Clause 294 E (Patreon)

Okay folks this a longer than usual posting. Early 2021 I had another dream set in my anthro MLP Movie setting. Once again involved Equestria's go-to sharpshooter/sniper Coco Pommel. Apparently my subconscious wanted some sexy, Cold-War style La Femme Nikita scene. Link 

    Coco stepped out of her car and walked across the spa parking lot toward the spa's front entrance. Stepping into the front lobby she sauntered up to the receptionist desk. The unicorn mare looked up from her computer monitor and smiled.

    "Hello Ms. Chapeau. Welcome back Singing Springs Spa and Resort. Joining us again today?"

    Coco smiled. "Yes I'm scheduled for a Princess Package today." Merry Chapeau had been Coco's cover name at the spa for the last couple of weeks.

    The receptionist scanned her list of scheduled appointments. After a second she smiled. "Ah yes! Here you are. Can I have you sign-in? While you're doing that I'll summon your personal attendant. I'm sorry to inform you Ms. Chapeau, but your regular attendant Dancing Waters called in sick today. Apparently she came down with a simply horrific case of food poisoning yesterday afternoon. Today you're attendant will be a new mare that started working here a week ago. Swaying Leaves is her name. She's new here but she definitely knows her stuff."

    Coco finished signing in. "Oh my! I do hope Dancing Waters is alright! Please send her my best wishes, and yes Swaying Leaves should be just fine. If she's good enough to be hired here I'm positive I'll be happy with her skills."

    The receptionist smiled and pressed a button. A minute later a young pegasus mare walked up to Coco and bowed slightly. "Greetings is Ms. Chapeau. I'm Swaying Leaves and I'll be your personal attendant today. If you would please follow me we can start your treatment."

    Coco sighed as she laid stomach down on the massage table and let the warmth of hot stones seeped into her muscles. She'd just had her hooves pampered, a wonderful massage, and was now waiting for one of the private baths to open up. There was another attendant who was monitoring Coco's hot stone treatment while Swaying Leaves went and prepared Coco's private bath. A few minute later the pegasus entered the room and briskly walked over to Coco.

    "Ms. Chapeau. I'm terribly sorry, but there seems to be some issues with the hot water in the bath you normally prefer. We have another room available though. It's one of the older baths but I can assure you its in fine condition and it does have a beautiful view of the grounds. It's usually only available to guests staying overnight at the resort, but my manager has agreed to waive that since you're becoming a regular here. Is that acceptable?"

    Coco turned her head and looked up at the pegasus. "I'm sure it'll be perfect. May I start my bath soon?"

    Coco was led along one of the covered wooden walkways to her private bath. The resort was located on side of a gently slope. Nestled in the rolling hills about 20 miles south of Ponyville the grounds of the resort were dotted with large oaks. The morning fog that had swaddled the resort was burning off and birds could be heard singing in the trees.

    Opening the door to the bath Swaying Leaves led Coco in and closed the door behind them. Turning around she addressed the earth pony. Gone was the bubbly spa attendant and in her place was a serious demeanor.

    "The target is still in their private cabana. They've been taking a soak in a personal hot tub every morning between 11am and 1pm." She pointed over at the bath. "The cabana and in particular the hot tub is almost entirely screened by a fence, hedges and the trees. However from that window by the bath you'll have a clear shot. I've taken the liberty of opening partially it for you."

    Coco looked at bath and smiled slightly. "Well I guess I shouldn't let this bath go to waste." She removed her bathrobe and handed it to the pegasus. "Where is my gear?"

    "Over here. Let me getting it for you ma'am." Swaying Leaves pulled a ring of keys from resort frock and went over to a locked cabinet. Quickly opening them she retrieved several large, very fluffy towels and set them by the bath while Coco rinsed herself off under the shower. With that accomplished the earth pony eased herself into the warm water and sighed.

