Page 2 of The Darkest Knight

The shooter on the rooftop moved, but Seth didn’t have a clear shot. His breath seemed loud in his ears, the beating of his heart pounded his chest, reminding him of the dull thuds of explosions in the distance. He had to take the adversary out.

Known for his steady hand and sharp shooting skills, he slowed his breathing as he evaluated the variables of wind speed, wind direction, and temperature, that determined the accuracy of the shot. He had one chance.

Then he had the shot.

He pulled the assault weapon’s trigger and watched the vapor trail, a second later the rooftop sniper’s head split and blood splattered. He was dead on impact.

All hell broke loose…

Enemy fire buzzed over his head as he dropped to his stomach. He slowly shifted, finding the source of the shots and took out another shooter. He registered men yelling, but he didn’t have time to dissect where, or who, it was coming from.

He crawled on his elbows to get a better look around him. Smoke puffed up in thick clouds, making it hard for Seth to see anything beyond ten feet. Finally, the fog dissipated enough that he could get a visual, but the three men were gone.

The sounds of yelling echoed throughout the quiet streets of the abandoned city, and the target was getting away.

Seth scanned the crumbled buildings and shadowed corners, feeling his heart racing in his chest, then saw a silhouette in the distance coming toward the chaos. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. A woman wearing a long, white robe ambled up the street, a bundle of blankets in her arms. As she drew closer, he could see she carried what appeared to be a baby.

Seth gritted his teeth.

Hanson met Seth’s gaze in question across the crumbled concrete.

Torsev’s men rushed from the building, guns in hand, shooting a wave of bullets through the courtyard, including hitting the woman who was thrown onto her back. Seth could see the large patch of red puddling around her. The bundle slipped out of her arms and tumbled to the ground.

Rising to his feet, he raced to the baby, knowing his men had his back.

He wasn’t sure if he heard the explosion or saw material flying first, but that was the day that changed his life forever.

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