The Sniper Sanctions

By George Perham

Special Services Sniper, Brett Robinson after getting a World record kill at 1.75 miles while on a secret mission into North Sudan sanctioned by the Defense Minister, suddenly finds himself seconded to a new secret organization of the West whose main policy is pre-emptive assassinations of Islamic Extremist Leaders anywhere around the World prior to their eventual organizing of Terrorist acts.
Brett and his long time sniping Partner, Dean Johnston who is also seconded with him on Brett’s request, find themselves in a whole new World away from their previous duties attached to the Australian Defense Forces in Afghanistan and the daily sniping of Taliban.
From the dirty mud brick bunk buildings, temporary shower and Mess tents within the dusty compound of the ADF forward Base in Afghanistan; they are suddenly living it up in first class hotels and traveling around the World. They find however it is not all fun and pleasure when they are sent on a number of highly dangerous assassination missions on behalf of the West’s new secret organization.

• Language: English
• Publisher: George Perham
• Release date: Jun 12, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476493534

George Perham

Some of the more interesting work the author has been involved with over the years as a government agent, security officer, pig shooter, opal miner and gold prospector gives him a wealth of real experiences to draw from when writing novels. Hobbies include fishing, oil painting and published, short story writing. He resides in Perth, Western Australia with wife and children. “Welcome to the Real World, Comrade!”, "Bones on an Atoll" and "The Ultimate Decision" are first of what will be several ebooks, ibooks.

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The Sniper Sanctions

By

George J Perham

Copyright © 2011 by George J Perham

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work. It is after all the author’s only livelihood.

Fiction

The story that follows is purely a work of fiction. While real geographical locations have been used the characters, scenes, their conversations and events that occur are the product of the author’s imagination. The story while mentioning Presidents, Taliban, other Islamic Extremists, Militant Groups, Rebels and some of imagination does not in the main otherwise relate to any real people living or dead, past or present. Special Services does not relate to Australia’s SAS and is purely fictional. Liberties have been taken with specifications pertaining to the use of Sniper Rifles and magazine rounds in the story and some rounds are completely fictitious even though they may be similar in content to current rounds and overall specifications relating to the Barrett M107 Sniper Rifle used mostly in the story.

THE SNIPER SANCTIONS

CHAPTER 1

Sergeant Brett Robinson a top Special Services’ Sniper was having a practice shoot on the ADF Base Firing Range in the hot sun of Afghanistan using a new type Barrett M107 Long Range .50 caliber Sniper Rifle with a high powered day/night scope. The practice shoot with the new M107 was for a coming special mission and he needed to familiarize himself with its use.

The new M107 was semi-automatic with a 10 round magazine with recommended 9 rounds load. The semi-automatic action made the recoil much less than usually experienced with the older bolt action .50 caliber rifles that Brett had mainly used as a Sniper till now. This new M107 in the right hands could take out a target at over 8,000 ft away under the right conditions. It was designed to take out vehicles with the right armor piercing explosive rounds. Any type of .50 caliber round used on personnel was absolutely devastating.

Usually sniping at such distances was best with a two man team. One on the Sniper Rifle the other close by using a Range Scope and a hand held Ballistic Computer. The equipment all necessary to measure exact critical details like laser distance to target, wind directions and speed, elevation minutes of angle, minutes of angle for coriolis force over very long distance also that of a spinning round eventually drifting right, heat swirls from rounds fired on misses and so on, all required for adjustments on the rifle scope for the Sniper himself to get perfect accuracy over such long distances, however Brett was facing this mission alone.

The current target he was adjusting the scope for was a metal cut-out of a person 6000 ft away on the range. The target was immobile and easier to hit than one moving at that distance.

After 9 shots fired Brett had hit the target 8 times, the one miss possibly caused through a sudden wind shift swirl during round flight or poor grain loading of the round. While the normal round held 660 grains of WC 860 propellant, Brett was using unrecommended heavier grain loads as the absolute maximum to try to force accuracy at 6000 ft through any cross winds that may arise; however the possibilities for the miss didn’t satisfy Brett. Nine out of 9 hits had to be achieved at the distance because when the real target was in his sights he’d only get time for one or maybe two shots at the most and just couldn’t afford to miss. It didn’t matter much where on the body the .50 caliber round hit, wherever, it would mostly be a fatal shot. If the round hit the head then there would be little of the head left and the same for limbs. The .50 caliber round fired was bigger than a man’s thumb. It could take a limb right off.

