10.
Sean
had crouched behind the desk and took deep breaths. He had sensed the Gunner
Master was behind the wall at the doorway. He felt the deck wood and smiled. He
had recalled Michael was concerned about being shot that he had reinforced the
wood with embedded metal plates. That was a relief and then Sean had to
evaluate his surroundings. He looked to the front and saw the opaque window
with the outside covered by smoke. That was little to work on but to his left
was the glass cupboard and to his right was the ten-seater u-shaped settee with
the aquarium at the rear that held the anaconda pet. He knew at the doorway
after that before the doorway. On the left were the shelves of books and the
artifacts that Michael likes to collect. He was proud of the antique pieces
that he claimed was his ancestry stuff.
“Sean,
you still breathing?”
“Yes,
Master Gunner. I am here to complete my assignment.”
“What
will that be?” Master Gunner was not in the knowledge of it.
“Michael’s
legacy. It will ruin his empire.” Sean replied. “All the payouts too. Who’s
who…”
“That’s
bad. My name may be on it.” Master Gunner replied. “You wouldn’t have it with
you now.”
“It
may be with me but you won’t get it,” Sean replied. “Master Gunner, we are
snipers. Let us get our marksmanship in point shooting.”
Point
shooting or threat focused shooting is a practical shooting method where the
shooter points at a target without relying on the sights to aim, and where the
emphasis is on the draw, and getting the shots.
“Can
we do it with our pistol? One bullet each only.” Master Gunner dropped the last
condition. Sean hesitated for he was never in such a situation not in the
actual battles. He was always the sniper with the hundreds of yards separating
them.
“I
will make the choice for you.” Master Gunner shot at the aquarium glass and
shattered it. The water poured out and then its occupant slithered out. The
serpent hissed and then touched the flooring.
“You
are mad, Sir. That is a killer.” Sean called out.
“We
are all killers and what is another of ours is here.” Master Gunner replied and
removed the ammo clip on his pistol after leaning the rifle on the wall. “I got
one bullet in my gun. Are you on?”
Sean
hesitated behind the desk and was wondering where the anaconda had slithered
to. He had to end the contest and then moved out. He emptied the Glock and
replaced one bullet inside.
“I
am all for it.” Sean crouched to look at the doorway. He could not make out the
Master Gunner there. He felt Master Gunner may have moved from there. He looked
around, and could not make out the presence of Master Gunner. He saw the
anaconda had reached Jorge and was coiling its frame on the dead body. That was
between the settee and the doorway. The
settee had a few seats and it was covering a distance of over fifteen feet. Sean
could see the anaconda was a third still on the aquarium and with it other
parts around the dead body.
Sean
looked to the left and saw the bookshelves but there was no cover there. So it
was either the doorway or the settee. It was a split decision to decide.
Master
Gunner appeared suddenly from behind the settee and fired first. The shot taken
with fast reflex would have hit Sean on the head but the presence of the
anaconda had unsettled the gunner caused the shot to flash past the left cheek,
and Sean returned fire. He had taken the split second to shoot, and the bullet
impacted on Master Gunner in the face. The other fell back landing on the wet
flooring and at the trailing tail of the anaconda.
Sean
was still in shock rushed towards the settee. He was not tempted to approach
Master Gunner directly and climbed on the settee. He saw the serpent had moved
towards Master Gunner with its upper body. It had discarded Jorge which was
then a broken frame.
“No,
you bastard. You can’t have him.” Sean pulled the trigger on his Glock. He then
recalled the empty clip and rushed back to the desk. He grabbed a few bullets
on the floor, and with shaking fingers he loaded the clip. He managed to get
two in when he heard the scream from Master Gunner.
“He
is alive.” Sean then rushed over. He stood on the settee and aimed the Glock at
the anaconda. The serpent had coiled the head and left shoulder of Master
Gunner. The serpent raised its head and hissed at Sean.
“You
won’t have him.” Sean roared out in anger and pressed the trigger to shoot the
serpent in the head. He shot again at the head in the open jaws. The anaconda
in its death throes constricted hard on the Gunner Master’s body and the bones
cracked.
Sean
jumped down from the settee to pull at the dead anaconda body off Master Gunner
but it was difficult to move the half a ton serpent dead weight. He did it and
saw the mangled body. It was all too late.
Epilogue
Sean
approached the three officers seated there at the table in the Commanding
Structure. He had one the same battle fatigue and the Glock in the holster. He
had walked in with the plastic-covered bag with Michael’s diary inside. He
placed the bag in front of the officers.
“Sean,
if I may call you that for your official rank was removed after you went off
the grid.” The Major of the Ranger Division addressed the gunner soon after his
return from Hotel California. The army had moved in soon after the fire had
razed the farm and hotel. The army managed to whisk the gunner off on the
orders of the Commanders.
“You
may know the other two from the previous …” Major Stephens turned to look at
Major Diaz and Agent Xavier.
“I
know all of you. And if you looked into the diary, on pages 24, 34, and 45. You
will find your names there. I ..” Sean looked at the three officers.
“Pardon
me, Major. I am no more in the Rangers. You told me so.” Sean put on the weak
smile. “I have not done my task just yet.”
Sean
shot the Major from the Ranger in the face, and then at Agent Xavier in the
heart. He had the Glock attached with the suppressor. He leveled the gun at the
Colombian Major.
“Major
Diaz, you are in the diary. I will spare you.” Sean saw Major Diaz was stunned
by the killing. “They were on the payout. I was surprised that Master Gunner
was not on it.”
“You
read the diary. You were to bring it back.”
“Why
send Master Gunner then? And the other three teams?”
“Sean,
they were the Major Stephens men. He wanted you …or rather Michael. He said you
were taking too long. I had no part in it. I lost my squad there too.”
“The
war is over. You got the diary now. I am leaving.” Sean removed the suppressor.
“Give me ten minutes before you call the reinforcements in.”
“Shoot
me. Make it good. It will give credibility to my explanation.” Major Diaz
looked at Sean. The other replaced the suppressor and shot the Colombian
officer in the left shoulder before he left the scribbled note.
“Another
three kills to Billy the Kid.” Sean wrote there and stepped out humming the
lyrics of the song.
Welcome to
the Hotel California
Such a lovely place (such a lovely place)
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year (any time of year)
You can find it here
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