Hawke (Protective Hero: Noble Network #2)

Chapter 24

Chapter

Twenty-Four

“ I don’t know what you’re talking about. Today is the first time I’ve laid eyes on you and the jury is out if this is a good thing. You are a bloody fucker.”

“Same sense of humor, Hunter.”

“Stop calling me Hunter, will ya?”

Hawke pressed the bandage on his head. “What would you like me to call you?”

“I go by John.”

“Okay, John.” Hawke looked at him and surveyed the landscape. “You have a brother.” Hawke hoped he’d get some reaction out of him. Gunner and Hunter had been close.

John looked in his direction. “I’m a loner.”

“That ends today.”

“For now.” John gunned the engine and took a corner, whipping the tail of the vehicle. “We’re not far. I’ve reconned the area and found a little hidey-hole to get prepared.”

“Whatever you say. My directive doesn’t change. We get Miss Lincoln. End of story.” He ran a hand over his scalp. “Do you know any first aid?”

“I know enough.”

Hawke was testing him; Hunter was the damn best out in the field with stitching things up. “I need you to look at the split on my head. You do that. I can reset your bones and rig a splint. You may need that hand later.”

“We’ll see.” John looked over at Hawke, assessing him.

“You can trust me.”

“Haven’t needed to trust much.”

“We’re royally fucked if we don’t have that right now.”

The driver grumbled with a slight shake of the head.

Hawke eyed the scar on the driver’s upper right arm. He knew where Hunter had gotten the scar—a sniper shot, eight years ago. I sutured your wound. I know you’re Hunter. A fact. You don’t spend years with someone living and training side by side and not know him. He may not remember who he is, but I do. What happened to him in the years he’d been missing? How did he show up here, right in the middle of everything? What’s Gunner going to say when I tell him his brother is alive? Hawke smiled and closed his eyes. Something was going right. Regret hit him. He wasn’t there for Kinley. If only he had tried harder. He dug at the pressure in his chest. I failed her and I promised. Like the past.

“We’re here.” Hunter turned off the engine and threw Hawke his keys. “Small house, about a half mile hike.” He pointed to a clearing.

“Are you positive this is where Kinley and the guys who abducted her will be?”

“They were here a day ago. I overheard them. They said the boss was flying in to make a personal appearance. He’s probably en route.”

Hawke moved forward.

“Not sure that’s smart.” Hunter scratched his nose. “I set a few traps, actually a lot of them.”

“What the hell do you mean? What if Kinley gets hurt? Or my men?” Hawke spit the words through his teeth.

“She won’t if they stay on the road and drive to the house on the hill. There’s only one road in.” John crossed an arm over his chest, cradling his broken hand, and gave a quick nod. “We’re sneaking in the back way, but all around us there are things that go boom.” He inspected his watch. “We’re first to arrive. I get pinged when the motion sensor goes off. I have an exit strategy, and my gut suspected the devious ass wipes would follow through on their shenanigans.”

“I need to call the team. There’s a tracker on the car and it won’t take them long to figure out where I am. Guess it’s my lucky day you’re on the job. You’ve been busy.” Hawke popped open the trunk and sorted through the arsenal. Hunter had always been an overachiever. Hawke eyed his mate. Pride hit him. Hawke hoisted the med bag over his shoulder and retrieved more weapons and ammo from the trunk. He shoved extra clips and bullets into another pocket of his pants. “Help yourself.”

Hawke hit the call button on his phone. Hey, it’s me. Is everyone okay? How’s Axel and Jett? Good. Don’t come any closer if you’re tracking. Yeah, I’m fine. There’s a lot of booby traps. I want nothing to happen to you.” He eyed Hunter. “We’re on foot, but I’ll send you information as soon as I have it. You’re never gonna believe this, but I’m with the guy Kinley remembered helping her. He’s been doing recon on the men who abducted her. He knows who’s behind all of this. We are lying low until we can make a tactical move. Don’t expect me until I bring her back. Wait for my call.” Hawke navigated the terrain behind his guide, making sure he tracked his precise steps. A chime emanated from Hunter aka John’s phone.

He crouched down and waved Hawke forward. “They passed the first motion sensor. Shouldn’t be long now.” He whispered. “We’d better hustle. There are two more sensors on their drive. I also put a couple of bugs in the house.”

“Shit. Overachieve much?” Yeah, that’s our boy Hunter. Hawke raised a brow. “You know, we could really use someone with your skill set on our team.”

“I work solo.”

“Since when?”

