Read Online Storming the Kingdom by Jeff Dixon - Free Book Online Page B

know anything, then how was he going to help you?” Kate caressed his arm gently.
    Hawk hesitated and then looked to the face of each of his friends before responding. “He didn’t know; he was just willing to help.” Lowering his head, he continued softly. “He was willing to help because…I don’t know what I have.”
    “Hey, boss?” Shep cleared his throat. “If you don’t know what you have, then how do you know you have it, or how will you know when you find it…whatever it is?”
    The room again fell silent and Hawk felt the penetrating stare of his team seated around the table on him, waiting for a response.
    “Actually . . .” The sound of Jonathan’s voice deflated the rising pressure of the silence. “I hate to admit it, but Shep asked a really great question…or series of questions. How in the world can you find something when you don’t know what you’re looking for?”
    “Hasn’t that been the story of our lives around here the past few years?” Juliette answered before Hawk had the chance. “Hawk has never known what mystery he was getting caught up in. That is how we all ended up around this table right now.”
    Juliette was right. The previous quests had been created by an innovative team of trusted allies to the Disney brothers. Once Hawk had been selected to become the keeper of that trust, he had lived on a need-to-know basis. Each time there had been something else he needed to be successful and move forward in his new role of leading the company, he had to go and find it. This time what made it different was that someone wanted whatever it was enough to kill him and anyone else close to him.
    “I’m sorry I’ve put you all at risk.” Hawk smiled slightly. “Maybe it’s a good time for all of you to take a vacation, get away for a few days until I can get this figured out.”
    “Vacation? Seriously?” Juliette stared across the table at Hawk. “ We are sitting in the one spot in the entire world everyone wants to see when they go on vacation. And you want us to go away and leave you here to do what?”
    “Give me a chance to figure out what they’re looking for, what they want, why they want me dead.”
    “And you think you can do that without us?” Kate crossed her arms in confusion.
    “I just want you to be safe.”
    “And what about you being safe?” Jonathan inquired. “It would seem to me that you aren’t going to be safe until you figure out what they want and what you don’t have. But I need to remind you that whoever is trying to kill you is now convinced you don’t need to be around to figure it out. You’re just in the way.”
    Shep drummed his fingers on the table. “You, your knowledge, and your expertise have never been expendable…until now.”
    Shep’s statement settled over the group for a moment.
    “Or maybe, just maybe…” Kate shifted. “This time they’re afraid you’ll figure it out before they do…and they can’t risk that. Whatever they want is too big this time.”
    “Hawk, you aren’t just trying to protect us by telling us you don’t know what they want, right?” Jonathan asked in earnest. “You really don’t know what it is?”
    “No, I don’t.”
    “So what do we do?” Shep tapped nervously on the table.
    Juliette reached over with her hand and trapped his fingers on the table, silencing the annoying sound. “What do you want us to do?”
    “I want you to go away and stay safe.” Hawk looked to all of his friends, hoping they would do what he said but knowing they wouldn’t.
    “We aren’t going anywhere,” Jonathan said as though he’d become the spokesman for the group.
    “Alright.” Hawk smiled. He was bothered they wouldn’t take his advice but relieved they were willing to stay. “If you’re going to help me, then meet me tonight at the Town Square Center on Main Street, U.S.A. I’ll hide out here most of the day, try to stay out of sight, try to accomplish a few things, and then we can get started