# Task Force - Long Shot

Author: SrA havenofimage
Tags: Death, Military, Snow Leopard, Spec Ops, Story Series, kill, marten, sniper

#17 of Task Force

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&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I propelled myself across the tundra on my cross country skis which slid smoothly beneath me.&nbsp; The cold air and windblown hard pack terrain combined to create optimal conditions and we flew across the wasteland at over 20 mph.&nbsp; This was all part of my plan.&nbsp; Come in fast, come in small, and come in low.&nbsp; Why would it work?&nbsp; It would work because it was unexpected.&nbsp; 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.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When we reached our target, we'd be well out of range of the enemy sensors and scouts.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; On top of that, we traveled light.&nbsp; I wore only a white, compression style, t-shirt and my uniform bottoms with the plating removed.&nbsp; The armor would just add weight, decrease mobility, and slow us down.&nbsp; Jessica was clad similarly except she wore a stripped down top as well.&nbsp; Her fur was not suited to exposure in these climates nearly as well as mine was.&nbsp; Nor did it blend in as well.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We carried small packs with our limited gear.&nbsp; I had my sniper rifle slung on my back.&nbsp; Jessica was carrying her SMGs as always.&nbsp; She had also taken an ultra-light variation of the assault rifle.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; It was only three years ago but it seemed so much longer than that to me.&nbsp; I had already had a lifetime of experiences and knowledge.&nbsp; Twenty one was much too young to be planning assignation and mutiny.&nbsp; Hell, two months ago I wouldn't even have been able to get a drink at a bar.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I was glad Jess had decided to come with me.&nbsp; I was going to do this either way, but having her along was comforting.&nbsp; On this mission, a second pair of eyes would be immensely helpful, if only to watch my back.&nbsp; Something Jessica was best at doing.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We skied throughout the day, slowing down only once to eat while still on the move.&nbsp; I checked my wrist GPS occasionally to ensure we were still on the right course.&nbsp; Hogan and I had had a quick covert discussion before we left the bunker.&nbsp; Under the pretence of sending me details on the next operation, he transferred all the intell we had on my target.&nbsp; I had been surprised with how much our people knew and hadn't done anything about.&nbsp; Well, now something was going to be done.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As dusk fell, we found a sheltered location for camp.&nbsp; I set the small two person tent while Jessica stretched a sheet of camo netting we had taken from the bunker.&nbsp; I stowed and secured the skis before taking refuge in the tent.&nbsp; Not even my fur would be able to protect me unshielded from the cold at night.&nbsp; Dinner consisted of dry scout rations.&nbsp; Basically dirt and cardboard flavored protein bars meant to sustain units for long insertions.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We also brought chemical heaters and heated water for two bags of flavorless tea which supposedly contained a mineral compound to prevent fatigue.&nbsp; At least it was hot.&nbsp; That's more than I could say about anything else.&nbsp; We talked quietly about the plan and we drank it.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I still don't see how this will fix anything Kirian."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Directly it doesn't.&nbsp; But we need to send a message to these people.&nbsp; We need to let them know that we're not going to play their games anymore.&nbsp; Besides, they'll never let us come home under our own power.&nbsp; Someone's going to have to want us back."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Okay.&nbsp; But what if they take it the wrong way?&nbsp; What if they decide that this is a step too far?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Then they scrap the task force and we're court-martialed.&nbsp; Wouldn't that be better than being some barricades private hit team?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Yes, I understand."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Get some sleep.&nbsp; We have another hard day in front of us tomorrow."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I woke in the middle of the night.&nbsp; I stepped outside and looked across the vast flat expanse.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; The mountains we had been heading for stretched across the horizon.&nbsp; The stars were brighter than I had ever seen them.&nbsp; It was a surreal moment enjoying the Gods work on my way to commit murder.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I returned to the tent and noticed that Jessica was shivering.&nbsp; I had forgotten how cold it must be for her.&nbsp; I slid back into my sleeping bag and moved closer, putting my arm around her unconscious form.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The next day brought clouds and crosswinds.&nbsp; I pulled up my balaclava to cover my muzzle.&nbsp; We bent our heads and began the repetitive motions again.&nbsp; The elevation began to rise but we kept a steady pace, cutting across the harsh landscape.&nbsp; By the end of the day we were deep within the mountains which were my goal.&nbsp; Now we would have to continue on foot.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By day three, my legs were beginning to ach from the constant strain.&nbsp; I ignored it though as a slung my rifle and skis and began the hike that would get us to position.&nbsp; It reminded me of the final mission at the academy, climbing a mountain side to assault a heavily defended location.&nbsp; It was different now though.&nbsp; Instead of having to get in and out, I would only need to get in view.&nbsp; If our intelligence was correct, all I would need was a clear line of sight.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; By four in the afternoon we reached our objective.&nbsp; I stood in a small clearing overlooking a mountain valley.