After arriving at Kirtland Air Force Base in the southeast quadrant of Albuquerque, they went through the check gates and to a hangar. It's massive, stacked with crates, odd-shaped under dust covers, and lab equipment. Walker leads Hammer through the stacks, speaking in calm, knowledgeable tones.
"Environmental applications and defense projects. All consumer products, prototypes, none of the production at any level."
"None?" Asked Hammer.
Walker pauses and turns to Hammer, a wicked gleam in her eye. "That's the beauty of it. We use the prototypes for our gains."
"Who maintains all of this?"
"Someone really qualified."
They turn the corner and approach someone who sits behind a series of monitors. A few analyze data; others are satellite views of six countries and intel.
Hammer looks up and sees an old colleague, former Navy intelligence officer Logan West: 33yrs old, light brown hair, blue eyes, 6'2 in height, with a slim athletic build.
West is a brilliant inventor/Technician/Engineer, computer hacker, and investigator. Like Hammer, his military service record remains vague.
Logan sees his old friend. "Matty. Long time no see."
"That it has. Nepal, I believe, the last time we ran into each other."
"AHH! Good times."
Hammer gave West a disapproving side-eye mentioning Nepal. "You and I remember Nepal very differently."
West chuckles but not for long as he remembers and shows sympathy. "I heard about Justice. Sorry for your lost he was a good man."
"That he was."
Silence seeped in as thought of his late friend hung there for a moment. West cleared his throat and jumped to the task at hand. "Have you been briefed?" Asked West.
"Walker caught me up to speed."
"Mr. West," interrupted Annie. "Shall we proceed?"
West, carried out the order, taps the tablet screen and, using his fingers, swipes the screen to the series of monitors on the console. A photo of Donovan Matteo appears on the monitors.
"Donovan Matteo," West pointed out. "A financial mastermind described as the central bank of international crime. He mostly finances the Russian mafia and the Colombian drug cartels, moves money for the North Koreans, and deals in nuclear materials for Iran."
"I've heard whispers about Matteo during my time in the ISA," said Hammer. "The guy operates like a ghost."
"He protects himself by working through a network of people who camouflage his illegal activities and who do his bidding."
"That's where you come in, Mr. Hammer," added Walker. "Matteo has been under scrutiny of the CIA and FBI as well as international law enforcement. No agency has been able to touch him. What better way to infiltrate his organization than a disgruntled ex-ISA operative."
"I take it that's my cover?"
"Yes, Mr. Hammer. Part of your cover will be posing as a high roller who's made his fortune from unlawful antics."
West a flick of the wrist, throws an image from the tablet onto another screen, "According to intel, Matteo is in cohorts with General Matthew Abernathy," West briefed. "Who overlooked Dr. Given's research. It took time, but after going through Abernathy's financials, he received several money transitions from foreign accounts. Several were from banks Matteo overlooked."
"Matteo must have paid the General to overlook the project," said Hammer. "Once the research grant was folded into a larger one. He wanted eyes on the research, and what better way than to pay someone to be his eyes."
"Yes," confirmed Walker. "Abernathy moonlights as a capo for Matteo's organization, and once Givens catches onto this, he sends a distress signal to Yasmine. He sent it through a hidden message within an email. After Yasmine reviewed the specs, she realized Matteo wanted the battery research himself."
"A battery?" Asked Hammer.
"Yes, not just any battery. A battery that's equipped with military applications." Said Walker.
"Were talking Solar energy or Elon Musk Teelsa electric?"
"Neither," said West. "Givens battery makes Elon Musk technology look like energizer batteries."
" Hercules is fueled up and ready to go. Matteo is conducting business in Mexico City, where we're headed. We should arrive in Mexico City in 18 hundred hours."
West nodded, Walker went her way, and Hammer stood still with a curious look and said, "What the hell is Hercules?"
Hammer and West make their way onto the runway. Up ahead is a Grey Gunmetal C-17 Globemaster Transport plane. They make their way up the lowered cargo bay door to a small cargo area where a red Toyota GR Supra, a four-door Ford Bronco, and finally Annie's Volkswagen Golf GTI. However, it's not the old red Volkswagen she drove for five years during her tenure in the CIA. But a new up to date model, a gift from her husband was stored as well.
