“The range belongs to the safe shooter, not the loudest observer.”
The commander heard him from the walkway.
Ellis looked over and gave a small nod.
She returned it.
No announcement followed.
No one needed to read her credentials.
No one needed to see the tattoo beneath her sleeve.
The specialist settled behind the rifle and began to breathe.
Four counts in.
Four held.
Four out.
Four held.
When he was ready, Ellis cleared the lane.
The first shot cracked across the desert.
This time, everyone behind the line respected the silence that came before it.
