Page 31 of Hayes
“Oh, you thought I was going to be shot out of the sky? No fucking way, asshole. But you’re going to have to explain to Aamani why there wasn’t a pilot or plane over his airspace.”
“He’s going to get what he wants either way,” said Bonds.
“You fucking killed my entire team,” said Hayes. “Our entire team. For him? For that maniac?”
“Don’t be obtuse,” frowned Bonds. “I didn’t do it for him. I did it for money. Money is the key to everything. Didn’t you know that?”
Luke hit him so hard, he fell backwards, landing on the hard steel plates of the floor. A loud thud echoed in the room, and Bonds shook his head, then sat up, slowly gaining his bearings.
“Where is he?” asked Hayes.
“I don’t know,” said Bonds. “That’s the truth. He was going to have a team shoot the plane out of the sky, forcing the pilot to bail. He’d capture the pilot and get what he wants.”
“And what is it that he wants?” asked Hayes.
“Originally, you. He wants all the intel on the G.R.I.P. comms, data, and flight systems. He was also going to use your mind for other more interesting things,” he smirked.
This time Wyatt slammed a fist into his gut. Bonds doubled over, spitting on the deck, blood coming from his mouth.
“You’re going to call him and get a location,” said Hayes.
A young sailor ran into the room, whispering to the commander. He stared at him and nodded.
“Gentlemen, it seems we have a call from Khalil Aamani,” said the commander. They all stared at one another as the young sailor piped in the call for all to hear.
“Khalil Aamani, to what do I owe the pleasure?” said the commander.
“We will dispense with the polite exchanges. I knew that Bonds overestimated his worth and value. I’m letting you know that it no longer matters. I will have what I want in another way.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Mo.
“Voodoo Guardians and your predecessors have many brilliant minds. Too many to count. It’s unfair really. Terribly unfair,” said Aamani. Luke stared at the others, feeling his phone vibrating nonstop in his pocket. Finally, he looked down at the screen.
“No,” he whispered.
“Yes,” laughed Aamani. “Say hello, darling.”
“Da-daddy.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“Dear God,” whispered Hayes. He nearly fell over and then looked toward Bonds, who knew that his life was over. “Where is he? I won’t ask you twice.”
“I-I don’t know. I swear to God, I don’t know. He obviously was planning on screwing me over,” said Bonds.
“Then you’re of no use to us,” said Eric. He gripped the man by the back of the neck, throwing him down the steel deck stairs, waiting for him to hit bottom. It continued until he was at the fantail, at which point, he tossed Bonds overboard.
“Lost at sea seems appropriate,” said Hex, nodding at his friend.
When they were all seated in the war room, Sheikh Omar’s face appeared on the screen.
“I’m so sorry, my friends. My bodyguards were shot, three are dead, only one lived to tell me what happened. He’s in surgery now, but we are not sure if he will live.”
“How did Aamani know where to find her?” asked Hayes.
“We don’t know. If it was someone local, they will pay with their life,” said Omar. “I have my team of men gathering intel to help find her location. People in the area saw a caravan of identical vehicles leave, going in multiple directions, no doubt to confuse the traffic cameras.”
“He’s taken her back to Iraq,” said Hayes. “That’s where he operates, that’s where he’ll want her.”
