out there. If someone else knows about this, and she is alive, I can’t imagine what would happen. She has unbelievable power, and I doubt she has a clue.”
Hunter pulled his stuff together to leave. “Be careful, Joshua. I don’t have the same pull I used to have with the agency, I can’t protect you like before. I brought you into this; I’m to blame.”
“Are you joking? This is the most exciting thing that I could ever dream of; my life was meant for this. Something like this, it never comes without danger, history has taught me that. Danger and discovery always go together.”
• • •
Music for Your Life
The radio had worked for days now — a first. The station was playing one of his favorite classics. His mind wandered as he let the music surround him.
Jeremy and Leonard had called him. This time it was something so important they didn’t want to talk on the phone, not even one word. His heart raced as he got closer to the site.
He had noticed the car lights earlier. At first he just took note of it; now, he was getting closer to the site, out in the middle of nowhere, and the car was still behind him.
He turned off the radio and snapped into focus. He maintained the same speed and watched.
POP! The sound was so loud he immediately lost most of his hearing. The engine stopped dead. He knew what had happened in an instant. All his training seemed to rush back over him like a wave. Someone had shot out his engine block with a .50 caliber sniper rifle — one of the most powerful weapons made. He had used the same technique many times when he was a young agent. Shoot straight through the engine block and you take out the car. This also meant one important thing: they didn’t want him dead. Yet. They could have easily killed him, instead of shooting the engine. They wanted him alive, never a good thing for an agent; that meant they wanted information from him. He knew all too well that everyone eventually breaks under torture. Movies would have you believe that a real man could hold out forever. Bullshit, of course.
The training was ingrained in him. Without thinking, he pulled the now rolling car into a ditch by the side of the road. He jumped out and popped the trunk. He always had his automatic weapon with him. He pulled out the machine gun, strapped it to his back and ran for cover.
He found a good vantage point and focused on the incoming vehicle. It had slowed and was approaching his position. Using the night scope fitted to the weapon, he saw what appeared to be two people. He focused in on the driver. Slowly, he locked on, then took the shot. The driver went down and the car slowly stopped in the middle of the road.
Just as Hunter started to stand up, the passenger’s head exploded.
Whoever was after him had just taken out their own man. This was bad, very bad. He pulled out his cell as he scrambled up the hill. He had to get to that shooter.
“ Music for Your Life, customer service. How can I help you tonight?”
“Oscar Bravo 3-5-6. Lock it down. I repeat, lock it down. Taking fire, need backup, mobile locale.”
“Lockdown protocol. Tracking your cell now; backup is on the way.”
He hit the second number. “Hunter? Is that you? It’s 3 a.m.”
“Joshua! Now! Like we talked. Now!”
“Yes, right.” Josh’s voice was shaking.
“Josh, take nothing. Now!”
“Hunter, Jinny watched the tape. She saw it. She has been helping me with all of it.”
“Who? Then get her! Find her! She’s not safe.”
Hunter ended the call. He had to find that shooter and he had to get him alive. The terrain was rough. He was well trained but he wasn’t young anymore. In his youth, he would have already been on the guy, but he did have skills that come with experience. Some things trump youth.
He pulled out his pistol and covered his right ear. He shot it into the ground.
Stopping, he scanned the area with this night scope. There he was: the shooter jumped up from cover and took off
Hunter pulled his stuff together to leave. “Be careful, Joshua. I don’t have the same pull I used to have with the agency, I can’t protect you like before. I brought you into this; I’m to blame.”
“Are you joking? This is the most exciting thing that I could ever dream of; my life was meant for this. Something like this, it never comes without danger, history has taught me that. Danger and discovery always go together.”
• • •
Music for Your Life
The radio had worked for days now — a first. The station was playing one of his favorite classics. His mind wandered as he let the music surround him.
Jeremy and Leonard had called him. This time it was something so important they didn’t want to talk on the phone, not even one word. His heart raced as he got closer to the site.
He had noticed the car lights earlier. At first he just took note of it; now, he was getting closer to the site, out in the middle of nowhere, and the car was still behind him.
He turned off the radio and snapped into focus. He maintained the same speed and watched.
POP! The sound was so loud he immediately lost most of his hearing. The engine stopped dead. He knew what had happened in an instant. All his training seemed to rush back over him like a wave. Someone had shot out his engine block with a .50 caliber sniper rifle — one of the most powerful weapons made. He had used the same technique many times when he was a young agent. Shoot straight through the engine block and you take out the car. This also meant one important thing: they didn’t want him dead. Yet. They could have easily killed him, instead of shooting the engine. They wanted him alive, never a good thing for an agent; that meant they wanted information from him. He knew all too well that everyone eventually breaks under torture. Movies would have you believe that a real man could hold out forever. Bullshit, of course.
The training was ingrained in him. Without thinking, he pulled the now rolling car into a ditch by the side of the road. He jumped out and popped the trunk. He always had his automatic weapon with him. He pulled out the machine gun, strapped it to his back and ran for cover.
He found a good vantage point and focused on the incoming vehicle. It had slowed and was approaching his position. Using the night scope fitted to the weapon, he saw what appeared to be two people. He focused in on the driver. Slowly, he locked on, then took the shot. The driver went down and the car slowly stopped in the middle of the road.
Just as Hunter started to stand up, the passenger’s head exploded.
Whoever was after him had just taken out their own man. This was bad, very bad. He pulled out his cell as he scrambled up the hill. He had to get to that shooter.
“ Music for Your Life, customer service. How can I help you tonight?”
“Oscar Bravo 3-5-6. Lock it down. I repeat, lock it down. Taking fire, need backup, mobile locale.”
“Lockdown protocol. Tracking your cell now; backup is on the way.”
He hit the second number. “Hunter? Is that you? It’s 3 a.m.”
“Joshua! Now! Like we talked. Now!”
“Yes, right.” Josh’s voice was shaking.
“Josh, take nothing. Now!”
“Hunter, Jinny watched the tape. She saw it. She has been helping me with all of it.”
“Who? Then get her! Find her! She’s not safe.”
Hunter ended the call. He had to find that shooter and he had to get him alive. The terrain was rough. He was well trained but he wasn’t young anymore. In his youth, he would have already been on the guy, but he did have skills that come with experience. Some things trump youth.
He pulled out his pistol and covered his right ear. He shot it into the ground.
Stopping, he scanned the area with this night scope. There he was: the shooter jumped up from cover and took off
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