The Sniper
By Jasper Gardiner
The tranquillity before the storm. He savours the moment. Some would consider the cost that he and his team mate payed to get here too much, but none of this matters. There is only quiet.
The diversion worked perfectly, just like the time before, and the time before that, and all of the other times it had been used. But it still didn't matter.
The noise is immense, but he doesn't care. Around him it is chaos, but he remains perfectly calm.
From his cramped position, he sees the reason all of this had to happen. The Target. The Target most likely has family, a wife, children, but this does not matter either.
All that matters is that the mission is completed.
The time has come, and the Target remains blissfully unaware.
He tenses, and all he needs to do is twitch, just the slightest twitch, and the mission is complete.
A regular man would feel emotion at this point, sorrow, empathy, maybe even hate, towards the target. But he is no regular man. His heartbeat slows, years of intense training for this one mission kicking in.
With barely a movement, he triggers the second diversion. It works perfectly, just as planned.
Around him, chaos erupts further, but still he remains calm.
The corner of his mouth lifts, not even half a centimetre, in a rare show of emotion.
He is still tense, but still calm, always calm.
The Target relaxes the tiniest fraction.
He squeezes is finger, and the mission is complete.
The Targets guards hear a thump, and turn to see the body of their charge slumped on the floor, the vaporised remains of the Target's head beginning to disperse.
Around him, it is pandemonium.
But he remains calm, always calm