    On the very top shelf, behind a plethora towels was a modest-sized hard case. The pegasus mare   grabbed it and brought it over and set it alongside the bath for Coco. She unlocked the case and opened it. Inside was a large, single shot, bolt action pistol with a long eye-relief scope and an integral suppressor. Six subsonic .300 Whisper cartridges were nestled in their own recesses. Some compact binoculars and a small encrypted radio set rounded out the kit.

    Coco picked the pistol up and opened the action to check it was unloaded. Satisfied she closed the bolt and checked the optics. She glanced over at Swaying Leaves. "Has the target had any guests since they arrived?"

    "Not for several days ma'am. They've remained secluded and are ordering all their meals in. The only time they've emerged is for these daily soaks." The pegasus sat down alongside the bath and pointed out the window that was only about quarter of the way opened. Leaning over Coco's shoulder she pointed. "Over here will give you your best angle. I measured the distance and it's exactly 75 meters to furthest edge of the cabana's hot tub."

    "75 meter. Right." Coco adjusted the elevation drum on the scope a couple of clicks. "Any worries about the lens fogging with all this hot, steamy water?"

    Swaying Leaves shook her head. "You should have no problems ma'am. The RESF armory crew confirmed that the scope is fully sealed. The lens have an anti-fogging coating, and one of them cooked up weatherproofing charm for it as well."

    The pegasus got up. "Well I need to make rounds and keep up my cover. Toggling the second button on your radio once will signal to me when you've been successful. If you need help..." The mare carefully pulled a subcompact 9mm pistol from beneath her smock. "Toggle it 3 times quickly. Good luck. Oh! By the way I've left you some hot tea if you want it."

    Coco smiled. "Hopefully the toxin you slipped into Dancing Water's lunch wasn't too severe?"

    The mare laughed. "Nah. She just going to have runs until later this afternoon. Some serious hydration, a good night's sleep and she'll be raring to go tomorrow morning!"

    With that the pegasus left and closed and locked the door behind her. Coco was already donning the radio headset and doing an operations check. She then toggled the first button.

    "Specter to Judge." Specter was her radio handle for this operation. "I'm in position and awaiting the target. Over." A couple of seconds later she heard Rarity her Operations Officer reply.

    "Specter this is Judge." Judge was Rarity's handle. "I'm hearing you loud and clear dear. As of now you're cleared to fire at your discretion when the target appears. Please make sure the target is permanently dealt with. Over."

    "Understood Judge. I'm now clear to fire at my discretion. Over."

    Coco rolled up a couple of large towels that Swaying Leaves to form an improvised rest for the pistol. Then she placed another rolled towel behind herself to provide a rest for shoulder and neck. It also made a convenient place to rest the radio.

    With that accomplished the mare did a couple of dry fires to confirm that the set up was satisfactory. Happy with the setup she opened the bolt and chambered a round. Then she closed the action, set the safety and laid the pistol on the towels in front of her. She then poured herself a cup of tea and pondered today's mission and target.

    In the world there were numerous creatures and beings that ponies and others would call monsters. Many hideous and horrifying to behold. However Coco had learned that many of the worst monsters look just like ordinary folks. That's what made them so dangerous. They moved amongst society, often undetected by it until they'd done great harm. Her target today was that kind of monster. A zebra by the name a Zintan Kagash. He was arms and illegal magical/alchemic components dealer, and for years in the rural territories of his home nation of Mahadin he'd terrorized the local population; massacring hundreds to get them to do his bidding. Killing many in horrible ways for his own entertainment.

    For 12 years Zintan Kagash had been allowed to be the de facto tyrant of that region through a network of bribery, extortion, kidnapping, and flat out threatening minor local officials. However in the last couple years the new president of Mahadin had been working to fulfill one of her campaign promises. To root out these individuals like this who'd been allowed for too long to terrorize the population of these rural communities. For her efforts Equestria had reestablished diplomatic relations with Mahadin.

    2 years ago Zintan Kagash had been arrested, tried and convicted. For his crimes he'd been given the death sentence. Still he had connections and before his sentence could be carried out he arranged for his escape from prison. Since then he'd been on the run hopping to various nations on the southern continent. Staying just ahead of the law. In spite of this he'd been able to maintain his business and if anything he'd become even more bloody in his practices. Dozens of more bodies were left in his wake.

