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The explosion rocked the quiet valley out of its slumber, sending deep rumbles ricocheting through the earth and up into the hills. Flames leapt high into the night sky, lighting the darkness, while high above the valley a solitary figure watched as the fire rapidly spread through the compound below. The explosives had been placed strategically throughout the estate, ensuring maximum devastation. What sounded like one explosion from this distance was, in reality, several explosions occurring together. As each individual inferno met the next, the flames engulfed the compound within seconds.
Hawk lowered his head to his night-vision scope and slowly scanned the flames, looking for movement. He was lying flat between two boulders high in the hills and both he and his rifle were covered with branches, making him invisible in the night. When he reached the end of the compound without detecting any movement, he slowly scanned back again. There were over thirty men in that compound, three of whom were the heads of the largest Mexican drug Cartels. Those three men were the reason for Hawk's visit.
Movement in the midst of the raging flames made him pause and his finger slipped over the trigger of his rifle gently. When the shadow lurched out from one of the burning buildings, Hawk waited for it to stumble into his cross-hairs before he squeezed the trigger. It fell to the ground and Hawk watched for more movement. The flames were reaching a fever pitch now, engulfing the buildings and spreading across the gardens to the SUVs and sports cars that were parked in the expansive driveway.
Another shadow appeared near the cars and Hawk squeezed his trigger. The shadow fell as the first SUV in the path of the flames ignited and the full tank of gas exploded. More flames leapt high into the air as pieces of the vehicle shot out in all directions. Hawk loaded another round into the chamber and continued to watch for movement. The hillside where he was concealed was silent in the night; the breeze was gentle and the sky clear. The smoke from the flames below hadn't reached him yet, and he took a deep breath of fresh, clean air. The fire had only been burning for about three minutes. There was still plenty of time.
Hawk lowered his head to the scope again.
Ten minutes later, the space between the rocks was empty. Far below, in the Mexican valley, a fire raged out of control as it licked past the fences of the estate and across the landscape. Six bodies were on the ground, the flames consuming them with everything else. If anyone bothered to examine the charred remains closely, they would find a single .50 caliber round embedded in each of their skulls.
But the shooter had already disappeared into the night, leaving no trace of a man or a rifle, his mission accomplished.