Brady Hawk 18 - A Deadly Force

by R. J. Patterson

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Hawk sprinted around the back of the building before he found a spot behind a dumpster to ambush Fortner. Staying completely still, Hawk tilted his head to one side and listened for the sound of footsteps. Other than a dog barking a block away or a police siren wailing down the street, the area was relatively quiet. And there weren’t any footfalls clattering against the concrete.

  “You found him yet?” Hawk whispered in his coms.

  “No,” Black said. “He must’ve gone in a different direction. I don’t see any sign of him.”

  “Should I abandon my post and search the streets?” Hawk asked.

  “That’s probably our best option at this point. I’ll keep going this way, but if he’s in front of me, he’s doing a good job of staying out of sight.”

  “Well, I haven’t heard anything that remotely sounds like someone running.”

  “Damn it,” Black said. “Where could he have gone so quickly? It’s like he vanished.”

  Hawk’s ears perked up at the sound of feet scuffling against the asphalt. “Wait. I think I hear something. Keep moving this way.”

  Hawk crouched low as he kept his gaze focused on the open area just beyond where he was positioned. He turned off the safety on his gun and wrapped both hands around it.

  Come to daddy.

  The sound stopped. Hawk put his face against the ground and eyed the pair of shoes visible beneath the wheels of the dumpster. Designer Italian leather dress shoes.

  The man spun on his heels and headed in the opposite direction.

  “Get ready,” Hawk whispered over the coms. “He’s headed back toward you.”

  Hawk crept into the alleyway and drew his weapon, ready to take out Fortner if fired upon.

  “Put those hands up where I can see them,” Hawk said.

  The man turned around slowly and raised one hand in the air, while the other was holding a toy poodle.

  “What is the meaning of this?” the man asked. “I’m just out for an evening stroll with Mr. Rockerfeller.”

  Hawk holstered his weapon. “I apologize, sir. Wrong place, wrong time. I thought you were someone else.”

  Before Hawk could say anything else, a car roared out of the alley behind him.

  “False alarm,” Hawk said. “But I think he just drove out of here and is on the street. I’m in pursuit.”

  Hawk pumped his arms as he increased his stride until he reached full speed. His lungs strained to process the cold air while his legs burned from sudden burst toward the street.

  By the time he reached the sidewalk to get a clear view, the car’s tires were screeching as it rounded the corner. He looked behind him to see Black slowing to a stop next to Alex, who had apparently been taking in the whole scene.

  “If you were at your computer, we might be able to track where he was going,” Hawk said.

  “If you didn’t keep secrets from me, I never would’ve come down here in the first place,” she fired back. “How can I even trust you anymore?”

  “Alex, it’s not like that,” Hawk said.

  She wasn’t hearing any of it, turning around and storming back toward their car.

  Black continued to move toward Hawk. “Don’t worry about it, man. We’ll get Fortner another time.”

  “But that was our golden opportunity to capture him. We may not get another chance like that.”

  Black shrugged. “We will. Now go sort things out with Alex. We need this team on the same page if we’re going to take down Obsidian.”

  Hawk sighed and trudged toward the car. But Alex was already gone.

  CHAPTER 9

  HAWK GROANED WHEN his alarm went off the next morning. After training himself to get up at daybreak while in the military, Hawk rarely slept late enough for his alarm to sound. But between sleeping on the couch and rehashing his conversation with Alex in his head, he was up for hours before finally crashing.

  He rolled off the edge, hitting the floor with a thud. Usually such a noise would have Alex running into the room, sometimes with her gun drawn. But not this morning. Alex had already left for the day.

  Hawk scrambled to get dressed and cooked breakfast before heading to the office. And it wasn’t something he was looking forward to. His only hope was that Alex had cooled off some and would be a little more understanding.