Brett put another nine shots through the Sniper Rifle and this time all shots hit the target in the high chest area. The grouping all within 10 inches. The real target could be easier if closer than 6,000 ft and obviously harder again if over that. Until he was in a position to fire at the real target the distances could only be guessed at. The only known logistical factor if he was at approximately 6000 ft away when firing the shot was the time taken for the heavily armed motorized patrol that would be instantly sent to find him. Logistics had timed this at 6000 ft to be ten minutes maximum to reach his position taking all aspects of the alarm, time for troops boarding vehicles, target locality and terrain between into consideration. It would have been harder for them to locate him from the direction of the shot if a silencer could have been used, however impossible for such accuracy over the distance required. The M107 .50 caliber without a silencer and even with a double muzzle brake booster made a noise a lot louder than a shotgun. With Brett’s heavier loads even more so.

Brett’s real life target was an ex African Mercenary and now an opportunistic African Militant Leader named Abrafo (which in native tongue stands for executioner) who had murdered his rivals to finally gain the top dog position. He now led a group of 100 heavily armed men weaponised and believed paid for by North Sudan. These men without any compassion for life had massacred a known 1500 fleeing Refugees, woman and children amongst them. The reports had come in from an Australian Aid Agency who with permission had just arrived with aid for a Refugee camp set up just over the border of North Sudan into South Sudan. The Aid Agency had come across the terrible sight just after Abrafo and his men had left and gone back over the border taking whatever meager food supply and valuables the Refugees had with them. Abrafo was well known by the Refugees and those who had hidden and were still alive gave the Aid Agency his name.

The Australian government through the UN was protecting South Sudan with its Christians and other peaceful secular groups along with those fleeing from Northern Sudan and neighboring Chad into South Sudan’s Refugee camps to get away from the fanatical murderous Islamic Jihadists and Militants of the North. The UN’s mandate covered a 20 mile wide Zone along the border inside South Sudan ensuring no Fighter Jets, Tanks or Troops crossed the border into South Sudan from the North. The mandate did not cover entering into North Sudan or putting Troops on the ground. RAAF Hornets were currently using Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd Air Base to refuel and re-arm. Aircraft from Afghanistan had to fly in designated airspace over Pakistan, United Arab Republics and Saudi Arabia to reach South Sudan and while there were agreements in place any aircraft entering had to announce their intentions over each country while in their airspace. It was a nuisance but better than the long way around cutting that by at least 6 hours flying.

The reports of the Refugee massacre had come through to ASIS (Australian Secret Intelligence Service) and from there to the Australian Defense Minister who after a top secret meeting with ASIS and top ADF (Australian Defense Forces) Commanders authorized their Sniper recommendations to take Abrafo out. It was felt that if Abrafo was killed the Militant Group would then be like a headless snake without his leadership and the military tactical knowledge that Abrafo had from previous Mercenary experience. The others were mostly tribesmen who being paid blood money thought it was a small fortune to what they normally earned in a year from subsistence crops or cattle.

The mission approved by the Defense Minister wouldn’t be covered by the UN mandate. The mission was one of those that had to be done while at the same time was technically by International Law an illegal act within another country’s Sovereignty. Not that North Sudan cared anything about the Sovereignty of South Sudan in their previous attacks over the border.

This was the kill mission that had befallen Brett. He had been selected for the task by the Commanding ADF Officer Afghanistan from a number of Special Services personnel attached to the ADF with previous high priority Sniper tasks successfully carried out over distances of one mile or a little more. They were all members of the ‘One Mile Club’ with its prestige among Snipers. Brett had stood out among them as one of the guys in the Special Services Unit seemingly with the nerves of steel needed. Besides his long distant kills he had on one occasion lain undiscovered for two days in a weed covered drainage ditch within 50 yards of a Taliban safe house waiting on their top Commander to appear. When he did appear, after recognition by ADF photo, Brett shot him between the eyes using on that occasion a much shorter, scoped XM8 with silencer attached. The Taliban inside the house didn’t even know it had happened till they went outside later and by then Brett was back in friendly territory. He had been very tempted to enter the house after shooting the Commander and killing them all, however it wasn’t the only house with Taliban in the area and within minutes he would have been surrounded by 50 or more Taliban and no hope of escape. It had been a single target mission. The hope of ADF Commanders was that other local Taliban would eventually give up the fight when they realized that they weren’t safe in their own homes and it could happen to them anytime. It was a pure psychological fear campaign in reverse to the Taliban’s own fear campaigns. Hit the Leaders and scare their underlings.

Brett was to be flown from the ADF base in Afghanistan to South Sudan then into North Sudan and parachuted in during the hours of darkness close to where Abrafo was thought to have his camp set up within some 30 miles from the border. Once on the ground Brett would head for the camp and look for any ideal positions to snipe from.

