Against All Odds
know what else there is to discuss.”Alex took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “There’s this little matter of a new weapon called SubZero.”
“What about it?” Thurman asked. “Colton Industries put on a demonstration of sorts for several members of the senate’s intelligence committee.”
“I know,” Hawk said. “We ran into Mr. Colton today when we were at the capitol looking for you.”
“So, what about it?”
“Well, I started thinking about why a man would have his son murdered,” Hawk said.
“For the umpteenth time, I didn’t kill my son.”
“Don’t try to fool me,” Hawk said. “I know politician speak very well. And you’re right—you didn’t pull the trigger. But we both know you placed the call at Rock Creek Park that led to the Russian assassin shooting your son; that much we learned from the data gleaned off your phone.”
“You’ve got nothing, and you know it,” Thurman said.
“Oh, we’ve got almost everything. There’s just one question I had as I started to investigate this curious murder: Why? What’s the motivation for a father to murder his own son? Now, there are plenty of reasons I could concoct, but I needed to find one that made sense based on all the players involved. And that’s when I figured it out.”
“Please enlighten us, Perry Mason,” Thurman said, sarcasm dripping from every word.
“Your son knew what you were doing, and that’s why you had to have him killed.”
“That’s preposterous,” Thurman said. “I loved Thaxton and would never do anything to harm him.”
“Again, careful politician speak,” Hawk said. “You talk like that so often you’re hardly aware that you’re doing it. You speak the truth in general terms. You didn’t physically do anything to hurt him, so you hired someone else who would.”
“And again, more outlandish lies. Stop while you’re ahead. Quit embarrassing yourself.”
Alex moved closer to Thurman, edging less than a foot away from his face. “What made Thaxton willing to turn his old man in? The fact that you stole four SubZero missiles from Colton Industrie,s or the fact that you were going to sell them to some terrorist organization?”
Alex eased away but held her steely gaze.
“Are you done now?” Thurman asked. “I’m tired of listening to this shit.”
Hawk paced around the room. “Senator, I’m afraid we’re just getting started,” he said. “You’re in for a long night, especially if you’re going to be this uncooperative.”
“Like hell we are,” Thurman said.
Alex shrieked as Thurman grabbed her and whirled her around so her back was flat against his chest. Neither Hawk nor Alex had noticed the knife sheath Thurman wore around his calf or even considered checking him for a weapon.
The regret was visible on Alex’s face, worried lines etched into her forehead as she tried to communicate with him using only her eyes. Even though he wasn’t the one being apprehended at knifepoint., Hawk felt how Alex looked. He watched as Thurman slid the blade uncomfortably close around Alex’s neck.
Hawk put both his hands out in a calming gesture. “Just hold a minute. We both know you’re not a killer.”
Thurman laughed, a quick burst the second Hawk stopped talking. “We both know I’m not a killer?” Thurman said. “That has to be the quickest about-face in the history of the planet. One second I’m a deranged killer who murdered his own son; the next I’m perfectly normal and would never murder anyone. So, which one is it, Agent Hawk? Am I normal or a murderer? It doesn’t seem like you’ve left much in between for me to choose from.”
“Put the knife down, and we can talk about this,” Hawk said.
“Like hell I am,” Thurman growled. “You two lunatics picked a narrative and tried to make it fit, like a square peg going into a round hole. I’m not about to let you figure out a way to ruin my spotless public service record over rumors and innuendos, completely devoid of any hard evidence.”
Thurman eased backward toward the door. Alex fought against him to get free, but he appeared to tighten his grip each time.
“Easy, tiger,” Thurman said. “This isn’t like someone holding a gun to your head. You have a good chance to knock one of those free and escape. But a knife? All it has to do is ease its way right around this artery here and you’ll bleed out before you can say my name. And that’s what you’ll be trying to say as you plead for your life. But it’ll be too late. So I suggest you calm down before I get put in a compromising situation and an accident happens.”
Hawk made a move toward him, but Thurman saw it.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “Back up and stay there. If I feel threatened in any way, I won’t have any qualms about protecting myself and slitting her throat.”
“I swear, I’m gonna—”
Thurman shook his head subtly. “Stop making promises you’re never going to keep. Agent Duncan here is going to accompany me. If she tries to pull some kind of move, she’s dead. If you try to follow us, you’re dead. If you call someone and a helicopter hovers over us, she’s dead. Any scenario where you don’t let me leave in peace with her, she’s dead. Can I be any clearer than that?”
Hawk shook his head. “I got it.”
“Good,” Thurman said. “Now put the keys in the ignition and return to the house. If you try anything—”
“I know, I know. She’s dead.”
“I’m glad we understand each other,” Thurman said.
Hawk went outside and followed Thurman’s instructions. Once Hawk returned, Thurman instructed him to remain on the couch until they were gone.
Hawk wanted to charge the senator and break his neck. But that wasn’t going to happen as long as Alex was in danger. There had to be another way, and Hawk needed to figure it out fast.
After a couple minutes, Hawk heard the car roar to life, and the two of them disappeared down the driveway. Hawk ran out onto the porch and saw Alex’s phone and keys lying on the railing.