Frank shut down all other possibilities with just one sentence: "The sniper location is the Russian embassy. Making a hole in the window with a bullet is already pushing the limit. Russia is not the U.S.; they care more about saving face."
Jack silently complained in his heart. When it comes to knowing when to bend and when to endure, America takes the crown—even putting up with their own ambassador being dragged out of an embassy, beaten to death, and mutilated.
Frank's point was clear. If they used a long-range sniper for the assassination, it could still be categorized as a political hit, allowing certain factions within the FSB to help cover it up. Any investigation would be conducted in the shadows.
But if they outright bombed the Russian embassy in France, there was no way the media wouldn't report on it. That would be a blatant slap in the face, classifiable as a terrorist attack. Given the Russians' explosive temper, they would dig three feet into the ground to find the culprit.
At this point, Frank gave Jack a meaningful look. "And that long-range grenade launcher you used in Mexico? That's not an option either."
Jack rubbed his nose awkwardly. He had just been about to ask if making a bigger hole in the window would work.
Bryan, on the other hand, was quite helpful. "I might know a guy, but he's on 'the list' as well. Getting him from the U.S. to Paris in three days won't be easy."
Frank's "on the list" and Bryan's mention of "the list" referred to the same thing. Law enforcement agencies and military systems across Western countries shared an unofficial list that documented all known extreme long-range snipers.
These individuals ranged from active-duty soldiers to retired veterans, mercenaries, and even hitmen. Every single one of them was under extra scrutiny.
The list wasn't long. Jack had gone through it before and even spotted a familiar name—Bob Lee Swagger.
Of course, not all names on the list were real; some were just codenames with notes on their habits or specific traits. For example, one entry described a sniper who had used a Barrett rifle to take out a gang accountant from a kilometer away to assist the LAPD.
But even among those on the list, there were very few who could pull off a shot from over 2,000 meters. Jack didn't know which sniper Frank was referring to, but the fact that he was on the list meant they couldn't rely on conventional channels to bring him to Paris.
"Conventional channels" included the military route Jack had previously used. The CIA couldn't find out about this, or everyone involved would be under surveillance. They might even dig up what had happened that night.
Jack sighed. "Then getting me a properly tuned TAC-50 shouldn't be a problem, right? I'm not on that list."
This time, not just Anna but even Frank and Bryan looked at him in surprise. Almost everyone on that list had a military background.
They didn't know Jack had trained with the SEALs, but even if they had, they would still be shocked. A top-tier sniper isn't something that can be trained in just a few months. After all, there were only a few dozen people in the world skilled enough to make that list.
The TAC-50 was widely regarded as the most stable long-range sniper rifle, with an effective range of exactly 2,000 meters.
Among the top five longest confirmed sniper kills in the world, three were made with a TAC-50: one at 2,310 meters, another at 2,410 meters, and the most extreme at 3,540 meters.
Jack's statement implied that as long as he had a TAC-50, he was confident he could take down Vasilev from 2,000 meters away.
Frank frowned and warned, "Are you sure? If we let this opportunity pass, we might still find another way. But if the attempt fails, that old bastard might retreat to Moscow and stay hidden for a long time."
"Just find me a place to fire a few test shots. I'm at least fifty percent confident. The rest depends on luck. Oh, and I need high-precision sniper rounds."
Jack yawned as he spoke. He had gone all out during the auction house attack earlier, and while the aftereffects weren't severe, he had deliberately drunk quite a bit of alcohol to suppress them. Now, the buzz was finally kicking in.
But he wasn't just boasting under the influence. Having a cheat code makes all the difference.
In extreme long-range sniping, numerous factors affect the bullet's trajectory: ballistic coefficient, air density, humidity, temperature, wind drift, Coriolis effect (Earth's rotation), altitude, and more.
Among these, wind drift was the most critical. At distances beyond 1,500 meters, it was theoretically impossible for a shooter to fully compensate for wind effects.
Back when Jack's sniping skill was only at the proficient level, he could still show off at the farm, competing with Chris in Barrett shooting accuracy. Even then, he could easily land every shot within 1,000 meters (1,200 yards). (Chapter 290)
After leveling up his skill to master level, the only factors affecting his accuracy were the quality of the gun and the bullets.
Since the TAC-50 had an effective range of 2,000 meters, Jack was confident he could achieve perfect accuracy at that distance. With specialized high-precision sniper rounds, the range could theoretically be extended even further.
He wasn't sure exactly how much further, which is why he had been "modestly" conservative in his claim.
—
Frank's connections were indeed impressive. Finding a skilled long-range sniper in Paris within three days might have been difficult for him, but securing a finely tuned TAC-50 took him less than twelve hours. He even found a safe place for test firing.
After sending Castle and the two girls onto their flight, the group drove to an abandoned quarry on the outskirts of Paris.
"2,085 meters." Jack took his time setting up while Anna eagerly measured the distance to a half-body target using a laser rangefinder. Behind the target were three pumpkins, placed there to confirm impact visually.
Of the four people present, she was the most nervous. Whether Jack could land a lethal shot had now become the key to her escape from the FSB.
"200 meters, rightward crosswind, 4.4 meters per second; 1,400 meters, leftward crosswind—"
Bryan, acting as the temporary spotter, hadn't even finished reporting the wind conditions when Jack pulled the trigger.
The gunshot was loud and sudden. The TAC-50 fired a .50 caliber (12.7×99mm) round, meaning the bullet alone was about 10 centimeters long—longer than the average Korean male's size.
The gases from the burning gunpowder blasted out of the muzzle brake's side ports, kicking up dust and turning Anna's golden hair gray.
Wearing noise-canceling earmuffs, she didn't seem to notice. She was fully focused on watching the half-body target through her scope.
With specialized high-precision rounds, the TAC-50's muzzle velocity approached Mach 3. However, due to air resistance, bullet speed would gradually decrease.
After traveling 2,000 meters, the bullet slowed to near the speed of sound, taking about 2.5 seconds to reach the target.
Just over two seconds after the gunshot, the upper half of the target was gone. Pumpkin juice splattered everywhere behind it.
Anna ripped off her earmuffs and screamed in excitement before throwing herself onto Jack's back, kissing his cheeks and neck frantically.
"Get off, get off! Your bones are poking me," Jack complained, pushing the girl away. He ejected the spent casing and carefully stored it in a small cloth bag.
This wasn't about covering evidence. After being fired once, the casing had expanded to perfectly fit this gun's chamber. It would now serve as the base for a custom high-precision round.
Jack couldn't hand-load ammunition himself, but Frank and Bryan could. Their goal today wasn't just to verify Jack's skill but to fire enough rounds to create casings. The best one would be chosen to end Vasilev's life.
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