Page 123 of Deadly Strain

Right?

This old rifle probably didn’t shoot so straight, so she aimed high, fired and watched through the scope to see the result.

One of the Afghans dropped.Huh, good guess. The men with him stared at the body and began gesturing. They turned as one to look at her position.

That’s right, assholes. New shooter. New rules.

She had two bullets left. No use saving them. She fired again.

This time her target didn’t drop, but he did stumble and do an awkward crab-crawl until he was behind some shelter. Wounded him, maybe.

His friend disappeared too, and Grace gave serious thought to leaving her perch for a less-obvious position. Anyone in the vicinity would be able to see her if they had some half-decent binoculars. Not like the piece of crap pair the dead man next to her had.

She sighted down the binoculars to see where she could help and watched some rapid movement off to the north. A ferocious volley of gunfire began, then ended after about five seconds.

She saw Smoke’s head pop up, then immediately drop from sight, but he was moving toward Sharp. She scanned the area for any more unfriendlies, but saw nothing.

She eased back from the edge of the outcropping, keeping her new old rifle with her. She fished some more ammunition off the dead man’s belt, then headed back down the way she came.

Her hands got cut up a little more.

Grace slid back into the cave and checked on March. He was still unconscious and in the same position as before. His pulse was a little faster and a little weaker, his breathing shallow.

She gritted her teeth. He wasn’t going to make it to the base.

For a moment, anger and grief blinded her. So tired of seeing men she liked and respected dying. So tired of all the killing. And for what? Power? Control? Terror?

If she could get her hands on the idiot who’d started all this, she’d show him terror. She’d make sure he knew more about it than anyone should.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Rage gripped Sharpby the throat and threatened to shake him out of his normal calm, professional persona while waiting for his quarry to make a mistake and show himself. Patience had always come easy. Until now. Until Grace decided to do exactly what she’d promised not to do.

It had been impossible to miss. She’d been all too visible standing on the outcropping of stone. He hadn’t seen who she was stalking, but he recognized her body language and movements. They’d come straight out of thehow to sneak up on the enemyUS Army handbook. She’d fired twice. Then someone began shooting the assholes who thought they were sneaking up on him.

She’d saved his ass again.

---