Page 213 of Silent Target

The mountain trembles beneath his boots.

He doesn’t look away from Mac.

“So much sacrifice,” he says. “For paper.”

Evie moves beside me.

“They’re names.”

Victor finally looks at her.

“Families. Lives. Every person your Circle murdered or threatened because they refused to obey.”

“You are insignificant.”

“So are dictators. They all fall eventually.”

Victor’s face hardens.

His hand moves toward the knife on his vest.

I catch Evie’s arm and pull her behind the tree with me.

“You enjoy making dangerous men angry.”

“They should hear the truth.”

“I’m not arguing.”

She looks at me. “That may be a first.”

Gunfire erupts from the emergency tunnel.

Eight Inner Guard operators spill onto the mountainside.

Not twenty.

Not an endless army.

The last men still loyal enough to die beside Victor.

Maverick and Rogue move left.

Reef takes the high ground.

Shark and Falcon establish overlapping fields of fire.

The First Circle operators spread toward the evidence case.

Cobra picks it up.

“I’ll carry this.”

Fathom stares at him. “That is the most valuable object on the mountain.”

“Which is why no one else gets to touch it.”

I return fire.