Task Force - Long Shot
#17 of Task Force
I propelled myself across the tundra on my cross country skis which slid smoothly beneath me. The cold air and windblown hard pack terrain combined to create optimal conditions and we flew across the wasteland at over 20 mph. This was all part of my plan. Come in fast, come in small, and come in low. Why would it work? It would work because it was unexpected. No one had done it, no one had tried it, and with them looking for us soon, no one would guess where we'd be.
When we reached our target, we'd be well out of range of the enemy sensors and scouts. As for our government looking for us, finding two members of the most elite Special Forces team ever created in a tundra covering millions of square kilometers, good luck. On top of that, we traveled light. I wore only a white, compression style, t-shirt and my uniform bottoms with the plating removed. The armor would just add weight, decrease mobility, and slow us down. Jessica was clad similarly except she wore a stripped down top as well. Her fur was not suited to exposure in these climates nearly as well as mine was. Nor did it blend in as well.
We carried small packs with our limited gear. I had my sniper rifle slung on my back. Jessica was carrying her SMGs as always. She had also taken an ultra-light variation of the assault rifle.
Flying through the cold air with nothing but an expanse of white spread out in front of me and a gun on my back reminded me of the days when I raced for my school biathlon team. It was only three years ago but it seemed so much longer than that to me. I had already had a lifetime of experiences and knowledge. Twenty one was much too young to be planning assignation and mutiny. Hell, two months ago I wouldn't even have been able to get a drink at a bar.
I was glad Jess had decided to come with me. I was going to do this either way, but having her along was comforting. On this mission, a second pair of eyes would be immensely helpful, if only to watch my back. Something Jessica was best at doing.
We skied throughout the day, slowing down only once to eat while still on the move. I checked my wrist GPS occasionally to ensure we were still on the right course. Hogan and I had had a quick covert discussion before we left the bunker. Under the pretence of sending me details on the next operation, he transferred all the intell we had on my target. I had been surprised with how much our people knew and hadn't done anything about. Well, now something was going to be done.
As dusk fell, we found a sheltered location for camp. I set the small two person tent while Jessica stretched a sheet of camo netting we had taken from the bunker. I stowed and secured the skis before taking refuge in the tent. Not even my fur would be able to protect me unshielded from the cold at night. Dinner consisted of dry scout rations. Basically dirt and cardboard flavored protein bars meant to sustain units for long insertions.
We also brought chemical heaters and heated water for two bags of flavorless tea which supposedly contained a mineral compound to prevent fatigue. At least it was hot. That's more than I could say about anything else. We talked quietly about the plan and we drank it.
"I still don't see how this will fix anything Kirian."
"Directly it doesn't. But we need to send a message to these people. We need to let them know that we're not going to play their games anymore. Besides, they'll never let us come home under our own power. Someone's going to have to want us back."
"Okay. But what if they take it the wrong way? What if they decide that this is a step too far?"
"Then they scrap the task force and we're court-martialed. Wouldn't that be better than being some barricades private hit team?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Get some sleep. We have another hard day in front of us tomorrow."
I woke in the middle of the night. I stepped outside and looked across the vast flat expanse. The whole landscape was lit by the near full moon, whose light was reflected by the snow and Ice casting the world into sharp relief. The mountains we had been heading for stretched across the horizon. The stars were brighter than I had ever seen them. It was a surreal moment enjoying the Gods work on my way to commit murder.
I returned to the tent and noticed that Jessica was shivering. I had forgotten how cold it must be for her. I slid back into my sleeping bag and moved closer, putting my arm around her unconscious form.
The next day brought clouds and crosswinds. I pulled up my balaclava to cover my muzzle. We bent our heads and began the repetitive motions again. The elevation began to rise but we kept a steady pace, cutting across the harsh landscape. By the end of the day we were deep within the mountains which were my goal. Now we would have to continue on foot.
By day three, my legs were beginning to ach from the constant strain. I ignored it though as a slung my rifle and skis and began the hike that would get us to position. It reminded me of the final mission at the academy, climbing a mountain side to assault a heavily defended location. It was different now though. Instead of having to get in and out, I would only need to get in view. If our intelligence was correct, all I would need was a clear line of sight.
