“What?! Why?” He spun toward her, glaring into the pitch“Then let me take the shot!”
know I can!”
“One shot or six, we lose the element of surprise and we
target to a different location. This whole op would be a failure.”
prefer that? At least Cato will be alive for another day anyways.”
a line. He would risk choking to swallow those words back. She
glared at him, and for once, Surrich was thankful her eyes hid
behind the tinted visor. He half expected her to lash out at him, but
and nothing else. We take him out.”
temperatures, but he forced himself to speak calmly. “Do you want
to lose Ebon and Jaig, too, just to take out Cato?”
“No.”
Z
answering, but it was all the same to him.
“Then tell me what to do.”
They stared at each other before Surrich was compelled
to look back into his scope. He grunted. “Enemy patrol closing,
Commander. Should be near point blank range,” he said, his voice
icy as he urged on. “We have to make a move.”
Suddenly, Watney looked up. “We have to make a move,”
she echoed. “Zugzwang.”
“What—?”
Before Surrich could react, Watney slithered out of their
only him now. She stood and shook the numbness out of her legs.
[68]