“You should see a logging road up ahead on your right,” she said. “Turn there and then find a place to pull off and walk the rest of the way in. It’s about a half mile directly northwest through the woods.”
“Roger that,” Hawk said.
Hawk and Black followed Alex’s instructions, pulling their vehicles off to the side and hiding them. They put on snowshoes and slogged their way toward the property.
“Do you really expect to find Walsh here?” Black asked.
“He certainly doesn’t know we’re coming,” Hawk said.
“At least, we think he doesn’t know. There’s no telling how well connected Obsidian is.”
“I’m less concerned about them knowing and more worried that this could be their way to lure us in.”
“If they are, we’re walking in with eyes wide open,” Black said.
“I prefer to storm in with guns blazing.”
“I’m with you, but remember what Blunt said. We need to bring this asshole back alive.”
“Yeah, I know. But that doesn’t change how I feel about what I want to do to him. What would you do if you found those men who killed your father in Iraq?”
“It wouldn’t be legal; I’ll tell you that much. But still, we need Walsh alive.”
“I heard you the first time,” Hawk said.
They trudged along for ten minutes until they reached the edge of a clearing.
“You should be able to see the entrance to the property now,” Alex said.
“We have visual,” Hawk said.
The two agents crouched down in the snow and peered through binoculars at the side of a mountain. There was a forest service road that cut through the parcel of land and disappeared around the bend. But Hawk didn’t see any signs of life or even development.
“I’ve got nothing,” Hawk said as he continued to scan the area.
“Me either,” Black said. “This looks like we were just sent on a wild goose chase.”
Hawk started to get up when he froze after hearing a voice behind him.
“I strongly advise you to keep your hands where I can see them,” a man said. “And please refrain from making any quick movements.”
Hawk raised his hands and slowly turned around to face an armed man in his late forties. He whistled and was joined by four other men, all with their rifles trained on the two agents.
“We’re gonna need you to hand over your weapons,” the man said. “And you’re not gonna need those snowshoes any more either.”
Hawk and Black complied, tossing their guns and shoes onto the ground near the man’s feet.
“Let’s go,” he said. “We’re gonna take a little walk.”
CHAPTER 15
HAWK PLACED HIS HANDS behind his head and felt his wrists burn as one of the men cinched a tie around them. After a jarring jab in the back, Hawk stumbled forward a few feet before regaining his balance. He glanced over at Black, who was receiving the same treatment.
While Alex's silence slightly worried Hawk, he was hoping she was listening to the situation and choosing to remain silent to protect her two fellow agents. He decided to catch her up to speed through a series of questions, tipping off the men's plans as well as the location of their encampment.
“How far north are we going to walk?” Hawk asked. “Do you plan on marching us to Canada?”
“Funny guy,” one of the guards said before using the butt of his rifle to whack Hawk in his ribs.
Hawk moaned as he staggered a few feet and fell down. The guard next to Hawk yanked him to his feet and shoved him forward again.
“Try to stay upright,” the man grumbled. “We don’t have much time.”
“I didn't realize we were in a hurry,” Hawk said, taking note of the tattoo on the guard's arm. Depicted were crossbones and a snake intertwined imposed over a mountain range. “Is someone going to be mad if you don't arrive on time?”
“Just shut your pie hole and keep marching,” the leader said, turning around to glare at Hawk. “You’ll know what you need to know when you need to know it.”
Black shot Hawk a glance. “Nice try.”
Hawk shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”
The leader, who was referred to by his subordinates as Ringo, stopped. “What part of shut your pie hole did you not understand?”
They continued on for another ten minutes, descending into a gulch until they reached the floor. Stopping in front of what appeared to be a craggy rock face, Ringo opened a panel and entered a code. Seconds later, part of the rock swung out, revealing an entryway into the mountainside.
Hawk sighed and looked at Black.
“Maybe we need Alex to rescue us after all,” Black whispered.
They moved through a couple of checkpoints until they reached a cavernous space. The rocky ceiling extended at least ten meters overhead, and the room was warmer than the chilling weather outside thanks to a system of heaters placed around the perimeter of the room. Scores of men scurried around the area, most of them armed with holstered handguns or semi-automatic weapons slung over their shoulders.
Ringo whistled and gestured for another man across the room to come over. He excused himself from a conversation and hustled over.
“What’s going on? Who are these guys?” the man asked.
“Caught them snooping around in the woods, Chief,” Ringo said. “They look like feds.”
Chief stroked his scraggly, graying beard as he eyed Hawk and Black closely. “You sure they’re feds?”
“I didn’t ask them,” Ringo said. “But look at their weapons. They certainly weren’t out hunting game with those guns.”
Chief used his fist to lift up Hawk’s chin. “Are you a fed?”
Hawk shook his head. “No, sir.”
Chief shrugged and looked at Ringo. “See, all you had to do was ask. Now you’ve made a mess out of things since you brought them back here.”
“Brought us back where?” Hawk asked. “I don’t know where I am, nor do I care.”
Chief chuckled and pointed at Hawk. “I like this guy already.”
Everyone nearby broke into laughter before Chief darted behind Hawk and put a knife to his throat.
“I’m only gonna