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; The one road in was covered by a triple gate system and the whole compound was swarming with guards.&nbsp; Now I understood why we hadn't hit this location before.&nbsp; Shot of an airstrike, any job to take this place out would be suicide.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It was getting dark fast.&nbsp; There would be no point in doing anything today.&nbsp; The completion of my plan would have to wait until tomorrow.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The next morning I was set.&nbsp; 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. &nbsp;I knew he was here.&nbsp; I couldn't afford to miss a single opportunity, because I would probably never get another one.&nbsp; My high perch offered an unhindered view and line of fire for the whole compound.&nbsp; There was only one reason this spot wasn't guarded, it was 1.8 miles away.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; This was it.&nbsp; This was the shot I had been training for since the day during BCT when I first fired a sniper rifle.&nbsp; This was the shot Dr. Easterling had designed this rifle for, even if he didn't know it.&nbsp; Conditions were perfect.&nbsp; It was a warmer than usual day and the air was clear.&nbsp; The only hindrance would be the slight breeze.&nbsp; Jessica lay next to me in the snow, gazing through a spotter's scope.&nbsp; I clicked on the range finder I had mounted parallel to the barrel of my rifle.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Kirian, I'm reading over twenty nine hundred meters.&nbsp; Are you sure you can make this shot?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "No."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She turned to me and stared with a bewildered look on her face.&nbsp; I looked her strait in the eyes, dead serious.&nbsp; I had no idea if I could hit this.&nbsp; My calculations said I could, but I had never even trained beyond 2,300.&nbsp; I had hit targets at 2,800 but those were vehicles.&nbsp; This was no time for doubts though.&nbsp; I looked through my rifles scope.&nbsp; Data from the range finder was displayed on my HUD.&nbsp; The mark that I was hoping for was ranged at 2,912.9m.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; If I could pull this off, it would truly be one in a billion.&nbsp; Perhaps it was good that I hadn't practiced.&nbsp; It would have been a tragedy to waste my one.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Minutes ticked by becoming hours and still we waited.&nbsp; The sun was creeping towards noon.&nbsp; I had been waiting so long I almost thought I could discern its movement.&nbsp; Jessica was scanning the compound diligently.&nbsp; I watched the most likely places for him to be from the layout Hogan had sent me.&nbsp; Jessica broke the four hour silence and spoke in a calm whisper.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "There, center building, third story window."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I panned my view and saw it.&nbsp; There he was, at last.&nbsp; My heart threatened to race but I controlled it.&nbsp; I reached into my pack and pulled out a single 10.7cm long round.&nbsp; I would only have one shot, no need for a clip.&nbsp; The monolithic solid bullet protruded from the casing lethally.&nbsp; I saw the EQ stamped on the bottom as I slid it into the chamber.&nbsp; I closed the bolt and adjusted my position. &nbsp;As I slowly breathed, I shifted my mindset, eliminating all distraction and calming my thoughts. &nbsp;My focus was completely on the task at hand.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I watched as the figure walked across a room and sat down at a desk.&nbsp; He was stationary.&nbsp; I would never get a better shot.&nbsp; I noted the wind and adjusted another meter to his right.&nbsp; I checked my calculations for velocity and bullet drop one more time quickly.&nbsp; The world went silent as I blocked out everything.&nbsp; The lines of my crosshairs sat on the black feathered head.&nbsp; He truly was a majestic creature.&nbsp; Now I knew why he called himself The Phoenix.&nbsp; I inhaled again, slowly exhaled and paused.&nbsp; The muscles of my trigger finger tightened imperceptibly and I heard the crack of my rifle.&nbsp; I closed my eyes and had a quick flashback of my shooting instructor.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You want to know what the first thing you feel when you make a kill shot is son?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What's that sir?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "The recoil of your rifle!"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I opened my eyes as the butt pressed into my shoulder and then returned to its normal position.&nbsp; I counted the seconds on my mission timer.&nbsp; 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.&nbsp; The Phoenix was dead.&nbsp; It was time to head home.

\*\*\*

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What do you mean you can't find them!?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Sir, we checked the bucker, no one is there.&nbsp; They left the vehicle so evidence would point to them leaving on foot."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Then get teams out major!&nbsp; They won't be able to make it far."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "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.&nbsp; We have helicopters and ground vehicles running passes over the most likely routs of egress but they haven't found anything yet."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Sir!"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Yes corporal?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "A report just came in.&nbsp; The Phoenix has been assassinated.&nbsp; They say he was shot by a sniper from extreme long range but no one knows who."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Major, are there any know NWO locations within that radius?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Just one, here sir."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Get me Dr. Hall on the phone.&nbsp; Now!"

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/znJdKq7e
Part of the series Task Force
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