Page 72 of Silent Target

Rook’s voice comes over the radio. “Fathom has what we need. We’re moving Mac.”

“South route is blocked.”

“West?”

“Helicopters.”

“North?”

“Search teams.”

A smile pulls at my mouth.

Rook hears it in my silence.

“What?”

“They left the east open.”

“That sounds convenient.”

“It is.”

“Trap?”

“Yes.”

Cobra joins us. “I hate it when he sounds happy about a trap.”

“He’s never happy,” Evie says.

“I’ve been telling her that.”

Her shoulder presses against mine.

The contact is brief.

Necessary.

It affects me anyway.

I force my attention back to the mountain.

The second sniper knows I’ll identify the eastern route as the trap. He’ll expect me to search for another way out.

Which means I need to give him what he expects.

I remove a small reflective lens from my pack and position it beneath the roots several feet to my right.

Then I shift left with my rifle.

Evie watches me. “What are you doing?”

“Making him believe I’m somewhere else.”

“You know where he is?”

“No.”