BAND
24 Jun
The shot that removed Diego Santiago from the land of the living was not the most difficult Kevin Sparks had made. It was tricky enough, a steep down angle that could be deceptive over the lush green of the varied foliage creating some distortion through his scope. There were also wind gusts that occurred unexpectedly, seemingly from any direction. Still and all it was a good shot, although Diego Santiago surely had not liked it.
Moving mostly from muscle memory, rather than having to give conscious thought to repacking his gear, Kevin gave a passing thought to the fact that he had taken another life. He did not take this lightly, regardless of who the person was at the lethal end of his shot. This wasn't his first kill. Some lingered in his memory and occasionally woke him in the middle of the night. Diego would not be one of those, he was clearly one individual who needed killing. Unfortunately, in today's world, there would be more.
With his gear packed Kevin thought of returning home. It would be quietly unremarkable. No marching band or parade with confetti raining down in torrents. No cheering crowds lining the streets showing gratitude for him having made the world a slightly safer place. Diego's death would make the news. Kevin would not be tied to it in any way. This was just the way he preferred things. If no one knew he existed he was okay with that.
Kevin decided to have one more look through his scope before heading out through the dense undergrowth of the forest. The guards were now gathered around the pool, perhaps after being alerted by one of Diego's myrmidons. There was a great deal of shouting, pointing, weapons brought rigidly to the ready, and all with looks of alarm and confusion. Except for one guy. He was methodically assessing the scene and after evaluating the remains and visible spatter he looked directly into Kevin's scope. Kevin knew he could not be seen but this guy knew where the shot had come from. The guy quickly talked into his handheld radio and charged into the house.
"Well," Kevin thought, "the trek to the extraction point may be a little dicier than I had originally planned." Time to move. Fastening the last few flaps on his custom pack, he slipped his arms in the straps and drew the chest strap tight securing it firmly on his back. It was three kilometers to the extraction point through dense foliage. He knew there were hidden roads through this area, but he didn't know how many would quickly lead the armed guards to his location. This may be a race he could ill afford to lose.