Extreme Measures (A Brady Hawk Novel Book 20)

It's a perfect match."
This was a horse that was never supposed to get out of the barn. Think, Blunt, think.
Blunt sighed. “A one hundred percent match?”
“Ninety-eight point five, to be exact. But you don’t even match your own voice a hundred percent all the time,” Blackwood said. “This is totally within the margin of error.”
“But you can’t say that definitively, can you?”
“Well, no. But if I was talking to the media, I would say that we’ve never made a mistake on a voice with a ninety-five percent match or greater.”
“Stop right there,” Blunt said. “Absolutely no talking to the press about this.”
“I know, I know, J.D. I would never do that. This is why I decided to call you first. If I filed a report about this, someone would leak it and it’d be everywhere. But it’s what they talked about that’s more troubling than anything.”
“What’d she tell him?”
“The First Lady warned him about an imminent attack,” Blackwood said. “Suggested it would happen on the Fourth of July. She said she was worried about Olivia.”
“Olivia?” Blunt said with a chuckle. “Since when did the First Lady start caring about her step-daughter? That’s bizarre. I can’t imagine Madeline ever saying anything close to that.”
"I'm not here to analyze the First Lady's behavior. But the fact that she has behavior to assess is mind-boggling in and of itself. Everyone thinks she's dead."
“Everyone’s right,” Blunt said. “I saw the dental records myself.”
“I’d believe you if the president’s side of the conversation acted surprised. It’s like he knew she was alive. Nothing about her call surprised him. He also mentioned something about her being the one who blew up the White House.”
“Maybe someone was pranking you with that request,” Blunt suggested. “With the right technology, it’s easy these days to fake another person’s voice. And if you don’t know who put the request in to have that number tapped, I think it’s a safe bet to assume that someone is either messing with you or testing you. Either way, you’re in a predicament. Just let me handle this, and I’ll take care of everything. If this was a test and you get blowback, give me a call and I’ll speak on your behalf.”
“Thanks, J.D. You’re making me feel much better already about the state of the republic.”
“It’s not an easy job, but someone has to do it,” Blunt said before breaking into a soft laugh.
“On that note, I’ll leave this in your capable hands, J.D. Good luck sorting it out.”
Blunt hung up and blew out a long breath. He ran his fingers through his few remaining strands of gray hair.
The president has some explaining to do.

CHAPTER 9
San Francisco, California
THE NEXT DAY, Hawk and Alex headed straight to the docks after their flight landed. Alex had made a few calls to set up a meeting with the security director of the port authority. However, when they arrived, an administrative assistant informed them that the director wasn’t around. Instead, their meeting would be handled by a Mr. Jim Nelson.
A few moments later, a bespectacled middle-aged man with a loosened tie approached them.
“Oh, boy,” Hawk said under his breath.
The man gestured for them to continue down the hall.
“Hi,” Alex said. “We’re Agents Clark and Wells with the Department of Homeland Security, and we’ve been sent to run an inspection on a particular importer here.”
“Right this way,” he said.
They entered a small conference room and sat down.
“I need to see your identification before we go any further,” he said.
Alex whipped out the badges she had made before they left, complete with badge numbers that were in the DHS computer system. Nelson copied down the numbers and then held up his index finger.
“I need to verify these,” he said. “My boss didn’t leave me any notes about what your meeting entailed or that you were even coming.”
Alex nodded. “It was hastily thrown together. But I spoke with her yesterday morning.”
“She failed to mention it to me, so I’m going to need to check your numbers out as a precaution. I’m sure you understand.”
“Of course,” Alex said.
Nelson picked up the phone in the center of the table and dialed a number. For the next few minutes, he slogged through a phone tree before speaking with someone at DHS to authenticate Hawk and Alex as actual agents.
“It appears as though everything checks out,” Nelson said. “So, what can I help you with?”
“We need to see the Nicolo warehouse,” Alex said.
“A surprise inspection?” Nelson asked.
“Yes,” Hawk said. “Is there a problem with that?”
“That’s not something I’m typically authorized to allow,” Nelson said. “My boss would have to approve it.”
Alex frowned. “She told me yesterday that we wouldn’t have any problems.”
“It must’ve slipped her mind before she left the office yesterday, but I’m afraid I can’t help you.”
Hawk leaned forward on the table, his hands clasped in front of him. “Look, Mr. Nelson, this isn’t a real complicated request. We just need you to open the gates for us so we can take a peek at some of the products they’re moving to make sure they’re in compliance with all the import regulations.”
Nelson scowled. “That’s my job, Agent Wells.”
“I understand. And I’m not trying to step on any toes here. But we have reason to believe that there are some issues that require a closer look.”
“What kind of issues?”
“We’re not at liberty to say,” Alex said.
“In that case, I’m not obligated to open the gates for you. But I know why you can’t say anything.”
“I’m glad you know why, but we still need you to do your job and let us inside Nicolo’s warehouse,” Hawk said.
“You’re really with ICE, aren’t you?” Nelson asked.
Alex shook her head. “You see our badges, don’t you?”
Nelson nodded.
“And you verified our status with DHS, right?”
Nelson sighed. “Stop beating around the bush. I know you’re really ICE agents.”
Hawk chuckled and shook his head. “Mr. Nelson, you’ve got a fanciful imagination.”
“And you’re here overstepping your bounds without proper authorization.”
“Call your boss,” Alex said. “That’d