Jacko was considered a total loner by those who worked with him. He appeared to have no friends and was — emotionally and socially inept. He was however, dedicated, professional — and almost the best long range sniper in the business. Rumour had it that he could part the hairs on a target’s head from over a mile away with a single shot without them even knowing about it.
He was angry with himself that he not seen them coming. Three figures in black had climbed on-board the boat without being seen. “Impossible!“ screamed his mind as they closed in for the kill. He swung his rifle and shot the first figure between the eyes — there was a crack as the bullet ripped open the back of the Assassin’s skull, a spray of blood and brains, and it fell back limply and fell over the side and into the water.
Jacko grinned malevolently at the other two figures.
They drew silenced pistols in fluid movements and then everybody started shooting at the same time. Another dark-clad shape fell, hurled backwards onto the deck like a rag doll by the 12.7mm round. Then Jacko was hit by a bullet in the shoulder, spinning him round as a second smashed through his side and a third into his stomach. He could feel the blood rising up into his throat and mouth. He groaned and through crimson lips the blood spewed out over the white of the deck. He could feel himself starting to drift away, “Bastards”, as he started to loose consciousness. Blood dripped from his limp corpse. The only remaining Assassin crept closer and put three more bullets into Jacko’s head. Ocean blue eyes stared down for the briefest moment. Then the black-clad figure dived over the side, into the harbour and disappeared.
The heavy military truck screeched to a halt on the hot tarmac. Kody stared hard past the shimmering heat haze, then barked, “Out.” Six men from the Argentine Special Forces leaped out from the rear of the truck and moved around to the side where he was standing. They spread out, American issue machine pistols covering each other’s arc of fire. Kody looked through binoculars towards the high rise skyscraper and then at the rooftop of the building opposite the Ministry of Defence. He then trained them on the power cruiser in the harbour and on the dead body of Jacko. His head riddled with bullets and he assumed that Gordie and Flint had met their ends in a similar way. “What the fuck has gone down here? Three of you take the truck and head over to where the sniper on the roof of that high-rise was positioned, you three get over to that rooftop on the other side of the harbour — bring back their bodies. I’ll go and take a closer look inside that building — we will re-group back here in fifteen minutes. Xavier, have we got comms back yet?” “Sorry Boss, the whole network is down including the Scorpion
Squad’s G8 link.”
“Fuck. Well, let’s get on with it boys.”
Kody was shocked at the devastation caused by the terrorist’s bombs, but there were no terrorists, dead bodies or anyone inside the building. It didn’t take him long to realise that the whole thing was looking decidedly odd. Kody knew — could feel it — had been at this game for far too long.
They had been well and truly shafted — but to what purpose? Had the terrorists planted the explosives, set them off remotely, and then from some elaborate studio played out their demands — without actually being in the building?
Fifteen minutes later, Kody was leaning against a wall, a Cuban cigar between his teeth, smoke spiraling around his face. At his feet, on stretchers, lay the dead bodies of the three Scorpion unit personnel, Flint, Gordie and Jacko. Flint’s face was completely missing from the bullet in the back of the head. Gordie’s body was so smashed that there wasn’t one single bone that wasn’t broken. And Jacko lay face up with unseeing eyes from his multiple bullet wounds to his body and head. Kody stared at the bodies and shuddered, bent down and gently closed Jacko’s eyes before zipping up the black body bags.
Xavier approached. “All comms are back on-line, Boss. But, the G8 network is still out. We’ve scanned the entire area and there are no other bodies. Hell man, what went on here?”
“Smoke and shadows. They were brought here on a fool’s errand.”
“What? But, what about that fucking big hole in the Ministry building?”
“This was never about the building or the gold bullion demand,” said Kody. Reluctantly, he took the cigar from between his lips and tossed it into the harbour below. He faced Xavier and their stare met.
“Somebody wanted those Scorpion snipers dead.”
“So you think this was a hit?”
Kody nodded. “Oh yes, my old friend. And of one thing I am absolutely certain of: whoever did this, whoever killed this Scorpion unit — I’m sure as hell glad they’re not looking for me.”
“How do you know they’re not?” whispered Xavier.
Kody shrugged. “Because, I’d already be dead,” he said simply.
GCHQ Transcript 1. CLASSIFIED HQ1/FYEO-289 SPECIAL SERVICES SUPPORT UNIT. Hacked: GLOBAL TERRORIST MONITORING INTERCEPT.
Transcript of encrypted emaiclass="underline" They call them Scorpion Units and belong to the British Government. They are constantly undercover — have no official department and are acknowledged as ‘not existing’. They are sent into situations where, like a surgeon’s knife, a quick and effective result is required. These clandestine groups have more expertise, training and experience than any other fighting force in operation today and can operate in any terrain and climate. They are considered more covert than any other global government organisation or secret service agency. To any head of state, president or world power who even suspect their existence, they are the ultimate weapon in the fight against global terrorism.
Our agent in Paris has made contact with a member of such a Scorpion Unit, code named Alektra. She has made herself known to us. We have already authenticated her association with Scorpion. Alektra claims that the British Government, in its battle to wipe out terrorism, stabilise corrupt governments and erase the evil and scurrilous profiteers who trade in; human life, drugs, prostitution and terrorist funding wherever they are found, has developed a highly sophisticated and self-thinking prototype computer system — named — Hydra — which is supposed to be impenetrable from attack and has been developed to help with their mission. This information is highly classified.
Prior to Alektra’s assassination she claimed that something was very wrong with Scorpion and in particular at the highest level of government. In her own words: there is a traitor within their midst. Alektra mentioned a word: ‘Thanatos.’ Taken from Greek Mythology this means, the personification of death. We suspect that this indicates an Assassin or Assassins of some considerable skill.
The female Alektra was pulled out of the River Seine near to the Eiffel Tower embankment earlier this month. The subject had been garroted.
GCHQ Transcript 2. CLASSIFIED AQBL/FYEO48902 SPECIAL SERVICES SUPPORT UNIT. Hacked: GLOBAL TERRORIST MONITORING INTERCEPT. Transcript of encrypted emaiclass="underline" Our programmers have made significant breakthroughs in the virus and worm programme development; the new codes selfreplicate at the fastest speeds ever and that Denial of Service occurs within seconds of the host CPU becoming infected. The anti-virus programs tested were not able to stop the spread of the new virus because of enhanced armouring virus scripts that have been written into the codes. Both Microsoft Windows and Macintosh Apple operating systems were effectively shut down and all data erased from the host hardrive. During initial testing the hardware targeted was physically killed within three minutes of being infected with the virus. The speed at which it works its black magic is truly incredible. When it goes live the effects will be instant at all levels and on all aspects of computing, from military applications to world commerce and economics. We predict a total meltdown across the planet within 24 hours. Attached are the encoded data files for you to proceed with when the time comes… TRANSFER OF DATA TERMINATED