Page 208 of Massimo

Massimo’s gunshots were getting farther away as I ran farther from the house –

And then I tripped.

Something small and unforgiving caught my shin, and I toppled face-first to the ground.

I grunted and pushed up against the mud and wet pine needles so I was on my hands and knees.

When I looked back, I saw a thin line a foot above the ground.

A wire – ?!

Then I felt something step on the gun in my right hand, pinning it to the ground and crushing my finger in the trigger guard.

I looked up in panic to see a man towering above me.

He wore an alpine hat – the type with the side brims slightly folded up.

In his hands, he held a rifle with a huge scope.

I couldn’t make out much of his face in the shadows –

But I heard him as he whispered, “Shhhhh.”

So I screamed my head off.

“MASSIMO!”

“Fräulein,” the man sighed –

Then brought the butt of his rifle down on my face.

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Massimo

BLAM!

Crack!

Zollner seemed to be rolling back and forth between three different spots.

Either that, or he had people with him who were taking shots, too.

But if that was the case, why didn’t they lay down a blanket of fire?

And why the hell didn’t they aim lower and actually try to hit me? All they did was fire a foot or two above my head.

And why the hell hadn’t I been able to hit anybody?!

Then I heard Lucia scream from somewhere in the woods.

“Massimo!”

I looked over my shoulder in terror.

Shit –

She was right; he DID have other men out there.

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