Blunt nodded. “Charlie's style and sound are so unique it's nearly impossible to mistake someone else for him. Charlie has been there for years, and I make it a point to go visit the stockyards in Fort Worth every time I go back if anything just to hear him auction off a few steers.”
“So, now we know where he was when we called—or at least, we think we do,” Hawk said. “Any way we can find out who he is?”
“I have an idea,” Alex said.
“Let’s hear it,” Blunt said.
“Since we know the exact time of the conversation, if we could get a look at the security video from the event, we might be able to pick him out of the crowd.”
“You think it’ll be that easy?” Blunt asked.
She shook her head. “At this point, it’s all we’ve got. But we should be able to isolate the Obsidian agent pretty quickly by watching for him to answer his phone at the exact moment Hawk placed the call.”
“Make it happen,” Blunt said.
“There is a problem with all this,” Alex said. “We'll need to get a warrant to obtain all the footage from the stockyard. I doubt they're just going to hand it over unless you have some contacts down there.”
Blunt sighed. “I’m not exactly a favorite of the stockyard’s CEO.”
“I’m sure there’s a story here you need to share,” Hawk said. “Maybe a burned bridge or two?”
“More like scorched earth,” Blunt said. “Hank Wilson, who is the CEO there now, ran against me for my Senate seat one term. I obliterated the guy and exposed both of his mistresses, much to the surprise of his loyal wife.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “He had two mistresses?”
“Probably more, but that's what the private investigator came up within just over two weeks of tailing him,” Blunt said. “The whole scandal ended his political career as well as his marriage. The crazy thing is we were hunting buddies before that. Now, I'm pretty sure he'd try to shoot me in the back if we went out hunting together.”
“In that case, do we have an alternative to a warrant?” Alex asked.
“What about the NSA?” Hawk asked. “We could always see about getting the footage from them.”
“The problem with that is that Obsidian is embedded everywhere,” Blunt said. “Frankly, we don't know who to trust anymore.”
“We can trust Mallory Kauffman,” Hawk said. “Can’t we, Alex?”
She nodded. “If we ever need a favor, I can always count on her.”
“One day you’re going to have to repay all those favors, aren’t you?” Blunt asked.
“That day is not today,” she said. “I’ll grab my coat, and we’ll go pay her a visit.”
“Not now,” Blunt said. “We need to wait until after hours. It’s important that we avoid taking any chances that someone on the Obsidian payroll will see you. Have Ms. Kauffman meet you in the lobby after hours and escort you inside using fake identities. We can’t have any record of you being there, both for your sake and for hers.”
“Roger that,” Alex said as she stood.
“We’re so close,” Blunt said. “It’s past time for whoever murdered Hawk’s mother to pay.”
CHAPTER 12
ALEX EASED UP TO THE guard gate and rolled down her window. She collected all her credentials from the passenger seat and handed them to the armed man standing just outside. Reacting so quickly, he didn't even have an opportunity to make his demands known, a move Alex made to give off the impression that she belonged and didn't require further questioning.
“Everything looks in order, Ms. North,” he said as he offered the documents back to Alex.
“Thank you,” she said as she retrieved the items.
“The visitor's lot is ahead and to your left,” he said. “You'll see the sign.”
“Thank you, sir,” she said before accelerating into the complex.
Alex glanced at the Homeland Security badge she’d created. Georgia North was her name, a low-level director with full clearance. There was something about hacking her own government’s website and planting information that made her feel anxious. But she was certain she’d exercised the proper protocol to get her alias in the system. The way in which she breezed through the security checkpoint should have given her the confidence she needed to move forward without a second thought. However, the nagging feeling that she was about to get caught wouldn’t go away.
After she reached out to Mallory, Alex decided that in order to keep Black and Hawk in the loop, she needed to use their coms. Any cell phone conversations were sure to be picked up by the NSA—or at least there was a great chance of that happening. But the secure channels utilized by their coms prohibited any eavesdropping. More importantly, with Mallory making a risky move to help, Alex didn't want to jeopardize her friend's standing with her superiors.
Mallory was waiting in the lobby when Alex entered.
“It’s good to see you,” Mallory said.
“Likewise,” Alex said before greeting Mallory with a hug. “You ready to get to work?”
“Just as soon as Tom over here determines that we’re not miscreants,” Mallory said, nodding toward the security checkpoint.
A barrel-chested guard poked his head around the side of the metal detector and flashed a wide grin at Mallory before giving her a friendly wave.
“Come on over, ladies,” he said. “There isn’t a line.”
“You dating this guy?” Alex asked in a whisper.
“No, but he’s a big flirt,” Mallory answered. “I just play along so he likes me. You can never have enough friends around here, especially for moments just like this one.”
They strode toward the machine and placed all their belongings into a small tray on the conveyor belt. Once Tom signaled for them to walk through the detector, Mallory went first followed by Alex. They retrieved their items on the other side.
“Just wait right there,” Tom said to Mallory. “I need to make sure your friend has clearance.”
He hustled over to a nearby computer terminal and started typing on the keyboard.
“When did they start adding
