“Dammit,” Hawk said. “We’ve been made.”
“Officers, here they are,” one of the gunmen said, gesturing toward a pair of policemen rounding the corner in full sprint.
Hawk and Alex didn’t hesitate, turning heel and racing toward the entrance.
“Sterling, we’ve got a problem,” Hawk said.
“I know,” Sterling replied. “I just received a bulletin seconds ago from Interpol that they are searching for the two of you. I’ll bring the car around the back alley.”
“Hurry,” Hawk said.
As they turned toward the main exit, they were overwhelmed by an emergency response team rushing a patient down the hall on a gurney. One man hustled ahead of everyone and implored all other staff to make way.
Hawk glanced behind him and saw the officers converging on his position. But with a trauma patient being ushered down the hall toward him, Hawk realized they were getting hemmed in. He yanked on Alex’s sleeve as he reversed course and ran straight toward the Interpol officers.
“Turn here,” he said, nodding toward his left. He used the parade of paramedics and doctors behind him to slow down the officers and buy more time to escape.
Alex stayed on his heels as the duo raced down a dim corridor. “Where does this lead?”
“Outside … I hope.”
Hawk glanced up and followed the exit signs to a side doorway that opened up onto the street. Up ahead, he saw several law enforcement officers standing outside. They made eye contact, putting Hawk and Alex on the run.
“Sterling,” Hawk said over the coms. “Where are you?”
“I see you,” Sterling said. “Turn left at the next intersection, and be quick about it.”
As they followed Sterling’s instructions, they found the MI-6 agent waiting along the curb. Hawk and Alex scrambled inside before Sterling stomped on the accelerator and pulled into the regular flow of traffic.
“Why is Interpol involved all of a sudden?” Hawk asked.
“I don’t know, but that just made our job much more difficult,” Sterling said.
* * *
UPON REGROUPING at Sterling’s flat, they discussed their next move.
“I think we need to split up,” Hawk said. “You already have your own problems. If you get caught with us, that will only complicate the situation.”
Sterling nodded. “It seems to be the more prudent decision.”
“We need to reconnect with our team and form a game plan,” Alex said. “The only way we’re ever going to get our lives back is if we can prove we were set up.”
“Can’t very well do that sitting in a cell somewhere,” Sterling said.
“You’re right,” Hawk said, looking at Alex. “All our agents are in danger. And once they catch us, we’ll be silenced forever.”
“We all share the same mission objective,” Sterling said. “Why don’t I track Sinclair to make sure he’s not going underground? And in the meantime, I’ll search for connections between him and other powerful global leaders.”
“Sounds like we have a plan,” Hawk said. “We’ll be in touch once our team is reunited and let you know what we’re doing so we can keep working together.”
“Brilliant,” Sterling said. “And where will you go next?”
“I think I know just the place,” Hawk said.
CHAPTER 21
Copenhagen, Denmark
THE SOUND OF THE gunshot made Mia flinch. She’d never been shot before, but she braced for the searing pain that she imagined accompanied getting a hole in your body. However, all she felt was a dead body toppling onto her back.
She tried to steady her breathing as she shoved off her would-be killer and rolled into a prone position. Mia removed her blindfold and worked to free herself of the bindings beneath the dark sky lit by a full moon. After spotting a knife on the dead man, she belly crawled over to him and took it. Based on the result of the incoming fire, she hoped it was friendly, but she couldn’t be sure. Any associate of Shadow Lancer was sure to have plenty of enemies, and she didn’t want to risk becoming collateral damage.
After cutting herself loose, Mia scanned the area for her captor’s gun that had fallen out of his hand. She picked up the weapon and studied it for a moment. Despite her inexperience with guns, she figured she could point and shoot if necessary.
“You know how to use that thing,” a man said.
She rolled over and looked in the direction of the strangely familiar voice, her gun trained in front of her. “Agent Black,” she said. “I could’ve shot you.”
“Not with the safety on like that,” he said with a chuckle as he offered her his hand. He pulled her upright before she dusted herself off.
“How did you find me?” she asked.
“When Blunt warned us about what was happening, he told us that you were in Denmark,” Black said. “And then Agent Shields knew what she was looking for and was able to find your location based off the cyber-attacks you brought against the CIA.”
“Wait a minute,” she said. “What’s happening?”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t know since Blunt feared alerting you might be more harmful than good considering what you were here to do,” Black said.
He explained how Blunt had been arrested and the rest of the world’s intelligence agencies had been put on alert that the rest of the Phoenix Foundation team needed to be detained.
“So, your own government outed us?” she asked.
“More or less. And we’ve got to get to safety to figure out how to proceed.”
Mia broke into heaving sobs as she sought solace in Black’s arms. He enveloped her with a hug while she cried for a moment. However, he heard approaching footsteps and turned to see a silhouette of another familiar person.
“We’ve got to get moving,” Christina Shields said. “It won’t be long before someone comes out here looking for the source of all this raucous.”
“She’s right,” Black said as he looked down at Mia. “You can have a good cry later.”
“Any idea who these people are?” Shields asked.
Mia shook her head. “I tried to get him to tell me, but he wasn’t interested, even right
