Gleaming in the moonlight, as if it were calling her, taunting her for losing her grip.

A quick glance found nobody in the vicinity. She snatched the heavy weapon on her way into the dark scrubland bordering the road. There was no way to see a target in there, of course, but there was also no way to be a target in there. She crouched low and moved around a bush, away from the point where she had come off the moonlit road.

Until she was grabbed from behind, a hand over her mouth preventing her heart attack from going public.

“You picked a nice night for a stroll, old lady Caldwell.”

“Duke! How can you see in all this cover?”

“I can’t. But I saw you go down and then head in here, so I followed, real quick like.”

“Anything out there tonight, Duke?”

“Yep.”

“Well, good.”