Meet Nathaniel Cross

I wanted to write something that summed up the vision of Nathaniel Cross. Whilst he isn't necessarily a good man, he is the main character of the novel living life on the edge and surviving against the odds. He can have no mercy as he knows it is mercy that gets you killed.

It isn't what I thought I'd write as I started but it came out and though it isn't directly from the novel I thought I'd put it up here.

The shadowed form loomed menacingly above him as a bolt of lightning stitched the midnight sky, the sudden flash of light revealing little more than a silhouette. Its head was covered by a wide brimmed hat, angled low over the face. The nose and jaw were concealed behind the high collar of a fully buttoned long dark coat, the hem of which ended below the knees. The hands were buried inside a pair of dark black gloves and held a pistol threateningly towards him, its barrel glinting in the moonlight. Silently, the shape moved upon him as though it were an apparition of death itself and as it leveled the barrel of the pistol, a gloved finger began to tighten slowly on the trigger. Only the eyes were visible and these offered no compassion as a sudden flare from the pan and a crack from the weapon split the air with a brutal finality. And as life faded from him he could see only the savage eyes burning back, beholding their moment of revenge through the grey smoke which danced heavenward from the barrel of the spent pistol as high above them both the rolling boom of thunder echoed warlike across the heavens.