The Firing Range
386 คำ
15
The Firing Range
“I can’t believe you talked me into this,” Agent Stone said to Jana as he positioned noise-canceling earmuffs over his ears. “Now, just like I told you. Keep the weapon pointed downrange at all times. That means the barrel never faces any direction other than downrange. Got it?”
The sounds of gunfire coming from the shooting lanes next to them were so loud that to Jana they sounded like cannons. She took a deep breath and adjusted her safety glasses.
“Keep the gun pointed downrange at all times, check.”
“It’s not a joke, Miss Baker. This is a Walther PPK .380-caliber firearm. It would kill either one of us in a matter of seconds.”
The look in Stone’s eyes had changed. She was no longer looking into the eyes of her grandfather. He was serious, deadly serious.
“Whenever you put a hand on this weapon, I want you to picture in your mind that it is firing one time every second.”
“Why is that?” Jana said.
“Because if the gun is firing once per second, you will keep it pointed in a safe direction.”
She took the weapon in both hands and extended her arms. Stone reached around her from behind and put his hands on her wrists to steady them. “With this weapon, you want to keep the thumb on your left hand tucked on the side. Don’t let it drape behind the gun. If you do, it could get popped very hard by the action of the gun when it fires. Now, just pull the trigger and be prepared for the gun to pop in your hand.”
Although she startled after the first round was fired, after that, she settled into it. They spent over an hour at the FBI’s shooting range, and by the time it was over, Jana felt confident.
Stone said, “You did really, really well. And you never shot a pistol before? I’ve got to say, I’m impressed. I didn’t do that well my first time out.”
“Stone, I know shooting is serious business, but I had fun. Thank you for teaching me. Having a weapon is going to make me feel a little more comfortable.”
“Just don’t let your guard down. And always, always remember, double tap, center mass, then one to the head.”
The words reverberated in her head. She hoped she would never have to use them.
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