“And the man on the left?”
“That’s Mack Walsh, a man who murdered a federal judge about ten years ago and has been wanted by the FBI ever since.”
“And they arrested the man on the right?” she asked.
Black nodded. “He’s an undercover agent. Please blur his face before you put this out there so no one can see who he is. It’s a matter of national security.”
She knit her brow. “You’re not going to confiscate this from me?”
“I'd love a copy,” he said, “but in light of all that happened today, I think it'd be best if this story were debunked by someone other than a law enforcement agency and merely confirmed by them. Plus, it's going to make your career and win you some kind of reporting award.”
She smiled. “Are you sure there’s no catch?”
“None,” he said with a wink. “I’m just trying to help a friend.”
Black gave Brittany an email address to send the footage to, and by the time he returned to the van, he already had it.
“Did President Young help?” Alex asked as Black strode into the van.
Black shook his head. “But don’t fret. I’ve got something even better.”
She sighed, her eyes welling up with tears. “It better be good.”
“Watch this,” Black said as he started the footage and held his phone out so Alex could see it. Once she noticed there were two men on the roof, she zoomed in on Walsh. That’s it. This will exonerate Hawk.”
“No doubt about it,” Black said. “I just need to get this into the hands of the agent in charge of the case.”
“Great work,” she said. “He’ll be forever indebted to you for getting this footage.”
“Too late for that,” Black said. “He already owes me for shooting Walsh just as he was about to stab Hawk. I’m gonna have to figure out a way to cash in on all these things Hawk owes me for.”
“I’m sure he’ll balance the ledger at some point soon,” she said. “By the way, have you heard back from Blunt yet?”
“Still no word,” Black said. “I’m starting to get concerned.”
“If you’re concerned about that, wait until you hear what I found on Walsh’s phone.”
CHAPTER 30
HAWK WAS RELEASED FROM FBI custody later that evening after giving his full statement to the bureau. He greeted Alex with a long embrace before shaking Black’s hand and giving him a quick side hug. Blunt, who had been stuck going over hours of interviews with several agency directors following the attack, waited back against the wall and smiled at his trio of agents.
“You look like a proud father,” Alex said to Blunt, who was working on another unlit cigar.
“Perhaps that’s because it’s exactly how I feel,” he said. “You were incredible today, diffusing what could’ve been an even more disastrous situation and working quickly on the fly to prove Hawk’s innocence. It’s why you’re all the best at what you do.”
“We haven’t done anything yet,” Black said.
Blunt nodded. “So I’ve been told. Is it too soon to talk about this at the office?”
“As long as you buy us plenty of food and drinks, we’ll talk all night long,” Hawk said.
“I’ll make it happen,” he said. “I’ll meet you back at the office in an hour.”
* * *
HAWK INSISTED on stopping back by his apartment with Alex to take a quick shower and get a fresh change of clothes. Swimming in the Potomac River resulted in a pungent odor settling everywhere. Alex admitted that she didn’t care what he smelled like as long as he was alive, drawing a hearty laugh from Hawk.
“Not everyone will feel the same way as you,” Hawk said.
When they reached the office, they took their seats as Blunt and Black were already sitting down and waiting.
Blunt removed the cigar out of his mouth and studied the chewed end for a moment before jamming it back between his teeth. He swirled some bourbon around in his glass and then took a long swig, draining all the contents.
“It’s been that kind of day,” Blunt said as he placed the tumbler down hard on the tabletop.
“It’s been that kind of week,” Black said as he poured himself a drink.
“It’s been that kind of month,” Hawk added, “or maybe even year. Tracking Obsidian has been like chasing a ghost.”
Alex chimed in. “The only difference is we know this ghost is real.”
“So catch me up to speed on everything,” Blunt said.
“Before we do that,” Alex said, “I’d like to hear an update on Fortner. Do you know if he’s going to pull through?”
“I was told Fortner was in a coma,” Blunt said. “I went to the hospital where they took him following the incident and tried to get in to see him, but I was denied access. One of the doctors told me that they were uncertain if he’d make through the night. However, something didn’t seem right to me.”
“What do you mean?” Hawk asked.
“I just had a feeling that the doc was feeding me some bullshit,” Blunt said. “So, I asked one of the nurses about Fortner. She told me that he had been moved hours ago. Yet there were still several agents posted outside the door.”
“Why would they still be there if Fortner was gone?” Alex asked.
“That’s exactly what I want to know,” Blunt said.
“Well, maybe I can help shed some light on that for you,” she said.
“You were able to crack open Walsh’s phone?” he asked.
She nodded. “It’s not as difficult as you think, so don’t throw me any parades just yet.”
“I love you, honey,” Hawk said, “but if anyone is getting a parade around here, it’s Black. He saved my life twice today, once with his spectacular shooting skills and the other with his detective prowess.”
Black waved off Hawk dismissively. “One of those was luck.”
“Luck or skill—it doesn’t matter to me,” Hawk said. “I’m here right