    But eventually the continent became too hot for even him and he started looking for a new pastures to set up shop. Someplace other than the southern continent. He found it in one of the smaller griffin nations that had a reputation of being a safe haven for those like Zintan Kagash. However to get there he had to pass through Equestria.

    The Mahadin Security Service had informed the Crown of his intentions and RESF and various local law enforcement agencies had issued warrants for his arrest. He was almost captured in Hoofington, but he escaped leaving 3 constables wounded and taking a first year constable as his hostage as he fled the scene. The constable's body was found later in a stolen vehicle.

    At this point Celestia had had enough of this monster's actions and decided to exercise Clause 294 E of the extradition treaty with Mahadin. This clause stated that either country might, if deemed appropriate, carry out any existing sentences in their country instead of sending the criminal back to their homeland to serve them. Zintan Kagash had been tried and sentenced to death in his homeland. The RESF would carry out that sentence. No arrest. No trial.

    While Equestria had no formal diplomatic relationship with the griffin nation the zebra was trying to flee to they did have other, informal means of communicating with them. Through various channels the Crown was able to convince them to not allow his entry into their country, but the Crown didn't want Zintan to know that the griffin nation was stonewalling on their behalf.

    So at the moment Zintan was stuck in Equestria. Realizing that a large part of Equestria's law enforcement was looking for him he'd gone into hiding at this resort using one of several fake ID's he'd created over the years. Through various shell companies and bank accounts he was still able to live the life luxury. That was going to change soon.

    Around 11 there was the sound of the hot tub turning on. Several minutes later the back patio door of the cabana slid open. Coco had been watching the building through the binoculars. A male zebra in his late 40s wearing a bathrobe stepped out. Coco immediately recognized him as Zintan Kagash. She'd studied numerous photos and videos of him over the last week.

    Slowly she set down the binoculars and picked up pistol, thumbing the safety off as she did. At the same time she picked up a second cartridge and held between the fingers of her left hand. Just in case she needed quick, second shot. Reclining back against ceramic tiles of the tub she steadied herself and settled the crosshairs of the scope on him.

    Zintan turned his back to Coco and removed his bath robe. He draped it across a table on a patio. Like her he was naked. He turned and stepped toward the hot tub but stopped. Slowly he lifted his gaze and stared at the open window of the bath. Through the scope Zintan seemed to looking back at her although she was invisible in the shadows of the bath. Like two predator instinctively being aware of each other's presence he looked at where Coco was. It was neither a look of fear or regret. It was something else. A cocksure stare that said.

    Go ahead. I dare you to try.

    Coco settled the crosshairs between his eye and slightly below them and pressed the trigger. The suppressed bolt action pistol shuddered in her hands and made a small mechanical tikchak and hiss as suppressor and action absorbed almost all of the sound from the cartridge firing. The 220gr subsonic projectile slammed into the zebra's skull destroying much of it and severing his spine. instantly he crumpled onto the patio.

    Coco quickly worked the action ejecting the spent shell casing which plopped in to the tub with her. In one motion she dropped the second cartridge into the action and slammed the bolt home. Reacquiring Zintan through the scope she watched in case a second shot was required. She'd seen him collapse but was taking no chances. For the next minute she watched as his body twitched a bit and then went still. Satisfied she opened the bolt and extracted the unfired cartridge. She closed the action and set the pistol down. Reaching into the tub she retrieved the fired brass; then she toggled the radio.

    "Specter to Judge. Please let the Crown know that they can inform the Mahadin government that Equestria has carried out their sentence in accordance with Clause 294 E. Also dispatch the cleanup crew now. Over."

    A couple of seconds there was a reply. "Judge to Specter. Message received. Will do darling. When possible please head to the debriefing area. Over."

    "Will do Judge. Over."

    Coco reached for her tea and took a sip of it. Then she toggle the second button on the radio once. The earth pony closed her eyes and continued to soak in the tub as she waited for Swaying Leaves to return.