Muzzle Flash
Published by Peter W. Davidson
Smashwords Edition
* * *
Copyright 2012 Peter W. Davidson
***
The powdery snow beneath his feet made the softest of crunching sounds as he made his way through the forest. Enormous trees loomed up on all sides as far as could be seen, providing both ample cover combined with a landscape near-impossible to accurately traverse, especially in the twilight that was slowly descending. More snow began to fall, obscuring the tell-tale footsteps he was leaving behind. "Good", he though. "That'll make me harder to track tonight". He leaned up against a tree to catch his breath, every muscle in his body aching from running through the seemingly endless passage of woodland. Drawing the cold night air sharply into his lungs, his chapped lips seemed to crack more with each breath taken. Closing his eyes for what seemed to be just a second, he tried to block out the cold by focussing on his most cherished memory from his younger days; walking along a sandy white beach, the warm sea gently lapping the shore with the warm sun shining overhead. She was there too, walking hand-in-hand beside him, her hair golden as the sun, her warm blue eyes shining as she smiled. He could almost feel the soft touch of her skin; something he longed for but knew could never happen again. Not after the things he had done.
He awoke suddenly. In the distance he could hear the sound of dogs barking, and their masters muffled shouts; loud enough to be heard, but too distant to decipher what was being said. He realised that his memory had become a dream, as he was lying at the foot of the tree, half-buried from the snowfall which had now ceased. Climbing to his feet, he look skyward for the sun; not for it's warmth, which granted would not go amiss, but for direction. From it's position he realised he had slept for several hours. "Lucky", he muttered under his breath. "Lucky they didn't find me". Turning eastward, he continued his journey.
The heavy overnight snowfall made running much harder, and there was no chance now of covering his tracks. The sound of the dogs was getting closer, and he could feel his heart begin to race faster; a combination of his physical exertion, and a growing feeling of fear. With each passing minute, it seemed more likely that a secondary plan needed to be formed; a simple escape was not looking likely now. The bounty on his head was enough that his pursuers wouldn't worry about taking him alive, and after years of service to his now ex-employer, that was probably for the best considering the nature of his departure.
His pace had slowed now, his legs no longer able to sustain the momentum his head requested. Up ahead, the tree-line was broken by the sky, with a great field beyond; the sun was busy melting the snow, and the shimmering green grass stood upright, eager to feel the touch of the warm rays once again. If he could make it across the field, he was home free; no matter the reward, his would-be capturers would never cross the border.
His ears barely had time to pick up the faint "phwipp" sound before the pain took hold. A sudden, sharp pain in his right leg. Collapsing mid-run, it took him a moment to realise that it wasn't a simple cramp from the effort of running so long, but that he had been shot. His blood stained the crisp white ground, defacing it's pristine appearance. "So close" he thought. Tearing his shirt and quickly patching his wound as he had done many times before, he stumbled back to his feet and hobbled onward. "So.. close.." Behind him, a voice ordered the dogs to stay as another pain erupted in his left shoulder. Still he stumbled forward, his thoughts now so overcome with the shock and burning pain of the bullet wounds he did not even think to draw his own weapon. Another pain in his right shoulder took his breath away. Unable to move any further, he merely turned to face his assailant. Dressed head to toe in winter camouflage gear, the figure took a slow step toward him and took aim. It didn't matter now; everything was already growing dark. As the figure approached, he fell backwards and realised he had made the tree-line. He collapsed onto the exposed grass, it's morning dew sprinkling into the air and settling on his face, the cold water snapping him back to the reality of where he was. The dog stood over him, growling softly, as he stared into the cold blue eyes of his assassin.
Crouching over him, the assassin placed a soft hand gently upon his cheek, and spoke; "Any last words?"
He gasped for a short second of breath; "I'm………so…rry……"
A single tear slowly rolled down his cheek, as his eyes caught the bright light from the gun's muzzle flash. The light blinded his blurred-vision eyes, as the grass around him turned to golden sand. He felt warm water between his toes, and the sun shining on his face.
###
Thank you for downloading this free eBook
If you want to communicate with me in general, contact me using Twitter or Email!.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/CoG_Geekster
Email: cog.geekster@hotmail.co.uk
You can also visit my blog at http://cog-geekster.tumblr.com
My Smashwords.com page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/peterwdavidson
.
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
You may forward, copy and share this work in its entirety, but please do not change it in any way..
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The people and places are a production of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.