Chapter 3 - laying in wait

The coolness of the prairie night can feel ominous, but the man in black is at home. This is when he feels the most comfortable. This is when he feels truly in control. He knows exactly where he is and he knows what exactly is surrounding him. He can feel it. He can sense it.

He has been lying on the cool moist ground surrounded by nature’s camouflage. The tall Pine trees and thick underbrush give him comfort. He has been there for over two hours. It is now 8pm. It is time to work. It is time for the “end man.”


For this evening, Keel decided to wear a black lightweight climber’s Ferrata Hoodie. It was snug and stretchable without being tight and the built-in hood covered enough of his face that he didn’t have to worry about needing a balaclava. On the left bicep was a small zippered pocket that contained a small device that would be introduced to the target. To complement to the hoodie, Keel decided upon a pair of tar colored Patagonia Stretch Jackalope Pants. Both were from Mountain Equipment Co-op, a co-operative clothing company that specialized in Canadian outdoor activities, like hiking, and extreme sports like rock climbing. For civilian jobs, Keel had found their products to be exceptional and appropriate. Military gear stuck out in Canada. If you looked more like an outdoor enthusiast, you tended to blend in. Checking the time, Keel decided it was time to move. It was 8:15pm.

The man in black starts to move. He moves in a crouched position, being careful where he places his feet, avoiding branches and twigs that might snap and create an unwanted noise. Moving up the gentle slop in the greenbelt behind the residential area, Keel knows he is directly down and slightly to the left of his target house. Information had reveled that the family living on that side of the target house was away.

The chances of being spotted are almost nil, however there is always the possibility of the improbable, like kids teenagers off in the woods drinking or smoking some pot, but Keel had scouted out the area and was confident in his reconnaissance skills. This is what a point man was trained for and Keel had been on point many times. These days however, Keel was point, backup and the whole unit all at the same time. Just the way he liked it. He preferred being responsible for only himself when out in the field, even if the field was a greenbelt in the middle of a major urban center. The field came in many designs and it wasn’t only in military combat situations. Not anymore. Not since 9/11 had come to North America.

Although terrorism had not yet made a mark on Canada, it had sickened him to see what had befallen his historical brothers to the south – the brother that had rebelled against the King – the black sheep of the family. And they were still family, even if they didn’t know it and acted like a spoiled kid sometimes. Keel had worked with American Special Forces in his past and had made lifelong friends with some of them. They were his brothers in arms and he felt the two countries were brothers as well. Brothers that had a common background, even if one had broken off official relations with the Matriarch while the other hadn’t.

Now was not the time for reflection however. There was work to be done. Work that he considered local terrorism. A man had been brutally murdered and left to be found by his loving wife and young child. Inexcusable. It was not going to go unpunished. The “end man” would see to that.

Upon arriving at the top of the slope and to the left of his target, Keel took a moment to let the sounds of his surroundings settle. Crouching under a huge hanging tree and some brush, Keel did a quick surroundings check. The house to the left was coated in darkness. Not a light to be seen anywhere. Not very smart. It literally radiated to anyone wanting to break in that no one was home. The house in question however did have a back patio light on, right above the door.