Page 90 of Be Very Quiet

Theo gaped and looked around. “How did you—”

The sound of glass breaking preceded Theo’s head exploding. Luca lunged for Liliana but was a fraction too late as a figure stepped from behind a door and grabbed her first. Luca knew who it was before seeing his disfigured face.

“Rader.”

“Well, if it isn’t the cop who shot me,” he sneered. “Detective Russo. Call your sniper down here now.”

#

Audria spied through the binoculars, waiting for Luca to give a sign. The house was a dilapidated structure that looked a strong wind away from becoming a pile of rubble. The next hurricane would no doubt take it down. She feared the garage might collapse under her and Christian’s combined weight, but it was holding up so far.

Being away from the city and with the clouds covering the moon, plenty of shadows made it difficult to see clearly. The burning candles were the only illumination in the room. Thankfully, Harvey had lit several.

Theo Harvey would die tonight. She’d been prepared to take the shot, but Christian overruled her. Three damn days. That was all the seniority he had over her in signing their COBRA Securities contracts. But those seventy-two hours held weight.

Audria regretted telling Christian her history with the FBI. That was why he pulled rank to take the shot. She needed to overcome her demons and couldn’t do that if she didn’t get the chance. Shooting the hell out of immobile targets was one thing, and she’d done plenty of that since the incident. She knew she could do the job if necessary, and today, it would be, but she wouldn’t be the one pulling the trigger.

She’d texted Reese to let him know they’d found Liliana and Harvey but asked him to tell any emergency personnel to come in cold, without lights and sirens. They didn’t want to spook Harvey into harming Liliana.

“Oh, when I told you I was alone, I lied. In about five seconds, you will see your brother again.”

“That’s the sign,” she whispered to Christian.

“Got it.” He inhaled deeply and held his breath while sighting through the scope. Then he squeezed the trigger, nailing Theo Harvey dead in the center of his forehead. It was a perfect shot. Impressive.

They rose in tandem to go to Luca when Christian grabbed her arm to stop her. “Wait.”

Audria lifted the field glasses and spotted another man who had suddenly appeared, and he was now holding Liliana.

“Rader.”

“Call your sniper here now.”

“You go,” Christian said. “I’ll get in place to take him out.”

Audria rolled to the roof’s edge and swung over the side, dropping to the ground. She jogged to the front of the house. Her Sig Sauer was in a holder at her back, and she had another gun strapped to her ankle. She walked into the room with her rifle and held it up before placing it on the ground and standing next to Luca.

“Well, aren’t you the pretty one,” Ted Rader mused. “Sweetheart, you are just my type. Too bad we won’t be able to get to know each other better.”

“Yeah, too bad,” Audria deadpanned.

“How did a beauty like you become a sniper?”

#

Rader had done his homework if he knew Luca’s name and that he’d been promoted to detective. He’d been a beat cop when he’d shot Rader. “Your brother said you died, and he buried you.”

Rader glanced at what was left of Theo without the slightest bit of remorse. “He was protecting me. He was always my biggest fan.”

Luca was afraid to look at Liliana. He knew she must be terrified. Rader had his arm around her neck. Thankfully, the gun in his other hand pointed at Luca, not Liliana.

“The shot is too risky with Liliana in the way,” Christian said through the comms.

“Don’t do it,” he told him.

Rader tilted his head, thinking Luca was speaking to him. “Do what? Kill her? I told her I would be back for her, and here I am. I’m a man of my word.”

Luca chanced a peek at her face, expecting to see her frozen in terror. Instead, she looked mad. And determined. Her bound hands clutched Rader’s arm. She gave him a slight nod.

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