By four in the afternoon we reached our objective. I stood in a small clearing overlooking a mountain valley. This would be no different than any quite mountain refuge, but rather than a quaint town, there were concrete buildings and series of walled perimeters. The one road in was covered by a triple gate system and the whole compound was swarming with guards. Now I understood why we hadn't hit this location before. Shot of an airstrike, any job to take this place out would be suicide.
It was getting dark fast. There would be no point in doing anything today. The completion of my plan would have to wait until tomorrow.
The next morning I was set. My rifle was zeroed and everything was ready. I had my calculations for range, trajectory, even the Coriolis Effect from the planet's spin was taken into account. I knew he was here. I couldn't afford to miss a single opportunity, because I would probably never get another one. My high perch offered an unhindered view and line of fire for the whole compound. There was only one reason this spot wasn't guarded, it was 1.8 miles away.
This was it. This was the shot I had been training for since the day during BCT when I first fired a sniper rifle. This was the shot Dr. Easterling had designed this rifle for, even if he didn't know it. Conditions were perfect. It was a warmer than usual day and the air was clear. The only hindrance would be the slight breeze. Jessica lay next to me in the snow, gazing through a spotter's scope. I clicked on the range finder I had mounted parallel to the barrel of my rifle.
"Kirian, I'm reading over twenty nine hundred meters. Are you sure you can make this shot?"
"No."
She turned to me and stared with a bewildered look on her face. I looked her strait in the eyes, dead serious. I had no idea if I could hit this. My calculations said I could, but I had never even trained beyond 2,300. I had hit targets at 2,800 but those were vehicles. This was no time for doubts though. I looked through my rifles scope. Data from the range finder was displayed on my HUD. The mark that I was hoping for was ranged at 2,912.9m. The infrared beam also measured the velocity of dust particles in the air to give me accurate wind values across the distance of the shot. If I could pull this off, it would truly be one in a billion. Perhaps it was good that I hadn't practiced. It would have been a tragedy to waste my one.
Minutes ticked by becoming hours and still we waited. The sun was creeping towards noon. I had been waiting so long I almost thought I could discern its movement. Jessica was scanning the compound diligently. I watched the most likely places for him to be from the layout Hogan had sent me. Jessica broke the four hour silence and spoke in a calm whisper.
"There, center building, third story window."
I panned my view and saw it. There he was, at last. My heart threatened to race but I controlled it. I reached into my pack and pulled out a single 10.7cm long round. I would only have one shot, no need for a clip. The monolithic solid bullet protruded from the casing lethally. I saw the EQ stamped on the bottom as I slid it into the chamber. I closed the bolt and adjusted my position. As I slowly breathed, I shifted my mindset, eliminating all distraction and calming my thoughts. My focus was completely on the task at hand.
I watched as the figure walked across a room and sat down at a desk. He was stationary. I would never get a better shot. I noted the wind and adjusted another meter to his right. I checked my calculations for velocity and bullet drop one more time quickly. The world went silent as I blocked out everything. The lines of my crosshairs sat on the black feathered head. He truly was a majestic creature. Now I knew why he called himself The Phoenix. I inhaled again, slowly exhaled and paused. The muscles of my trigger finger tightened imperceptibly and I heard the crack of my rifle. I closed my eyes and had a quick flashback of my shooting instructor.
"You want to know what the first thing you feel when you make a kill shot is son?"
"What's that sir?"
"The recoil of your rifle!"
I opened my eyes as the butt pressed into my shoulder and then returned to its normal position. I counted the seconds on my mission timer. 1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... Glass broke, there was a spurt of red, and the black head fell to the desk, three feathers floating slowly to the ground. The Phoenix was dead. It was time to head home.
***
"What do you mean you can't find them!?"
"Sir, we checked the bucker, no one is there. They left the vehicle so evidence would point to them leaving on foot."
"Then get teams out major! They won't be able to make it far."
"We're doing that sir, but these are highly trained men and there are hundreds of millions of acres of tundra out there and they could be anywhere within a 500 miles radius by now. We have helicopters and ground vehicles running passes over the most likely routs of egress but they haven't found anything yet."
"Sir!"
"Yes corporal?"
"A report just came in. The Phoenix has been assassinated. They say he was shot by a sniper from extreme long range but no one knows who."
"Major, are there any know NWO locations within that radius?"
"Just one, here sir."
"Get me Dr. Hall on the phone. Now!"