Alex laughed softly. “I know you’re jealous, Hawk. You might be able to gun a man down with a single shot from a thousand yards away, but you can’t simply walk through a gated area without drawing a scrutinizing eye from a security guard. Admit it—you’re jealous.”
“What’s there to admit? Those are both two great gifts to have in our line of work.”
“Which is why you work together,” Samuels said. “Now, can we put an end to the pettiness here and get on with it?”
* * *
HAWK DROVE WEST for about two hours until they arrived at a rural cabin nestled in the Shenandoah Mountains. After Blunt’s last hideout was destroyed, he made it a priority to get another one that was more isolated with a single entry and exit point from the road. Blunt’s assumption was that it would make an approach more difficult, though Hawk wasn’t sure he agreed.
The cabin was about forty years old yet still in good condition. The wood slats on the outside had faded, but the structure was sturdy. Checking the perimeter, Hawk and Samuels circled their new temporary home.
“How long do you think we’ll be here?” Samuels asked.
“Maybe a couple days or more,” Hawk answered. “Depends on how quickly these threats begin to materialize.”
“Think anyone will be able to track us out here?”
“I hope we’ll be gone before they do.”
Hawk collected a few thick branches and piled them to the side of the steps leading up to the house.
“I’m not sure starting a fire is a good idea,” Samuels said.
“They’re for whittling,” Hawk said. “In case we get bored. Blunt isn’t exactly the type to install an entertainment system here.”
Samuels nodded and followed Hawk up the steps and into the house.
After they took the next half hour to settle in, they all convened at the kitchen table to discuss the information Hawk had sent them regarding the alliance between Petrov and Fazil. Hawk studied the information on the screen before he went slack-jawed.
“What is it?” Alex asked.
Hawk shook his head imperceptibly.
She prodded again. “Is there something we should be concerned about?”
“This information came from Commander Frank Stone at the Pentagon. Stone was my commander when I was with the Navy Seals. He’s the one who gave the order to—”
Hawk’s voice trailed off as he kept his eyes locked on the laptop.
“Are you okay?” Alex asked.
He blinked hard. “Just bad memories, that’s all.”
“So, how do you think Al Hasib is going about this attack?” Samuels asked, redirecting the conversation.
“Verge processes around 750,000 barrels of oil per day and is the country’s main oil hub since the government assumed control of it,” Hawk said. “And if I was a betting man, I’d put my money on Fazil orchestrating a fiery explosion. He wants visuals that will put Al Hasib back on the map.”
They studied the schematics and discussed ideas for what that might look like practically.
“If I were wanting to make a splashy hit, I’d attack at several points,” Hawk said. “Blowing the pipeline to pieces is one thing, but then you could get a black gusher spraying into the air if you hit the plant. And if they were really smart, they’d attack the controls that allow them to quickly shut off the flow remotely. Otherwise, they could set charges at several different points along the pipeline and turn this into another situation like when Iraq invaded to start the war in the 1990s.”
“And you think the three of us will be enough to neutralize this attack?” Samuels asked.
“We’re definitely going to need help on this one,” Hawk said. “But the Kuwaitis are open to hearing from us. They’re well aware that we care about them.”
“Or their oil,” Alex quipped.
“Doesn’t make much difference,” Hawk said. “That’s all they care about, too.”
“Well, I don’t know about you two, but I’m famished,” Alex said. “Why don’t we get something to eat and then come back to finish planning how we’ll stop them? Who’s with me?”
“Let’s go,” Hawk said, jingling the keys in his pocket.
“One of us needs to stay here,” Samuels said. “Protocol.”
Hawk nodded. “For once, I agree with you, Samuels. If our pictures have been plastered on television or social media, we shouldn’t be out all together. We’ll just pick something up and bring it back.”
“I noticed a little deli on the edge of town a few miles back,” Alex said.
“Perfect,” Hawk said. “Let’s go.”
* * *
VADIM CROUCHED IN THE BUSHES, waiting for movement at the cabin. He’d tagged Hawk’s car earlier, shooting a small tracking device at the bumper. It was how he’d been able to follow them to their location without getting made. It was also how he was going to kill his targets.
His legs had almost gone to sleep when he saw Hawk and Alex emerge from the cabin and head to their car. Vadim tugged the antennae out from the detonator and waited. While he was anxious to push the button, he hesitated once he realized a wrench had been tossed into his plan. Without all three of his targets in the vehicle, Vadim didn’t want to invite a firefight in unfamiliar territory. He decided it’d be best to wait until they were down the road about a quarter of a mile before setting off the charge. That would enable him to verify the kills as he drove by and escape without drawing a tail from the third member of Hawk’s party. Vadim knew Petrov would be upset about not taking out all three, but Brady Hawk was the highest value target.
For a moment, he contemplated waiting for all three to get in the car but decided against it, unsure when or even if he’d get such an opportunity.
Vadim watched as a pair of car doors slammed and Hawk shifted the car into drive. Slipping through the woods, Vadim made his way down to the edge of the road, watching as their car disappeared over
