Ready to Kill by Andrew Peterson Read Free Book Online Page B

because the deepening twilight worked to her advantage. Franco never used night vision or thermal imagers for hunts like this. He considered it cheating. Even though she hadn’t eluded him yet, she deserved a fair chance. And she might get away this time—there was always a first time for everything. If she did, he wouldn’t punish her later. Franco had many faults, but fair was fair, and he never blamed others for his own shortcomings.
    He allowed her an extra few seconds before beginning his pursuit. The girl was fast—he gave her that, but he was faster. Enjoying the challenge, he watched her drive her legs as she bounded across the knee-high grass. When he caught her, it would be a sweet victory, in more ways than one. Her attempt to escape heightened his desire, and he felt a stirring in his groin. He hoped it wouldn’t be too easy. The last time she’d run away, he’d caught her almost immediately. Easy prey wasn’t nearly as rewarding.
    She glanced over her shoulder and changed direction, angling to the right. He guessed she was heading for the dam of rocks that allowed foot traffic to cross. On the opposite side of the pond, she’d probably turn left and try to hide in the thicker foliage. If he guessed wrong about this, she might get away.
    Franco changed direction and ran straight toward the dam. If he could reach the trees before she crossed the dam, he’d be able to see what direction she went on the other side. He slowed his approach and crouched behind a rusted car near the top of the bank. He spotted her halfway across the dam, marveling at her balance and agility as she leapt from boulder to boulder. Knowing she’d look back once she reached the far side, Franco remained motionless. What she did next surprised him. Rather than look back or turn left, she stayed on the trail that led to Tobias’s cabin and sprinted up the mountainside into the trees. Three seconds later, he lost sight of her.
    Clever girl. But this hunt was far from over. He scrambled down the bank, crossed the dam, and followed her into the trees. He slowed his pace and looked for movement. The girl wasn’t more than twenty seconds ahead of him, but that had given her plenty of time to disappear. Maybe he shouldn’t have given her such a large head start. Not wanting to give up, he continued up the trail. If all else failed, he could lie low and wait for her to reemerge. He had no illusions about it—she knew this forest better than he did. Rather than dwell on his disadvantage, he scanned the trees to his left. It was possible she’d turned east with the intent of crossing the river above the pond where the water wasn’t deep.
    Playing a hunch, Franco veered to his left and paralleled the mountain’s contour. If she’d come this way, she’d been stealthy. The crickets and toads hadn’t stopped their singing.
    There!
    He saw it then, fifty meters away, a flash of white that stood out like a cigarette on a putting green. She must’ve stopped running and gone to ground. He took a step to the right for a clearer line of sight.
    Got you!
    He could see her white blouse between two smaller trees. Like a predatory cat, he eased from tree to tree, being careful to avoid any sudden movements or noise. His camouflage fatigues blended perfectly into the colors of the forest. Even if she looked his direction, she’d never see him. She would’ve been better off trying to put some distance between them.
     
    He closed to within ten meters and froze.
    Something felt wrong. Her blouse didn’t look right, and the forest had gone quiet.
    It could only mean one thing.
    Franco pulled out his handgun and whipped around.
    The skin on his arms tingled at the same moment he knew he’d been tricked.
    He heard her before he saw her. With a shrill cry, she flew at him. Dressed only in her bra and shorts, she looked incredibly sexy, but now wasn’t the time to admire things. He jerked his head to dodge her fist coming at his face. He avoided the