Page 73 of Leading Conviction
A video of the General in a bland office appeared on the screen. The date on the top right indicated the video they were watching was from two years ago.
“What’s this about…” Hawk trailed off as a painfully familiar tall, blond man in fatigues entered the door and saluted.
Hannah gasped. “Is that—”
“Eagle,” Hawk finished for her and swallowed. “Were we even in the States then?”
“We were,” Wes answered. “It was one of those times we were called back in after we saved Callie’s sister, but before we were suddenly called to scope out Yemen.”
“Goddamnit, what’s he doing there?” Jason asked.
In answer, Wes increased the volume.
They all listened in silence as General Smithers broke it to Eagle that he knew Eagle was onto him. When he showed a picture of Hannah, her grip on Hawk’s hand rolled his knuckles almost to the point of pain. Her eyes welled with tears as they watched Eagle find out he had a son.
In no uncertain terms, General Smithers threatened not only Eagle’s whole team, but Hannah and Tommy, too. When he confessed to murdering Hannah’s mother, Hawk cursed and pulled Hannah closer to him as she wept silently.
“No fucking wonder he turned on us,” Jason whispered.
“He what?” Hannah’s red-rimmed eyes widened as she pulled away to look at Hawk.
He was about to reprimand his teammate for letting the cat out of the bag, but then Eagle asked the General a question that made Hawk’s chest tighten.
“What do I have to do?”
The job was simple. Eagle had to inform the locals of MF7’s every move so the traffickers working for the General had time to escape.
“Right before the mission, I’ll give you the frequency to a different channel on your radio headset,”the General explained.“You’ll be able to switch back and forth between air traffic control, the locals, and your team. That way your contact will have no confusion about where you will be.”
“That’s why I was able to hear them,” Phoenix whispered.
“Hear who?” Hawk asked, his brow furrowed.
“Wes already knows this, but the women… after the bomb blew up, Eagle’s headset fell off. I was still able to hear their screaming.”
A few of their teammates swore and Hawk shook his head. “Shit, brother, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”
Even though Hawk’s chest felt like it was caving in, Phoenix waved their concern away and continued, “As the pilot, I had to switch frequencies to listen to air traffic control and the locals. His radio must’ve fucked up after the explosion, leaving his mic hot on the same frequency I was on. I’d always wondered how I could still hear through his headset when everyone else’s was busted, and that’s why.”
Hawk opened his mouth to apologize again, but Eagle's voice echoed through the speakers, making him pause.
“So I just tell them when and where we’re going? I do that and no one gets hurt?”
“No one gets hurt,”the General lied through his veneers.“After this last job, you’ll be done. I have no need for men who can’t stomach the work. If you won’t be at your finest, I’ll have to get others to do it.”
“Wait, we’ll be finished after this last job?”The hope and hint of desperation in Eagle’s voice made Hawk’s chest ache.
“Of course.”The General waved his hand as if what he’d said went without saying.“Don’t tell a soul what we’ve discussed today. That means no telling Hannah and no telling your team. If you do, you know the consequences. You just have to be a good little soldier, inform the locals of your whereabouts, and when you’ve finished taking out the proxy, you can all go on your merry way.”
Eagle admittedly looked skeptical on the screen, but Hawk’s heart shattered when his best friend reached over the table and shook the General’s hand.
Wes stopped the feed on the handshake, freezing the moment of betrayal in time.
“He… he betrayed you all?” Hannah asked, those tears finally spilling over. “That’show Thomas died?”
She turned to look at him, but the accusation in her expression was weak. He knew the feeling. Losing Eagle hurt so much more than the deception.
“Han.” Hawk glanced around at the grim faces before he met hers again. “Everyone in this room would’ve done the exact same thing.”
