Page 55 of Rugger: The Huntress

The day my father dropped me off at college and kissed my cheek goodbye was the last time he saw me. I slid in the back of a Maybach, leaving the sports dorm he’d perfected behind. I didn’t have the gumption to break his heart again, so I didn’t.

But, eventually he discovered I wasn’t on the court. I was in the field.

Four.

The final bite was washed down with the overpriced bottle of water the hotel offered.

“Arg,” I groaned, swiping my teeth across my gums to clear it of the soggy bread crumbs.

I folded the wrapper in half, the top right corner with the bottom left corner. I repeated the same steps until it was a small triangle that I stuffed in my pocket.

On my feet, I stretched my body until my bones began to pop. The AirPods slid into my ears with ease. I unlocked the phone they’d been connected to and visited the playlist I saved on every phone in my collection of devices. I didn’t bother starting the tunes. I wasn’t quite prepared.

Instead, I removed the binoculars from the chair and took the seat. With them pressed against my face, I peered across the street into the opposite wing of Hotel Kosm. The two towers faced one another, giving guests a clear view of the other side. Assisted vision allowed enhanced views of the opposing building.

1-1406.

The curtains were pulled back. The lights were low. The movement was minimal. Human activity had yet to grace the room. Thermal energy matching the human profile was absent according to thePulsar Merger Thermals.

I lowered the device and removed the lone stick of spearmint flavored gum from my back pocket. I folded it down on my tongue and allowed the mint to overwhelm my taste buds before settling in.

Prrrr.

Prrrr.

Prrr.

Prrr.

High-pitched whistles of no tune in particular exited through the miniature hole between my lips.

Prrrr.

Prrr.

Once the tingling of my tongue subsided, I replaced the whistling for chewing.

The waiting game begins.

Patience had become my dearest friend. If nothing else, it was required for my line of work. Moving too soon could cost your life or your freedom. I didn’t have either to spare.

The first five minutes of silence were the most rewarding. Preparing to take a man’s life was a rather complicated task. The window of opportunity was often small.

One miscalculation, malfunction, or mistake could fuck up the entire operation. So, the preparation was almost more important than the kill shot itself. Without proper preparation, there was likely no shot to take or it could go horribly wrong.

After another fifteen, the binoculars were against my eyes again and I was at the edge of my chair. Simultaneously, the door of the suite opened. Matthew Williams pushed through, engaging the thermal sensors.

Rugger.

Behind him, she sauntered into the room. Like a gazelle she was nimble.Agile. Light on her feet, yet her movements were agonizingly slow. Or, maybe it was a delusion on my behalf. I watched as she placed one foot in front of the other as if she was on the runway.

I studied her. I dissected her. I learned every detail. I remembered every detail. She’d become my obsession. My lesson. I knew more about Rugger Childers than I did any subject I’d prepared to end. And, everything I discovered fascinated me.

She mirrored me in so many aspects. It was almost as if I knew her well, though we’d only spoken once. She was keen on her lonesomeness. It was beneficial for her mental and emotional stability in the field.

Isolation and avoiding heavily populated places lowered her chances of encountering her demise.Gazelle. Her stoic persona was a protection mechanism that bestowed fear into those who knew her, knew of her, or encountered her.

Death was no simple assignment. Knowing she’d killed again and again and again without remorse and would do so every chance she had left others deathly afraid. And, they had every right to be. She was the symbol of extinction.A date with her was a date with death.

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