“I understand you’re concern, but—”
“Look, you’re the one who asked me what to do because I know Evana Bahar better than you do,” Hawk said. “And if you want my help, I need you to do what I ask. Send your men, but have them waiting in the wings. We’ll get the president back.”
Wood sighed. “Fine. I’ll make sure my men stay back until you give them the signal. Anything else you want?”
“Yes,” Hawk said. “Get me a helicopter at the White House—and a long rope. We’re going to need it.”
Black shot a glance over at Hawk. “A long rope? Really?”
“I know you hate heights, so I’ll do it,” Hawk said.
“And let you get all the glory for saving Young’s life? Never.”
“Trust me. I can handle this.”
A couple of minutes later, they reached the Washington Monument. Hawk slowed down as he saw Evana abusing Young, kicking him and prodding him to get to his feet.
“Now what, genius?” Black asked.
“Wait here. I’m going to go talk with her.”
Hawk rushed up to the front of the Washington Monument entrance with his weapon trained on the agent jamming his gun into Young’s head.
“I suggest you let him go,” Hawk said.
Evana Bahar, who was standing a few feet away from Young, steadied her gun on Hawk. “Why do you always have to be so dramatic, Mr. Hawk? You’re about to be annihilated, but you’re still acting as if you have the ability to change the situation.”
“Any situation can be changed,” Hawk said. “It’s a moment-to-moment thing. But you, on the other hand . . .”
“What about me?” she asked.
“You don’t seem interested in changing things for the better.”
Evana eyed Hawk carefully. “Perhaps we have different definitions about what a better world is. Have you ever considered that we might have different goals?”
“I think we share a similar goal.”
“And what’s that?” Evana asked.
“We both want each other dead,” Hawk said.
“I can’t disagree with that,” she said. “And while I’d love to continue this conversation, we really need to get going. And when I say that, what I really mean is that President Young needs to get going.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Hawk said. “I’m not going to let you take the president through those doors.”
Evana laughed. "Try to stop me, and you'll both be dead before you can blink. You didn't think I'd go to all these lengths just to be foiled by you at the very end, did you? You're about to learn just how serious this operation truly is."
Hawk forced a smiled. “More serious than kidnapping the President of the United States and threatening to kill him?”
“It can get far, far more serious,” Evana said. “Just ask A’isha what she thought about her time in the U.S.”
“What did you do to her?” Hawk asked.
Evana grinned as she looked at her watch. “In exactly twenty minutes from right now, two trains will converge at Union Station, carrying hundreds of people. A’isha is chained to a bench, and if she is moved more than ten feet from where she is, the bomb in her leg will explode—along with the rest of the station. However, if you leave now, I’ll send you the code to disarm the bomb once President Young is dead. How’s that for changing things for the better?”
“You made this mess to begin with,” Hawk said. “You don’t exactly deserve sainthood for such a gesture. How do I know you’ll uphold your end of the bargain?”
“You don’t,” she said. “But what other option do you have?”
Hawk took a deep breath. There were always other options, and his mind was whirring to come up with a way to save Young and the people at the train station.
“And if I don’t?”
"Don't even think about doing anything else. I've thought of every detail, every possible thing you could do. The communication with the trains is being suppressed by some of my colleagues. And I have someone on site who will tell me if you're not there at the station and will detonate the bomb remotely. The entrance to the monument is also rigged to blow if you try to come after us. So, you have your assignment. I suggest you get going so you can make it in time. If you hurry, you might make it with five minutes to spare."
Hawk walked backward slowly before spinning and racing back to Black, who heard the entire conversation over the coms.
“Sounds like you need to start running to Union Station,” Black said.
Hawk shook his head. “No, but you do.”
CHAPTER 28
HAWK FELT LIKE HE’D been thrown into a problem that wasn’t solvable, a cruel cosmic joke in the most serious of matters. Not only was the life of the president hanging in the balance, but so was the fate of several hundred unsuspecting passengers heading toward Union Station. And while Hawk wasn’t confident his plan of action was the best, he knew the eventual outcome if he followed Evana’s prescribed steps—and that was also unacceptable. He turned off his coms and told Black to do the same.
“What are we doing?” Black asked.
“Here,” Hawk said, removing his hat and jacket. “Wear this, and keep your head down. We look enough alike from a distance. I know that whoever has a finger on that detonator isn’t going to be that close by.”
They switched clothes as they kept hustling along the path.
“Are you sure this is the right move?” Black asked.
Hawk shook his head. “No, but your training has you better suited than me to disarm a bomb.”
“What do you intend to do now?”
“I’m going to save Young. Just keep your coms on, and listen for my command.”
Hawk watched as Black launched into a full sprint toward the train station before turning around.
“Alex,” Hawk said
