacted. Given your current ties to the White House, I thought it was best not to divulge everything. Eventually it’ll all make sense, but in the meantime, I’ll share what I can, which should clear up the muddy waters for you.”
“If it can get me out of this dump of a safe house any faster, I’ll be all ears.”
Frazier held up his hands. “Look, this isn’t some prerequisite for your release. This is a courtesy to you.”
“You just want to keep me from trying to run off again, don’t you? You think placating me will keep me more content.”
Frazier shrugged. “I’m hoping so, though your last get away attempt didn’t get you too far. It’s just that I have a lot of respect for you and what you’ve done, both professionally and as your friend. I don’t want to leave you in the dark.”
“Fine. I’ll listen—and stay put . . . for now.”
“Okay, here’s what’s happening in a nut shell. The NSA teamed up with the FBI on a high-profile case to capture a high-ranking official in Peterson’s campaign who is working with foreign terrorists.”
“What? James Peterson? Mr. Anti-Terrorism Man?”
“The one and only,” Frazier said. “And now perhaps you see the problem we have. The FBI didn’t want to see this investigation publicized for fear of being unable to capture the suspect in the act. But even more so, the FBI didn’t want to take heat for politicizing an investigation. They learned from the last time.”
“Seems smart, but I don’t understand why I’m being supposedly arrested. My good name and reputation is at stake.”
“We’ll clear all of that up after this is over. I think the American people will be understanding—even though what you did was still wrong. The truth is we set you up to be a patsy.”
“You sonofabitch,” Blunt said with a growl.
“One of my analysts came to me with an opportunity, suggesting we use you unknowingly in this op.”
“What if it hadn’t worked?”
Frazier smiled. “We knew it would work the whole time, but there were other backup plans in place just in case something went sideways. We certainly weren’t anticipating the show that Peterson put on though, that’s for sure.”
“Now when you say working withterrorists, what exactly do you mean by that?”
Frazier took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “Well, at this point, all we know is that this person of interest has contacted a liaison from Al Hasib. The plan is to sneak one of their operatives into the country very soon to work with a sleeper cell.”
“Do you know where they plan to strike or what they plan to do?”
“Nothing yet. We’re still gathering more intelligence, but we know something is going to happen very soon.”
“How soon?”
“Maybe within the next week or so. It’s going to happen before the election, which I think is the point.”
“That bastard Peterson wants to invite an attack just before everyone goes to the polls to assure a victory. What an idiot. He’s already steamrolling Young, if the polls are to be believed.”
“It seems like overkill to me, too,” Frazier said. “But maybe Peterson is making a plan to loosen the defense purse strings when he gets into office. He does have quite a number of big financiers in the tech industry given his background. I’m sure they’re all hoping he sends a few contracts their way.”
“Or maybe he just wants to make sure he doesn’t choke like he did in that California senate race about a decade ago when he blew a fifteen point lead with a week to go and vowed to never enter politics again.”
“Whatever his reasoning, we need to stop him before this attack comes to fruition and hundreds of innocent Americans die.”
“And arresting me helps you how?”
“There have been whispers going around the Beltway for a while now about a joint venture between the NSA and FBI to arrest a high-profile political figure,” Frazier said. “This will quell those rumors and hopefully make our target more comfortable than he should be. Perhaps he’ll make a mistake and we’ll be able to catch him.”
Blunt leaned forward in his chair, signaling his full interest in the situation. “You need to be proactive on this,” Blunt said. “Sitting back and hoping someone will make a mistake is a good way to watch another tragedy occur.”
“I didn’t mean to imply that we’re not actively pursuing the target, just that we’re still gathering the intelligence we need to make an arrest.”
“Arresting him is the last thing you need to be concerned with if what you think is going to happen will occur. You need to stop the threat first and foremost. Worry about compiling enough evidence to put him away in federal prison later.”
“That’s not how we work, J.D. You ought to know that by now.”
Blunt sighed. “Don’t I know that all too well. It’s why you have to have people like me to do the dirty work. We may not always operate within the confines of the law, but we snuff out threats and save lives, all while protecting the good name of the United States of America to the world abroad.”
“And we appreciate what you’ve done, but we’re going to handle this one our way,” Frazier said as he started to place the folders back in his briefcase.
“I need to make a phone call,” Blunt announced as he stood.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that.”
“This is important, Justin. If you don’t let me do this, those innocent people you’re so concerned with just might die like you fear.”
“We’re already on it. You don’t need to worry about it.”
Blunt narrowed his eyes and pointed at Frazier. “No, you don’t understand. You and your little army of eavesdroppers aren’t going to be able to stop what’s about to happen.”
“We’re sticking with our plan. Injecting any other players into it endangers our success.”
“Success is making sure there aren’t body parts splattered all over a city street. Now, if you’ll let me make a phone call, I’ll get someone here who can put your mind at ease and catch this terrorist scum. What’s really going on here? I have a feeling you’re not telling me everything.”
