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Kumeu was an agricultural district marked by creeks and valleys and vineyards. It was evening now, and the sun was beginning to dip, blanketing the rolling countryside with a golden hue. The air smelled of fruity sweetness and pungent manure.
Kendra was lying on the rooftop of a barn.
In her hands, she cradled an Arctic Warfare rifle. It was loaded with ammunition specially chosen for the occasion – glass-capsuled rounds insulated with a sabot and filled with a radioactive isotope.
From her perch, she had good view of the entire farmyard. There were horses on one side, sheep on the other and strawberry fields directly behind.
It was peaceful, secluded.
With the breeze on her face, Kendra leaned into her rifle. She peered through the telescopic sight, scanning far and near.
Jim was positioned to the east.
Adam was positioned to the west.
They were so well concealed within the shrubbery that she couldn’t even spot them, which was good.
Between the three of them, she figured they had all the angles of approach covered.
This has to work.
That’s when Kendra heard the far-off purring of an engine, and stomach tightening, she swivelled and adjusted her aim. She zoomed in on the long dirt road that led into the farm.
A vehicle was approaching, trailing a plume of dust.
It was a dark-blue van.
Kendra spoke into her throat microphone, ‘This is Sierra One. It’s game time.’
‘Roger.’ Jim’s voice crackled in her earpiece. ‘Let’s keep it frosty.’
‘Copy that.’
Kendra watched as the van pulled up to the house at the edge of the farmyard. It coasted to a stop, its side door rolling open, and two men leapt out. One of them carried a duffel bag.
They jogged behind the house, disappearing from view.
The van’s driver waited and kept the engine idling.
Adam spoke, ‘This is Sierra Two. I have a visual. The tangos are inspecting the merchandise. They’re being cautious. Running scanner wands all over. Making sure everything’s clean.’
‘Roger,’ Jim said. ‘Stand by.’
Kendra waited. Her forefinger lingered just outside her rifle’s trigger guard, and her thumb rested on the safety catch. Right now, she was working out all the basic calculations in her head – range, wind speed, barometric pressure. Every possible variable that could throw off her aim.
She wanted to get this right.
She needed to get this right.
Adam spoke, ‘Okay. They’re satisfied that the hardware is clean. They’re finalising the transaction. And... yeah, they’re coming back out now.’
‘Stand by,’ Jim said.
The two men reappeared. The duffel bag was gone, and they were now pushing along two trolleys stacked with boxes. They loaded them into the van and climbed on, sliding the door shut.
Kendra steadied her breaths. She slowed her heartbeat. She flicked off her gun’s safety.
The van made a three-point turn and returned to the dirt road, rocking from side to side as it accelerated.
‘Sierra One, do you have the solution?’ Jim asked.
Kendra planted her cross hairs on just the right spot. ‘I have the solution.’
‘Scorpio.’
Kendra synchronised her exhale with the squeezing of her trigger, and she felt her rifle buck against her shoulder, and she saw the glass bullet shatter against the van’s rear bumper, fragments scintillating in the dying light.
The shot itself was suppressed, and the sound of the impact would have been miniscule, drowned out by the vehicle’s engine and the tyres riding on rough terrain. The occupants inside would have been none the wiser.
Kendra immediately pulled back on her rifle’s bolt. She sent a spent shell clinking against the rooftop, and she locked the bolt back into place.
She chambered a fresh round. She recalibrated the distance, preparing herself for a second shot in case the first wasn’t successful—
But Jim stopped her. ‘I’m getting a positive signal. Very strong. You did good.’
Nodding, Kendra relaxed her grip on her rifle.
She watched the van melt into the horizon.