Marauder (Oregon Files 15)

“On Jin. She’s on the bridge of the Marauder. Can you make the shot?”

Linc didn’t ask the Chairman why. He snatched up the rifle, loaded a dart, and knelt behind the broken slab he’d been leaning against.

He put the scope to his eye. At this range, the back of Jin’s head was a pinpoint.

“She’s three hundred yards away,” Linc said. “That’s beyond the spec range of this rifle, but I can try.”

“You’ll only get one attempt,” Juan said. “If she sees a stray dart fly by her, she’ll duck down, and you won’t get another shot.”

“Doesn’t matter. I only have one dart left anyway.”

“Then make it count. We don’t have much time.”

“Understood.”

Linc threw some dust in the air. The wind was blowing slightly right to left. He made an adjustment on the scope and lined up the shot.

He held his breath and hoped that Jin didn’t move. He squeezed the trigger.

The rifle bucked, and he saw Jin go down, but he couldn’t tell if it was because she was hit or missed.

“I took the shot,” Linc said.

“I saw,” the Chairman said. “I’ll let you know in a couple of minutes whether it got her to talk.”

* * *

—

For a moment, the line to the Marauder was silent.

“April, are you with me?” Juan asked.

“I’m here,” she answered.

At least she was still on the line.

Either the dart hit her or it didn’t.

“What’s Angus Polk’s target on New Year’s Eve?”

“Sydney,” Jin said, slurring the S. Linc’s aim had been right on the money.

“Who in Sydney?”

“The city.”

“I know that’s a city,” Juan said, exasperated.

“I think she means the whole city,” Sylvia said, blanching at the idea.

“Do you actually mean you’re going to use the Enervum gas against the entire city of Sydney?” Juan asked.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“The global expansion of China. And money from my stepfather Lu Yang, nine hundred and eighty million dollars in a locked cryptocurrency account. Passcode Enervum143. Don’t have the account number memorized. Where’s Angus?”