She shook her head. “Liam, you were the one who was about to—”
“Save it, Lily. Let’s get going, Mr. Smith,” Liam said as he sneered at Hawk.
Hawk spun toward his two clients and walked back down the trail. Serving as a trail guide for Al Hajar Outfitters seemed like a good cover several months ago when Hawk needed to find a way to prevent the drain on his resources. If he had gone much longer without a job, he calculated he’d be destitute by the end of the year. But he also needed to go somewhere that not even Michaels would think to look. Hawk decided to go somewhere he never anticipated going himself. And the mountain region in Oman struck him as an ideal location to hide.
For the past few months, Hawk had lived simply, staying in a communal home supplied by his employer. In his short time there, he’d seen several other guides come and go—some warded off by the physical demand of climbing Al Hajar’s steep and rocky trails, others by the oppressive restraints that go with living in a predominantly Muslim culture. Alcohol, if one could find it, was rare. Speaking openly and critically of the government could land you in jail. But mostly, the comforts of home were what people missed most—familiar food, television they could understand, music they appreciated, friends they loved.
Hawk longed for all those things, but he recognized the reality of his situation: if he ever wanted to go home in the future, laying low was imperative. The most powerful man in the free world had placed Hawk at the top of a list nobody wanted to be on. And he knew there was only one way people got off that list. But Hawk hadn’t given up yet. Trudging up and down Al Hajar had given him plenty of time to think about another approach, one that could get his name erased from such a list without getting personally rubbed out.
“Would you mind slowing down?” Liam said. “You military people think you have to prove to everyone else just how tough you are.”
Hawk stopped and turned around. He strode toward Liam before halting less than a meter away.
“You seem to have a problem with the military,” Hawk said. “What makes you think I was ever in anybody’s military?”
Liam huffed through his nose. “Are you kidding me? It’s obvious. You’ve got Marine written all over you.”
“Is that so?” Hawk said with a sarcastic smile. He wanted to put the snarky punk in his place but resisted the urge.
“Yeah, the way you talk, the way you march, the way you think you’re the boss of me instead of realizing that I’m the one paying your salary.”
Hawk chuckled. “Guess I’m not gonna get a tip today, am I?”
“I’ll give you a tip instead,” Liam said. “Stop being such a hard ass and thoughtfully consider the people you’re supposed to be leading. Not everyone cares to be treated like we’re foot soldiers in your army. Not everyone—”
“That’s enough,” Hawk said.
“See, you’re doing it right now,” Liam said, putting his finger into Hawk’s chest.
Hawk glanced down at Liam’s index finger and then at Liam.
“If you don’t remove your finger, I’m going to take you down again—and I promise you won’t get up so easily this time.”
“Is that so, Mr. Tough Guy?”
“Liam,” Lily called, stamping her foot. “Cut it out.”
Liam spun toward her. “If you speak to me like that again, you’re going to regret it.”
Hawk then grabbed a fistful of Liam’s shirt and pulled him close.
“That’s not how we treat ladies,” Hawk said. “Now, I suggest you apologize to your lady.”
Hawk released Liam, who stumbled a few steps down the path. When he regained his balance and stood upright, he glared up at Hawk.
“My patience has run out,” Hawk said. “Now apologize and let’s keep moving, or else I’m gonna leave you here.”
Liam mumbled something to Lily before they resumed their hike, keeping pace with Hawk. They all walked in silence for the next hour. Hawk enjoyed the peace and quiet as well as the steady pace. Once they returned to the Al Hajar Outfitters office, Hawk took the couple into the back and introduced them to his boss so they could air their grievances.
“Did we have a problem today?” Abdul Majjeed asked the couple.
“It was great,” Lily said with a smile. “Mr. Smith was a wonderful guide.”
Majjeed turned to Liam. “I take it you didn’t feel the same way.”
Liam shook his head. “Disaster is a more appropriate way to describe today’s hike.”
“How so?” Majjeed asked, his eyebrows arched.
Hawk slipped out of the office and sat down on a chair in the hallway, listening to Liam’s biased account of their interactions. According to Liam, he claimed he was assaulted by the military “goon” serving as their guide. He was ruthless and caustic—and unapologetically so, according to Liam.
Majjeed poked his head outside the office to find Hawk.
“Did you hear all of this?”
Hawk nodded.
“Is this true what this man is saying?” Majjeed asked.
“I don’t know how you say it in Oman, but back home, we call people like him a ‘prima donna,’ someone who demands to get their way in all circumstances with no regard for others.”
“That sounds like what he’s accusing you of,” Majjeed said.
“That’s how they all do it.”
Majjeed took a deep breath and nodded knowingly, as if he’d encountered such people before.
“Were you in the military?” Majjeed asked finally. “You never mentioned that to me before. That would’ve been important.”
“Don’t trust that fool,” Hawk said. “He would’ve died on a marked trail if I hadn’t helped him out.”
“That’s not answering my question.”
Hawk shrugged. “I already answered it when I filled out my application to work for you. Besides, is it really that important?”
Majjeed returned to his office, but Hawk didn’t move. He listened in on the entire follow-up conversation, which drove his
