“Did I invite you onto my ship?”
The man persisted. “It’s just a request, sir.”
“I’m not going back to work for anybody. I just want to read my novels and have everyone leave me the hell alone.”
The man nodded. “You’re just as pleasant as advertised.”
“Look, I’ve got a gun in my cabin. Perhaps you’re not catching my drift. I’m not interested in whatever it is you’re wanting to ask me. So, please leave.”
“President Norris sent me here, sir. He’s been unable to locate Alex and Brady Hawk.”
“Have you ever considered that maybe they don’t want to be found?”
“But, sir, I understand your position, but if there’s any way you can help me, any way at all, I’d be greatly indebted to you.”
Blunt grunted and stuffed a cigar into his mouth. “This ain’t Washington, kid. Save the ass kissin’ for somebody who cares.”
“Sir, please, I’m begging you.”
Blunt sighed and dug his cell phone out of his pocket. He entered a number and then handed the phone to the man. “They won’t answer, but at least you can tell the president that you tried.”
Blunt waited as the man placed the receiver to his ear. After a half minute, the man ended the call.
“Voicemail is full,” he said.
“I warned you. They won’t even talk to me.”
“Thank you,” the man said. “I appreciate you at least trying.”
Blunt chuckled. “Did you seriously come all the way out here just to have me call Brady Hawk for you?”
The man untied the rope and climbed back onto his jet ski. “Sure did.”
Blunt laughed. “You guys are persistent. I’ll give you that. But when an agent says they’ve had enough, it’s over.”
“Never hurts to ask,” the man said. “Have a good day, sir.”
Blunt watched the man skim across the water back to the main harbor. Blunt shook his head and then returned to the roof of his yacht, the one he got Young to buy as a retirement gift. It was about ten years old, but Blunt didn’t care. It was his own ship, and he could go just about anywhere in the world he wanted to in it. And nobody could stop him.
He eased back into his chair and then picked up his satellite phone. After dialing a number, he waited for someone to answer.
“What was that all about?” Hawk asked as he answered.
“Some fed sent on assignment from the president himself to try to rope you back in,” Blunt said. “I’m glad you didn’t answer.”
“We can say no rather easily these days,” Hawk said. “Little John Daniel is keeping us pretty busy.”
Blunt sighed. “Well, if you ever get the itch again, apparently Uncle Sam wants you, so much so that they sent an agent all the way across the country and then all the way to Catalina Island just to get your phone number.”
“Which you didn’t give them,” Hawk said.
Blunt laughed. “They could waterboard me and I still wouldn’t give it up.”
“Thanks, J.D.,” Hawk said. “You enjoy that retirement.”
“Oh, I will. And, Hawk?”
“Yeah. Thanks … for everything. I still think of you like a son.”
“Well, you’re the best dad I never had. Take care.”
“You, too.”
Blunt hung up and smiled, satisfied that his work was done.
THE END
To catch the next big adventure with Brady Hawk, click here to order SHADOW HUNTER, a new series featuring Brady Hawk, Alex, and the others on your favorite black ops team.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am grateful to so many people who have helped with the creation of this project and the entire Brady Hawk series.
Krystal Wade was a big help in editing this book as always.
I would also like to thank my advance reader team for all their input in improving this book along with all the other readers who have enthusiastically embraced the story of Brady Hawk. Stay tuned ... there's more Brady Hawk coming soon.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
R.J. PATTERSON is an award-winning writer living in southeastern Idaho. He first began his illustrious writing career as a sports journalist, recording his exploits on the soccer fields in England as a young boy. Then when his father told him that people would pay him to watch sports if he would write about what he saw, he went all in. He landed his first writing job at age 15 as a sports writer for a daily newspaper in Orangeburg, S.C. He later attended earned a degree in newspaper journalism from the University of Georgia, where he took a job covering high school sports for the award-winning Athens Banner-Herald and Daily News.
He later became the sports editor of The Valdosta Daily Times before working in the magazine world as an editor and freelance journalist. He has won numerous writing awards, including a national award for his investigative reporting on a sordid tale surrounding an NCAA investigation over the University of Georgia football program.
R.J. enjoys the great outdoors of the Northwest while living there with his wife and four children. He still follows sports closely.
He also loves connecting with readers and would love to hear from you. To stay updated about future projects, connect with him over Facebook or on the interwebs at www.RJPbooks.com and sign up here for his newsletter to get deals and updates.
Final Strike
© Copyright 2020 R.J. Patterson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the Publisher, except where permitted by law.
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
First eBook Edition 2020
