Page 121 of Tell No One
“Straight up there.” Feely pointed.
They set off with Matt in the lead. Delaney stayed at the rear. Matt set a fast pace and they moved more quickly than Delaney had expected. They were halfway up the first slope when a shot rang out. The middle two ducked. Delaney smiled.
Matt turned round. “That was quick. One down, two to go.”
When a little later, three more shots echoed around them, Matt laughed. “Guess they missed.”
At the top of the first slope, Feely checked his phone again. “One of the trackers hasn’t shown any movement.”
“Maybe they found it,” Jeremy suggested.
“Or the target fell.” The American looked over Feely’s shoulder at the screen. “The other is still moving. Might as well ignore the static one.”
“Could be hiding. Be easy target.” Delaney wanted the group split up.
“Or they dumped the backpack,” Matt said. “I vote we follow the one who’s still moving.”
Shit.
They carried on. They were walking fast but not running and Delaney hoped Tag was miles away, though they’d cut off some of the route that he’d told Tag to take.
Delaney caught sight of him almost at the top of a hill on their right. Well over a mile away. He hoped none of the others would spot him but the American was already taking out his rifle. Jeremy removed his from his carry bag too.
“My shot first,” Matt said. “I was the one to spot him.”
Delaney was considering how to distract him when Jeremy did it for him.
“What the bloody hell are you firing?” the guy said just as Matt was about to pull the trigger.
Matt’s Barrett M82 didn’t have the range to hit Tag, but it didn’t stop him trying, or Jeremy with his Winchester. When Tag slipped out of sight, Matt stepped aggressively into Jeremy’s space.
“You don’t fucking talk when someone is about to pull the trigger. Fucking amateur.”
“Hey, chill. Okay? You took me by surprise. Are they even legal over here?”
Delaney hoped they’d stand and have a lengthy chat about firearms but they didn’t. One thing he could do was take the lead to slow everyone down, but not to the point that they decided to overtake him.
At the top of the next ridge, Feely sighed. “The other tracker is immobile now.”
“So they dumped them and split up,” Matt said. “Shit. You were right, Vadim. Someone should have gone after the other.”
“Why don’t we split up now,” Delaney suggested.
“I want this fucker,” Matt said.
Jeremy shrugged. “I’ll go back for the other. I’ve got his last position.”
Feely looked at Delaney.
“I keep going,” Delaney said.
“Me too.” Feely took out his radio. “I’ll call for the helicopter to see if they can give us a visual on either of them.”
“I’m not waiting.” Matt carried on and Delaney went with him.
“Why didn’t you take a shot?” Matt asked.
“Waste of ammunition. I wouldn’t have hit him.”
