The Skin Thief

Chapter 59

"Do. Not. Move."

My heart stops as a deep voice talks lowly behind me.

"Take your hands off the weapon."

I remove my hands. The last thing I see before I move from the scope, is my target walking the last two steps to the door.

Fuck.

I try not to panic as I slowly sit up.

"I need backup on the seventeenth floor immediately," he says into his radio. "High Rise two, go down to the security office and call for reinforcements. Tell them we have caught a male who is highly armed and extremely dangerous." There's a calmness in his voice that suggests to me that he is some sort of ex-military. Slowly, I move away from the sniper and turn my head. He is pointing a gun at me.

"Yes, sir," a voice replies on the radio. The sound echoes around the room and I lick my lips, trying not to panic.

"Hands up behind your head," he orders, and I do as he says. The man is tall and broad. His stance is ready, his expression calm. The gun is firm in his hand. He doesn't even blink.

I need to make this shot. I need to act now.

"Don't fucking move," he says, as I slowly draw myself up onto my knees. I let out a short breath and beg to whatever gods that may exist that my target's guards could stall him for just a few more moments.

Then, my mind goes blank. All fear leaves my body in a single swoop. My training kicks in and without even thinking, I dive at the guard.

The gunshot roars like thunder as he fires. I feel it whiz past my shoulder as I throw myself to the side expertly. Before he can fire again, I'm on him.

His eyes widen as I snatch the gun from his hands, my own a blur as I strike at his wrists and claw the weapon from his fingers.

He swings for me, and I duck under it. At the same time, my fist slams into the top, right-hand side of his stomach. I know I've hit my target when he crumples, screaming in pain. I almost wince, remembering from my own experience what it was like to be struck in the liver.

As he lands on his knees, I kick him in the side of the face, sending him sprawling across the ground, unconscious.

I run back to the weapon, diving onto my stomach and getting into position.

As I look down the scope, I let out a small breath of relief. The target is outside, but still hanging around the entrance, arguing with his security who are trying to drag him back in.

The sounds of footsteps approaching has sweat dribbling across my skin. Adrenaline makes my body tremble.

It's now or never.

"For Athaine," I say in my language.

Then, I take in a deep breath, clear my mind, make the final calculations in an instant, and fire.

Despite the suppressor on the end, the gun is still loud. The boom rips through the air, tearing it apart with a deafening crack, and my body jolts with the force of the weapon firing.

Time stands completely still.

My heart stops, as does my breathing. Even the bead of sweat that dribbles down my forehead between my skin and the mask I wear, seems to pause.

The target steps away, turning his back on his guards. He is one step from being out of sight. The girls beside him are giggling, encouraging him to join.

His security is reaching for him.

Then, it's all over.

Blood sprays everywhere in a puff of red. His body collapses to the ground.