Sam Fisher- Gun Distraction

  The guard was too close to the door to risk the flexi-cam, and without knowing whether the man had company, a snatch from behind was out of the question. Plan B, then.

  From his belt he drew the sidearm he'd taken from Lok, placed it on the third step, then retreated beneath the stairwell. He drew his pistol and toggled the selector to DART, then fired at the door. The dart ticked against the steel, then skittered away. In the window the guard's head turned. Fisher drew back under the steps, lay down on his back, and flicked the pistol back to single-shot.

  The door creaked open. There were three seconds of silence, then a Chinese voice--frustrated, disgusted. Fisher assumed the words amounted to, Okay, which idiot dropped his gun?

  Boots clicked on concrete. Fisher pictured the man walking and counted steps: four . . . five . . . six . . . Foot on the first step . . .

  Fisher pushed off the wall and slid out, gun coming up. The man sensed movement and started to turn, but too late. Fisher fired. The bullet penetrated beneath his left earlobe. The Glaser Safety Slug had devastating effect, instantly pulverizing the man's brain stem. The man tipped sideways, but even as he started sliding down the wall, Fisher was up and moving. He caught the body as it fell, then dragged it beneath the stairwell. He checked the steps and wall for blood, wiped up two spots, picked up Lok's gun.

- Checkmate, Chapter 45