  When Hawk strode through the front doors at the Phoenix Foundation, he received some looks that signaled he knew Alex had already charged inside in all her fury. A couple of administrative assistants glanced at him then looked away when he made eye contact, hiding behind their project reports and manila folders. There was nothing he could do but brace for Hurricane Alex, not that he really blamed her for her anger.

  Hawk crept past her workstation, crouching low and moving swiftly until he reached Blunt’s office. He softly knocked on the door and eased inside.

  Blunt grunted as Hawk slipped into one of the chairs across from his boss’s desk.

  “Please keep it down,” Hawk said in a hushed tone. “If she hears you talking, she’s going to storm in here.”

  Blunt took a long pull on his coffee before setting it down on the table and emitting a satisfied sigh. “I knew this was coming, but I had no idea it’d be this rough. Alex is usually a pretty understanding person.”

  “Except when it comes to issues of honesty. When she’s been lied to or feels like someone tried to pull one over on her, she brings some fire.”

  “Have you had a chance to talk with her yet?” Blunt asked.

  Hawk shook his head slowly. “I slept on the couch last night because I know a conversation wouldn’t go anywhere. To be honest, I didn’t even attempt to discuss it last night after we got back from our stakeout of Kitty Tiller’s place.”

  “Black gave me the full report on how that went,” Blunt said as he winced. “How did Fortner escape?”

  “Hell if I know. For a minute there, I thought we had him pinned down. And then poof! It was like he disappeared into thin air. I know we’re not dealing with some rookie operative, but I certainly didn’t expect him to behave like a seasoned agent.”

  “You can’t underestimate Fortner,” Blunt said. “He’s got a way about him that suggests he’s just bumbling along. But I think that’s his way of creating lower expectations all around for himself. Then when he exceeds those expectations, you think he’s a damn magician.”

  “Well, he had to have some magic working last night to elude us. We were right on top of him before he inexplicably escaped.”

  “Hopefully we’ll get another chance soon,” Blunt said. “But in the meantime—”

  “In the meantime, you better start looping me in on everything,” Alex said as she burst into the room.

  Blunt held up his hands, gesturing for her to calm down. “Alex, we’re all on the same side here.”

  “Then why does it feel like I’m being ostracized?” she said, stamping her foot. “I work hard for this team, and I’m just as much of a part of it as anyone else. Keeping me in the dark isn’t the way we need to operate.”

  Blunt clipped off the end of a cigar and then stuffed the stogie into his mouth. “Alex, this is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you what Hawk was doing.”

  “What?” Alex said.

  “This, this reaction,” Blunt said, extending his hand toward her and circling her in the air. “When you act like this, it makes everyone more reticent to trust you. Stomping around the office, disrupting a stakeout—we feared that you’d be a little fiery if you learned that your brother was being investigated.”

  “First of all, he’s my half brother,” Alex said, pointing her index finger at Blunt. “And secondly, I’m not mad because you suspected him and asked Hawk to look into what he was doing. I’m mad because you intentionally hid it from me. You conspired with my husband to keep a portion of his mission away from me. I find that infuriating.”

  Blunt shifted in his seat. “Well, perhaps I made a mistake, but I—”

/>   “No, you definitely made a mistake,” Alex said. “What makes this team work so well is the fact that we have each other’s backs and don’t keep secrets from each other.”

  “Alex, we’re in the espionage business,” Blunt said. “You should know by now that secrecy is a part of what we do.”

  “But from each other? No, that’s not how this works. At least, that’s not how it’s supposed to work. We can’t have any doubt that we’re all on the same page and have the same goals for each mission—and even if it’s family.”

  Blunt’s eyebrows shot upward. “Are you sure about that?”

  Alex nodded. “I signed up to protect the security interests of this country and the people who serve it, no exceptions. Full stop.”

  “In that case, let me offer you a sincere apology,” Blunt said. “I never should have made a decision based out of fear of how you’d react. Can you trust me again?”

  She sighed and crossed her arms. “I hope so.”

  “And look, I’m not a marriage counselor, but it might be a good idea if you and Hawk—”

  “Save it,” Hawk and Alex said in unison. They both glanced at each other and broke into a grin.

