Page 45 of Silent Target

His hands are bound.

A black hood covers his head.

But even from this distance, Caleb recognizes him.

“Mac.”

I take the binoculars again.

Mac stumbles as one of the guards shoves him toward the largest building.

His movements are slow.

Unsteady.

“They’ve hurt him.”

“Yes.”

“You don’t sound surprised.”

“I’m not.”

Caleb’s voice is flat, but anger tightens every line of his body.

This isn’t the reaction of a man looking at a traitor.

It’s the reaction of a man looking at one of his own.

“We aren’t too late,” he says.

“How do you know?”

“Because he just arrived.”

A long black SUV enters through the main gate.

The guards immediately straighten.

The driver rushes around to open the rear door.

Walter Graves steps out.

Even from hundreds of yards away, I recognize the silver hair, perfect posture, and expensive charcoal suit.

The sight of him steals the air from my lungs.

“What is he doing here?”

“Making sure Mac doesn’t leave alive.”

Walter crosses the yard.

Then stops.

His head turns toward our mountain.

Toward us.