Page 26 of Wandering in Darkness
He looks through them before freezing and then starts laughing up a storm. “You’re killing me, kid.”
“It’s a bit morbid but I knew you’d love it,” I say as I look through the scope at the paper I’d taped on. It’s a picture of his ex-wife back when she was younger, hanging on the arm of the man she cheated on Arthur with.
“I love it. Go for the fake tits.”
“As you wish.” I shift my aim just a bit and pull the trigger.
That makes Arthur howl with laughter. It’s probably quite concerning, but eh… he’s enjoying it and that’s all that matters.
“You’re damn good, kid,” he says.
I look over at him in surprise. He never compliments my abilities with a gun. Instead, he’s spent the entire time we’ve known each other telling me how I could do it better or telling me he could do it better than me.
“You know, I was a sniper a long time ago. There was a man… he took a hostage. A young kid. Probably ten at the most. He held a knife to the kid’s throat, and all I had to do was make that shot. It was his own son, too. Most of us didn’t think he’d do it. Thought he was just bluffing as a last resort… but he had that look in his eyes. Anyway, I had him right in my sights, I had everything ready… all I needed to do was take the shot.
“I hesitated, hoping someone else would do it, but when my commanding officer ordered me to, I took it… If I had your skills, I could have saved that kid.”
Arthur never opens up about this stuff, and I know more than anything he’d hate me pitying him, but still, I find myself wanting to reassure him. “Things were much different. The guns weren’t as good. The scopes weren’t as good.”
“I sure as fuck wasn’t this far away. I clipped the gunman’s ear. It wasn’t enough. But you, kid? You’re enough.”
I hesitate, feeling unsure of what he means.
“If someone needs your help, I’m confident you can help them. Maybe you can save that kid I couldn’t save.”
“But what if I can’t?” I ask, voice quiet. “What if I make a mistake?”
“Everyone makes mistakes. Just like that bitch ex of mine when she fucked that guy on my bed! Shoot her other tit! Knock that fucker right off!”
So I take the shot… not just right at that moment… but with the job they need me to do.
When I walk into the conference room the next day, I find that I’m not alone. There are two others in the room, both faces I recognize.
“Ward! I missed your face,” Tate exclaims as he grabs me in a headlock instead of a hug. He smacks my cheek a bit while he beams at me. “The moment I heard you were involved, I knew this would be a walk in the park.”
“Please don’t put so much pressure on me,” I say, pushing him off. There is a higher-standing official here, after all. And while I’m no longer a part of them, I really don’t feel overly interested in making a fool of myself.
“I’m going to hit the restroom before the meeting starts. Do you know where it is?”
A new voice says, “It’s a bit convoluted. I’m heading to an office near there; I’ll take you.”
I look over at the speaker and lift an eyebrow as I take notice of the man watching me. He’s extremely handsome, about my height with just a little more of a build to him. My body type makes me look like a runner or a swimmer, but he’s bulkier with short brown hair and dark blue eyes. He has a bit of stubble, but I have to assume it’ll be swept away shortly since too much facial hair generally isn’t permitted, even with him being a higher rank.
“Grayson Barnes,” he says as he holds a hand out, not realizing that I already know his name quite well.
I’m surprised that he’s introducing himself so casually before I decide it’s because he’s not seeing me as a lower rank. I take it, but before I can shake it, he continues, “Although… we’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“We have,” I say as we begin walking, knowing that I definitely wouldn’t forget noticing a handsome man like him.
“You’re that guy who completely showed me up, aren’t you?” he asks with a laugh, and I love the sound of it.
Clearly, I need to keep myself in check before I fall head over heels in love with this guy just because he’s noticed me. I’m like a blushing bride over here. Years ago, I thought that he was nice and funny, but what thrilled me the most was when Tate told me that the guy I was pretending not to stare at was gay, having run into Grayson when he’d been out with his boyfriend.
I poked around to see if the rumor was true, and even though I was positive I’d never have a shot with him, I did manage to confirm it when someone told me he’d broken up with his boyfriend. Needless to say, I know who he is, even if he only remembers meeting me once.
He has such an easygoing personality that he’s instantly buddies with everyone he meets. And on top of that, he’s alwaysbeen highly respected, loved, and looked up to. All things that my mother assured me I’d never be.
It really is foolish of me to care so much.
