Page 86 of Victor's Lethal Desire
I drop.
My feet hit the ground, the impact jarring my knees, but I don't think. I move.
Four quick, silent steps to my left.
I pop up again.
The guard is turning, his weapon halfway raised.
I fire.
The suppressed gunshot sounds like a sharp exhale, but it brings death with it.
The bullet connects, and blood sprays from his throat. He gasps, a wet, choking sound, and his hands fly to his neck, fingers clawing uselessly at the wound to try and stop the bleeding.
His eyes go wide, the realization dawning that his time is up, that it's too late.
He drops to his knees and then falls face-first into the grass.
I vault over the wall, trying to land softly on the other side. I step forward, grab the dead guard by his jacket lapels, and drag him away from the wall. His body is heavy and limp, and blood trails through the grass behind us.
I shove him under a large bush, the branches scraping against me as I push him deeper into it.
I look around and start searching him quickly.
My hands move over his chest, looking for his inside pockets.
I pause.
Wait.
He's wearing a bulletproof vest.
Obviously, I'm taking it.
It takes effort, rolling the dead weight, lifting, and unstrapping, but I finally get the Kevlar free. I rip off my suit jacket and toss it aside, then slip the vest on over my dress shirt.
It's tight, and the straps dig into my shoulders, but I'd rather be uncomfortable and maybe break a rib than take a bullet.
I roll my sleeves up and stand, adjusting the heavy vest one last time, and begin to move.
I sweep across the back of the house, keeping low, my gun raised.
Two men stand together near the other end of the house. They're laughing about something, their guns slung casually over their shoulders. One of them lights a cigarette while the other talks.
I brace my stance and raise my weapon.
I line the barrel up with the first man's head.
Then I shift my aim smoothly to the second man's head.
I do this three times, practicing to feel the exact movement and pivot required to drop them both before they can react.
My finger curls around the trigger.
I squeeze.
The first shot hits.
