Author

BULLETS AND DANDELIONS


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How did I become the infamous sniper Scorpion? It’s easy when your father is a CIA operative assigned to the Middle East. After my mother was killed in a roadside bombing, he began teaching me the business. By the time I was sixteen, I was an expert shot, I could fly a Huey helicopter, and I knew eight ways to kill a man.   

I don’t remember much about my mother except she smelled like roses and told me wonderful bedtime stories. Pops refused to talk about her. It was like something inside him broke when she died. All he lived for now was vengeance and I was to play an important part in that.

I later discovered my mother had been a surgical nurse for Doctors Without Borders. According to the nurse I tracked down, my mother met Pops when he showed up to be treated for a gunshot wound. According to the nurse, it was love at first sight. I have a hard time imagining my father in love. He has never shown me any affection. Sometimes, I think he hates me because I look so much like her.

On my twenty-first birthday, Pops expected me to join the CIA. I had no desire to be a black ops assassin like him. I wanted to help people, not kill them. A fact that drove Pops nuts. I could take out a terrorist threatening innocent civilians, but shooting down a politician whose views differed from mine, was never going to happen. One look at Pop’s implacable expression and I started planning my great escape. 

By the time I turned nineteen, I had everything in place. Money, fake passports and travel arrangements. The minute Pops left on one of his black ops’ missions, I flew to Mumbai, India, changed my appearance and took a small puddle jumper to Seoul, South Korea. After a short layover, I boarded a plane to Tokyo, Japan. Once I landed, I rented a cheap hotel and disguised myself as an elderly Chinese woman. I was amazed at how lifelike the silicone face mask was, but it itched like crazy. I joined a bunch of senior citizens on a once in a lifetime luxury cruise to Hawaii. I quickly learned old folks were a rowdy bunch and horny as hell. Viagra kept the party going to the wee hours of the morning.  
From Hawaii I flew to Los Angeles and joined the army. I had no desire for a nine-to-five job and with my unique skills, a military career was the logical choice. After the rigorous training Pops put me through, boot camp was anything but challenging.

The Drill Sergeant didn’t know what to make of me and I terrified Sally, my battle buddy. Part of the Army’s indoctrination was getting the new recruits to work together. Wherever I went, Sally had to follow and vice versa. Pops had kept me isolated and never allowed me to have any friends, so this was a learning experience. By the time boot camp ended Sally and I were best buddies. She took me shopping and taught me how to use makeup. I made sure she passed all her combat training.   

The day I graduated from boot camp; Pops showed up at Fort Leonard Wood’s training center. He was beyond furious and tried to get the Army to discharge me. They wouldn’t. He went up the food chain, and talked to General Grandville, who was intrigued by my abilities. Especially my shooting skills. I never, ever miss. The General knew exactly who my father was and did the unexpected. He sent me to sniper school at Fort Benning. I thought Pops was going to have a coronary.

Since I was the only female taking the course, things got a little intense. Thank God, Pops had taught me hand-to-hand combat and I knew how to fight dirty. After the first two dustups, the guys left me alone.

 A lot of the soldiers failed the stalking and camouflage part of the training. For me, it was easy. I was fourteen when Pops handed me a burka and told me to follow Abdul Zahed, a well-known terrorist, around Kabul. At the end of the day, he expected a detailed report of what he did and who he had met with. Pops made it very clear, if I got caught, I was on my own. Talk about a punch in the gut. I was nothing more than a useful tool for Pops to use in his quest for vengeance.

I passed the seven-week sniper course with flying colors, but my joy at finally being free of my father was extremely short-lived. To my dismay, Pops and some CIA bigwigs made a deal with General Grandville. I was going to Afghanistan alright, but as a glorified secretary, not as a sniper. Major Harris needed an aide, and the Army also got a highly trained sniper with the perfect cover story.

My time in Afghanistan was full of unforeseen complications. The biggest surprise was a Marine by the name of Alexander Stone. Wowzer! Was he hot but he was also the biggest jackass I had ever met.