“I appreciate that. Any word on Samuels?”
“Still the same. He’s in a medically induced coma right now, but the doctors are monitoring his healing process.”
“So, no updated prognosis on his survival?”
“Nope,” Fortner said. “Docs are optimistic but still concerned.”
“Thanks, Van . . . for everything.”
“Any time, J.D.”
Blunt hung up and returned to the kitchen.
“So, was it the good news you were expecting?” Hawk asked after he looked up from reading The Post.
Blunt shook his head and topped off his coffee.
“Not good at all, especially for you.”
Hawk wrapped his hands around his mug and stared at Blunt.
“What do you mean?”
“Samuels is still in a medically induced coma and his prognosis for survival hasn’t changed.”
“He’s got to pull through.”
“I think he will. But that wasn’t the only bad news.”
“What could be worse than that?”
“Fortner told me that he saw a kill order for you.”
“A kill order? So, what’s new?”
“Michaels signed it.”
“Ungrateful bastard,” Hawk said. “I save his life and this is how he repays me.”
“Don’t disparage ungrateful bastards by comparing them to Michaels,” Blunt said.
Hawk grinned. “I’m not sure who dislikes the president more—me or you.”
“If he gets his way, I’m sure you’ll edge me out in that department.”
“Well, I’m not going to let that happen.”
Alex sauntered into the kitchen, her hair still matted to her face.
“Why are you two carrying on like this so early in the morning?” she asked.
“Too much bad news before breakfast,” Hawk said.
“Don’t hold out on me. What’s going on?” Alex said.
“Samuels is in a medically induced coma, and he’s still about 50-50 for survival,” Blunt said.
“Oh, come on,” she said. “You have to start my day off like this?”
“That’s not all,” Hawk said.
“It’s Michaels,” Blunt said. “We just learned that he issued a kill order for Hawk.”
She scowled. “I would curse but I have a rule against doing that until I’ve eaten breakfast.”
“That’s okay,” Hawk said. “Blunt has done enough swearing for all three of us this morning.”
“So, what are you going to do?” she asked.
“I’m going to disappear, for the good of the team,” Hawk said.
Alex shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’re stronger together.”
“Yeah, but as it stands now, if they find me, they find you,” Hawk said. “You don’t honestly think they’re going to just let you go on your merry way, do you? If they’re focused on capturing me and you remain well hidden, at least you’ll both be safe.”
“It’s sound thinking,” Blunt said. “But if they catch us, they’re going to use us as bait to draw you out.”
“I’ll just have to get to them first,” Hawk said.
“Them?” Blunt asked. “It’s not like this will be a single agency hunt. Everyone will be looking for you.”
“I’ll disappear.”
“And then what?” Alex asked. “Just wait for Michaels to leave office?”
“If I have to, though I have other plans.”
Blunt cocked his head to one side. “Such as?”
“Such as plot my revenge on Michaels.”
“You already did that one,” Alex said. “And he survived it. Politically, the man is made out of Teflon.”
“There are other means to exact revenge and take someone down.”
“Even while you’re in hiding?” she asked.
Hawk nodded. “The less I tell you, the better.”
He glanced at his watch and threw back his coffee.
“Now, I’ve gotta run,” Hawk said. “I still need to do one last thing before I vanish.”
“Where are you going?” Alex asked.
“Where I said I would go yesterday. I’m gonna go see Lee Hendridge.”
* * *
HAWK LEFT THE SAFE HOUSE on foot just after 8:30 a.m. He walked three blocks, doubling back several times before entering a Metro station and catching a train to Georgetown where Hendridge lived.
Hawk tugged his hat down low and used his sunglasses to conceal his constant scanning of the surrounding passengers. One man stood out to Hawk, which made him antsy. Two stops from his destination, Hawk got up and stepped off the train just as the doors started to close. The man Hawk had noticed followed him.
Hawk maintained a steady pace, searching the dark corridors of the station for a place to evade the man. After several turns, Hawk found an unlit hallway that had several closed doors. Hawk jiggled the handle on one and found it unlocked. Inside were electrical components for powering the station.
Hawk left the door cracked in hopes that he’d draw the man into the room. As Hawk anticipated, the man entered the room, gun drawn. Hawk kicked the gun loose before the man could make eye contact. The man responded by landing a combination of body punches, but Hawk fought back with a devastating throat punch followed by a sharp kick to the man’s abdomen. Hawk finished him with two more kicks to the head, knocking the man out.
Hawk decided to exit the station and walked several blocks to the next one before re-entering the Metro system. Once aboard the train, he took off his hat and glasses, removed his jacket, and walked from the front to the back in an effort to throw off anyone trying to follow his movements on security cameras.
Once Hawk found Hendridge’s apartment, he slipped inside as a woman was leaving to walk her dogs. He walked through the lobby and waited for the elevator. When it opened, he stepped in alone and pressed the button for Hendridge’s floor. The elevator whirred as it jerked Hawk up 14 stories.
After Hawk got off the elevator, he strode down the hallway and knocked on Hendridge’s door. Half a minute passed before Hawk knocked again. Finally, Hawk heard footsteps shuffling toward him from the other side. Hendridge opened the door and shook his head.
“I’m not interested in speaking with you,” he said. “I thought I made that clear yesterday. I don’t have time for your bullshit story.”
“This is important,” Hawk said. “If you’ve ever wanted to write something that mattered, this is it.”
“I’ve already done that, thanks to you. Seriously, I do appreciate you helping
