The man watching from the bridge was focused entirely on the empty road. Riker moved down from the ridge like a shadow, reaching the sniper before the man even registered a shift in the air. What followed was quick, disciplined, and brutally quiet—close-quarters control designed to end resistance without fatal damage.
Riker lowered the unconscious man to the concrete and slipped off the mercenary's communication headset, pressing the earpiece to his own ear.
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Chapter 3
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Below, he heard Silas Vance’s voice. It was calm and professional. “Position check,” Vance requested over the radio.
Riker said nothing. He simply waited.