Chapter 2
PART 2
The wind snapped harder.
The flag cracked behind them.
Lieutenant Commander Mercer stood near the officers’ line, jaw tight, eyes fixed on Raskin.
He said nothing yet.
He knew Meera.
He knew what it cost her to stay quiet.
Raskin turned slightly so everyone could hear him.
“We are on a moving platform, in high wind, under real-world conditions. This is not a paper range. This is not a YouTube fantasy. That thing is dead weight unless the person behind it can make it matter.”
Meera said nothing.
She lowered one knee to the deck beside the rifle case and opened the small pocket on her vest.
Inside was a worn notebook.
The cover was bent.
The corners were frayed.
The pages were packed with numbers.
Wind.
Wave motion.
Distance.
Humidity.
Cross-current.
Notes written in tight, careful handwriting.
Her thumb brushed one old line near the middle of the page.
3,200 meters.
The ink had faded, but she knew every mark around it.
She knew the date.
She knew the coordinates.
She knew the scream over the radio before the shot.
Raskin looked down and saw the notebook.
His smile turned sharper.
“Paper targets don’t shoot back.”
More quiet laughter.
Meera closed the notebook slowly.
Her eyes went cold.
But before she could answer, Lieutenant Commander Mercer stepped out of the officers’ line.
His voice cut across the deck.
“Sir, she holds the highest long-range score in this unit.”
The laughter died.
Raskin’s smile disappeared.
Every sailor and Marine looked toward Mercer.
Meera stayed on one knee beside the Barrett, her hand resting near the notebook.
Raskin turned.
“Excuse me?”
Mercer stood straight.
May you like
“You heard me, sir.”
Read Part 3 to find out why Mercer risked challenging a general in front of the whole deck.
