Prologue

The sports sedan that approached the ambush point was still only a week old, essentially brand-spanking-new, and it showed, as this was the first day that it was actually being driven. The driver, who was in the groove and was thus doing better than 20 over the limit, had no idea that he was being targeted. Well, maybe he did, after all it was an occupational hazard.

The first .50 calibre AP bullet entered the front of the car, passed through the electric fan, the radiator itself, experienced a slight alteration of its trajectory when glancing off of a steel bracket for the pulley of the serpentine belts serving the steering, air con, and alternator, and ploughed its way through most of the aluminium block of the 378 cubic inch V8 engine. At one point it had even penetrated what had still been a moving piston.

Although the engine had come to a violent and sudden death, the stalled transmission caused the wheels to lock up, momentarily ... until the torque converter gave in; and the car carried on coasting at a reduced speed, although not as drastically as planned.

The second .50 calibre AP bullet had penetrated the front windshield, the driver's head, the headrest, and the rear window a bare eleven seconds later; this time was accounted for by the shooter pulling the bolt back while the empty case ejected, and then pushing forward again, engaging and pushing into the chamber a fresh cartridge. He had also adjusted his aim that minimal amount.

As the noise blast of the second shot dissipated, the three men accompanying the shooter heard the sound of an oncoming warbling siren. They had run out of luck. The Sheriff's Deputy had been gaining, but he never saw the ambush, while he only superficially identified a movement; that of the shooting team at the top of the bluff, making an urgent Departure. His concentration was on the car, which may have slowed a little, but was still going far too fast for the bend ahead, and not seeing any brake lights, the Deputy was getting worried ... until he saw the car smash through the barrier and fly headlong into the lake.

While he had already called for assistance, in catching the speeding car, his call to headquarters, immediately had an ambulance, several more deputies and the county's Search and Rescue team en-route within minutes. A heavy wrecker was also called out, but the Sheriff's Department would need to either deputise a local diver or would need to call the State Police to get their dive team in on the investigation.

Some hours later, the automobile had been retrieved and was on its way to the Sheriff's Department impound lot. A crime scene team was busy up at the top of the bluff; they had found evidence of imprints of people's bodies and a bipod emplacement, as well as two .50 calibre cases, no discernible fingerprints on either. Looking for DNA evidence was out of the question, the bluff was well-known as a local make-out spot; old condoms, as well as deer scat littered the site.

First, the State Police had been involved, and then, as the driver was identified, the FBI and DEA got involved, and then the BATF decided that since the weapon used (or at least the ammunition which could be identified), was not just any common ordnance, but since they would be able to claim that by their involvement, they would later be able to stop a mass shooting, or some such idiocy; they should thus also stick their noses in.

The car ended up sitting in the local Sheriff's impound lot, it was waiting for a decision as to its disposition – who got to play their games of forensics – would it be the State, the FBI, DEA, ATF or even DHS claiming overall honours.

Four months down the line, the automobile was still sitting in that lot.

At that time, the Sheriff's Department was having an auction, there were surplus vehicles and other equipment, much of it recovered or confiscated during investigations. The shooters had thus far remained unapprehended.

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