The sniper moved slowly to the side. He kept his rifle aimed at the soldier standing over a mile away from him. He watched the man standing at the side of the road. His comrades stood a few feet away from him. The soldier was smoking, the glowing embers just making him an even more visible target in the night air. A bird cawed from somewhere in the jungle. The sniper adjusted his thermal scope, changing it to another setting. He watched the soldier take a deep breath, smoke filling his lungs. Once he saw the breath exhale, he graced the trigger. The action flew back seamlessly, a shell casing landed a few inches away from the rifle. A few seconds later, the soldier fell dead, the cigarette still burning. The other two soldiers raised their rifles, looking warily out into the jungle. The sniper grinned, “Smoking’s bad.” He muttered to himself. He squeezed the trigger two more times, and two more soldiers were left dead. He slowly crawled away from his hide. It was time to change positions, and wait for the next day’s convoy.
As he reached his second hide he lay in and watched, making sure no other patrols tried to slip into the camp. He brought the silenced Dragunov rifle up to his shoulder. Then picked up his map, inspecting the grid laid over the map he double checked the coordinates he had. As he checked his watch he heard a twig snap. Rolling over onto his back he drew his Makarov pistol. The silenced weapon came to bear on a young dear. The creature had walked up without even noticing the sniper. When he rolled over, the deer sat staring for a few moments. Its glassy eyes suddenly snapped away and the mammal began to leap away. The sniper exhaled deeply, the rolled back over and looked down the road once again.
Lying motionless, he felt himself begin drifting asleep; he was not used to these long periods that went without rest. Suddenly he heard the growl of a diesel engine coming from far down the road. His eyes flew wide open, all thoughts of sleep scattered from his brain. He brought the sniper rifle to bear on the part of the road he could see. A plume of dirt was rising up over the trees from the direction he thought the truck was coming from. Then it was in sight, a large troop carrier. He estimated that it could hold about twenty soldiers. He brought the crosshairs to lay right on the chest of the driver. Exhaling slowly he pulled the trigger.
“Sir! Carson is hit!” The soldier riding shotgun was covered in blood from his buddy Carson. The soldier suddenly felt something hot slam into his chest, then his world went black. From behind his carcass a Lieutenant stuck his head into the front for a few seconds before quickly pulling it back in. But he was to slow, a bullet ripped through the cloth between the drivers compartment and the troop compartment. The Lieutenant fell to the ground grasping at his chest. The bullet had entered his lung, leaving a gaping hole in it. The Sergeant took charge, “Get out of the truck and get cover!” he knew that the Lieutenant was as good as dead. Pulling out a USP .45 he mercifully shot the man, leaving him dead as well.
The sniper’s face revealed no emotion, but his head was reeling. These men had never meant him bodily harm, yet he was killing them. Every time he fired his rifle, he knew a man would die. But he knew they would do the same if they had the chance.
Reznov dropped into the prone position. He had sighted the lead vehicle in the convoy, watching it make a sharp right turn; he realized it was pulling into the woods. He stood, folding up the bipod of the Dragunov. He jogged down the mountain side, reaching the place where the truck had turned in less than 6 minutes. His ghillie suit had weighed him down significantly; a good mile was normally only 5 minutes for him. He came up to the road. Still staying inside of the tree line he looked down the road. Making sure there was no one watching he dashed across the street. Bursting into the woods on the other side he slowed down again. Walking slowly as he worked his way through the woods. Following the tracks that the truck had made.
