Majjeed spoke in a hushed tone, but Hawk heard enough of the conversation.
“Did he really do these things to you?” Majjeed asked.
“Yes,” the man answered, his head nodding furiously. “Every word of it’s true.”
“And you think he’s ex-military?” Majjeed’s voice softening again.
Liam nodded again. “No doubt about it.”
Hawk didn’t wait around to hear the rest. If Majjeed had an inkling of belief that Hawk was ex-military, there’d be an officer at his door to arrest him within an hour. He rushed home and crammed all his valuable items into a pillowcase, doubling as his suitcase. Without saying goodbye to even the closest of friends he’d made during his time at the outfitters, Hawk stole off toward the bus stop and caught the next bus headed for Muscat.
Hawk didn’t look back either. Spending what felt like years of his life on the run gave him an odd comfort as he struck off for the big city. He needed a change of scenery, a fresh start, a place to hide. He needed a place to hatch his scheme for revenge on President Michaels.
* * *
HAWK SWALLOWED HARD when he heard the click of a gun from behind the door.
“Who is it?” the man on the other side asked.
“It’s me, Brady.”
“Hawk?”
“Yeah.”
“Look up at the camera.”
Hawk followed the instructions and flashed a toothy grin followed by a wave. But the door remained bolted shut.
“If it’s really you, tell me what was my prized baseball card.”
“That’s easy, Ray—your Bo Jackson rookie. You even had it signed.”
The deadbolt clicked before the door swung open. Instead of a joyful embrace, the man poked his head out into the hallway and glanced around before grabbing Hawk by his collar and yanking him inside.
Ray Green slammed the door behind him and secured the deadbolt before rearming the alarm system on the pad next to the door. He started to place the gun back into his shoulder holster before deciding to keep it out. He then gestured toward the living room with his weapon.
“Goodness, Ray, is Muscat that dangerous of a place?” Hawk asked. “This place looks like a fortress.”
“I had two guards down there. What’d you do to them?”
Hawk raised his hands in a posture of surrender.
“Now, I know what this must look like to you, but I swear I’m on your side. I don’t mean you any harm.”
“It’s been a few years, Hawk, and I haven’t heard a word from you. Yet, you suddenly just show up on my doorstep, somehow eluding the two men patrolling the grounds.”
“Come on. You know it couldn’t have been that challenging for me. Besides, I didn’t hurt them. Hell, they didn’t even see me.”
“What do you want?”
“I need your help.”
“That’s a pretty bold request, given what happened the last time I saw you. We needed your help that night too, but you went MIA on us.”
“If you want an explanation, I can give it to you.”
“Save it. Just tell me what you want so you can get on with it and get the hell out of my house.”
Hawk eased onto the couch but remained hunched over, seated on the edge.
“I’m afraid my request isn’t a small favor. I need your help to get back on my feet because I’m in a real bind.”
“What kind of bind?”
“The kind of bind that being at the top of President Michaels’ kill list will get you.”
“What’d you do?”
“In short? Nothing—aside from saving his life. But I’ve also tried to expose his corruption, which is only me trying to uphold my oath to serve this country.”
“Spare me the moral platitudes, Hawk. You lost that high ground when you abandoned us that night.”
“Come on, Ray. We all make mistakes and—”
“Mistakes are leaving your meat on the grill too long. Leaving your brothers in the middle of battle? That’s not a mistake. That is a conscious choice, a choice you made on your own.”
“I don’t know what else to tell you,” Hawk said. “I probably should’ve never joined up when I did. I was going through a lot. I was young and foolish.”
“And you’re different now?”
Hawk nodded. “I know what I’m fighting for now. Besides, the Seals obviously weren’t for you either. I mean, a private security contractor in Oman? You’re not exactly in a place to lecture me.”
“I’d still be there if they hadn’t forced me out.”
“What’d you do?”
“I don’t want to get into it,” Ray said with a sigh. “Now, will you tell me what you’re doing here?”
“To be blunt, I need a place to lay low—along with a job.”
“With all his money, your dad can’t find you something? Especially with all your experience—”
“He’s not really my dad, but that’s a story for another night. Even if he could get me a position with his company, I need one that keeps me off the radar. But Tom Colton has no idea what it means to go off the radar.”
“What makes you think my boss will hire you? You don’t even know him.”
“Just ask him for me, will you? If you vouch for me, I’m sure he’d hire me.”
“Like I said, you don’t know Oliver Ackerman.”
“Just help me out. You know I’ve got the skills and experience necessary, probably as good as, if not better than, most of his men.”
“If I ask him, it’s not going to be easy avoiding red flags. Getting hired to work in Oman requires working with the state department and the local government. There’s plenty of vetting in that process.”
“There doesn’t have to be,” Hawk said. “It’d just be for a few months. Ask him to meet with me. That’s all I want. He could just pay me under the table.”
Ray exhaled slowly and shrugged. “Okay. I’ll see what I can do in the morning. In the meantime, let me get you a blanket. You can sleep right there. It’s late and I’ve got a big day in the morning.”
“I really appreciate it, Ray.”
Ray returned quickly with a pillow and a sheet for Hawk.
“The light’s by that wall,” Ray said.
