Page 54 of Killer Clone

“Will do.” She squeezed his hand before letting go. “Hey…” She still couldn’t form the right words.

“Hm?”

“Be safe.”

23

It had been a long day.

A long, frustrating day.

It should’ve ended hours ago, right outside Patrick Marrion’s dorm, with Agent Knox lying dead on the pavement.

I’d had the perfect plan—a gun and a clean escape route. All I had to do was pull the trigger and put a bullet in both Knox and her little friend’s heads and walk away.

I’d planned every detail, every step. The route back to the warehouse was mapped in my head, so perfectly thought out that I barely needed to think at all. After Knox, Yates would be next. Half the bounty would already be mine by then, and I could take my time with him. No rush. No pressure. Just fun.

I had pictured it in my mind a thousand times. Maybe I’d carve him up, see if he bled slow. Maybe I’d find out what kind of sounds he made when he begged.

But first, Knox.

I’d been parked across the street, waiting. The FBI arrived just as I expected, but Yates wasn’t with her. Instead, some other woman had shown up alongside her. That wasn’t part of the plan, but it didn’t matter. I could adjust. I could be flexible.

They walked into the dorm, leaving me in the Tacoma, my fingers resting on the grip of my gun. I knew what would happen next. They’d come out the same way they’d walked in. I’d slide out of the truck, blend in with the students, and hit Knox in the back as I passed her.

Simple. Clean. A tap to the spine, a second to the skull. She wouldn’t even have time to process.

Before the other woman could respond, I’d take her down too.

And just like that, I’d be one step closer to collecting my payday.

It started unfolding just as I imagined…

The pair stepped out of the building, chatting and completely ignorant of my presence. I’d slipped out of the truck, stuffing the gun in my pocket, and approached them. Knox was standing at the bottom of the steps, unscrewing the cap of a bottle and tipping it over, pouring vodka onto the grass like it wasn’t worth drinking.

That made me laugh a little. All this time chasing her, and here she was, wasting good alcohol.

I took another step closer, my fingers tightening on the grip. One more step.

I was right there.

I could already feel the warmth of her blood on my hands?—

Then the doors burst open, and the sidewalk became a river of bodies as a crowd of students flooded out of the surrounding buildings, moving in waves, talking, laughing, blocking my shot before I could even react.

Too many people.

Too many eyes.

The moment was gone. Vanished.

I’d kept moving, walking straight past her, shoving my shoulder against hers just to feel it. Warmth.

She didn’t even notice me. That was almost better than shooting her.

Almost.

But it didn’t matter. I had a new plan.