He would need to travel fast once on the ground. His gear would consist only of a backpack with an airlift kit, K rations for three days, the M107, plus two 9 round magazines of ammo, a belt held GPS emitter to turn on when ready for pick up along with a clip-on purple colored smoke grenade for visual location in daylight and a hand held Ballistics Computer. There would only be the one chance at it then the alarm would be out. The situation he would be facing meant the instant he fired and then saw through the scope the target hopefully hit, he had to get the hell out of there fast on foot and get to a safe location for pick up. Also there would only be time for a one pass airlift when the job was done. If Brett missed the aircraft it would not come back for him. The aircraft would be in foreign airspace on a critical time basis and any delay would likely see it shot down by ground to air missiles fired from Jeeps before it could escape back into the UN proclaimed Zone where RAAF Hornets would be ready to give the aircraft their protection. The specially designed airlift aircraft would fly within the corridor till Brett’s GPS signal came through, then it would immediately fly into North Sudan airspace to airlift Brett out all going well. There could be no radio contact only the GPS signal he was ready.

Brett reloaded the M107 and then radioed to the Range Operator to have the target moving at walking pace. With moving targets everything remained true regarding the adjustments made however then the mil dots on the cross hairs would come even more into play. At the distance of the target each mil dot on the horizontal crosshair would represent around an average of five steps of travel between it and the next mil dot from the target walking at normal speed. The vertical crosshair mil dots were used for angle being walked or further minutes of angle for gravitation pull over the distance when full adjustment had already been made. So in the case of movement the crosshair center wouldn’t be on the target itself. The crosshairs center might be aimed via the scope in front and above the actual target depending on direction moved. Usually the time factor of the round reaching a moving target after leaving the firing chamber at 2910 ft per second meant even in ideal situations having to fire at least by the time the moving target reached the area just inside of the mil dot closest to the center of the crosshairs and was then heading for it. Moving targets made it all so much harder.

Nothing in the environment had changed since his last shot requiring those adjustments and Brett lined up again on the now moving target this time using more mil dots on the horizontal crosshair in front of the moving target. He then fired hitting the target 9 out of 9 shots. He felt he was as ready now with the M107 as he would ever be for the mission. Again hitting the target was easier than real life as the aim was purely horizontal in target movement and over open flat ground. Undulations could play havoc with pockets of hot air rising causing air swirls. Picking the right sniping location once on the mission would be as important as being able to hit the target.

Back at base Brett went to a small building inside their dusty mud brick walled compound being used as a HQ for the ADF Commander and Staff Officers to let the Commander know he was ready.

The Company Adjutant, Bruce Jackson, helmetless but wearing battledress was there at his desk when he entered. The Adjutant was the oldest man in the unit at 50 years of age. He’d seen action in Iraq as well as here in Afghanistan. The hot sun had tanned his skin and it contrasted with his bright blue eyes and crew cut snow white hair. All the guys in the Unit liked him as a fatherly figure. In turn they were all his boys.

There was no salute from Brett when he walked in. It just wasn’t done in battlefield conditions. If outside there may have been a Taliban Sniper just as good as Brett watching from 5000 ft or more away for a salute and the Officer saluted could get a bullet through the head before he could even lower his hand from the return salute. The situation had to be ingrained so no salute was the norm at all times or human frailty could at times cause confusion. Even coming to attention for an Officer was out. The Officer’s usually saying well in advance, ‘Stand easy soldier’ so it wouldn’t happen as they approached. They wanted to live as long as possible. It didn’t mean you could be slovenly around Officers just mindful. When Generals arrived then it was different, but they’d only arrive when the whole area was absolutely cleared and tightened down with high security. Currently the base would come under attack periodically but mostly from rocket or mortar. Then Brett and other Snipers would go out with ADF patrols and quickly put an end to it.

‘Yes Sergeant. What is it?’ The Adjutant asked pleasantly looking up from his desk as Brett walked in.

‘Sergeant Robinson Special Services to see Commander Andrews Sir,’ Brett replied.

‘Oh yes. You’re for a mission for us I believe Sergeant,’ the Adjutant stated remembering now discussions with the Commander about it.

‘Yes Sir,’ Brett replied nodding.

‘Well Sergeant from what I know of this mission and from your past missions records for us I’d say if this one is carried out successfully you should be in for a recommended battlefield Commission,’ the Adjutant now smiling told him. ‘You better go on in. The Commander will be waiting on you.’

Brett leant the M107 against the wall then approached the few feet to the open doorway of the Commander’s office and knocked on the door jamb.

‘Come in Sergeant,’ the Commander replied to it. He had obviously overheard the conversation in the outer section and knew who it was before Brett had even knocked.

Brett went in and stood then in front of the Commander’s desk. The Commander looked up at Brett with an expectant face waiting for Brett to speak. The Commander was around 45 years of age and at present being helmetless showed the grey hair that had started to invade his otherwise jet black crew cut. He was reasonably handsome with dark brown eyes, but had a toughness in those looks. He was also in battledress.

‘Sir, you said to report as soon as I was confident with the new M107,’ Brett volunteered now.

