Page 100 of The Sniper
“Busy, Rogers,” he snaps.
“Stop.Listen to me right now.”
He does.As I expected.Ryder is former Delta Force, and his instincts are spot on.
“Proceed.”
“Four men at the Maison-Stallone launch event.I’m fifty yards away.There could be more.”I brief him rapid fire.“They jumped out of a van a moment ago and have split up.They’re about to have the place surrounded.All in black and now wearing black caps.Swear I saw a rifle but cannot confirm.”
I focus on keeping my breathing calm as trained.
“Hold,” Ryder replies roughly.“Team two, targets in black surrounding the venue.Advise.”
I can’t hear the response coming from the team on the ground, but I’m immediately relieved he’s taking me seriously.
The relief is short-lived when I see Tiffany stop partway along the stage and the crowd, which I can only now hear because of the phone call, begin to clap and cheer.
She waves out.
Making her a big target with all those fucking diamonds.
“Shit.”
I duck down and see nerves on her face despite her smile.
Why didn’t you listen to me, princess?
She waves at a few people, smiles proudly, and continues.Watching her expertly stride down the catwalk, looking like one of the most beautiful women in the world, has my heart racing, and it’s not because she’s a job.
I have real fucking feelings for this woman.
Keeping my trigger finger steady, I wait for instruction.
“Roger that.”Ryder says, and when I expect him to hang up, he doesn’t.“Jayden, where are you?”
I give him my rough coordinates and location.
“I’m weaponed up with sniper gear.”
“Fuck, okay.Stay put and be our eyes.”
“Copy that.”
Guess he’ll ask why tomorrow, but right now he’s doing what he needs to do.Use me.
I put the phone on speaker, then place it on the grass beside me, and get comfortable, adjusting my scope and slowly but surely moving through the crowd.
“Eyes on target.”I say quietly after a few moments.“Man, one by a tall palm by the woman in the red dress.Dark Levi's jeans.Black, nondescript jacket.Black cap.Looks...white and over six four.”
Ryder relays it to the team as I seek out the other men.
My sight travels past Tiff, who is now at the end of the runway and has been handed a microphone.She begins to address the crowd.
Please let me be wrong about what could happen.
I’m not.
I see a flash of metal and know exactly what this is.Someone is here to steal the diamonds.
