“That’s what you would think, but he lived in a secluded section of the mountain. You wouldn’t know it was there if you didn’t know where to look for it.”
“Great,” Blunt said sarcastically. “Now we’re back to square one when it comes to Obsidian and Fortner. I’m sure the general’s capture would be welcome news for the president even if it weren’t something that could bolster his approval ratings.”
“The real prize is uncovering the leadership of Obsidian without them knowing it so we can dissect the organization and eliminate them one by one,” Black said. “And we’re going to need to get far more creative if we’re going to do that successfully.”
Blunt inspected his cigar for a moment before jamming it back into his mouth. “And how creative are you talking?”
Black shrugged. “I’m thinking we employ one of Evana Bahar’s signature moves here.”
“Meaning what?” Blunt said.
“We figure out a way to make contact and mix a little fact in with fiction, maybe even volunteer to give up some people.”
Alex scowled. “In exchange for what?”
“Whatever Obsidian can provide us that we would find valuable,” Black said. “Maybe a place within their organization or some monetary compensation. I don’t know.”
“That’s a dangerous game,” Blunt said. “And I don’t like putting our people at risk like that. We’d basically be sending our agents into a kill box every time and hoping for the best. That’s no way to bring down an organization.”
“Like I said, you tell them just enough to earn their trust and then—”
“I don’t like it,” Blunt said as he shook his head. “Evana Bahar might be willing to play that little game because she views all her people as expendable; they’re just pawns on her chessboard. But I still hold fiercely to the perspective that all our agents are people, people with loved ones and dreams. And I refuse to inject them into a situation where they don’t have the upper hand. We all know the risks involved with what we do here, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to tilt the board in favor of one of these terrorist punks.”
Black nodded. “I understand, sir. I’m sure we’ll figure out another way.”
“Just find Fortner,” Blunt said. “Now go.”
“Before I do, can I speak with Frank Stone?” Black asked. “I have some very specific questions for him about Evana Bahar’s operation procedures.”
“Fine,” Blunt said. “Go talk to him, and let me know if you learn anything useful. Then it’s back to finding Fortner before the trail goes cold.”
“Roger that,” Black said. He exited the conference room and hustled downstairs. His phone buzzed as he got into his car.
“This is Black.”
“Ah, my favorite soldier,” Fortner said.
“What do you want?”
“I want some information. Since you’re just now leaving the Phoenix Foundation offices, I figured now might be a good time to catch you and hear what you discussed. So, where is Brady Hawk off to next?”
“Nothing’s been set in stone yet.”
Fortner grunted. "I would strongly advise against lying to me."
Black sighed. “You’re going to have to trust me.”
“No, you’re going to have to tell me the truth,” Fortner said.
There was a pause followed by a woman screaming. Black only had to hear a few seconds of it before he knew it was Laura.
“I swear to you, I will hunt you down and—”
“The truth,” Fortner said. “Where is Brady Hawk headed next?”
CHAPTER 7
Garmsir, Afghanistan
THE PLANE’S TIRES BARKED for a second before settling smoothly onto the unlikely runway located in the burgeoning city of Garmsir. During the height of the war in Afghanistan, the allied forces built a temporary base here along with a state-of-the-art runway. Once they left the region, the Afghanis recognized what a valuable asset a well-kept tarmac was when it came to attracting new business exploits. And even Hawk was surprised of the small airport. In all his travels across the Middle East, he couldn’t remember a landing so smooth as this one, especially for an airfield that wasn’t even on any non-military maps.
With Black assigned to resume his search for General Fortner, Hawk was accompanied by two CIA operatives, Langston Vaughn and Bull Truman. They were both respected within the agency and experienced with multiple missions in the Middle East. Even though Hawk viewed them as inferior to Black, they still helped ease the Phoenix Foundation operative’s mind when it came to handling the assignment.
On paper, the job was a simple one: Escort Jahedah’s daughter and brother back to Washington. But Hawk couldn’t help but feel a sense of anxiety. Every time he set foot on Middle Eastern soil, he wound up fending off threats and attacks, often from out of nowhere. And despite Blunt assuring him the mission was a simple taxi ride in an airplane, Hawk wasn’t so sure.
“Why do you look so pale?” Vaughn asked Hawk. “Are you nervous?”
“The last time I was here . . .” Hawk stopped himself. He wanted to connect with his two fellow operatives, but he also wanted to get the entire thing over with so he could get back home.”
“What happened?” Vaughn pressed.
Hawk waved him off dismissively. “It was nothing. I’ll be fine. I always seem to lose a little bit of my appetite after a long flight like that.”
“Put something in your belly,” Truman said as he threw an apple at Hawk. “We’ve still got fifteen minutes before we’re scheduled to make contact with anyone.”
Using his shirt, Hawk polished the piece of fruit before crunching into it. After a couple minutes, he’d devoured the whole thing.
“That was fast,” Vaughn said. “You really should eat more while we’re in the air next time. You might find flying more enjoyable.”
Hawk flung the core into the trashcan across the cabin. “It’s not the flight that makes me ill; it’s the destination.”
“Bad memories here?” Bull asked.
Hawk peered out of the window. “This is my first time in Garmsir.”
“I meant Afghanistan,” Bull explained.
“Let’s just say if I
