War is full of secrets, but none are as dangerous as the one Clark Damien hides behind his mask. Known only as "Shadow," the elite SEAL sniper is a ghost in the field, taking out targets with deadly precision. When journalist Lawrence Adams is embed...
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Clark
"No pressure, Shadow. Just everyone's lives in your hands," Court snickered in the metal chair directly across from me. He leans back, shaking his head with a grin and I nod at him. If he could see me smirk, I would.
"You know he likes a challenge, Wolf," Tanner responds, and this time, I actually smirk.
My eyes flick to the satellite image projected onto the screen, watching the compound of our target swirl clockwise. It was a fortress in the middle of the desert, surrounded by high walls and no-doubt patrolled by men with automatic weapons. The more I gazed, the more boundaries I noticed, like multiple lookout points and reinforced gates.
Fuck, Tanner was right. This is going to be a challenge.
"Like I said," Tanner moves on with the debriefing. "Damien is the key to the operation. He'll be on high ground, two kilometers northeast of the compound. A clear line of sight on the central building where Khazani will be meeting with his buyers."
I pick up the cleaning cloth on the table next to me, dampening it slightly before gently wiping down the barrel of my rifle as I continue to listen to Tanner talk about my positioning to the team.
Physically I'm there, but mentally I'm in the dirt with the compound in my sights. Two kilometers isn't easy, but it's well within my range. The terrain surrounding the compound is mostly open desert, with a few ridges and rocky outcrops—perfect for me to set up and stay hidden.
Tanner knew what the hell he was talking about. We called him Ace for a reason. With him as our team leader and commander, all I needed to do was suit up and have my rifle ready. He handled everything else.
After wiping down the barrel, I move towards the cleaning rod and a brush, making sure to remove any residue from inside the barrel after my previous shots. I listen to Tanner continue, "Intel suggests that Khazani's meeting is happening inside. It's a reinforced building, but we've identified a large window on the west side."
There's a shuffle among the operations tent and I briefly look up to see some men growing uncomfortable. This is by no means an easy operation. Their lives are quite literally in my damn hands. Some of them look at me for reassurance but I remain stoic. Emotions have no place in the desert. It's either kill or be killed. I chose the former.
Tanner eyes me and points, "That's your target area, Clark. If Khazani steps into view, you take the shot. But you'll only have a few seconds before they realize what's happening and lock everything down."
I nod, but my mind drifts as I eye the compound on the screen again. The operation would take place in late afternoon with the sun low on the horizon which will create challenging light conditions. Since my position is high, I will be almost directly aligned with the western sun, meaning glare could be an issue. But I could work around that. I always have.
