Free SEALs of Honor: Hawk by Dale Mayer Page A

them.
    *
    H AWK WALKED TO Gordon’s bed. And found the old man awake. Good.
    “Damn it’s good to see you. And good timing,” Gordon managed to get out. “I owe you my life.”
    “You owe me nothing but I could sure use details. What the hell’s going on?”
    Shifting uneasily, Gordon said, “I don’t know the whole story but have an idea.” He raised a shamed gaze to Hawk. “My brother is involved.”
    “Was involved.” Hard cold clipped, Hawk wasn’t going to allow for any misconceptions here. “He was shot with a single bullet to the head.”
    Gordon nodded. “I know. And…I’m sorry, but now that I know what I know, I’m not surprised.”
    “Tell me.” Hawk stood and waited. What he heard was a bigger development on the bit Mia had shared. “So Gerry came back expressly to set this scenario up? To collect the stash and when the cops found it, he told his cohorts about your stockpile?”
    “I think so. The men who kicked the shit out of me had a good laugh at me being set up. Then again they had a good laugh at killing my brother too.”
    “Any idea what their plans are?” Gordon asked.
    “Golden Gate Bridge. Water attack of some kind.” Gordon leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes. “Is Mia okay?”
    “Yeah, she’s here in the hospital but she’s going to be fine.”
    “The army was in to see me,” Gordon said. “I told them everything.”
    “And the sheriff, did he show up?”
    The snort said it all. “I haven’t seen him but apparently he was here. Didn’t bother talking to me though.”
    “Maybe you weren’t awake yet?”
    “I was awake. I heard the fuss in the hallway. He was doing the minimum he had to before walking away. More than happy to dump this in someone else’s hands. Might be the Feds taking it over too as these guys came from three states for this and will be heading to California for the attack.”
    “Makes sense,” said Hawk in neutral tones. “Who found the cache?”
    “Local man – ex-military,” Gordon said. “When his boys found it, him being who he is and all…he called in his buddies and that was that. Now it will likely be a joint operation.”
    “Minus the sheriff.”
    They both smiled at that. Hawk checked his watch. He was late. He’d hoped to see Mia but he was out of time.

Chapter 10
    “I ’M FINE. I just want to go home,” Mia told the doctor earnestly. “I promise I’ll rest.”
    “And how are you going to get there?” he said, writing something on the tablet. “You shouldn’t drive.”
    Mia frowned, wishing her head would clear. “I don’t have my own wheels here anyway.”
    “If you take a cab or get picked up, then fine.”
    She brightened. “Thank you.”
    The doctor walked out of the room, leaving her to put her jacket and shoes back on. She’d have some paperwork to do before she was finally released, but she was looking forward to getting home. But first, she had to see her father.
    She walked into her father’s room as Hawk rushed out. She brightened. He hadn’t left without saying good-bye. Her instinctive thought. After all, she had nothing to offer him. Especially him. And especially being her. She wasn’t close to being a bombshell, and she’d heard about the SEAL life. From many sources. Enough to know it was the truth.
    She’d had boyfriends, but she hadn’t had a long string of them. She preferred quality over quantity. And understood Hawk could have both in as many forms as possible.
    She could never compete.
    And he was…well, he was just so much.
    She was such an idiot. Now if only she could get through this gracefully.
    She sighed and gave him a small wave good-bye. “Thanks again for the rescue,” she said in a shamefaced voice as he came to a stop beside her. “Normally I’m the one doing the rescuing.”
    “Sometimes even the toughest of us need a little help.” He patted her on the shoulder. “You stay here and heal. I’ve got to run.” He walked away backwards with a