  “You’re still probably sleeping on the couch tonight,” she said.

  Before Hawk could respond, an alarm on Alex’s phone started buzzing. She picked it up and pumped her fist triumphantly.

  “What is it?” Hawk asked.

  “This is exactly why you shouldn’t have kept me out of the loop and should know you can trust me with anything,” Alex said, showing her cell screen to Hawk and Blunt.

  “What’s all that gibberish mean?” Blunt asked.

  “That gibberish is code I wrote to search for any aliases that my brother—”

  “Half brother,” Blunt said.

  Alex smiled. “Yes, I wrote a code to search for any aliases my half-brother uses so we could track him down.”

  “Where is he?” Hawk asked.

  “Let’s go have a look,” Alex said before dashing out of the room and toward her computer terminal.

  Blunt and Hawk followed closely behind her.

  “That went better than I’d hoped,” Blunt said in a whisper to Hawk.

  “I don’t want to hear your gloating right now,” Hawk said. “I’m obviously still in the dog house, and who knows when I’ll get out of it.”

  Hawk stood back and watched as Alex hammered away on the keyboard to call up the information related to her alert. He loved working with her, especially when they had good chemistry. But given all that had just transpired, he hoped that Blunt’s idea to keep Alex in the dark about the shadow mission of Samuels didn’t cause everything to unravel. All Hawk could do was trust that their relationship was bigger than a spy spat.

  “Where is he?” asked Blunt, who started drumming his fingers on her desk.

  “Well, would you look at that?” Alex said, tapping her monitor. “Good ole Max Ellington is back from the dead. He bought a burner phone in New York City that’s easily tracked. And guess who he called first?”

  “The Russian embassy?” Blunt asked.

  “That’s a lazy guess,” Alex said. “He called A Hand Up and our good friend, Mr. Reece.”

  “If we weren’t sure before, there’s no doubt that charity is shady,” Hawk said.

  “But that’s not all,” Alex said.

  Blunt squinted as he stooped over and stared at the screen. “There’s more?”

  “I just got a printout of their conversation,” Alex said.

  Blunt went slack-jawed. “How’d you—”

  “I’ve still got some good friends at the NSA,” Alex said with a wry grin. “According to this message, they’re meeting this morning.”

  Blunt snapped his fingers. “In that case, I want the two of you on a train to New York by noon. See if you can press Reece for information about one Max Ellington.”

  “What about Black?” Hawk asked. “We might need him for support if things get messy.”

  Blunt shook his head. “I’m confident you two can handle Reece. Besides, I’ve got another assignment for Black.”

  Hawk waited until Blunt left the room before saying anything. “Can you run home with me and get everything you need?”

  Alex nodded. “Yes, but you’re not off the hook just yet.”

  Hawk’s phone buzzed, and he ignored it. When Alex wasn’t looking, he snuck a peek at the screen and then quickly shoved the device back into his pocket.

  CHAPTER 10

  BLACK DESCENDED THE STEPS as he entered Off the Record, a cocktail bar in the basement of the Hay-Adams Hotel and frequented by Washington’s elite. He recognized a pair of senators from opposing parties huddled at a table in the back while sharing a drink. According to his watch, it was only 4:00 p.m., but the place was nearly full.

  A man approached Black and slapped him on the back before draping an arm over his shoulder. Black scowled as he looked down at the man.

  “I’ve been watching you,” the man said. “You’ve been here less than a minute and still don’t have a drink in your hand. It’s obvious that you’re not from around here.”

  “What makes you say that?” Black asked.

  “If you were, you’d already be halfway through your first drink. It’s the only way to keep your sanity while working in Washington.”

  “If you need to drink to stay sane, perhaps you should consider a change in profession.”

  The man scrunched up his nose and shook his head slowly. “I’ve been in this town too damn long to switch now, and I sure as hell won’t be able to find any other work after being a lobbyist. We’re right up there with lawyers and IRS accountants as the most despised people on the planet.”

