Page 166 of Silent Target

The pistol flies from his hand.

I dive for it.

Victor catches Caleb by the vest and hurls him into a steel support hard enough to make the entire corridor ring.

Caleb’s rifle falls.

Victor draws a knife.

“Caleb!”

Victor lunges.

Caleb twists aside.

The blade slices through his jacket instead of his ribs.

He traps Victor’s wrist, but the man doesn’t slow. He strikes Caleb in the wounded side.

Caleb’s breath leaves him in a harsh sound.

His knees buckle.

Victor raises the knife again.

I fire.

The bullet strikes his upper arm.

Victor staggers.

Caleb sweeps his legs out from under him.

The knife skids across the floor.

Before Caleb can reach Victor, the lights go out.

Smoke pours from vents in the ceiling.

A hidden door opens behind us.

Victor rolls through it.

The panel seals before I can fire again.

Silence closes around us.

“Caleb?”

“I’m here.”

His voice sounds strained.

I find him by touch.

My hands move over his shoulders, chest, and ribs.

“Are you stabbed?”