Suddenly, the woman's head jerks back, a hole square between her eyes. She doesn't even have time to look surprised, though that pained look appears to have eased as she crumples backwards.

Several yards back, and Locus lowers his rifle, staring at Rico. It's hard to tell through the helmet, but he looks as though he might be judging the man for drawing this production out as he has. If he needed to kill her, he should have done it, not stand around talking about it.

It's the sort of stupid mistake he was used to his former partner making.