Frazier sighed. “Okay, I wasn’t be completely straight forward with you.”
Blunt sat back down. “What is it, Justin?”
“We have reason to believe that the terrorist is actually already here in the country. More precisely, we believe he’s already in New York planning his attack.”
“In that case, you really do need me to make this phone call.”
“Who are you so desperate to reach?”
“Brady Hawk.”
“And where is this Mr. Brady Hawk?”
“Since you’re finally being completely honest with me, I might as well tell you the truth—I have no idea where he is.”
“In that case, Mr. Hawk won’t do us much good, will he? Just leave it to us. You do your part by staying put so we can ferret out the rat.”
Blunt nodded, but he wasn’t in agreement.
CHAPTER 23
Kumzar, Oman
HAWK HELD ALEX’S HAIR BACK as she leaned over the side of the boat. The combination of a rich meal the night before and choppy waters led to an upset stomach that could only be solved one way. When she finished puking, Hawk handed her a towel followed by a bottle of water. She thanked him before easing into her seat and hoping the worst was over.
A half hour later, the captain slowed the boat down and eased into the fledgling port of Kumzar. The northernmost settlement in Oman happened to be located on an island at the edge of the Strait of Hormuz. The captain explained to Hawk and Alex that the people were generally friendly and welcoming to tourists.
“But we’re not tourists,” Alex said to Hawk in a whisper.
“We’ll make sure to keep a low profile,” Hawk said. “We’re honeymooners, right?”
“If that’s the case, where’s my ring?”
Hawk reached into his bag and produced a fake diamond ring.
Alex’s mouth fell agape. “Hawk, what is this ?”
“If we’re going to look the part, we need all the right props.”
“Hmm. Nice prop.”
“It’s a fake, Alex. Now, should we go over the plan again?”
She shook her head and adjusted the ring on her finger. “I think I’ve got it. You just need to get me close enough to hack into the console so I can set off the homing beacon. Should be easy enough. You’re the one with the hardest job, not me.”
“I hope you’re wrong about that.”
The captain docked the boat and helped them get out. Hawk thanked the man and slipped him an extra hundred dollar bill to get Alex roses for their room. He winked at the man and gestured toward the ring on her finger. The captain smiled and nodded knowingly.
Hawk and Alex proceeded to check into their hotel room, which was located on a rocky cliff overlooking the harbor. He set up all his reconnaissance equipment and scanned the area below for any signs of Fazil’s men.
“Are you seeing anything yet?” Alex asked after ten minutes of silent searching.
“Nothing so far. There’s plenty of activity around the docks, but nothing that looks suspicious at the moment. Mostly just fishing and tourism boats.”
Another five minutes passed without a word spoken between either of them.
Hawk stood. “I need to go down there and scope it out.”
“Right now?”
He nodded. “It’s just before lunch. By the time I get down there, the place should clear out a little bit, and maybe I’ll be able to get a better feel for what I need to do to get you close enough to hack into the system.”
“From the report you gave me, I only need to be about fifty meters away. That should be close enough for me to gain access to the network.”
“Any chance beyond that distance?”
She shook her head. “It’s a localized system, and the back entrance is designed to latch on to any cellular networks in the area. However, the only way you can gain access is through a special bluetooth portal the engineer created. It’s a boosted bluetooth signal, and fifty meters should be strong enough for our needs. All I need to do is engage the homing beacon. I could be done in less than a minute if everything goes as planned.”
Hawk shot her a sideways glance. “Nothing ever goes as planned.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, but a girl can dream, can’t she?”
“Realistically, how long will it take?”
“Maybe five minutes tops,” she said. “That should allow for any extra hiccups I might encounter.”
“Fair enough. That at least lets me know what I’m dealing with in getting you close to the boat.”
“What makes you think Al Hasib even has the control panel on one of their boats here?”
“It’s too heavy to lug around. Plus if someone decided to, it’d likely draw quite a bit of unwanted attention. At least, that’s what Kejal told me.”
“Good luck down there,” Alex said. “I’ll keep an eye on you from here. What’s your cover going to be?”
“I’m going to ask if any of the tourism boats know of a spot where we can cliff dive around here. I’ve always dreamed of doing something like that on my honeymoon.”
Alex laughed softly. “For some reason that doesn’t surprise me.”
“Yeah, I’m not the kind of guy who will just grab a book and read by the beach for the entire vacation. I need to be doing something active.”
“You might try relaxing sometime,” she said. “It can be therapeutic.”
“The most therapeutic thing I can do right now is put an end to this threat in the Strait of Hormuz. Maybe after that, I’ll consider a lazy vacation with you.”
“In that case, I’ve got a list of places we could go to waste the time away.”
Hawk wagged his finger. “Don’t get too excited. We need to stay focused and finish this assignment first.”
