Blunt hung up and said a little prayer of his own. Even Hawk would need a little extra help on this mission.
CHAPTER 17
Muscat, Oman
LATER THAT EVENING, Hawk hustled near the Fortress Security compound. Quickly scaling the wall using a grappling hook, he climbed over and eased his way down. The grounds were well lit but relatively quiet. Hawk had only seen two guards patrolling the area, though most of the time they were seated against the wall smoking cigars.
Unlike last time, Hawk didn’t want a soul to know he was there. If he was going to find out the real goal for this mission, he needed to slip into Ackerman’s office without the boss ever knowing what happened.
While the front door was the most direct route, Hawk had observed a utility shed that had a rollup garage door and connected to the inside of the office building. And the door was rolled up, almost serving as an open invitation for Hawk. He decided to risk it; entering any other way would be foolish.
Hawk watched the two guards reclining against the wall with plumes of smoke rising above them. Laughing as they swapped stories, Hawk charged ahead with his plan to access the main facility. The door to the inside was unlocked and Hawk prepared to go inside.
I hope the security system is armed. Where’s Alex when I really need her?
Hawk held his breath as he turned the doorknob and opened the door. He winced as he stepped inside, hoping that he wouldn’t hear a dreaded alarm sounding. Instead, complete silence.
Hawk hustled up the stairs to Ackerman’s office and activated the flashlight on his phone. He rifled through some papers on his desk in search of the mission files. Upon locating a familiar folder, Hawk scanned the pages until he recognized some of the mission details that Ackerman had already related to him—weapons exchange, port near Khabas, terrorist organization. Hawk stopped and went back and read the name of the terrorist group again.
Al Hasib. Al Hasib? Michaels is going to sell weapons to Al Hasib?
Hawk continued reading and noted that most of the weapons were going to be sabotaged. The few the Al Hasib agents would try out at the exchange would work—but the rest of the guns and grenade launchers would fail in battle.
Michaels knows how to make an enemy for life, doesn’t he?
Hawk continued reading and learned that the plot was a complete ruse, one designed to give Michaels a big political win. If he were to bag one of the biggest terrorists since Osama bin Laden, it would do wonders for Michaels’ poll numbers, rendering the upcoming election little more than a foregone conclusion.
For a moment, Hawk contemplated throwing a wrench in Michaels’ plan. Maybe Hawk could hunt down and kill Fazil, though that too would create a win for Michaels. Hawk considered warning Al Hasib about the weapons at the exchange. Such a move would be bold, but Hawk concluded it’d just make him a common enemy, lumped in with the rest of the American government, not to mention they might kill him on the spot. There had to be something he could do, but he would have to consider it later. He poked his head high up enough to see the two guards had left their spot and were presumably patrolling the grounds again.
Hawk returned the scattered files to the place where he’d discovered them and crept out of the room. Once downstairs, Hawk eased back outside, using the utility doorway.
As he rounded the corner, he heard plodding footfalls approaching his direction. He crouched low and hoped they would veer in a different direction. Instead, the guard marched straight toward him.
Hawk stayed low, leaping up just as the man walked by. Hawk pistol whipped him, sending him staggering against the wall. He hit his head and collapsed to the ground without ever making eye contact with Hawk.
Good night, little buddy. I hope you don’t remember a thing.
Hawk hustled down the street and headed straight for Ray’s apartment.
* * *
“DO YOU EVER SLEEP?” Ray said with a growl as he opened the door. “Why couldn’t you have just broken in like last time? It’s two o’clock in the morning.”
Hawk ignored the complaint, pushing his way past Ray.
“What’s the hurry?” Ray said again before shutting the door.
“Do you know what’s going on with this exchange?” Hawk asked.
Ray nodded. “Yeah, we’re gonna screw over those Al Hasib thugs.”
“Not screw them over,” Hawk said. “You’re going to infuriate them. I don’t really understand the thinking behind this. Why would our government sanction this?”
“They didn’t just sanction it—they ordered it. Look, I don’t understand everything our government does. I just do what I’m told. I’m a soldier.”
“A soldier without a conscience?”
“Hey, now. You have no moral high ground here. Your sole reason for getting involved is a hundred G’s, am I not right?”
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what’s it like, Hawk? From where I stand, you’re a mercenary, just like me. Money talks—period. You could get out if you wanted to. Nothing’s stopping you.”
“I can’t leave now. Ackerman would just replace me, and I can’t let this deal go down. The blowback will be fierce and swift. Michaels has no idea what he’s doing.”
“Like I said, I just follow orders.”
“Bullshit,” Hawk said as he narrowed his eyes. “I’ve seen you defy orders before.”
Ray shrugged. “So, what do you want to do about it? Kill some Al Hasib terrorists as a way of sending Michaels a message? He might even appreciate that and throw a parade for us.”
“No, that’s not what I was thinking at all. Maybe we could give them what they came to buy in the first place.”
“Are you insane? Speaking of soldiers without a conscience—they’ll kill thousands of innocent people if we arm them with properly functioning weapons.”
“Look, we could put tracking devices in the weapons and hunt them down before they had a chance to use them. Ultimately, this is
