“Well, shit,” Jonathan said. “I’m gonna do this thing, okay?”
“If you insist.”
“But I’m not going to just duck in and out, okay? I’m going to make a dash for that thick oak on the other side of the marshal.” He was betting on the fact that the shooter wasn’t good enough to lead his target effectively.
“Want me to keep his head down?” Big Guy asked.
“That’d defeat the purpose, wouldn’t it? I mean, the whole point is to get him to show himself.”
“You’re right,” Boxers said. “I was just testing your commitment. What about that orange vest?”
“I’ll keep it on for the mad dash. It’ll add to his temptation to shoot.”
“Good thinking,” Boxers said. “I’d hustle, though, if I were you. Sometimes you run like a girl when you’re scared.”
“I hate you.”
Boxers answered with a loud smooching sound.
“I’m counting it down,” Jonathan said. “Three . . . two . . . one . . .” He launched himself into the opening at what would have been zero if he’d continued with the cadence. He sprinted out into the clearing, bent low at the waist to create as small a target as possible, and beelined to cover behind a stout hardwood. As he passed Simonsen, a quick glance showed that his eyes were fixed and lifeless.
As Jonathan slid into place, Boxers opened up with a sustained barrage of ten shots.
“Did he shoot at me?” Jonathan shouted after Big Guy was done.
“Negative, but I saw a flash. I figured it for the lens of a rifle scope.”
“Game warden’s dead,” Jonathan said.
“I figured he would be.”
Now that they could eyeball each other across the clearing, Jonathan tugged at the lapel of his blaze orange vest and unzipped it. This was not a time for high visibility. As he shrugged out of it, Boxers did the same.
“Well, this is exciting,” Big Guy said. “What do you want to do next?”
Photo by Amy Cesal
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JOHN GILSTRAP is the New York Times bestselling author of more than fourteen novels, including the acclaimed Jonathan Grave thrillers. Against All Enemies won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Paperback of 2015. His books have been translated into more than twenty languages worldwide. An expert in explosives safety and a former firefighter, he holds a master’s degree from the University of Southern California and a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia. Please visit him on Facebook or at www.johngilstrap.com.
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