In "The Long Shot," a gripping short story by Clay A. Kahler, an elite Ranger sniper lies in wait on a rugged Afghan ridge, his mind a fortress of discipline and precision honed by years of brutal training and combat. As days stretch beyond the mission's timeline, he battles exhaustion, hunger, and doubt while fixating on his target-a tribal chief with one piercing blue eye. Interwoven flashbacks reveal the sniper's family life, rigorous Ranger creed, and unyielding commitment to his deadly craft. But as the tension builds to a single, fateful shot, a shocking twist blurs the lines between battlefield valor and something far darker, exploring the haunting psychological toll of war and the shadows it casts on the homefront. This taut thriller delivers pulse-pounding suspense and a chilling examination of a soldier's fractured psyche.