eyes.
"For what it's worth," Joe said, trying to breathe evenly, "I don't like having guns pointed at me. How about if that makes us even?"
"Not a chance," Hammerlock answered. His thick forefinger started to squeeze the trigger!
Chapter 16
LAUREN MADIGAN FELT the blood trickle warmly down her side.
The force of the bullet had given her whole body a tremendous shock, even though it had only grazed her side. She had known she could never reach Hammerlock with the knife. But she had never really intended to. She just wanted him to think she had.
It had all been a matter of timing. She had watched Hammerlock's fingers, trying to anticipate the second the trigger would be pulled. When she was positive he was about to shoot, she had whipped her body about, hoping that she would be out of the trajectory of the bullet, but that it would look as if it had hit her.
She didn't quite make it—yet she had been partially successful. The bullet had actually grazed her, and she hadn't had to fake her hard collision with the sand.
She hadn't even had to concentrate on remaining motionless. The initial trauma to her nervous system took care of that. Even a minor wound from a high-caliber weapon such as Hammerlock's caused a devastating reaction to the body. No acting was needed.
By the time Hammerlock stepped over her, she was becoming aware again of the sand and voices.
From the corner of her eye, Lauren could see Biff valiantly, but hopelessly, crawling through the sand. He was too far away to reach Hammerlock in time, and too weak to do anything even if he did.
She looked past Hammerlock and caught a glimpse of Terry trying to position his knife for an underhanded throw. He was trying not to make an overt movement, or Hammerlock would spot it and squeeze off half a dozen shots in two seconds. And he had them dead in his sights.
But Lauren could fix that. She kicked out, straight and hard. Her booted heel thrust into Hammerlock's leg, right behind the knee. The leg gave, and for a split second Hammerlock's pistol wavered.
Joe and Terry were upon him instantly. Joe dove high, his fist slamming into Hammerlock's throat. Terry hit the colonel's broad midsection. They all tumbled into the sand.
Lauren joined the melee, sending a hard right hook into Hammerlock's nose.
Joe was throwing punches, anywhere he could land a fist, when he heard someone laugh. He had heard that laugh before — that hideous laugh that sounded like bones scraping together.
Hammerlock took advantage of the instant's distraction. He flung Joe away like a rag doll, and was lurching back onto his feet when he heard the laugh again.
"Playing in the sand, Colonel?" the voice asked.
Everyone became still.
Orville Brand. Brand with an automatic weapon. Brand smiling, there to claim his prize.
He wasn't alone. There were two other para-military types with him. And they were both armed.
Joe glared at Brand, ready to charge him.
The major's dark, sunken eyes appraised Joe, his machine gun aimed at Joe's chest.
"What a pleasure to see you looking so well," Brand said tauntingly.
Hammerlock disengaged himself from Terry and Lauren.
"Sporting chance, huh?" Joe spat at Hammerlock with contempt. "You come after us with superior firepower, and even then you need backup troops to cover for you."
The left side of Hammerlock's face twitched. "You condemn me unjustly. I didn't order Brand or any of these others to give me strike support."
Hammerlock glared at Brand. "You're getting overzealous. You know I go on these hunts alone. How dare you disregard the procedure? You'd better have a good excuse, Major."
Hammerlock stalked heavily over to the spot where his Super Blackhawk pistol had landed. He started to bend to pick it up.
"Colonel," Brand said, his tone part command, part warning.
Puzzled, Hammerlock cocked his head in Brand's direction. Then he saw that the machine gun was aimed at him.
"I wouldn't," Brand said.
Hammerlock stood very still, trying to
"For what it's worth," Joe said, trying to breathe evenly, "I don't like having guns pointed at me. How about if that makes us even?"
"Not a chance," Hammerlock answered. His thick forefinger started to squeeze the trigger!
Chapter 16
LAUREN MADIGAN FELT the blood trickle warmly down her side.
The force of the bullet had given her whole body a tremendous shock, even though it had only grazed her side. She had known she could never reach Hammerlock with the knife. But she had never really intended to. She just wanted him to think she had.
It had all been a matter of timing. She had watched Hammerlock's fingers, trying to anticipate the second the trigger would be pulled. When she was positive he was about to shoot, she had whipped her body about, hoping that she would be out of the trajectory of the bullet, but that it would look as if it had hit her.
She didn't quite make it—yet she had been partially successful. The bullet had actually grazed her, and she hadn't had to fake her hard collision with the sand.
She hadn't even had to concentrate on remaining motionless. The initial trauma to her nervous system took care of that. Even a minor wound from a high-caliber weapon such as Hammerlock's caused a devastating reaction to the body. No acting was needed.
By the time Hammerlock stepped over her, she was becoming aware again of the sand and voices.
From the corner of her eye, Lauren could see Biff valiantly, but hopelessly, crawling through the sand. He was too far away to reach Hammerlock in time, and too weak to do anything even if he did.
She looked past Hammerlock and caught a glimpse of Terry trying to position his knife for an underhanded throw. He was trying not to make an overt movement, or Hammerlock would spot it and squeeze off half a dozen shots in two seconds. And he had them dead in his sights.
But Lauren could fix that. She kicked out, straight and hard. Her booted heel thrust into Hammerlock's leg, right behind the knee. The leg gave, and for a split second Hammerlock's pistol wavered.
Joe and Terry were upon him instantly. Joe dove high, his fist slamming into Hammerlock's throat. Terry hit the colonel's broad midsection. They all tumbled into the sand.
Lauren joined the melee, sending a hard right hook into Hammerlock's nose.
Joe was throwing punches, anywhere he could land a fist, when he heard someone laugh. He had heard that laugh before — that hideous laugh that sounded like bones scraping together.
Hammerlock took advantage of the instant's distraction. He flung Joe away like a rag doll, and was lurching back onto his feet when he heard the laugh again.
"Playing in the sand, Colonel?" the voice asked.
Everyone became still.
Orville Brand. Brand with an automatic weapon. Brand smiling, there to claim his prize.
He wasn't alone. There were two other para-military types with him. And they were both armed.
Joe glared at Brand, ready to charge him.
The major's dark, sunken eyes appraised Joe, his machine gun aimed at Joe's chest.
"What a pleasure to see you looking so well," Brand said tauntingly.
Hammerlock disengaged himself from Terry and Lauren.
"Sporting chance, huh?" Joe spat at Hammerlock with contempt. "You come after us with superior firepower, and even then you need backup troops to cover for you."
The left side of Hammerlock's face twitched. "You condemn me unjustly. I didn't order Brand or any of these others to give me strike support."
Hammerlock glared at Brand. "You're getting overzealous. You know I go on these hunts alone. How dare you disregard the procedure? You'd better have a good excuse, Major."
Hammerlock stalked heavily over to the spot where his Super Blackhawk pistol had landed. He started to bend to pick it up.
"Colonel," Brand said, his tone part command, part warning.
Puzzled, Hammerlock cocked his head in Brand's direction. Then he saw that the machine gun was aimed at him.
"I wouldn't," Brand said.
Hammerlock stood very still, trying to
Similar Books
![[Draven's Crossing 1] Hidden Diversions](https://fs.ageofbook.com/571415/thumbs/152x264/dravens-crossing-1-hidden-diversions.jpg)