“What do you suppose is the problem?” she asked.
Hawk looked behind him at the guards transferring the suitcases from one cart to the other.
“You don’t think the bank shorted you any money, do you?” he asked.
“No, of course not. I told them that every dime had better be there. Do you think that’s what’s going on?”
Hawk shrugged. “I’m not sure, but whatever it is, I don’t like it.”
He surveyed the scene cautiously, feeling naked without a weapon. If Karif Fazil wanted Hawk eliminated, this would be the prime moment. And while Hawk held firm to his belief that Fazil wanted to first gloat with a victory on U.S. soil, the assassin wondered if he’d been overconfident in assessing the psyche of Al Hasib’s leader.
Hawk and Gayle remained frozen as they waited for the next actionable moment. A half a minute later, Thomas Colton staggered out of the shadows and walked toward them. He appeared as if he’d undergone a severe interrogation or two. Colton wove back and forth as he moved toward them, his attempts at moving in a straight line resulting in a wobbly path. Gayle shortened the distance by ignoring the orders to stay put and raced toward him.
Hawk watched as one of the guards raised his weapon.
Please, don’t shoot.
The guard relented when the baggage cart rolled to a stop in front of his line of sight. A pair of guards jumped in the vehicle and zoomed toward Blunt’s plane. Everything happened so fast, but Hawk saw the situation unfolding as if it were in slow motion.
He hustled over to Gayle, who tried to hold up Colton on her own. Neither one of them were doing well, Colton unable to stand and Gayle unleashing a stream of tears.
“I need your phone,” Hawk said to Gayle.
She sniffled and dried her eyes before digging into her purse for her cell. After a brief search, she held it up just as it began to buzz.
“Well, what do you know?” she said, blissfully unaware of what was happening.
Hawk took the phone and answered it.
“This wasn’t part of the deal,” Hawk said as he answered.
Karif Fazil was on the other line. “I think you are getting everything that you were promised. Sorry that it doesn’t meet your expectations.”
Hawk watched as the guards stormed Blunt’s plane. Seconds later, the engines began to whine in a high-pitched sound until they were roaring.
“My expectations were that we would make an exchange—Thomas Colton for the cash.”
“If there is one thing I have learned in life, it is that things do not always go as you expect them to, Mr. Hawk. So, now that I have your attention, we need to talk. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Hawk narrowed his eyes as he watched Blunt’s plane zoom down the runway, gaining speed before the jet lurched skyward.
CHAPTER 7
Zagros Mountains, Iraq
KARIF FAZIL HELD HIS PALM flat so Jafar could peck at the spread of breadcrumbs. Fazil’s pet bird bobbed its head up and down, scarfing down every piece until Fazil’s hand was clean, devoid of even a scant morsel. Against the far wall in the Al Hasib hideout, Fazil watched the security camera footage of Hawk holding a phone as he stood helpless in front of a hangar at the Marrakesh airport.
“What do you think, Jafar? Should we give him a call back?” Fazil asked aloud. “I would be willing to bet that the suspense is killing him.”
Jafar fluttered away to his perch across the room.
With a smug grin, Fazil dialed the phone number Hawk had just called from. Fazil watched as Hawk furrowed his brow while studying the screen.
“This is Hawk,” he said as he answered.
“Brady Hawk, it is truly wonderful to hear your voice again,” Fazil said.
“I’m not in the mood for games.”
“What a shame,” Fazil said. “You’re so good at them.”
“Like the one I schooled you in when you were in New York?”
Fazil moaned and then continued. “As much as I hate that you foiled my brilliant plan, I have to give credit where credit is due. You figured out a way to thwart my scheme, and it was quite an ingenious idea at that. I thought I had everything covered, but I learned a valuable lesson that day: Never underestimate the power of a good partner. It is essential to success.”
“So you kidnapped my partner to even the playing field?”
“That is one way to look at it, but I’m viewing this situation in a different light.”
“How so? This looks like a pretty simple hostage situation to me.”
“Actually, I’m putting into practice what I learned. After much thought and reflection on what went wrong in New York, I realized that my efforts were not supported with a good partner, merely good soldiers. There is a difference I now understand.”
“If you’re going where I think you’re going with this, you can stop right now and dream on. It’s never gonna happen.”
“Do not be so hasty to reject my offer,” Fazil said. “I have spent considerable time pondering what might happen if we joined forces instead of fighting against one another.”
“It’ll be a cold day in Hell before I ever help you do anything.”
“I would caution you, Mr. Hawk, against making such blanket statements, especially when the person you love the most and the man you look to as a father figure are both being held captive by Al Hasib forces.”
“If you lay a hand on her, I swear I’ll—”
“You are also not in a position to make threats. In American parlance, I believe the phrase is I hold all the cards.”
“I don’t care what cards you’re holding, you can shove up them up your ass.
