Page 27 of Perfect Convergence

At my words, she relaxes into her seat a bit. “Then I’ll be okay. It’s not as scary when I’m with someone else.”

With a nod, I let my head fall back onto the headrest. This job should go smoothly, but I still don’t like having Wren with us. Especially since...

“Wren. We’re going to be killing people. It... have you ever seen a person die before?”

“My grandma,” she says. “But she was in a nursing home. This is different. I—well, I was kinda figuring I just wouldn’t look. You want me watching your back, right?”

“I think that’s for the best.” The last thing I want to do is traumatize her tonight. If we haven’t already.

I’d imagine realizing your three partners are all killers isn’t an easy pill to swallow. Yet she’s acting pretty damn calm.

The rest of the drive, we stay quiet, except for a couple times when she asks me a question to clarify something. I keep one hand on the steering wheel and the other on her leg, my thumb rubbing her thigh.

When we’re finally nearing Williams’ road, I call Elliot again. He and Rhett are in position in the woods. I’ve already slowed my speed, so by the time Williams’ car takes the last curve before the intersection, I switch off my lights, peering into the darkness, thankful for the little bit of light coming from the moon.

By the time we’re pulling up to the field, Williams’ car is just turning onto the road. I throw the car into park and grab the keys, and then Wren and I are out and running toward the hunter’s stand.

She stays quiet and low, just like I told her to, until we reach the ladder. I go first, grabbing my rifle and getting into position. Through the night vision scope, I watch as one of Williams’ bodyguards gets out of their stopped car and circles to the front, glaring at the tree limb in their way.

Any second now.

I could pick him off with ease, but our hope is that Tyler will get out of the vehicle to help move the limb. It’s not the end of the world if he doesn’t, but it sure would be convenient.

Williams’ first bodyguard says something, turning to the car, then rolls his eyes. He’s a big guy, so I’m not surprised when he’s able to grab the limb and pull it toward the edge of the road. He struggles, but he’s managing.

So much for Tyler getting out.

Two shots ring out—one for the bodyguard, the other hitting one of the car’s tires. The driver still tries to back up, so I shoot out one of the back tires, too.

More shots, these ones from the car, but Tyler is shooting blind. He has no idea where Rhett and Elliot are.

One of the back doors opens as Tyler keeps shooting. Just as Elliot predicted, they’re going to try to get to the woods for better cover.

I watch as Tyler bolts from the car, jumping the ditch and sprinting into the trees, shooting wildly as he does.

What the hell?

Did Tyler just... abandon his uncle?

I watch, waiting for Rhett and Elliot to emerge from the woods and finish the job, but nothing happens. Tyler is gone, probably running for his dear life, so what are they waiting for?

Unless Tyler actually managed to hit them.

No. No. That can’t be right. Tyler is smart, and we all know that. Ell and Rhett are probably just waiting to make sure he’s actually running. Stepping out of the woods would be a stupid thing to do right now.

I take a few deep breaths to calm my rapidly-beating heart. This is not the time to freak out.

I shouldn’t’ve stopped taking my meds.

After a minute, the driver’s side door opens, and Williams’ driver creeps out. He’s gripping a gun in his hands, but it’s pretty obvious by the way he’s holding it that he’s not familiar with firearms. And why would he need to be? He’s just the driver, technically not part of Williams’ security detail.

No one shoots him.

Elliot and Rhett are safe. They’re just not shooting him because he’s not a threat. That’s all.

There’s no way Tyler shot them. They’re smart enough that they would’ve taken cover the second he started shooting blind. And now that he’s in the woods, there’s no way they’d let him sneak up on them. They’ll be watching their backs.

“Oliver?” Wren whispers.

---