Chapter 117 Training Begins

• The morning mist still clung to the treetops when Darren led Nina out of the safe house and into the woods. The earth was damp underfoot, soft with fallen leaves. He carried a small duffel over his shoulder, and in his hand, a pistol glinted dully in the pale light.
• Nina walked close behind, her nerves plain in the tight grip she had on her jacket. When they reached a small clearing the assassins used for their drills, Darren stopped, dropped the bag, and scanned the perimeter. Satisfied they were alone, he pulled a rusted tin can from the duffel and set it on a tree stump about twenty paces away.
• He turned back to her. “First lesson: shooting. If you’re going to stand with me against Horace, you need to know how to handle a gun. No hesitation, no second thoughts.”