Bridger, Montana
HAWK PLACED JOHN DANIEL on a hay bale and gestured for him to jump. The boy crouched low, wrapping his arms around his legs and refused to move. Hawk held his hands out wide and coaxed his son to take the leap.
“You jump off everything else, son,” Hawk said. “Why are you afraid all of a sudden?”
“You promise you’ll catch me?”
Hawk nodded. “Of course. When have I ever not caught you?”
John Daniel stood, took a couple of steps back, and leaped into his father’s arms. Hawk spun his son around a few times before placing him on the barn floor.
“I need your help feeding Tucker and Dusty,” Hawk said. “Think you can help me carry this hay bale over to their trough?”
John Daniel nodded as he rushed around to the other side of the bale. He placed his hands in the air and did his best just to maintain contact with the hay. Once they reached the fence, Hawk cut the bale and filled the trough. He whistled at the two horses, who quickly galloped over and began eating. Hawk tousled John Daniel’s hair as they watched the animals munch on their food.
After a few moments of silence, John Daniel looked at Hawk. “Dad, did you get the bad guys when you were gone?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“Good,” John Daniel said. “I don’t want any more of them coming around here.”
“Well, if they do, they’ll have to deal with me and your mom. She’s tough, too.”
“And pretty,” John Daniel said with a grin.
Alex called for them, causing the pair to turn their heads in the direction of her voice.
“Better go see what she wants,” Hawk said.
When they reached the house, Hawk ushered John Daniel to his room and warned him not to come out.
“No more bad guys are coming here, are they?” he asked.
Hawk knelt so he was at eye level with John Daniel. “Now, why would you ask a question like that?”
“I don’t like bad guys.”
“Me either, son. I’ll come get you when it’s time to come out of your room.”
Hawk shut the door and returned to the kitchen where Alex was fiddling with her laptop on the table.
“You ready?” she asked.
Hawk nodded and hesitated. “Did John Daniel see anything when Orlovsky’s goon attacked you?”
“I don’t think so,” she said. “I checked on him after everything, and he was fast asleep. Why do you ask?”
“He just said something to me that made me wonder if he’d witnessed any of your fight. He’s worried about the bad guys.”
“Like father, like son,” she said before typing a password on her computer.
Seconds later, they were connected with the Magnum team for a video meeting.
“How’s Montana?” Morgan asked.
“Still cold, but beautiful as ever,” Alex said.
“Well, in that case, I won’t tell you about the seventy-two degree weather here in Los Angeles today,” Morgan said with a wink.
“And don’t tell me about the commute either,” Hawk said.
“Touche,” Morgan said. “Now, let’s get down to business. We wanted to loop you in on this because we’ve had a breakthrough in our investigation. Well, to be more exact, Mia’s had a breakthrough.”
The camera shifted over to Mia, who was holding up a cell phone. “Reaper wouldn’t talk, but he didn’t need to. This little guy did all the talking for him.”
“What’d you find out?” Hawk asked.
“I went through all his recent calls and was able to identify the phone number of a call he received right before the ambush on Sonbong.”
“And?” Alex said.
“I tracked it back to a cell phone located at the Pentagon,” Mia said.
“Great,” Hawk said with a sigh. “That only narrows it down to one of several thousand people.”
Mia shook her head and smiled. “Don’t underestimate me, Hawk.”
“You narrowed it down to several hundred?”
“Guess again.”
“Several dozen?”
“Try one,” Mia said. “I created a list of officials who would’ve had access to the information as well as all their aides. I then cross-referenced their phone locations with the location of the burner to see if they coincided out of the office. And I was able to trace it back to one person.”
“Was it Admiral Gaston?” Alex asked.
“Good guess,” Mia said. “But he wasn’t the one.”
“Out with it,” Hawk said.
“One of President Norris’s most trusted members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” she said. “None other than vice chairman James Miller.”
“He was working to create a pretext for war,” Hawk said. “That’s a sick man.”
“He’s a man I want you to visit,” Morgan said. “Can you do me the favor of closing this case by bringing in Miller?”
Hawk looked at Alex. “Go,” she said. “I’ll be fine here with John Daniel.”
“Looks like the boss is okay with it,” Hawk said. “Let’s finish this.”
“Fantastic,” Morgan said. “I’ll send the plane to pick you up in the morning.”
Alex ended the call. She patted Hawk on the hand.
“Are you sure you’re okay with me going?” he asked.
“Absolutely. You need some closure with this case.”
“What I need are answers.”
Alex nodded. “Let’s hope you get some from Miller.”
CHAPTER 42
Wynn’s Island, Virginia
HAWK STEPPED OUT OF the SUV and zipped up his jacket. The wind whipping off Chesapeake Bay chilled him, and he was grateful Alex had told him to prepare for colder weather. He glanced at Big Earv, who was sporting short sleeves, apparently unbothered by the temperature.
Hawk gawked at the Victorian-style home surrounded by thick pine trees. However, he could still see the water in the distance behind the house.
“Nice place,” Hawk said.
“A place fit for a history buff,” Big Earv said.
Hawk nodded. “And for a Navy man, too.”
Their feet crunched beneath the pebble rocks comprising the walkway up to the house. Hawk continued to scan the area, noticing a dock stretching out into the water.
Seconds later, the front door swung open and a pair of black Newfoundlands bounded onto the porch and raced toward Hawk and Big Earv. Hawk held his hand out for the dogs to smell him before kneeling and petting them. Big Earv stood back, not quite as enthusiastic about the two canines.
“It’s okay, Big Earv,” Hawk said. “You’re bigger than they are.”
Big Earv mustered a chuckle before the two continued up to the porch where Admiral James Miller was standing with a bemused look on his face.
“Lewis! Marion! Get back here,” Miller said.
“Sorry, sir. We didn’t realize we’d create such a ruckus just by showing up.”
Miller stared intently at his guests. “Now, that’s certainly unusual.”
“What’s so unusual, Admiral?” Hawk asked as he glanced down at the hundred-and-fifty-pound animals. “Are your dogs not normally that friendly?”
“Always,” Miller said, “Those dogs would nuzzle up next to Hitler while he was shoveling dirt on a mass grave. I’m talking about you two visiting my property. I don’t recall having a scheduled meeting with anyone from the administration.”
“Don’t worry,” Big Earv said. “We’re not from the administration.”
Miller scowled. “Now that really worries me because nobody else even knows I have a place out here.”
“Sorry,” Hawk said, offering his hand. “Where’s our manners? I’m Brady Hawk, the bastard son of Thomas Colton of Colton Industries. And this is Malik Earvin. We have a few questions for you.”
“I’m not sure I like the looks of this,” Miller said.