Nightstalkers

CHAPTER 11

Burns shifted position. Some of his wounds had not quite healed, a terrible itching that just wouldn’t stop. He peered through the night-vision scope at the Chapel Hill dog park. It was empty, and a lone flickering light cast long shadows across the hard-packed couple of acres.

The doctor’s headlights were like searchlights in the night-vision scope as the car pulled into the empty parking lot a hundred yards away. Burns tracked the doctor as he scurried to the gate. The reticle in the sight had the man’s head perfectly framed.

The doctor had a flashlight, which wasn’t exactly covert, but Burns didn’t have high expectations after meeting him in the parking lot.

Winslow made his way to the trash can and pulled up the lid, wincing at the foul smell from dozens of poop bags. Such was his lust, though, that he reached right in, fingers searching.

That’s when Burns got the feeling. It was one many combat vets experienced and the smart ones trusted. It was too easy and too dumb. Burns shifted from Doctor Winslow and began to scan the area beyond the parking lot, into the trees.

Through his night scope, Burns caught the faintest glimmer in the trees a quarter mile away and he immediately knew what had caused it: someone breaking the seal on their own night scope and letting the computer-generated light out. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, but Burns pressed his eye socket tighter into his own rubber seal to prevent the same mistake.

There was a sniper out there covering the doctor making the pickup.

Where the hell did Winslow get a sniper? And Burns knew right away: an investor protecting his investment.

In the dog park, Winslow withdrew the hard drive from the bag with a trembling hand.

From his perch, Burns could have sworn the doctor was doing some kind of jig. A Snoopy happy dance perhaps? As the doctor ran back to his car, Burns focused on the real threat in the trees. He waited, a trait Nada had impressed upon him as essential to survival.

After thirty minutes, the sniper emerged from the trees. Burns tensed as a second person, rifle slung over his shoulder, emerged fifty meters away. A dark van, headlights off, pulled into the parking lot and both got inside.

Two snipers on over-watch.

Burns nodded. This was good. There would be extra protection.