“Before operations in an area, a sniper should study the terrain, vegetation and lay of the land to determine the best possible type of personal camouflage.”
—US Marine Corps Scout/Sniper Training Manual
He stood in the middle of Boston Common, paying particular attention to possible shooting positions: monuments, building entrances and exits. He turned his attention away from the geography to the indigenous people who strolled, lounged and played there. August meant baseball season, and many people wore Red Sox attire of one type or another. His next stop would be to a local discount store to purchase the appropriate clothing.
Without trying, lines of fire, direction of the wind and shooting lanes flashed through his mind. Satisfied that he had learned all he could from the present location, the man moved to the perimeter of the kill zone. He circled the park, stopping on each intersection, and decided that the corner of Charles and Beacon was the ideal location. To the left the shooter saw a crowd of tourists lined up in front of the Cheers bar and beyond it, the golden dome of the Massachusetts State House. Yes, he resolved, this is my hide . . . lots of targets of opportunity.
The shooter turned and walked along Charles to Chestnut Street where he stopped beside a double-parked white van. The driver’s window dropped, and his co-shooter and spotter, dressed in a New England Patriots jacket, stared out at him. “Well?”
“Tomorrow . . .”