Ben Wilson looked down the barrel of his silenced SM8 rifle in disbelief.
“What the fuck…?”
Ben was momentarily stunned. He had never missed a target so close…twenty yards and perfectly within his sights. The cross hairs of his Leupold 3.5-10X30mm sniper scope had her temple perfectly centered. He could see the perspiration on her face, the beating of a blood vessel just under her skin. Siobhán had been perfectly still.
It was an easy kill shot.
Two quicker trigger pulls.
She was right there, clearly.
Miss. Miss!
Twenty five years killing people from a distance, some as far away as two miles and others within arm reach, and not once had he ever missed. It made no sense to him, he was confused and growing irritated. Something was not tracking right in his mind, and he was beginning to feel a little unnerved.
He was struggling.
I never miss.
Then he saw her running.
Her back was squarely to him. Ben drew a deep breath and steadied himself. He could feel his anxiety at missing the three previous attempts beginning to fade. His training was taking over and the faint trembling in his upper body disappeared as his heart beat slowed. He looked through the scope and lined the center of Siobhán back perfectly. He closed his left eye and placed his finger on the trigger. His whole world collapsed in around him, his entire focussed zeroed in on this target. His vision tunneled and all other senses halted to bring purpose to this one function…his breathing paused and he waited for the space following his next heart beat.
This time he thought, I will put this round right through your back bone, through the left ventricle of your heart, and blow your fucking sternum apart.
He smiled.
Pulled the trigger.
Instantly he knew.
“No!” he screamed.
Ben threw down the rifle and was sprinting after Siobhán. Within three steps he had unholstered his Glock 17 9mm and released a spray of 3 more rounds toward his target. All misses…it was like a bad dream and he found himself screaming in a rage powered by his utter disbelief. He would catch her and put the barrel to her head and pull the trigger. I won’t miss then he mused.
He was gaining on her.
He was fresh, well trained, and highly motivated.
Through the trees he could she was only about twenty five yards in front of him. He had surveyed the area prior, and his recon had revealed the nature of the terrain bottle necked and converged at a cliff and waterfall. His pursuit had been designed to make sure she played pawn to his aim. No matter how hard she ran, no matter how fast she ran…this route was a dead end.
Literally and figuratively.
Twenty yards now…he could smell the scent of her shampoo lingering in the air behind her. She darted in and out of the trees, big as life…then gone…then back again. He caught her glancing back, and he instantly raised his weapon.
Pop! Pop!
Both misses.
He laughed evilly.
Nowhere to run little one.
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Lawrence Lewis
About Lawrence Lewis
I do a number of things professionally...but most of all and the true purpose of what I do through "my work" is to provide for my family, be a good husband and great father, and try to make a difference as a world citizen...I guess it's not much more complicated than that 🙂