  Black was annoyed with the man’s intrusion but decided he could still be helpful. “Have you seen Kitty Tiller here today?”

  The man smiled. “Oh, now I understand why you’re here.”

  Black sighed. “Have you seen her or not?”

  The man held his glass out and pointed toward the bar. “A few minutes ago, she was sitting on the other side over there.”

  “Who knew lobbyists could still be so helpful,” Black said, patting the man on the shoulder to earn a sideways glance. Black strode across the room toward the other side of the bar in search of Kitty.

  Sitting on a stool at the far end against the wall was Kitty. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her fist as her eyes danced across the face of the neighboring man whose arms swung wildly as he talked. The moment he paused, she closed her eyes and gave a polite laugh before directing her attention to the margarita in front of her.

  Black found a table nearby and ordered a glass of water. He watched Kitty and her suitor for the next half hour. Eventually, she held up her finger and asked if he would excuse her.

  Black watched her disappear around the corner in search of the restrooms. He followed her to the short corridor and waited for her to emerge. After a few minutes, she re-emerged, straightening her skirt as she did.

  “Is that guy boring you to death?” Black asked.

  She sighed, refusing to stop. “Sorry, fella. I’ve already got one lame pickup artist to ditch right now. I don’t have time for two.”

  “Miss Tiller, I’m not trying to pick you up,” he said.

  She stopped and looked him in the eye.

  “That is unless you’re talking about the kind of pickup that involves taking a ride with me to an undisclosed location for interrogation.”

  She cocked her head to one side and gazed at him. “Mister—”

  “Agent Black,” he said.

  “Agent Black, I’m not sure what you want with me, but I can assure you that many other G-men before you have tried to bring trumped up charges against me and failed. I’d hate for your name to be added to a long list of losers.”

  “I’m not a G-man,” Black said, grabbing her by the arm. “And I’m not trying to bring you in, but I do need to discuss a few things with you regarding your relationshi
p with General Van Fortner.”

  “Who?”

  Black relaxed his grip. “This is not the time to play dumb, Miss Tiller.”

  “Say his name again. Maybe it will jog my memory.”

  Black narrowed his eyes. “Van Fortner. General Van Fortner.”

  “Ah, yes, I think I do remember him. But I’m afraid I can’t help you. I haven’t seen him in a while, several months if I recall correctly.”

  Black decided to call her bluff. “Then how come I have surveillance footage of him entering your home as recently as this week?”

  “I thought you said you weren’t a G-man.”

  “I’m not, which means I have far better means to obtain access to video cameras in a more expeditious manner. But thanks for confirming that Fortner was at your apartment this week. I thought you said you were well versed when it came to dealing with FBI agents.”

  She turned fully toward Black and brushed her hand along his bicep. “Well, aren’t you a sly one.”

  “And impervious toward your advances,” Black said with a faint smile. “However, I’m still prone to marching you out of here if you don’t cooperate.”

  “Is that a threat?” she asked, her eyes widening.

  “Do you feel threatened?”

  She shook her head.

  “Then I guess it isn’t. Consider it more of a promise that if you aren’t willing to assist me in this matter, I might have to resort to other means.”

  “I’ll do you one better. I’ll just tell Fortner about your so-called promise. You’ll regret you ever decided to tangle with me.”

  Black stroked his chin and looked skyward. “Why would you even consider defending that monster?”

  “Monster?” she asked as she drew back. “General Fortner is a national treasure. He’s one of the few people who understands what this country needs at this moment and is willing to make the sacrifices necessary to see a better future realized.”

  “The kind of sacrifices that include kidnapping innocent young women just to get his way?”

  Kitty pursed her lips and shook her head. “The general would never do such a thing. That’s not his style.”

  “Tell that to my sister,” Black said. “Some of his goons abducted her just to get to me. That’s exactly his style.”