by Brian Cotton
***
Steinner led the way down the steep hill. They all moved at a deliberate pace so as not to lose their balance and alert the enemy. Kaspar held up the rear, per the usual. He never quite understood why he was always last. Maybe it was just part of his personality, never being one to volunteer anything. Buck was in front of him. As they kept moving down, he could hear the kid’s breathing getting heavier. Kaspar didn’t want to have to slug the kid in the jaw, or at least feel the temptation to, this time. He hoped that whatever the kid and his dad talked about when they were alone a few nights ago stuck.
The morning southern air was hot and humid. Underneath all that armor and gear, Kaspar could feel his body becoming drenched with sweat. Even in this early morning hour it felt like a million degrees. He was tempted to pull his mask off and wipe away the sweat on his brow, but knew that he couldn’t. This would be a miserable, uncomfortable mission, and he would have to train his mind not to let it get to him.
When they reached the bottom, there was a trench with tall, green weeds that grew all around it. The team knelt down behind the cover of the trench to check their equipment. Kaspar made sure his silenced MP-5 had a full mag in it. He then set the rifle to three round burst, though he was sure that, just like every other mission it seemed, he would set it back to full automatic. Everyone gave the all clear to Steinner who radioed in to Harvey.
Let’s get this shit going, Kaspar thought.
.12
Harvey got the signal from Steinner. He took a couple of deep breaths and cleared his mind. All that remained in his thoughts were the targets down below. One thing about sniping that Harvey had learned was how impersonal it was. Taking targets out from long distances away was worlds different from shooting them at close range. A flash of the sun penetrated through the still dark morning sky. It was a signal that they needed to move fast.
The first target was lined up in the crosshairs. Without a blink, Harvey pulled the trigger. Seconds later, the large caliber bullet hit the Agent in the head, tearing through the helmet. There was a small spray of crimson that shot up through the air. The Agent beside him looked around in shock. He reached down to check his fallen comrade. Seconds later, he suffered the same fate. Harvey moved the rifle swiftly around the tripod. He found an Agent reaching down for his walkie. The trigger was pulled and the Agent fell to the ground. He then touched his neck.
“All clear.”
