NIGHT DROP( A Eric the Red thriller: Book 1)

Chapter 16: Remain in the shadows

Hunaid had been one of many of their clients who had invested a lot of money in seeing Thunderstorm succeed and operate; it wasn't a total loss, yes. They had lost the base in Afghanistan, but there was always another way of doing things, whether it meant eliminating anyone who wanted to prevent Thunderstorm from happening. He would dispatch Atticus and his network of assassins to do the wet job he needed done quickly and methodically.

"You know when I first started my organization and recruited you as my chief of security? I knew we would have powerful opponents like Night Drop who would be trying to stop us. But we have to think of this as a game of chess. They are the pawns, and we are the knights, so with every move comes percussion. Right now, our only move is to scrub Gunner," Huntley informed Callan.

"Sir, you have come a long way from being a fixer for the senators and presidents. You now run and own an assassin organization—a very efficient and effective one. I assure you that Gunner will be eliminated. I'll put Emlin on it," Callan stated blankly.

Huntley tilted his head and raised his eyebrow with an enigmatic smile. While pressing his fingers together in a steeple. "Yes, and after the assassination, the world will know how dangerous we are.  What do you know about Holiday?"

"Holiday isn't a problem; he's just the handler and runs Night Drop. But he is also dangerous.

Huntley walked back into his office as he glanced sideways and said, " There has to be more to Holiday than we know. What about his background? Was he in the Military, special forces or the Marines? Talk to your assets inside the CIA to see what you find out."

Callan nodded as he headed back into Huntely's office behind him, there was saying in his kind of work that was. "It was better to know who your enemy was and up against"

Huntley made his way over to his desk as he sat down in his chair behind it. He thought about the last time he'd been summoned to the Oval office,he had been led in by secret agents and of President Roberts sitting behind the Resolute desk with her eyes locked on him and slammed her fist down on the desk and said in a threatening tone.

"Mr. Huntley your going to tell me why you were behind financing a secret assassination unit within the CIA and how you profit it."

"Madame President, I have no idea what you're talking about or knowledge," Huntley snapped.

President Roberts rose up the desk, stalked out and made her way over to him, and handed him the iPad with photographs on it. " So you know nothing about Flynn Callan's involvement in the assassination attempt on Hussein. I find that hard to believe."

But that was all in the past and now, He had known all along that it was Holiday who sent those photographs to President Roberts of the Callan assassination team in Iraq. It was oblivious that  CIA had been after Callan for a long time and that when he had put his plan into motion, nothing was ever that easy. He had made plenty of enemies when he was a fixer. Luckily, he had some power brokers high up in the echelons of the Pentagon who would love to know what Thunderstorm was all about.

Callan emerged out of Huntley's office, heading for his office. Yes, he could easily access Holiday's redacted file. He figured a man like Holiday would have many secrets buried that he didn't bury anyone to know about. That wasn't going to be a problem. He had recruited assets before and had gotten them to betray their country and steal secrets for him. So this was a walk in the park for him.

Huntley entered his password on the screen of his computer on the desk. Within seconds, he was glancing at the operations detail of ThunderStorm, and his clients would see a demonstration at the party like nothing they had ever seen before. After a while he exited out of the file. Right now, he needed to rewind. There was no better way than to pull the trigger on a sniper rifle and send the 50 caliber round flying towards the target.

Flashback a couple weeks

Shooting range 

Callan placed the Hardigg Storm case on the ground as he flipped open, inside was a 50. caliber Barrett recoiled operated anti material, semi automatic sniper rifle,  he snatched out and already on his knees, he finished assembling the sniper, chambering and slotted in a ten-round box mag. After he pulled out the tripod as he laid in the prone position as he adjusted the elevation turret on the rifle, peering through his scope at the target. He fingered the trigger as the round flew out and obliterated the target, as he says. "You want to be in the zone and the sniper rifle does its thing Huntley. "

Huntley was amazed how skilled Callan was handling the Barett, yet he still wondered why they were down at their private shooting range for? It wasn't Callan to bring down something they had always met in his office. He was sure that whatever it was had to be important or they wouldn't be meeting here.

"What's this  all about Callan?" Huntley inquired in a skeptical tone.

Callan jumped to his feet, folding in the tripod on the Barrett. "The best way to rewind before going over any operational detail is to fire one of these beasts and the gun does what it does best," he told Huntely.

He tossed the sniper rifle over to Huntley as he caught it in his hand and examined it. He had to admit the Barrett was a beast he had never seen action before, but he was sure Callan had when he was in Iraq. He pulled out the tripod as he was already on knees and peered through the scope. His finger rested on the trigger.

"Sir, you slow your breathing down so your target comes into view and pull the trigger." Callan stated.

Huntley pulled the trigger as the bullet sped out of the muzzle and demolished the target as the hot smoking casing landed beside him. He felt the adrenaline flow through him.

Huntley pulled the trigger as the bullet sped out of the muzzle and demolished the target as the hot smoking casing landed beside him. He felt the adrenaline flow through him. Folding the tripod back in the rifle as he jumped to his feet as he says. "Callan, I never felt anything like that before."

Flashback ends

Huntley walked out of his office and made his way down the corridor to his private elevator, and rode it down to the shooting range. He stepped out as he headed out through automatic revolving doors of his organization and strolled over to the tactical shooting range. The range itself was with green where the targets were. Across from them was a ranch, where the wooden benches were to put the rifles and snipers so one could shoot from.

Snipers and counter sniper laid in prone position peering through their powerful scope on their AR-30 bolt- action sniper rifle, Barrett and Remington 700 as they laid in the prone position with their rifles tripod set on the bench. He walked over to one of the benches that was  free and assembled the Barrett chambering and slotted in the ten-box round.

He felt the cold metal trigger; as the adrenaline flowed through his veins like a powerful god about thunder down on his enemies. Peering through the scope of the Barrett. The target finally came into his peripheral vision. His breath slowed down and exhaled, pulling the trigger. The round soared through the muzzle at thundering speed, annihilating the target. This was like nothing he never felt before, yes he had fixed elections and rigged them. This was a whole different thing. It was no wonder his chief of security was extremely good at what he did.