Perfect Victim (Nadia Stafford 3.6)

Something whizzed past Angela.

"Down!" I shouted.

She didn't question. Didn't even look around. She dropped to the ground. I raced over just as another projectile flew past and hit the dirt by my feet. Then I bustled her inside.

"What was it?" she said.

I caught my breath. I knew what I'd seen--a bullet in the dirt--but I didn't tell her that. I didn't want to panic her when I had a strong suspicion panic wasn't required.

"I'm . . . not sure," I said. "I saw something fly past you. Did you see it?"

She shook her head.

"I'm going to take a look around." I squinted at the treetops. "It might have just been a squirrel dropping a nut or something silly like that."

"We don't have squirrels, but there is a mongoose."

I nodded. "That might be it. I'm going to be paranoid, though, and do a walk around. I'd like you to stay inside. Find a room without windows. Lock the door behind me. When I come back, I'll text, so you'll know it's me."

Chapter Fourteen

Nadia

From the angle of the bullet, I knew the direction of the shooter. I also knew the shot had been taken from an elevated position. Not surprisingly, that angle led me to the empty lot behind Angela's house.

I skirted her yard, coming out about a hundred meters away, in thick woods . . . or jungle . . . or rainforest. I hadn't exactly done my geographic research, so I could only say that the tree cover was dense, the ground choked with thick vegetation.

I was looking for a shooting perch. The trees here weren't sturdy enough for that, though, which meant that the shooter must have been on a rock along the mountainside. A rock that would provide a clear shot into Angela's backyard. After a sweep of the area, I found the one I wanted.

That's when I heard someone in the forest.

Someone fleeing the forest.

I ducked behind a bush. Heavy footsteps thudded off to my left. Angela's house was behind me on the right. The shooter must have waited a few moments to avoid being spotted fleeing right after the shots.

I took an educated guess about my target's flight path. Then I retreated to the street and ran along the sidewalk. I passed an elderly couple, gardening in their front yard, but they only looked over idly, as if accustomed to joggers.

When I reached the corner, I veered toward the forest. An SUV sat at the end of the road. I raced to it and hopped onto the hood.

Two minutes later, a figure emerged from the forest. He saw me sitting on the hood and stopped short.

"Nice night for a walk," I said. "You mind giving me a lift back to my hotel?"

Cypher dug keys from his pocket and resumed his approach. "I was finding a place for tonight. I've decided to stand guard."

"Uh-huh. Well, you dropped this." I held out the bullet I'd retrieved.

"Where'd that come from?"

I gave him a hard look. "You fired it into Angela's yard."

"What? Fuck no." He turned around, his hands raised. "You see a gun?"

"Where'd you stash it?"

"I don't carry a gun. And I don't lie. Ever."

"Must make things tricky, in our occupation."