Now on to the plane, which is remarkable, including three passenger decks replacing the forward cargo space. The passenger space has living quarters, a briefing room, various storage rooms, an armory, and a forensics and research lab to accommodate West. The highest deck of Hercules houses Walker's office.
They enter the living quarters, with a couch, coffee table, chairs, a pool table, a minibar, and retractable screens throughout the cabin. After checking out the digs, they strap in as the transport plane takes off, and once in the air, they meet in the briefing room.
The briefing room consists of a computer built into a black surface table, and up from the tabletop is one of three 42-inch monitors suspended from the ceiling. Providing light for the room are three slim led fluorescent wall lights throughout the side walls.
Walker, Hammer, and West stand near the studio surface computer, briefing their mission—Walker, with a flick of his wrist, through the image from a surface studio all-in-one computer.
"As I told you before, Mathayus," said Walker. "Donovan Matteo protects himself by working through a network of people who camouflage his illegal activities and do his bidding. Such as pushing narcotics and smuggling antiquities. That's how he got his start."
"And that's our way in," said Hammer. "I'll operate as Rogue ex-ISA operative to infiltrate his world."
"So, you want people to think you're a criminal?"
"Precisely," said Hammer as he turned to Logan. "West, I need all known locations of Matteo's drug stashes."
"As much I hate to ask," said Walker. "What do you tend to do?"
"Will hit him in the pocket where it hurts. Things are about to get loud."
Walker stares at him with a strange expression: she knows if you'd ask anyone, they say Hammer was the best man for the job, only sometimes you don't want the best man if he won't listen to a word you say.
Walker sighs, deciding. What would her old boss Joan Campbell say? More importantly Auggie. "Very well, being discreet is the key," Annie places a briefcase on the table, and inside are documents. "Driver's licenses. Credit cards, six different covers identities, all backed up with small online footprints that update automatically. Funds will replenish through a proxy company. Like the arrangements when you were working for the agency."
Hammer nods, impressed. "I see this job has its perps."
"We land in Mexico City within the next few hours," Informed Annie. "May I suggest you two get some rest? We have a long road ahead of us."
A few hours later, Hercules landed in Mexico City, Hammer managed to squeeze in a two-hour nap, but that was off and on as his mind wheeled, setting his plan in motion. He wore a tailored blue windowpane suit from Tom Ford's and a crisp white shirt and no tie. In the armory room, he grabbed a SIG-Sauer P226R, an extra magazine clip, a suppressed Smith & Wesson bodyguard 380 for backup, and a SIG-Sauer MPX submachine.
He goes to the cargo bay, loads his equipment into a Toyota GR Supra, and climbs in. He cranks the ignition and reverses down the ramp out onto the tarmac. Hammer pulls 180, charging parallel to the runway headed to Mexico City.
A satellite heads-up display map appears on the windshield, which does not require Hammer to lower his eyes. Multitasking, he talks to West hands-free through Bluetooth.
"Where's Matteo now?"
"That's a tricky one," admitted West. "For the most part, he barely makes public appearances unless his hosting private events."
"And General Abernathy?"
"That one is easy. His man about town is always seen at 5-star establishments. Not as discreet as Matteo," West taps into the city's enormous urban surveillance system or C5 and types an I.P. address into a browser. Surveillance footage of Abernathy throughout the city comes up.
"He was last spotted in the Roma neighborhood about an hour ago. In the country club Sun Tzu."
"Great send me the location."
"Not so fast Mr. Hammer," interrupted Walker. "It's an exclusive club, members or invites only. Lucky for you I know someone that is a member of the club that you can use his credentials… Logan sends a pin to Maythus phone. Will take care of the rest here."
A red dot pins on the satellite imagery of the Supra heads-up display.
"Got it, headed there now." Acknowledged Hammer.
Hammer ended communication and opened the Supra as it screamed down Federal Highway 95.