Page 85 of Stuart Woods' Golden Hour

Tessa and Mari strode armin arm down the pathway like best friends out for a night on the town, the bridge lit by warm orange lights in the background.

“And cut!” Regina shouted.

“Go again?” the AD asked.

Regina nodded. “It was good, but I want them to try one more thing.”

As she headed over to Tessa and Mari, the AD raised his bullhorn and said, “Reset. Going again.”

Two makeup artists hurried over to Tessa and Mari and touched them up as Regina talked to the talent.

“I like her,” Billy said, referring to Regina. “She knows what she wants.”

“She does,” Peter said. “I can’t wait to see what she creates for Centurion.”

Billy’s phone vibrated with a text from Stacy.

Just checked with reception. Your friend arrived about twenty minutes ago.

He felt a rush of relief. He hadn’t wanted to admit it, but he’d begun to wonder if Danielle had become another Golden Hour casualty.

He sent Stacy a thank-you and slipped his phone back in his pocket just as Regina returned.

“Let’s go,” she said.

The AD quieted the set.

“Action!” Regina called.

Tessa and Mari began walking again, but before they had gone more than a half dozen steps, a clamor broke out from the crowd of fans.

“Fuck!” Dieter spat as Verdeleaped over the barrier.

Around him, the people began shouting encouragement to Verde, as if she was doing what they all wished they’d done.

“Get me a clear shot,” he said to Rolf and Andreas.

Verde had not only seen him, but there had been recognition in her eyes. He could not let her tell anyone who he was.

Without a word, his colleagues began pushing bodies out of the way. When they reached the barrier, they stood to either side of Dieter, blocking the crowd from seeing him slip his gun out of his holster and attach a silencer.

It was not going to be an easy shot. If he raised the pistol so he could look down the barrel, everyone around them would see it. And if he crouched down, the people behind him would know something was up.

He took a breath, aimed from his hip as best he could, and pulled the trigger.

The spit of the silencer was drowned out by the noise of the crowd. A beat later, their shouts turned into gasps as Verde was knocked to the ground.

Dieter wanted to take a second shot to make sure the woman was dead, but the police officers running toward her moved in the way.

He couldn’t risk staying there a moment longer. “Rendezvous at the train station,” he whispered, then he and his colleagues disappeared into the crowd in separate directions.

Billy turned toward the noisecoming from the fans. A woman was running toward the shoot with several police officers in pursuit.

He assumed it was a fan who was trying to get to Tessa and Mari, but then he saw her face. She looked terrified, not excited.

A muzzle flashed from the other side of the barrier, and the woman flew forward and smashed onto the gravel walkway.

“Gun!” Billy yelled. “Everybody, down!”

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