A Better World

CHAPTER 37

Soren aimed.

Through the telescopic sight, he watched the woman argue with John. Soren was four hundred yards out, but the scope had a magnification of twenty, and with the crosshairs on her forehead, it was easy to read her lips. He didn’t care for handguns; the recoil, magnified by his time sense, made for inelegance. But a sniper rifle was a matter of pure mechanics. Brace it, breathe properly, squeeze rather than pull the trigger, and it was just a projection of will across distance. Still, he was pleased not to have to kill her; John had told him she was close to Samantha.

After she got in her truck and left, he swiveled the scope back to John. His friend had an intense expression he remembered well from their games of chess. Lost in the permutations, following a chain of probabilities.

Finally, John looked directly at him and spoke. He used a normal speed this time, guessing—wrongly—that the distance would require it. “Cooper survived. That’s a problem.”

In the distance, the streaking jets sounded like angry insects.

“Everything is going as planned.” Smith rubbed at the back of his neck. “Only one thing can stop it now.”

Soren waited to hear what his friend needed.

“Dr. Couzen has a protégé named Ethan Park.”

The rest was obvious. Soren stood up and began walking.