CRASH

CHAPTER 9

The last few days were filled with training. My muscles ached after each session and I was really getting tired. But I had really improved a lot and even though Violet could still beat me without breaking a sweat, I could hold out for a long time.

And coupled with my super human strength, I managed to knock Adam out twice. He has not mocked me about defending myself since the second time.

Today we were practicing shooting. I hoped we would not get to it but it was totally unavoidable. The robotics from ODE used sophisticated weapons and would shoot from a mile away.

It was only reasonable I learnt how to shoot because I will be unable to get close to them and actually spar them. Well even if I could, they will still beat me hands down because they were robots and have been programmed to fight. And there was no goddamned system to hack and override them.

So here I am now. Violet had left me with leather clothes. They were tight and felt itchy against my skin. I sucked it up and went outside.

Violet was there already. I admired her as she took a shot. Her stance professional and with the leather clothes, she totally looked badass. It did not help my attraction for her. It only fuelled it and I was scared I was going to do something stupid.

"Are you going to stand there all day?" She said without looking back.

I wiped off my thoughts and walked over to where she stood. I stood beside her while she loaded a gun without saying a thing to me. I was itching to say something to break the silence between us but I did not know what to say.

"So we are shooting today" I blurted. She looked at me like I had a loose nut before she returned her focus to what she was doing and I swore under my breath. I slapped my forehead.

Stupid me. Why did I ask that question now she must think I was even more weird.

She pointed to the guns on the table. "This is a Glock 19. A 9mm handgun. This is a semi automatic rifle, a CZ 75B 9mm handgun and this is a shotgun" she said pointing to the various guns laid out on the table. I nodded as I memorized them in my head.

"I'll be teaching you the weaver stance. The Weaver Stance is very popular and has replaced the Isosceles as the standard method taught to new shooters. You must blade your body, placing the foot on the firing side back and turning the support side towards the target. Your strong, or firing side, arm is extended and the support arm’s elbow is bent. This allows you to employ a very stable push-pull grip. Then you push with your firing arm and pull with the support arm to stabilize the weapon" I nodded as I took in all she was saying.

She picked a rifle and took her stance and fired a shot before turning to me.

"Before you shoot a rifle, make sure you feel comfortable and confident with your grip and aim"

"Shotguns are made for moving targets, so aiming is a little different than a rifle. Move the shotgun along the arc of your target and keep it moving even after you pull the trigger. Rather than carefully squeezing the trigger like you would a rifle, pull the trigger quickly when shooting a shotgun. Be prepared for recoil. This is why your stance and grip is so important." She showed me an example with the shotgun and I nodded.

She picked the Glock 19 handgun and waves it.

"How you hold your handgun can have a significant effect on your accuracy. Remember to keep the space between your thumb and trigger finger as high on the grip as possible. This will help with the recoil of the gun as you’re shooting. Use your other hand to cover the rest of the grip with your fingers pointing down at a forty five degree angle. Then, wrap your fingers around the grip tightly with your non-dominant thumb running along the frame" she showed me exactly what she meant.

"Don't be fooled by action movies. You should not be shooting a handgun sideways or at an angle, from your hip, or even with just one hand if you’re not an experienced shooter. The best way to shoot a handgun is by using the correct stance and grip to do it safely and accurately. You want to make sure your forearm is in line with the gun to absorb the recoil and use both hands to maximize your grip. When you are ready to pull the trigger, you should do so very slowly. If you jerk the trigger too hard and abruptly, it will affect your accuracy. The slower you pull the trigger, the better your shot will be" she shot at the target holding the Glock the same way she explained to me.

"Although the pistol is defined as being designed to shoot with one hand, you should always use two hands when gripping your pistol. This will help with recoil and accuracy. Pull the trigger slowly and smoothly using the pad of your index finger, with the rest of your hand remaining as still as possible, and then you fire the pistol"

"Pick a gun and shoot" she said. I eyed the guns on the table and picked the handgun.

I went over everything she had told me earlier and took my stance. Holding the hand gun properly with my two hands, I pulled the trigger slowly like she said.

The bang resonated in the quiet air and I felt the recoil. I missed the target entirely.

"Not too bad. Keep practicing"

She picked a gun and moved over to the other side and continued shooting while I continued practice.

I managed to hit the target a couple of times before I gave up in exhaustion and went in to rest leaving Violet outside.