The soldier was sent to make an adjustment, like so many before.
The year was 1171 and Genghis Khan was his target. The ruthless founder of the Mongol Empire. A brutal conqueror, responsible for the deaths of tens of millions. The Time Agency had sent him back to undo that part of history that saw so much suffering and so many needless deaths. The agency had calculated this to be the best time. The would-be warrior was nine years old and had just lost his father. He was about to become something that modern time travel and history patching could stop from happening. It could be put right; before it happened.
The man was crouching in a thicket of trees, watching the lad. Although several kilometres away, he could see him clearly on the screen of his super scope, mounted high on his long range sniper rifle. He had been given the precise moment to take the shot. A small timer on his wrist was counting down. The people at the agency had calculated exactly when the thread of time should be cut, followed by the man’s removal back to his own time, ten seconds later.
Like all these missions, a lot of time was spent preparing for it. He had been training for months for what was to be a ten minute mission. So much of the course had been given over to video lectures about all that was known about the empire builder. Surprisingly, the conqueror had shown extraordinary tolerance towards other religions. He even granted exemptions for tax relief on places used for their worship. After so much background information, some inkling of a bond had formed, along with strange doubts that the man was who history said he was. He considered that the fact that shooting a child didn’t sit well with him and no doubt explained much of his apprehension.
The assassin, having spent a number of years with the agency, had heard that several returns had been made to this place and time. There was definitely a great deal of extra security and there were so many stringent rules of confidentiality. These had been insisted on from the very beginning of the mission.
He blinked several times and focused on the boy, who had moved to the shelter of a tree, taking something from under his upper garment. The something appeared to be some sort of device. With trembling fingers he stroked the screen to increase magnification even more.
It was a mobile phone.
His mind raced as the timer beeped down the last ten seconds. He lowered his rifle. During the few seconds that remained he realised there would be one hell of a stink when he got back.
Then… he was gone.