“For as long as I remember.” John took off and jogged 20 meters and disappeared. Hawke beat feet and covered ground fast, finding him near a small shack nestled under foliage.

Then he doesn’t remember shit. “Where’s the house?”

“Through the trees. We’re in their backyard.” John pointed.

Hawke squinted through the dense bush. “I see it now.”

“You’re bleeding again. Let’s check that wound.” He hitched a thumb. “Come on in.”

Hawke crouched into the structure. The enclosure was built in the ground, like a bare bones military trench. “Reminds me of a few things we built when we were overseas.” Hawke knelt in the corner and opened his med kit. John/Hunter slid a head lamp over his noggin. “Let’s see whatcha got going on. I can only imagine what being pistol-whipped might look like.”

“Just hurry up.”

“Ouch. You need stitches. It’s either that or…do you have a staple gun in your bag of tricks?”

Hawke rummaged through the kit. He handed him the antiseptic and the needle and thread.

“Do you have anything for the pain? Novocain?”

“I don’t need it.”

“You sure?” The guy raised a brow. “Tough guy, huh?”

Hawke winced as pain sliced through his head…more like the needle. The guy was fast but lacked a soft hand.

“Done.”

“You did that on purpose. I should smack the smirk off your face.” Hawke patted the seat. “You’re next.”

“I’m fine.”

Hawke shoved him in his seat. “No, you’re not.” He grabbed the guy’s swollen hand, yanking the crooked fingers straight.

The guy groaned in pain. “Fucker.”

“You want to bite down on something? The wrist is gonna hurt like a bitch.” Hawke set the wrist before the guy had a chance to answer. The guy chomped down on his other hand. “Told ya.” He grabbed a chunk of bark and wrapped it with an ace bandage. “This will have to do.”

John’s phone chimed. “They passed the second motion detector. Time to load the ammo.”

Hawke pulled out his weapons and extra rounds. “I wish I had my spotting scope. It’s back on the ridge.”

John lifted a wooden tackle box in the corner. “No worries. I have a spare.” He made a familiar clicking noise with his mouth as if he was riding a horse.

Hawke chuckled. “Giddy up.”

John turned his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“You good?” Hawke asked, knowing something was eating the guy who had been like a baby brother to him.

John shook his head like a warning bell was going off. His stare was vacant.

“Nothing.” He looked around and pressed his temples. His phone chimed the third time. “They’re pulling up the main drive. I usually work solo, but then there’s you, so this might be a good time to get the rest of your guys here for backup. The quicker we end this, the sooner I can get back to my boss and report she’s in capable hands.” He pointed a finger at Hawke.

Hawke swatted his hand away and got in his face. “Don’t test me. Do you really want me to break another finger? Because I will.”

“They need to take the exact route I plug in. No veering or they will run into one of my fireworks. We need them ready.”

“Here you go” He gave him a death stare. “I’m trusting you on this.” Hawke handed him his phone. John texted the directions.

Hawke eyed it, then John. He texted. Follow this exact route. No veering off track, your lives depend on it. Wait for my orders. Hawke tucked his phone away and grabbed his night vision goggles, slipping them carefully over his head. “Now what?” He slapped his hands together. “Let’s go.”

“We need to wait and listen.” John turned the volume dial up on his handheld radio.

Hawke paced the small space. “I’ve been patient enough. I need to get Kinley back asap.”

“I saw your face earlier, when the lady Lincoln disappeared. You have a thing for her, don’t you?”

“Mind your business. She’s my ward and I take my responsibility seriously.”

John waved a hand in the air. “Just calling a spade a spade.”

“I’ll go outside and see if there’s any movement.” Hawke’s skin was crawling. Every nerve in his body was buzzing. He had to get to her. What if it’s too late already? He set up the rifle and spotting scope. A light switched on. He whistled.

John crawled beside him, lowering his own night vision goggles. “There’s four of them usually, but I think one of them might not have made the bus. Lead muscle is Vlad, the other two are his henchmen. Vlad calls the shots, and he's an evil motherfucker. His rap sheet goes on and on, but he’s worked for the Lincoln family for years, mainly the uncle. More his style.”

“How do you know so much?”

“Lincoln’s parents hired me. I work for the father.” He cleared his throat. “He never trusted his brother, Augustus Constantine. Kingston tried to keep Kinley and her mom away from his threat, but Kinley inherited her grandfather’s fortune. The brother has been trying to seek her out and that’s where I come in. He employed me two or three years ago, doing security. It evolved.”

Hawke stiffened. The hairs on the back of his neck raised. “There she is.”