“Maybe Alex can come up with some other way to identify Al Fatihin’s location in Washington using some type of algorithm or something.”
Hawk chuckled. “Is that how you think every problem should be solved by those brilliant computer whizzes?”
Black shrugged. “Why not? That’s what they do, isn’t it?”
“They don’t sit around all day and write algorithms. And even if they did, putting one together is incredibly challenging. I observed that first-hand as a spouse who knows just how difficult it can be to survive on your own for two straight months while your partner is off working on a project like this one.”
“So, I’m taking that as a hard no,” Black said. “Tell me if I’m misreading you here.”
“You’re getting the message loud and clear,” Hawk said. “She wouldn’t have time to create any program like that. Evana Bahar is not going to make it easy on us; that’s already quite certain.
“Call her phone and see if things have changed,” Black said.
Hawk dialed Alex’s number, but he went straight to voicemail. He tried several times. But still nothing.
“No, no. This can’t be,” Hawk muttered.
“No answer?” Black asked.
Hawk shook his head.
“We need to get to headquarters real quick and make sure everyone is okay,” Black said.
“If we do that, we’re going to lose valuable time that we need to catch Evana and the other Al Fatihin agents.”
“But Alex actually knows how to help us. Without her, we’re looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Hawk’s phone buzzed, and he stared at his screen before groaning.
“Who is it?” Black asked.
“It’s my—It’s Thomas Colton.”
“He’s calling right now? What does he want?” Black asked.
“I don’t know, but it can’t be good,” Hawk said before answering.
“Son—I mean, Brady—I know you’re probably really busy right now and don’t have much time to talk, but there’s something I need to tell you.”
“What’s so urgent?” Hawk asked.
“I know how the terrorists are moving around in the city without getting caught,” Colton said.
“What did you create this time?”
“The Electron 451—the most powerful portable electromagnetic field device ever built. We designed it so the military could knock out an enemy’s ability to track them in the field during close-range battles. We were transporting several of them last week, and the best we can figure is that one was stolen as we were moving them across the country.”
“For all your high-tech development, you really need to get a better security system. Between things getting stolen and the weapons resold on the black market, I’m starting to think we’d be better off without Colton Industries.”
“Look, I know that’s how it’s seemed lately, but this is a much-needed weapon in today’s warfare.”
Hawk groaned. “And now Al Fatihin has it—along with the president.”
“Yeah, but there’s a way to pinpoint its location that they wouldn’t necessarily know about,” Colton said. “While Al Fatihin may think they’ve gotten away with racing around the city in darkness, the Electro 451 creates a perfect five-mile radius. If you can determine the perimeter, you should be able to figure out where it was being utilized.”
“But that’s not a guarantee that they will be there.”
“I know, but it’s a starting point. Anything to help.”
“Thanks for letting me know,” Hawk said. “I’ll call you if we have any other questions about this.”
Hawk hung up and looked at Black. “We need Alex’s help right now.”
As they roared across the city toward the Phoenix Foundation offices, Black kept trying Alex’s phone periodically. Meanwhile, Hawk explained what Colton had told him about the Electro 451 and how it worked.
Upon arriving at the Phoenix Foundation offices, Hawk swiped his security badge and waited for the underground parking garage gate to open. He looked around and noticed the outside of the building looked like a war zone with shattered glass and munitions casings strewn all over.
“What happened here?” Hawk asked.
Black shook his head. “This isn’t good.”
Hawk entered the garage and noticed Alex’s car was still here, along with Blunt’s and a couple of others that were familiar.
Accessing the elevator, Hawk and Black rode up in silence. Hawk was already thinking the worst, and he could read the same concern on Black’s face. When the doors finally opened, the pair of agents marched into a hazy hallway where the smell of gunpowder hung in the air.
Hawk stepped over several bodies strewn across the floor. He didn’t recognize any of them, though he noted they were all wearing dark-blue uniforms.
“Alex! Blunt! Laura! Talk to me. Where are you guys?” Hawk called.
With his weapon drawn, he hustled down the hallway to the panic room. The access panel had been destroyed, and the door was wide open.
“Alex said they were all in the panic room,” Hawk said before kicking one of the chairs across the room.
“They couldn’t be all that far away. We’ll find them, Hawk.”
They stepped back into the hallway. Hawk knelt next to one of the dead attackers.
“Someone’s gonna pay for this,” Hawk said.
CHAPTER 23
ALEX RUBBED HER NECK as she opened her eyes and surveyed the room. She was lying on a couch in an office. Shelves loaded with reference books lined the back wall while a desk with a computer and chair was on the opposite side. There was a minimalist design to the space, something she figured was quite intentional.
As she sat up and eased her feet onto the floor, she winced. However, she was surprised not to find herself in chains. Her initial instinct was to run, but she didn’t sense danger, which seemed awkward given the circumstances.
Alex buried her head in her hands and stayed that way until she heard a voice coming from the hallway.
“You’re safe now,” a man said.
She looked up and saw CIA Deputy Director Randy Wood leaning against the doorjamb.
“Wha—what happened? You guys shot me?” she asked.
“Sedated you, actually,” Wood said. “There was so much chaos in the hallway at the time, our team leader thought it would be
