Page 50 of Lethal Illusion

“Thank you,” she said as he verified the safety was on and put the gun back in his ruck.

“There’s nothing to thank me for.I should have shown you earlier.”

He slid the straps over his shoulders, and they resumed their trek through the forest.According to his map, they had another couple of hours or so before they reached the road that led to town.

“When we get back, can we go to the range?”Sloane asked.“You know, so I’m better prepared if the situation ever arises.”

“Sure.Once we get you up to speed with a pistol, we’ll move on to rifles.By the time I’m finished with you, you’ll be able to field strip an AR blindfolded.”

She slanted him a dubious look.“I don’t think we need to take it that far.”

Navarre chuckled as he pushed a branch aside so she could walk past.

“Just remember, never point a gun unless you intend to shoot, and never shoot unless you intend to kill.Always aim for the center of mass.”For emphasis, he tapped the space between his pecs.“None of that going-for-the-leg crap you see on TV.”That shit drove him crazy.

They settled into a companionable silence for the next mile or so, until they reached a small stream at the base of a hill.Navarre took the opportunity to refill their water bottle.He added purification tablets and put the bottle back in his ruck.

“Can I ask you a question?”Sloane said as he stood.

“That depends on the question.”

The look on her face made it clear she was choosing her words carefully.“Those men you shot yesterday.I assume they weren’t your first.”

“No.They weren’t.”Not by a long shot, though he didn’t know the actual number.In his experience, it was better not to keep track.

“Do you regret any of them?”

“No, but there are times I’ve regretted the actions of others.That they put me in a position where the only choice was to take a life.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.“I don’t know if I could make that kind of decision.”

Navarre gave her credit for being honest about it.Not everybody had that ability.

“Becoming a sniper isn’t easy.They don’t just hand you a rifle and tell you who to kill.The qualification course is seven weeks long; less than half of the candidates make it through.They teach you how to evaluate a situation, determine the threat, and weigh your options, all within a split second.They also show you how to process the emotions that come with taking a life.”Still, there were occasions when some of those emotions slipped through the cracks.

He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and stared out into the forest.“There was a kid one time.A boy.I never knew his name—it’s better that way—but he couldn’t have been older than twelve.He was wearing a vest packed with explosives.My spotter almost missed it because it was hidden under a big, bulky coat.He was walking toward a market full of people, a huge smile on his face like he didn’t have a care in the world.If I hadn’t dropped him, a lot of innocent civilians would have died.”

Empathy softened Sloane’s voice.“That had to be hard.”

“It wasn’t at the time.All that training kicked in, and I did what I had to do.But every now and then, I still think about that kid.About the lowlife who convinced him to strap on that vest and sent him off to die.Whoever it was, they were far more deserving of the bullet.”

Reaching out, she touched his arm, and the simple contact grounded him in a way nothing else possibly could.A heavy silence settled between them, and for some stupid reason, he felt the inexorable need to fill it.

“I killed a man last year.”Christ, why the fuck did he just tell her that?She was going to think he was some sort of monster.Perhaps that was the point.“He took out a contract on somebody I care about.”

Shock widened her eyes.“A contract, as in he hired a hitman?”

Navarre nodded.

“Did he succeed?”

“No.We tricked the asshole who’d come to do the job into believing he succeeded.Unfortunately, that kind of deception is only a temporary fix.The person targeted can’t play dead forever—not if they want any semblance of a normal life—and it’s only a matter of time before the truth comes out.We could have killed the assassin—we had the shot lined up—but that wouldn’t have solved the problem either.That’s the thing about contracts; kill the killer, and another one takes their place.Again and again and again.”He started to walk again, and she matched the pace of his strides.“The only way to make it stop is to eliminate the person who initiated the contract.If no one’s getting paid, no one’s getting killed.”

She looked as though she was weighing the situation from every angle in her mind.“I assume going to the police wasn’t an option.”

“Oh, it’s always an option, but it wouldn’t have done any good.This was one of those instances where the only viable option was a bullet.”

The creases lining her brow were a clear indication that didn’t settle well with her.“And you’re okay with assuming the role of judge, jury, and executioner?”

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