Alex put her hands on Hawk’s shoulders. “Honey, I love you, but the world needs you right now. We’re still trying to figure out what Sinclair is doing in there, but I read on one of the dark web sites that President Karelin is supposedly meeting with Sinclair this week too.”
“Sinclair has the American and Russian presidents together in the same room?” Hawk said. “That can’t be good.”
“And that’s exactly why we need you to gain access to the mainframe for us. Think you can handle it?”
Hawk nodded. “Yeah, but not alone.”
Mia threw her hands in the air and shouted. “Everyone, shut up. I’ve got the audio from the room with Sinclair and Young.”
Mia turned up the volume and leaned back in her chair.
“Gentlemen, I brought you here today to experience the power of my company’s new Force Field protection program,” Sinclair said. “If you thought Ronald Reagan’s vision for the so-called Star Wars program was revolutionary, today you’ll get to witness the realization of that dream—and so much more. Whoever possesses this defense system will be solidified as a world superpower, they’ll become the world superpower. No foreign entity will be able to touch you, while you’ll be free to wreak havoc on any nation you so desire without any violent repercussions.”
“This is why you brought us together?” Young asked.
Sinclair chuckled. “Did you think I brought you here to simply wine and dine you? There’s only one system, and it’s open to the highest bidder. But enough talk. Once those missiles reach orbit, I’m going to show you what this system is capable of.”
“Understand now why this is so important?” Alex asked Hawk.
“I’m gonna need your help,” he said.
She handed him a receiver. “Put this in. I’ll be with you every step of the way. We don’t have a second to waste.”
“No, Alex, you’re not understanding what I’m saying,” he said. “I need you with me. We need to go do this together.”
“And who’s going to handle the logistics from here?” Alex asked.
“I think Mia is more than capable of handling everything on this end,” he said. “I might be tempted to take her, but I know how proficient you are with a gun.”
“Definitely rules me out,” Mia said.
Hawk crammed the listening piece into his ear and handed the other one to Mia. “We need you to be communicating with us every step of the way.”
Alex grabbed her backpack. “Mia, you can do this.”
Mia nodded. “You patch me into that mainframe, and I’ll do my best to stop this catastrophe from happening.”
Hawk tightened his rucksack and looked at Alex.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Is anyone ever ready for something like this?”
“Not really,” Hawk said. “It’s time to move.”
They exited the tent in a full sprint back toward the facility. This time, Hawk’s lungs burned more than ever before, the burden heavier than ever before.
“We can do this, Hawk,” Alex said, her voice ringing loud and clear through his listening piece.
“I know I’m capable,” Hawk said. “But I don’t think you understand just how dangerous Sinclair is.”
“If I didn’t before, I do now.”
“So where is this mainframe located?” Hawk asked.
There was a long pause.
“Alex?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you hear my question?” he asked.
“Yep,” she said, stopping for a moment to catch her breath.
Hawk slowed down when he realized she wasn’t with him. He turned back, jogging toward her.
“Well, are you going to answer me then?”
She looked down at the forest floor. “It’s ten stories below the surface.”
Hawk didn’t react. “Let’s go then. We don’t have a second to lose.”
CHAPTER 23
AS HAWK AND ALEX NEARED the compound, they found a half-dozen guards combing the forest for the escaped prisoner. He gestured toward a fallen log, and then the two of them took cover beneath it.
“That didn’t take long,” Alex whispered.
“We can’t get caught, but we can’t let them stray too far from here or else they’re going to find Mia.”
“What’s the plan?”
“Just stay close and get ready to run,” Hawk said.
He grabbed a grenade from his rucksack and pulled the pin. With a giant heave, he tossed the explosive device over a hill in the opposite direction of Mia and the tent. The explosion sent the guards diving to the ground before they got up and raced in the direction of the grenade. Hawk and Alex remained low until all of the guards had streamed by in search of the perpetrator.
“Let’s go,” Hawk said.
They stayed low as they hustled from tree to tree, avoiding detection. Nodding at the man inside the guard house, Hawk kept his gun low. When the man protested, Hawk fired one shot into the man’s chest. Alex took the access card Hawk had swiped off one of the men he’d killed earlier and released the lock on the gate. Hawk grabbed the man’s walkie-talkie in order to keep tabs on the men in pursuit.
“We’re inside, Mia,” Hawk said. “But there are guards combing the area. Just watch your six.”
“My what?” she asked.
“Watch your back,” Alex said. “I left a gun for you underneath the chair. Now might be a good time to pull it out just in case someone gives you any trouble.”
“I don’t know how to use a gun,” Mia said.
“Just point and shoot—and then run,” Alex said.
Hawk scanned his card and then rushed into the building with Alex right behind him. They hustled down the hallway until they reached the elevators. Once inside, Hawk searched for the button to take them to the server room ten floors below ground.
“Where’s the button for the basement?” he asked, staring at the panel.
“There’s not one,” Alex said. “You need a key.”
Hawk let out a string of expletives and slammed his hand against the elevator wall.
“Maybe I can help,” Mia said. “Just give me a second.”
“I’m not sure we even have that much time,” Hawk said. “Those rockets will target something very soon.”
“Working as fast as I can,” she said.
As Hawk paced around waiting for Mia to figure out a way to get the elevator to descend