‘So you’re all ready to go on this mission for us Sergeant,’ the Commander stated rather than questioned. ‘I’ll organize your flight into North Sudan as soon as possible so be ready it could be later today. We have to fit in with RAAF priorities. Also see the Adjutant before you leave HQ, he has some further instructional paperwork and a section map of where they’ll drop you in relation to Abrafo’s camp so I suggest you have a real good look at the terrain on it before you leave for your flight,’ the Commander added.

‘Will do Sir,’ Brett replied.

‘The Adjutant will be in contact with you when the RAAF gives us a time,’ the Commander now informed him. ‘I have to be in Kabul tonight for a meeting so will be away a few days,’ the Commander then said almost apologetically.

The Commander then stood up and offered Brett his hand.

‘Break a leg Sergeant,’ the Commander quipped as he shook Brett’s now also outstretched hand.

No one ever said, ‘Good luck’ on the battlefield. There was no such thing. You made your own luck.

‘Thanks Sir,’ Brett replied with a nod. Then he turned and left the office to go back into the outer section. The Adjutant had the paperwork ready for him as he entered and after Brett took it from him and picked up his M107 again he made his way out of HQ and over to the building within the compound the Special Services were utilizing as a bunk area.

When Brett opened the door the heat inside rushed out at him. The mud brick building had no air conditioning and in summer could be stifling. Most of the Sniper Team off duty slept outside in the compound grounds in summer on dragged out thin paliases filled with straw or duck feathers rather than be inside. There was no one else inside at the moment most being out on patrols with the ADF.

Brett went in and sat on his bunk putting the M107 next to it against the wall. He then studied the map and paperwork given to him by the Adjutant.

By the map Brett could see the ground surface in the drop area and around Abrafo’s camp in North Sudan shown in sets of wavy height lines appeared to be a lot different in terrain to Afghanistan’s mountainous and hilly areas that they were currently concerned with against the Taliban. It would be difficult to get really high cover the highest height lines 100 ft at the most. There were a few erosion gullies by the looks of it that might be worthwhile once on the ground and also some rocky and grassy areas, but not a lot of trees or scrub. Most of the highest undulations appeared to be sand dunes. That meant it would be hot during the day if he used them. One problem with hot days and Sniping was not only adjustments for heat haze and wind swirls but the sweat it produced. A Bandana was a must or eyes would fill with salty sweat and make it near impossible to see through the scope. It also made handling slippery. Nerves would cause the hands to sweat even if you seemed bereft of nerves. Brett hoped it would all look better once he was on the ground.

The paperwork included a color photo of Abrafo in his military uniform dressed up like a General complete with gold epaulettes. He was wearing two bandoleers of what looked like .50 caliber ammunition crisscrossed across his chest. It was all just for show as the weapon in his right hand and hanging down was a British Sten gun that used 9 mm rounds not .50 caliber. His totally bald head and dark facial features gave the appearance of a very nasty guy. He had what could be termed a protruding face from the brows down with very dark eyes, the whites of which appeared browned along with a thick broad nose, big almost protruding teeth and thick rubbery lips. The smile in the photo came across as pure evil. He was, even being kind, an ugly fucker! He’d be easy to recognize even out of his General’s uniform.

Brett then looked at another piece of the paperwork and it was printed instructions on use of the airlift kit along with example drawings. It covered how to ensure the airlift straps of the harness were strapped on tight to the body and under the legs at the thighs. How to fill and release the balloon that would take the 4000 lb test braided nylon lift cord up high enough so that the airlift aircraft, a converted Hercules 130, could pick it up in its forward V arms cutting away the balloon at the same time as he left the ground. There were warnings on use in high winds and just how to stand for the sudden jerk force up from the ground. It could snap your neck if your head wasn’t positioned right and pushed down as far as you could into your shoulders for support. It was also important to fully extend arms and legs once in the air to stop from spinning while travelling about 150 mph. It wouldn’t be a nice experience but very effective in getting a man out from enemy territory. The airlift kit and parachute would already be on the aircraft. All that Brett needed to pick up now were the two full magazines of .50 caliber rounds for the M107, K rations for three days along with the GPS and smoke grenade. He’d get all that from armory and supply ready for the call when it came.

The last piece of paperwork was Official ADF Notes to tell Brett that if for some unfortunate reason he couldn’t make it out by airlift that he was on his own as no helicopters or patrols could be legally sent in to rescue him. He was advised to head for the border the best way he could. The last few lines told him a special ‘painless pill’ would be supplied by the Adjutant before departure that would end his life quickly if he felt he was about to be captured without possibility of escape. It would be his decision alone to use. Whatever his decision, if he didn’t make it out the ADF would ensure his closest relatives were looked after both financially and with counseling.