Where have I seen him before?
Then it hits me.
We saw him back at the hotel while Fake Hawk was shooting that poor man right in the middle of the hall. If he’s here then he survived that explosion and if he survived, he must be important to Hawk.
I move after him as Faina comes out of the restroom and I motion her over as subtly as I can while keeping one eye on the fleeing man.
“You got something?” she asks hurriedly.
“I remember him from the hotel.”
“Someone survived?” She vocalizes the surprise that lingers in my own mind. “He’s got to be important.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.” As we reach the door, the stranger doesn’t even seem to realize we’re following him and he hurries down the steps toward a waiting car. “We have to follow him.”
“Absolutely.” Faina hurries a few steps down the stairs then pauses when I don’t follow. “What’s wrong?”
“Don’t we have to ask your boss for permission?”
“He’s not my…” Faina sighs. “Just come on.” She carries on down the steps and through her sly conversation with the valet, we score a car that isn’t ours and take off after the man from Hawk’s hotel.
Naturally, as soon as we leave the grounds, something crackles at Faina’s hip and while driving, she pulls out a small device.
“Deal’s off, Faina,” barks Richard’s voice. “You flee, you end up behind bars!”
“I’m not fleeing, genius,” she snaps. “We have a lead so shut the fuck up.”
As she tosses the small radio out the window of the car, she quickly veers left and follows the stranger down an alley that opens out into a wider parking lot. Faina parks us up in the alley and bolts from the car, kicking off her shoes in the process. Together, we sprint toward the mouth of the alley in time to see the man climb out of the car with a silver case. He places the case on the hood of the car and opens it. Leaning down, his actions are hidden by the lid of the case. Keeping low, Faina creeps as close as she can while using a dumpster for cover. I join her, ignoring the flash of tightness in my leg as I crouch.
“I have them, sir.” The man’s voice faintly drifts toward us.
“All of them?” comes another voice, instantly recognizable as Hawk.
“Yes, as you requested.”
“How much?”
“Eighty million.”
“Cheaper than I expected.” Hawk grunts. “Good. I want them shipped immediately to the destination, and I’ll add another ten million as a sign of good faith. I don’t need the Lebanese to get cold feet.”
“Understood. What’s next?”
Hawk’s words grow quieter as if he’s moved further away from his microphone. I tilt my head and place one hand on Faina’s thigh while trying to hear what’s being said, but the only word I make out isSerenityand something about after hours.
Faina glances at me and holds my gaze, mouthing the same word. I shrug. It’s not something I’ve come across before.
“I’ll be there,” the man replies, then he closes the case and ends the call.
“We can’t let him get away!” This man is the only lead we have on Hawk so as soon as he picks up the case, I leap up from our hiding place and sprint toward him as fast as I can.
He spots me and his eyes widen. The silver case topples from his hand and he stumbles to get his gun out of his waist but as soon as it’s in his hand, a shot rings out from behind me and he yells. Blood spurts from his fingers while his gun lands on the ground next to the case, and I tackle him by ducking and slamming my shoulder into his gut.
Together, we crash to the ground and I restrain him with a punch, rolling him over and wrenching his injured hand far up his back.
“Stay down!” Faina yells as she joins me with her gun trained on the man.
“Nice shot,” I pant softly.