“Good luck,” she said.
With his pack slung over his back, Hawk made his way down to the docks to scout out the area and look for the potential boat that contained the control system. The biggest problem Hawk had was that almost all of the boats appeared rather modest without much room to house such a device. The larger vessels were prone to attract attention in a small harbor such as the one on Kumzar, and Fazil was smart enough not to make a mistake like that.
Where are you, Al Hasib?
Hawk stopped and spoke with a boat captain about the possibility of hiring him later that afternoon for a tour around the island. Trying to remain as casual as possible, Hawk continued scanning the area for a likely candidate. When nothing stuck out to him, he left the harbor area and walked along the shoreline for a couple miles. Finally, something caught Hawk’s eye.
Anchored just off shore at an inlet away from the main docks was a boat that looked out of place. At about forty feet in length, the craft had sleeping quarters below deck visible by way of several porthole windows. One man stood at the helm hunched over. Hawk noticed the man had a gun holstered as he stood upright and began walking around the deck. As he strode about, he looked off in the distance, but there were no lines of concern etched into his forehead. Hawk figured the guard must have thought everything was as it was supposed to be and didn’t give much more than a cursory glance at the shoreline.
Hawk hid behind a row of trees just off the shore. With the tide going out, the boat was in shallow enough water that Hawk noted he wouldn’t have to swim far once he decided to approach the vessel.
“Hawk, how are things going?” Alex asked. “I’m looking through the binoculars, and I don’t see you down at the harbor? Are you still there?”
“I had to look elsewhere,” he said. “Couldn’t find anything, but I think I stumbled upon something now just west of the harbor.”
“What do you see?”
“A boat anchored in a secluded inlet that doesn’t belong with one armed guard moseying around the top deck.”
“Don’t just rush in there, Hawk. I don’t have eyes on you.”
“It shouldn’t be a problem. I only see one guard.”
“Stay where you are. I’m coming down there.”
“Roger that.”
Hawk hunched low in the bushes, eyeing the guard. But after five minutes, Hawk was convinced the man was alone. Waiting for Alex would just complicate things.
I’ll have this taken care of before she gets here.
Hawk eased farther down the beachhead until he found an ideal location to enter the water. After he was submerged, he swam up to the boat and waited for the right moment.
As Hawk clung to the boat’s step ladder, he went over how he would handle the guard. Without a gun due to the water approach, Hawk needed to make quick work of the man patrolling the deck and take his weapon. Hawk thought if he could handle everything without a shot being fired, he would be in good shape to inspect the vessel and locate the control panel. But that was all conditional upon everything going as planned.
A few minutes later, the guard lit a cigarette and strode aimlessly around the ship. At one point, he stooped over the railing and glanced downward yet never laid eyes on Hawk who was near the back of the ship. Hawk seized the opportunity to make a surprise attack, presumably with the guard’s back turned.
Scampering up the ladder, Hawk raced toward the Al Hasib guard, who had just started to turn toward the noise of heavy footfalls. But he never even saw Hawk’s face. Hawk slit the man’s throat and eased his body down onto the deck. Taking the man’s gun, Hawk headed below in searc
h of the control console.
The click of a gun froze Hawk.
He held his hands up and turned toward the sound.
“I thought we were alone,” Hawk said, scanning the cabin for any other guards.
The Al Hasib agent kept his eyes and gun trained on Hawk but yelled something in Arabic that Hawk didn’t understand.
Another man called out something to the guard, who scowled and screamed back another slew of words Hawk figured was some sort of code talk.
As the back and forth banter continued, the guard glanced away from Hawk for just a second. But that was all Hawk needed.
With a roundhouse kick, he sent the guard staggering backward. A throat punch followed and then another slit of the throat.
How many more of there are you?
Hawk surmised there was at least one other guard based on the conversation that had occurred just moments before. But making assumptions could get him killed. He’d already made a dangerous one before engaging the Al Hasib operatives on the boat without Alex to help, and he’d be lucky to escape with his life, which had become a far greater priority than the weapons system control panel.
Hawk dragged the man’s body to the corner of the room and then eased up against the wall near the entrance, waiting for the next guard to enter.
Another guard called out for his colleague.
“Mohammed, where’d you go?” he said in Arabic.
Those were also the last words the man uttered.
Hawk hid up against the wall and waited for the next man to walk into the room. The second he did, Hawk forced a knife into the side of the man’s knee. But instead of going for the kill, Hawk punched the man in the stomach and sent him reeling backward. Two more swift punches to the face knocked him down.
“What do you want?” the man asked in English.
“I want to know where the control panel is for your new weapons system,” Hawk said, waving a gun in the man’s face. “If you help me find it, I’ll consider letting you live. But that’s all you get at this point. Understand?”
The man nodded and started to say something before a bullet ripped through the back of his head. Another man strode into the room, his gun already trained on Hawk.
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