Killing Cardinals

Chapter 3

New building, new feeling, new government worker, new shooting spot.

The tall metallic building was still in construction, but it had been left alone for several weeks due to the increasingly bad weather. These things didn't stop me. Rain, snow or sun, I was going to do this.

However, despite my determination, it didn't make these whiplashing cold winds any easier to bare. At particular times, the wind was blowing so hard, I almost thought I was going to be swept away. But I was stronger than these winds, and smarter than them too.

I walked over to the edge of the building, where some metal beams were laid, almost erratically. With the angles they made, sitting halfway on top of one another, it was a perfect place to shoot from.

I set down my bag, pulling out my glock that my dad had given me two years ago. It was a small gun, but held a lot more shots than one would expect, an entire 12 shots in fact. Granted, I wouldn't need to use them all. I was a good enough shot to make each one count, if I needed to.

I clicked a silencer into the barrel, setting it onto the metal floor in front of me. Next I pulled out my AK45. Silenced. I set up its stand and peered through the scope. It would be another ten minutes before I would need to shoot.

I was planning every detail in my head. Gary Olsen would walk out of the two glass doors at the bureaucratic office. He would come down the steps, pause for a moment at the crowd, and that would be my chance. Things would work out like they did before, simple and easy.

After sitting for a few moments, I started peering through the scope again. I was checking every surrounding area, making sure no one was watching, or noticing my movements. I was so high up, that I was nearly indistinguishable among the blobs of silver. I had dressed in all grey, with a hat, grey scarf, grey everything. My hair was pulled up into the hat, so that my hair was impossible to see.

I could feel my hands shaking a bit like they did before, but less this time. I was still filled with a crazed sense of nervousness, something that I doubted would ever leave.

I kept my finger off the trigger, looking down at the office exit, just imagining the scenario in my head, over and over. I replayed it as if I was studying the unseen moment, and I could feel every bit of my excitement radiating off of me.

"Wow, didn't expect a shrimp like you to be doing this." My blood went cold at the sound of a voice, and I turned so sharply and quickly that I could've done a full 360 turn had my shoes not had any grip. Ten feet away from me stood a man who would tower over me in height. His crisp blue eyes were staring me down, and I desperately searched a weapon on his body or in his hands. Nothing.

"Who the hell are you?" I asked, with a hiss so aggressive, one might've thought I was a snake. But before he'd even spoke, my eyes had analyzed every inch of his body. Tattoos from arm to neck to arm, a chip in his left ear, clothes that look like they've been on his body a bit too long. As I recognized the details, my brow furrowed.

Convict.

"Names aren't important, though I am curious who you are." I stood up with my glock clasped in my hand. I knew he wouldn't attack. He had no weapon.

"You're James Carte." I said bluntly, with a growl in my underlying tone. He raised an eyebrow with a small grin.

"Smart, you know who I am, yet I don't know who you are. Mind telling me?" I didn't respond verbally, I just glared back at him, my eyes flicking from his face to his hands, back and forth. I was watching his moves like a hawk.

"Guess that's a no. Well, no matter." He crossed his arms.

"Seems like we have something in common, huh? You're after someone from the bureaucratic office." I completely ignored his words with my own explanatory agenda.