Hawk nodded. “You’ll have my vote.”
“I was hoping for more than that,” Young said. “I was hoping to have your commitment—a vow to reignite Firestorm with full support from this office and more resources.”
“I’m open to considering it, depending on what Blunt and Alex say. But why the urgency?”
Young sighed and shook his head. “We got word that Al Hasib is planning another attack. And if they succeed, their numbers are only going to swell. We need a win by taking out Karif Fazil and delivering a blow to their operation. And you’re the one person we trust to pull it off.”
“I’m honored, sir. But like I mentioned earlier, Firestorm is not just me. We’re a team. If Alex and Blunt are in, you can count on me. We’re a package deal.”
“Very well then. That’s all I can ask for at the moment. I trust you’ll all choose to return. There’s still some unfinished business you have to do.”
“I’ll consider it and let you know as soon as possible,” Hawk said. “I appreciate your commitment to Firestorm. It’s vital to our country’s security, and I’m proud to be a part of such a talented group of people.”
Young nodded knowingly. They rode in silence the rest of the trip, while Hawk was lost in his thoughts.
* * *
THREE DAYS LATER, Hawk met Alex and Blunt at the airport. Clutching a bouquet of flowers, Hawk wasted no time in thrusting them into Alex’s hands once she exited the secure area.
“Hawk!” she said. “What ever did I do to deserve this?”
“Please don’t make me come up with something mushy,” Hawk said. “That’s not my style.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Hawk caught Blunt staring.
“What? Are you jealous I didn’t bring you any flowers?”
Blunt chuckled. “You know by now that I only give flowers when I want to bug someone, right?”
Hawk gave Alex a long hug and then took her by the shoulders before looking her in the eyes. “You know I’d never do that to you, don’t you? But the senator on the other hand . . .”
Hawks’ words trailed off as he shot a sly grin at Blunt.
“I need to get a drink—and we need to discuss the future of this team,” Blunt said as he snatched his carryon bag and wheeled it behind him. He walked toward the exit with authority and purpose.
“What happened to your cane?” Hawk asked Blunt.
“I don’t need a cane,” Blunt said.
“It was a prop?”
“Sometimes,” Blunt said. “Other times, it was a certified weapon.”
“Now that that’s settled, I don’t need a drink to answer the question that we all need to answer right now,” Hawk said. “Is everybody still in for Firestorm?”
“Sure beats working for a bank,” Alex said.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Hawk said. “And what about you, Senator? You still got it in you to keep going until we dismantle these terrorists one by one, starting with Karif Fazil and Al Hasib?”
“Wouldn’t want to do anything else,” Blunt said.
“In that case, let’s go get some drinks—and celebrate,” Alex said.
“Wait a minute,” Hawk said. “We haven’t all committed just yet.”
Alex sighed and hung her head. “I can’t believe that it’s been so long I almost forgot about my half brother.”
“It’s okay,” Hawk said. “Given the circumstances, it’s understandable. But I want to know what’s up with Samuels.”
“As we all do,” Blunt said.
“Give me just a moment,” Hawk said.
Hawk slipped away from his two colleagues and dialed Young’s number.
“Do you have an answer for me?” Young asked.
“Almost,” Hawk said.
“What’s the holdup?”
“Shane Samuels,” Hawk said. “What happened to him and where is he?”
“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about him.”
“Please explain. And no beating around the bush.”
“The long and the short of it is that Samuels isn’t who you think he is.”
Hawk furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? Who is he?”
“I can’t talk about this right now, but let me assure you that he never really was part of your team, if you catch my drift.”
“He was a mole?”
“More or less. But we can discuss this at length at a later date. The Firestorm team deserves an explanation, and it’s going to take a while to catch you up to speed.”
“In that case, I guess I’m calling to let you know that we’re in,” Hawk said.
“Excellent. I’ll be in touch about setting you up with new headquarters for Blunt and Alex as well as getting you going on your first mission. We don’t have much time to waste.”
Hawk hung up and jammed his hands into his coat pocket. He took a deep breath and strode back toward Blunt and Alex. Despite the mystery surrounding Samuels, Hawk hadn’t felt so free in years. Michaels was gone. The Chamber was decimated. Only Al Hasib remained, though it too had suffered tremendous setbacks in recent years.
And Hawk couldn’t wait to finish the job.
THE END
Click this link to get HARD TARGET, the next book in the Brady Hawk series.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to so many people who have helped with the creation of this project and the entire Brady Hawk series.
Brooke Turbyfill was a big help in editing this book, and Dwight Kuhlman has produced another great audio version for your listening pleasure.
I would also like to thank my advance reader team for all their input in improving this book along with all the other readers who have enthusiastically embraced the story of Brady Hawk. Stay tuned ... there's more Brady Hawk coming soon.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R.J. PATTERSON is an award-winning writer living in southeastern Idaho. He first began his illustrious writing career as a sports journalist, recording his exploits on the soccer fields in England as a young boy. Then when his father told him that people would pay him to watch sports if
