Captain Hawkins (The Jamie Hawkins Saga Book 1)
Page 20
Rodríguez had him. He knew he had him and the elation nearly suffocated him. He took several deep breaths to calm down. He considered Hawkins, considered the situation, and considered what he wanted. One thing he knew for certain was that his fury had finally led to victory, and he relished it. Now he needed to turn the fury into control.
He walked, forward one hand curled around his gun and the other bracing it underneath. His finger slipped from the trigger guard to the trigger. The slightest pressure and Hawkins would be dead, and there was nothing he could do—nothing but wait to die.
Though flushed with triumph, Rodríguez could not bring himself to the culminating act. The silence lingered, mysteriously binding the two men together, like oil mixing in water. It was strangely disconcerting. It filled him with an uncomfortable morbid curiosity.
He said, “This will make a fine story—in the retelling.”
“Ha!”
“I’m glad you can find humor in it.”
He’s smug—arrogant—unyielding, he thought.
Seemingly without rancor, Hawkins asked, “What are your thoughts?”
“Now that the hunt is over, I find I have none,” Rodríguez lied. “I’ve found you to be . . . very ordinary, when all this time . . . ”
“What? You imagined someone larger than life?” asked Hawkins.
“Yes.”
Again the silence stretched unbearably. They had nothing to say to each other, yet neither was willing to let the conversation die.
“Will you tell me why?” asked Rodríguez. He breathed evenly, in and out, through his nose with deliberation, trying to persuade the tension in his shoulders to melt away.
“Why what?”
“Why did you walk into this trap? You obviously knew from the outset that everything about Zeno was an elaborate trap, yet you dove in, as reckless as ever.”
“As reckless as you expected?”
“Yes, just as I expected. But it still doesn’t make sense to me.”
“No, it wouldn’t,” said Hawkins. “Not to you.”
Rodríguez was close to the edge. He had taken his own risks in his desperation to succeed. He thought he had won, but there was a nagging little tick in his brain, an old creeping fear that something was not quite right, something he perhaps should be worrying about, but had too easily dismissed.
He had gotten exactly what he wanted. Hadn’t he?
His thoughts were interrupted by memories of the battle on Gambaro Ridge, where Hawkins had saved his life.
“I’m sorry.”
Rodríguez said it without qualification, equivocation, sarcasm, or anything to mitigate its intent. The words sounded sincere, believable, like an act of contrition.
“I don’t doubt you,” said Hawkins.
With an off-handed shrug, Rodríguez said, “A soldier obeys orders.”
“All orders?
Rodríguez frowned, a deep troubled frown, one that roiled in the hurt it hid. He opened his mouth slightly, as if he were about to speak, but couldn’t find the words.
“It’s not enough to have the courage to fight,” said Hawkins. His eyes were unreadable. “You have to fight for what’s right.”
“Do you alone know what’s right?” demanded Rodríguez.
“Every man must discover for himself—if he’s a man of honor.”
That was the last thing Rodríguez had expected to hear. A blow to the face would not have had a greater impact. He snarled, “You insult me! Any other time I would not endure such abuse, but I will consider your statement an unfortunate consequence of your imminent demise.”
Hawkins’ brilliant sapphire eyes blazed as his gaze darted to a dark corner of the room. “Oh, but that may be merely a matter of timing,” he said with a twinkle. “You see, I’ve saved you the unfortunate experience of falling into rough rebel hands. Instead, you’re in my generous custody. Rest assured I shall be merciful.”
Tightening his grip on the gun, Rodríguez said, “You misstate the obvious. I’m the one with the gun.”
He said it with finality.
“Ha!” laughed Hawkins. Then leaning forward and speaking softly to draw all of Rodríguez’s attention, he said, “Anthony, did you know that the most dangerous moments in battle are those that happen when you think it’s over? When you think you’ve won and you’re safe. When all of a sudden . . .”
WHAP!
With all her might, Alyssa struck Rodríguez from behind.
It was just a glancing blow, but everything happened too fast for Rodríguez to transition from a comfortable sense of power and control—to surprise—to anger—and then to—a physical response. His delayed reaction was slight, but enough to give Hawkins, his opportunity. He flung himself violently forward and grabbed Rodríguez’s gun hand. His exceptional combat skills brought the clash to an instant conclusion.
Rodríguez lay unconscious on the ground.
***
“Jamie,” said Alyssa, running to him.
Hawkins, finally admitted to himself, that he had loved her from the moment they’d met. He loved her even while they were separated by time and distance. Seeing her now brought it all back in a rush.
“It was a desperate struggle,” said Alyssa, placing her hand on his chest, her eyes shining bright.
“A successful one—thanks to you,” he said, drawing her closer.
He wrapped his arms around her. She nestled comfortably against his chest. Her sweet breath brushed against his cheek, and her soft hand caressed the nape of his neck.
After all the violence he had experienced, and the obstacles he had shattered to reach her, this moment was what he deeply desired.
They kissed—a deep passionate kiss.
BAM!
Together they jumped as the door slammed open against the wall. Hale burst in.
He saw Rodríguez on the floor and Alyssa in Hawkins’ arms.
Quietly, Hale said, “It looks like you've made a difference.”
— The End. —
Curious about the unresolved alien signal?
Find the answer in the Sequel:
Coming soon by H. Peter Alesso
Captain Hawkins: The Greater Lie
SYNOPSIS
Captain Jamie Hawkins and young Nathan McClain were rebels fighting a corrupt Twenty-third Century government when they made a startling discovery—humanity was not alone.
An ancient alien deep space signal planted a digital seed into their world’s computer networks. The seed grew, evolved, and replicated into an adaptable artificial intelligence. The AI gained control of elements within the government’s security forces and military by creating false credentials and orders.
Fighting both the government and the AI, forced Hawkins to take reckless personal risks as he went undercover to penetrate the security apparatus suborned by the alien. But before Hawkins could find a way to defeat the invader, he learned that it gained control on the planet’s genetic engineering facility.
Why does an alien AI want the ability to alter human DNA?
Hawkins had to solve this alien logic puzzle.
The consequence of failure is the extinction of humanity.
FROM THE AUTHOR:
I hope you enjoyed this book. I must confess—I'm proud of my characters and the story they tell. Hawkins and Alyssa are bold, brave, and possess a sense of humor. Their story is rich with a sense of personal responsibility and honor—qualities I admire. I invite you to make a comment, suggestion, or speculation about alien life elsewhere in our Galaxy by posting a 5-Star review for Captain Hawkins on Amazon. Captain Hawkins . I look forward to your ideas and criticisms which will encourage me to work harder on the next book..
In gratitude,
H. Peter Alesso.
hpeteralesso.com
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Amazon Author: H. Peter Alesso
ins (The Jamie Hawkins Saga Book 1)