Page 85 of The Hitman’s Final Job

The same face I saw at the festival. The man I filed away as probably nothing. The one who was joined by a woman and two children and who I told myself was searching for his family in the crowd.

He wasn’t. He was looking for Vaughn.

“Who are you?” I ask with as much of an even voice as I can manage.

“Fuck off.”

“You don’t know who I am,” I say. “But let me be very clear about something.” I dig the gun into his temple. “Ending your life right here won’t be a hardship for me.”

Something moves through his face like he’s assessing me, and then he smiles.

“Then do it,” he says. “Either way, this isn’t going to stop. There will be others. You think you were the only one? That I’m the only one?”

“Who hired you?”

He says nothing.

I press my knee against the bullet wound in his leg.

He cries out but then clamps his jaw shut and gazes at me with amusement.

“Who hired you?”

Nothing. I press harder.

He makes another sound. His jaw is tight and his eyes are wet and he still says nothing.

I understand he’s not going to talk, not here, not to me, nor under these conditions. He’s been trained for exactly this, and he’s using that training to waste my time.

I call Zuza.

She picks up on the first ring.

“I have him,” I say. “He’s alive. Three wounds, one to each leg, and a shoulder wound to the right side. I need an ambulance.” I look around for a street sign. “Corner of Maple and Fourth.”

“On it,” she says.

The corners of the guy’s mouth raise in a smug smile before he registers my assessment of his wounds.

“You won’t be smug for very long, jackass.”

I press my arm harder against his neck and shoot him on the shoulder. “That’s for my friend.” And then I shoot him in the foot. “And that’s for his father.”

I pull the sleeve of my shirt down to cover my hand and grab his gun from the ground beside him. I stand up and move away, ignoring his cries of pain.

He’s not going anywhere.

I run back toward where I left Vaughn and Rowan behind. Before I get to the festival crowd, I hide both guns under my shirt. As soon as I turn the corner, Tess comes running.

“What happened? You got shot?” She’s checking me over, and I flinch when she touches my arm.

“It’s nothing. Where are they?”

“The ambulance came,” she says. “Vaughn went with Rowan. They’ve gone to Millfield General. Silas, you’re bleeding.”

“I need to get to Vaughn, but I need to check the house first. Vaughn has the truck keys with him. Can you give me a ride to the farm?” I ask Clayton. “Tess, can you stay here? It’s safer for now. Stay with David and Mark.”

Tess looks terrified, but I need to move fast. “I promise I’ll explain everything.”