“You’ve done some solid work, Chuck,” Ackerman finally said as he placed the resume down on his desk. “And you seem to know your way around a weapon or two.”
“I felt like that might be what would make me a strong candidate.”
“Knowledge of weapons and past experience certainly bode well for you,” Ackerman said. “But that’s not all we do around here. For some of our more sensitive operations, I need to know that you’re going to handle your more discreet assignments with great professionalism—and without a word to anyone else about what you’re doing.”
“I can do stealth as well as power,” Hawk said. “Just call me the Keiron Pollard of the private security world.”
Ackerman’s eyes sparkled as he relaxed his posture.
“You follow T20 cricket as well?”
Hawk nodded. “Mostly the Indian Premier League as well as the Australian Big Bash League.”
“I love the Mumbai Indians,” Ackerman said.
“They’ve been winning a lot of titles lately, haven’t they?”
Ackerman nodded. “They’re building a dynasty, which has been fun to watch.”
Hawk smiled, sensing that he’d been able to penetrate Ackerman’s guarded self.
“Now, speaking of champions, we have quite the team here,” Ackerman said. “And we’ve built that sense of camaraderie around our chemistry. While you have a great resume and the kind of experience we’re looking for, I’m not getting a good vibe from you.”
Hawk scowled. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, your credentials are sufficient, exactly what we’re looking for, to be honest. But you just don’t have that it factor I’m looking for, that little extra mojo that I see in people that they need to mesh with what we’ve already built here. Kind of like how Keiron Pollard is a great fit with the Indians but not with the West Indies national team. Make sense?”
Hawk shrugged. “Perhaps, though I have a great rapport with Ray. We’ve got a long history together and—”
“And, frankly, that’s what I’m not so sure about. I need my new hires to respect Ray. He leads guys into some difficult situations at times, and everyone on the team needs to both trust and fear him. Are you smelling what I’m stepping in?”
Hawk huffed a laugh through his nose at the southern colloquial phrase.
“I suppose, but I’m confident we can get along on the field and it won’t be a problem.”
Ackerman stood up. “Well, I’ve already made up my mind, but if that changes or another opportunity arises, I’ll let you know.”
He offered his hand to Hawk, who shook it and then turned toward the door.
“So, Chuck, you’ll be staying with Ray for a while?” Ackerman asked.
Nodding, Hawk stopped and looked back at Ackerman.
“For a few weeks anyway. If I can’t find any work here, I’ll likely have to move on. Ray likes me, but probably not enough to let me mooch off him for a while.”
“Well, good luck,” Ackerman said. “I’ll keep you in mind and maybe we’ll have an opportunity for you here.”
Hawk walked downstairs, where Ray was waiting.
“How’d it go?” Ray asked. “From the look on your face, I’d say not so well.”
“Let’s just say our prior relationship was likely what did me in; at least that’s what Ackerman said.”
“That’s odd. He never mentioned anything about that to me before you went in for the interview.”
“So this is a shock to you?” Hawk asked.
“Completely. I thought he was going to hire you.”
“I’m at a loss then because I don’t know what could’ve made him decide I wasn’t capable of serving under you, if that was really the issue.”
“Keep your head up,” Ray said. “I have some other local contacts who might be able to take you on and pay you under the table.”
“I’m not sure I want to start pumping my name out there like that. It might draw some suspicion.”
“I’ll be discreet. Don’t worry. Oliver Ackerman is going to regret not hiring you.”
Oliver Ackerman, Oliver Ackerman. For the first time since he’d reconnected with Ray, the name of his boss rang a bell.
That name suddenly sounds so familiar.
Hawk couldn’t put his finger on it, but he would swear on his great grandmother’s Bible that he’d heard it once before, somewhere. And from what he could recall, the name wasn’t attached to a fond connotation. He needed Alex to dig into Ackerman’s background and find out more about him.
Just who are you, Oliver Ackerman?
CHAPTER 4
Brighton, England
ALEX’S EYES WIDENED with delight when she saw another message in the draft folder from Hawk. Their constant exchanges in their shared email account started to feel like old times to her, fulfilling the craving she had to get back to what she considered normal life—serving with Firestorm. Her foray into the corporate world had already started to take a toll on her soul. But for the moment, the drudgery was put aside and she focused on addressing Hawk’s request.
“Dig into Oliver Ackerman?” she said under her breath. “But I already did that. I found out that he was into cricket and who his favorite team and player were.”
She’d also compiled a brief overview of Ackerman’s career, but apparently Hawk needed more. However, the kind of depth he was asking for could potentially set off alarm bells if she was doing it from a public computer. She needed to hack into a high-powered server to access the full extent of his records. And it wouldn’t be an easy task.
Later that evening after work, she assembled a list of the best targets for such a job and whittled down the number until there were only two remaining. After much deliberation, she landed
