Plot summary

Thomas Beckett is a no-nonsense Marine. He is a gunnery master sergeant "Gunny," with lots of wear and tear, specializing in carrying point on two-man sniper teams in the jungles of Panama. A veteran sniper, Gunny has at least 74 confirmed kills. In his long career, he lost several spotters; he carries these Marine's spare dog tags on a ring which he employs like worry beads. Some Marines believe Beckett is callous about his lost comrades, but the dog tags are like metal scabs over wounds that will never totally heal. On a particularly vital mission, Beckett has to team with Richard Miller, a wet-behind-the-ears NSA desk jockey. The Feds believe the hype that he is a crack shot due to an Olympic silver medal, but Gunny can figuratively smell his inexperience. Gunny is certain when Miller takes credit for a kill he did not complete. Beckett immediately assesses that Miller has never had a single kill. Although Miller tries to pull rank on Beckett, Gunny treats him like a young puppy, but without using a rolled-up newspaper. The sniper code is "one kill, one shot." The real question is: who is going to get shot and who is going to kill?—LA-Lawyer