Chapter One: The Rain-Bar

The killer's foot slipped, his muzzle lifted toward the ceiling, and Ethan was already inside his reach. Disarm. Clear the chamber. Pistol butt to the nose. The third man was the calm one. He did not rush Ethan. He drew a folding knife and moved for Marcus. Ethan pulled a short fire axe from under the counter and threw it backward. The handle struck the man's wrist. The knife hit the floor. Ethan vaulted the bar, drove a knee into the man's stomach, and used the heel of his palm to snap the chin up. The man went down without a sound. Eleven seconds. The bar went silent. A financial analyst who had been complaining about overtime stared with his mouth open, beer spilling over his fingers. The singer forgot the next lyric.