Against All Odds
the weapons as a way to increase spending to the defense budget? Whatever the reason, Hawk determined it was treasonous, certainly not in the best interest of the United States. To Hawk, the most benign action Thurman could be taking was something related to padding his own bank account, but at the cost of the American people. At its most nefarious, Thurman was selling out his country. Or maybe it was something worse, something Hawk hadn’t yet conceived possible.When Mallory’s car finally appeared over the rise in the distance, she was flashing her lights and honking her horn.
What the hell?
Mallory skidded to a stop on the opposite side of the street and motioned for him to get inside. He instantly noticed she wasn’t alone.
“Alex!” he said, stunned. “How did you—”
Alex opened the door and got out. “Get in, and I’ll tell you everything,” she said before switching to the back seat.
Hawk hustled over to the car and got inside. Mallory didn’t wait for him to buckle his seatbelt, shoving her foot on the gas as she got off to a screeching start.
“What are you doing here?” Hawk asked.
“Before I tell you everything, I think you should know that we’re headed straight to the airport,” Alex said. “We have a plane fueled and waiting to take us to Cuba.”
“Did you talk to Blunt?” he asked.
“No. I tried calling him on Mallory’s phone, but I couldn’t reach him. I just had Linda authorize everything for us. She even has dossiers on the plane containing our new legends that will enable us to get into the country. I would’ve called you sooner, but I needed to get all that moving as soon as possible if we’re going to have a chance of getting those missiles before they disappear on the black market or are fired at the U.S.”
“I understand,” Hawk said, though he wasn’t sure he would’ve done the same thing. Calling Alex would’ve been his first priority, as it always was on his missions. Why she hadn’t done the same bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
“Country first, right?” Alex asked.
Hawk forced a smile. “Always.”
It was a weak affirmation, his dour expression betraying his words.
“Are you all right?” Alex asked.
He sighed. “I’m fine. Let’s just go track down those missiles.”
* * *
HAWK SLUNG HIS GEAR onto the plane and then tossed Alex’s equipment inside as well. Once they both secured all their bags, they buckled up and prepared for the takeoff. The sun was just rising over the horizon, painting a sunrise with red, orange, and purple hues.
“Where is this place we’re going in Cuba again?” Hawk asked.
“The resort town of Varadero,” Alex said. “It’s quite nice, actually. If we weren’t going there to capture some weapons, we could stay a while and get the rest of our honeymoon in.”
“Country first, right?” Hawk said.
Alex eyed him closely. “What’s eating you? Ever since we picked you up, you’ve been in a mood. Did I say something?”
Hawk shook his head but remained quiet.
“Did I do something?” she asked again.
“Look, I just would’ve appreciated a quick call or a text message—anything to let me know you were okay. Do you realize how much that was eating me up? It’s not like we’re just two operatives working on a mission. You’re my wife. I’m going to defend you no matter what.”
“Hawk, every once in a while that hardened exterior of yours cracks. And what leaks out is surprising tenderness.”
Hawk forced a laugh. “I’m not trying to impress you. This is how I feel. It’s why I wanted to marry you. I’ve never met another woman that I could seriously consider growing old with, especially one who actually enjoys the thrill of these missions and doesn’t mind me going on them, let alone joining me.”
“And that’s exactly why I thought you wouldn’t care who I called first,” Alex said. “But trust me when I say this—my feelings for you are mutual.”
Hawk leaned over and kissed her just as the plane began to rumble down the runway. “I’m sorry I was careless back there with Thurman,” he said, settling back into his seat as the plane lurched skyward. “If something would’ve happened to you, I never would’ve forgiven myself.”
“We both were,” she said. “It wasn’t just your fault. But you probably could’ve gone after him, and he wouldn’t have done a damn thing to me. You should’ve seen the look in his eyes. He was terrified. There’s a reason why he hired someone else to kill his son, because he doesn’t have the constitution for it.”
“So, he just let you go?” Hawk asked.
“He drove for a couple miles off the main road and then told me to get out. He did a quick U-turn and sped off toward the highway. I walked back in the same direction and flagged down Mallory when I recognized her vehicle.”
“How could you miss it?” Hawk asked.
“A yellow convertible VW bug. It’s hard to miss.”
“You don’t think Thurman had any intention of hurting you?” Hawk asked.
“No, he was more scared than I was. For a brief moment, I considered attacking him, but I decided to see how things played out. It was too big of a risk. It’s not like he’s going to disappear forever. We’ll track him down.”
“And he’s going to pay—one way or another.”
Alex nodded in agreement before opening up her laptop. She keyed in the tracking codes for the SubZero missiles.
“Are they all still there?” Hawk asked.
“The first three are,” she said. “Just one more to check.” Alex entered the final numbers and pressed enter. “Yep. They’re all there.”
“Can you pinpoint the address for them all?” Hawk asked.
“I’ve got GPS coordinates for all four missiles, and they seem to be clustered together.”
“That should be easy enough, barring any problems.”
She chuckled. “Yes, because nothing ever goes wrong.”
“That’s right. I’m sure you’ve already concocted a fool-proof plan.”
“Of course I have.”
Hawk’s eyebrows shot upward. “You know exactly where all the missiles are being held?”
She nodded. “Varadero Azul Hotel. I’m not sure