Chapter 5

She suddenly pointed straight toward my hide.

"Victoria! Give me your rifle!"

Every operative on the line stopped breathing.

Even Sean froze.

"Chloe, stop it. This isn't a game!"

"I'm not joking!"

Chloe squared her shoulders, desperately trying to fake professional cool, though she couldn't hide the manic tremor in her voice.

"Criminal profiling includes behavioral forecasting!"

"I've mapped his micro-expressions and body language. I know his exact next move! I know I can hit him!"

She latched onto Sean's arm, whining.

"Sean, have her spot for me!"

"Isn't Victoria your best sniper? Make her calculate the windage and distance!"

"Together, we can drop him before he touches that kid!"

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!"

Cole's voice exploded through the earpiece.

Sean, however, stayed silent.

He looked down at Chloe's tear-stained, stubborn face. His gaze wasn't calculating—it was blindly indulgent.

He was actually considering it.

In his warped mind, this was the ultimate chance to salvage Chloe's dignity.

Or maybe he was simply incapable of telling her no.

"Victoria."

Sean's voice came through the comms, wrapped in rigid authority.

"You will assist Chloe with the shot. She calls the timing, you feed the ballistic data."

"One shot, one kill. Secure the hostage."

The sheer absurdity almost made me laugh out loud.

He wanted me—the three-time tactical shooting champion—to spot for a therapist who probably couldn't even disengage a rifle's safety?

In our past life, he sent me to die. In this life, he was willing to sacrifice an entire team to stroke Chloe's fragile ego.

"Negative, Commander."

My voice dropped to absolute zero.

Sean's voice shot up, furious.

"Victoria! That is a direct order!"

My response was deliberate, every syllable like ice.

"Chloe Bennett is not a certified marksman. She is emotionally unstable. Letting her handle that trigger is premeditated murder."

"Victoria! You—"

Sean sputtered.

Chloe's shrill voice cut in, dripping with fake tears and venom.

"Sean! Look at her! She's jealous of me!"

"She's terrified I'll make the shot and make her look useless! She doesn't give a damn about the mayor's son!"

"I don't have time for your drama," I cut her off cold, my crosshairs never leaving the madman's brow.

"Commander, if you insist on handing the weapon to Chloe, broadcast it over open air to the entire squad and Mayor Adams."

"State clearly that Chloe Bennett has full control of the shot, and that you two will bear absolute legal responsibility for the outcome."

My words hit him like a bucket of ice water, instantly dousing his foolish impulse.

Shared responsibility? Would he dare?

Not a chance in hell.

He knew better than anyone that Chloe couldn't make that shot.

He just wanted her to take the glory if she got lucky, and if she failed... he'd find a way to pin the disaster on me.

Sure enough, Sean fell into a suffocating silence.

Chloe kept whining into his ear.

"Sean! You promised! Make her help me, I can do this—"

"Shut up!"

Sean finally snapped, his tone thick with stress and irritation.

Right then, Miller's panicked shout hit the net.

"Commander! The suspect has a remote detonator! He's counting down! Ten! Nine! Eight..."

The EOD lead yelled simultaneously.

"We can't clear the radius! There's no time!"

"Seven! Six! Five!..."

Every heart in the perimeter slammed into high gear.

"Four! Three!..."

At that split second.

BANG!