As suddenly as he had started, Oxley stopped pacing and turned to face White, his hand moving toward his holster. It was time for White to take a leap of faith.
“CONQUEST,” White said, just loud enough for Oxley to hear him. “They briefed me about it, told me about your role.”
Oxley folded his arms across his chest. White was glad to see Oxley’s hands moving away from his holster.
“Good,” Oxley said. “Did it come from Alexander Hammond?”
White nodded.
“In your own words, then, tell me what you know about CONQUEST.”
“It was a special unit, led by my father, General Maxwell White, that was tasked with investigating corruption within the upper echelons of the coalition forces,” White said.
Oxley was shaking his head, a huge smile on his face. “Are you being serious?” he asked.
“You were fired,” White continued. “But you somehow managed to turn the tables on my father and convinced the judge he had fabricated the evidence against you.”
Oxley stared at White for a few moments.
Then he began to laugh.
The sound infuriated White. It was as if Oxley was pissing on his father’s grave.
When Oxley finally stopped laughing, his eyes were filled with pity, which was the last thing White expected.
“You’re a pawn, and you don’t even know it.” Then he added, as if he was talking only to himself. “The man has no shame. None whatsoever.”
“Why did you try to kill Veronica Hammond?” White asked, trying to regain some sort of control of the conversation.
Oxley pushed the wooden chair closer to White and turned it around. He sat in the chair with his forearms resting on its back.
“In retrospect,” he said, “it was a miscalculation.”
A miscalculation? White felt his face turn bright red. “Your miscalculation cost the lives of five Secret Service special agents under my command.”
Oxley nodded. “As I said, a slipup.”
White’s blood was beginning to boil. He was close to his breaking point with this asshole. He wished he could free himself from his restraints, but whoever had tied him up had done a hell of a job.
“What am I doing here?” White asked.
“I knew Hammond was going to retaliate. He’s not the kind of guy who can’t let something like this go unpunished. I get that. So, I asked around. And here you are.”
White’s gut hadn’t lied to him. He’d been betrayed. He was sure of it now. Hammond had lied to him when he said only two people knew about this operation.
What else had he lied about?
Oxley gave White an encouraging smile. “I see your wheels are turning,” he said. “I’ll tell you what I think. Hammond sent you here knowing I’d catch you. Make no mistake about it, Clayton. He thinks he’ll use your capture to lobby for a covert hostage rescue operation whose primary goal wouldn’t be your rescue, my friend. No, its primary objective would be to kill me.”
A chill ran through White’s body. It couldn’t be. Hammond wouldn’t throw him to the wolves like that. Never.
“You’re lying. Again,” White said. “I don’t know what you’re trying to accomplish with your bullshit stories, but I don’t believe you. You murdered my father.”
Oxley sighed, his disappointment apparent. “I guess this was to be expected.”
His hand moved to his hip, and for a moment, White thought he was about to get shot. But instead of a weapon, Oxley pulled out his cell phone.
“Let me tell you something about Alexander Hammond,” Oxley said. “It’s gonna blow your mind.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Naval Air Station Fort Worth, Texas
When her father’s call ended, Veronica remained immobile, shell shocked at the bits and pieces of the conversation she had overheard.
“Clay’s missing, isn’t he?” she asked. “And don’t you dare lie to my face.”
Her dad propped his elbows on the table and rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers. “Yes,” he said. “Clay’s missing.”
“What the hell have you done to him?” she asked, suddenly feeling short of breath.
“I’m gonna fix this. I’ll bring him home,” he said. “Trust me.”
Veronica chuckled despite the gravity of the situation. “Trust you? You have to be kidding me.”
He stared at her. “What’s wrong with you? You think I wanted this to happen?”
“I don’t know, Dad. You tell me. You’re the one who sent him to South Africa by himself.”