Hawk fired two bullets into Qureshi’s companion, the fellow Al Hasib agent.
Qureshi staggered for a few seconds before falling to the ground.
“When I killed your brother, it wasn’t personal,” Hawk said. “But I promised you that you would die. I always keep my word.”
Hawk didn’t hesitate, shooting Qureshi twice, once in the head, another time in the chest. After Hawk was sure Qureshi was dead, Hawk rushed over to Alex.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he knelt down next to her.
“I think I’ll live. It’s just a flesh wound.”
Hawk smiled and ripped a section of Qureshi’s shirt off, using it as a bandage to tie around Alex’s arm.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked again.
“Stop fussing over me,” she said. “We need to get that weapon back from McGinn.”
“Yeah, you’re fine,” Hawk said.
“I know. Let’s get moving. We don’t have any time to waste.”
CHAPTER 34
ARAV KATARI STRAINED TO SEE into the dimly lit dock for a person running toward his ship. He’d promised to wait for an Al Hasib agent even though Katari had never seen the man. Katari agreed to split the twenty-thousand dollars the man had promised with three other crewmembers. When an opportunity like that came along, Katari refused to pass it up. He knew how hard his crew worked, and he knew who could keep a secret.
He was still scanning the docks when he felt sharp cold steel pressed against his neck. Katari glanced down at the knife and froze.
“It’s time to go,” McGinn said. “I’m not paying you to be a taxi service. Whoever you’re waiting on isn’t coming.”
Katari turned around slowly. “And neither is whoever you’re afraid of. There hasn’t been any movement along the docks in at least ten minutes.”
“All the more reason to leave now and stop wasting my time.”
Katari raised both his hands in a gesture of surrender and strode toward the ship’s bridge.
“Faster,” McGinn growled. “I’ve got people to meet.”
Picking up his pace, Katari skipped steps as he climbed the stairs leading to the bridge. He picked up his radio and gave the order for the ship to be released from the dock. Katari watched as the crewmembers hustled back and forth to get the ship in position to push back out to sea.
McGinn, who’d followed, had put his knife away in favor of a gun.
“Who are you so scared of?” Katari asked, nodding toward McGinn’s weapon. “No one is going to attack you aboard my ship.”
“It’s not anyone on your ship I’m worried about.”
“Well, you can put that thing away now. We just cleared the dock, and we’re almost fully in the channel. I can guarantee you that we don’t have any stowaways.”
McGinn remained stoic, vigilant in his self-appointed lookout position.
“You can relax, Mr. McGinn,” Katari said. “Go enjoy yourself in the galley. Drink a beer.”
After a few more moments of silence, McGinn exhaled and a wry grin spread across his face. “You’re probably right. That bastard couldn’t follow us out this far.”
CHAPTER 35
HAWK AND ALEX DIDN’T SO MUCH move as they heard footsteps approaching. Lying flat on their backs in one of the ship’s lifeboats, they both held their breath and waited for the men patrolling the deck to pass. Once their voices faded, Hawk let out a long breath as did Alex.
“So we made it on board,” Alex said. “Now what?”
“You need to stay put while I go deal with McGinn.”
“Oh, come on, Hawk. You’re just gonna leave me here to twist in the wind. At least give me a weapon to defend myself.”
Hawk eyed her closely. “If you stay here, you shouldn’t need a weapon. I don’t plan on capsizing the ship, but if I do, you’re in the best place to be. Just release that lever on top and …”
“If this boat starts to sink, I’m certain I’ll have company. I’m not sure the guys on board are the women-and-children-first type of sailors.”
Reluctantly, Hawk handed her the extra weapon he’d picked up. “Whatever you do, don’t leave this lifeboat. I’ll be back shortly.”
Hawk peeked out from beneath the tarp to make sure no one could see him. Once he was convinced the coast was clear, he slipped onto the deck and steadied the boat before sneaking down into the hull of the ship. Tugging his hat down low across his face, Hawk moved through the ship as if he were almost invisible. He’d observed how disjointed the crewmembers seemed to be and how they rarely used each other’s names while communicating, particularly the captain. It was a patchwork crew, and Hawk acted on his suspicion that they wouldn’t even know if he was part of the crew. And he was right.
Hawk’s search throughout the ship for McGinn wasn’t an easy one. Twice he thought he spotted McGinn, but the traitor wouldn’t stop moving. In one hand, he was clutching the weapon; in the other, a gun. Hawk quickly realized he would have to make this kill in tight quarters. A gunfight would put Hawk in a precarious situation with the rest of the crew, and he only had one clip.
After a few minutes of trailing McGinn, Hawk saw an opportunity to make his move when McGinn entered the boiler room. Hustling to catch up, Hawk crept inside and crouched low. McGinn’s footsteps echoed off the walls, the metallic reverb creating a gracious cover for Hawk to move into place.
“I know you’re in here,” McGinn said. “I spotted you a couple minutes ago. But I wanted you in here. Apparently, I need to finish the job that Qureshi couldn’t finish.”
Hawk wanted to tell McGinn that Qureshi was dead, but Hawk refused to give away his position on a vain retort.
“Don’t worry,” McGinn said. “I know where you are, and I’m going to end this right now.”
The room wasn’t well lit, relying on a handful of lights encased in red glass against the wall to illuminate what
