Chapter 7 - THE UNSEEN GRID
The atmosphere across the entire competition range had completely transformed.
The loud, casual energy of the spectator gallery had given way to an intense, quiet curiosity. Dozens of spotters were now completely ignoring the ongoing shooters in Lanes 1 through 13, their high-magnification spotting scopes all trained on the distant granite draw two miles away, watching the tiny steel plate slowly lose its momentum as it swung in the desert breeze.
Grant stood frozen beside Lane 14, his mind frantically trying to process what had just occurred.
Two thousand four hundred yards.
That was nearly a mile and a half away. To hit a target at that extreme distance required calculating for planetary rotation, extreme atmospheric density shifts, vertical wind shear across multiple valleys, and an optic elevation adjustment that pushed match-grade equipment to its absolute physical limits. It was an impossible shot—a shot that no shooter could make by accident.
He looked down at Claire, who was calmly running a brass brush down the bore of her rifle, her face relaxed, her brown hair catching the bright sunlight.
"Who set that target up?" Grant asked, his voice dropping into a tense whisper as he stepped closer to her mat. "Why is there a plate two miles out in the middle of a military exercise grid?"
Claire didn't look up from her cleaning rod. "It's been there for three days, Captain."
Grant’s eyes widened. "Three days? I've been on this range every morning since Tuesday! I surveyed every target grid with the range committee!"
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"You surveyed the grid they showed you," Claire said softly, her voice smooth and devoid of triumph or arrogance. "You didn't look past the warning flags."
Grant swallowed hard, feeling an uncomfortable knot form in his stomach. The realization hit him like a cold splash of water: Claire hadn't entered this competition to win a plastic trophy or place her name on a local leaderboard. She had been using the heat as a live-fire calibration cover for something entirely different.
