Chapter 249

“Wow…” I whisper, leaning forward, my hand shooting out to touch the long, slim silver rifle that the Captain lifts out of the bag and sets up straight, balancing it on its two bipod legs so it stands up on its own. At the last second, I pull my hand back, not sure if I should.

“Go on,” the captain says, and I look up into his face to see a proud smile there. “I had this commissioned for you about a month ago – just got delivered over the weekend. Damn lucky you passed that Chemistry exam, too, because if the military had to pay for a lightweight miniature rifle like this that no one else could use…” his cheeks puff out as he imagines it. “I’d have hell to pay to your uncle.”

I laugh a little, shaking my head as I lean forward and run a hand over the barrel and the forestock. “You had it made for me? It’s…small?”

“To your specifications, yes,” the captain says with a proud sigh. “It’s one-of-a-kind and top of the line, Cadet, so. Don’t drop it off the blind or anything. Cost a pretty penny. Want to see how she shoots?”

Desperately pleased I look up at the Captain and laugh a little, nodding eagerly.

He grins back at me and then we sit close together as he points out the features of the gun, shows me how to assemble and disassemble it, and then how to load it with the bullets from the bottom of the bag. When he’s finished with that, we both lay out on our stomachs and he points out the white target below on the other side of the field.

I blink, doing a double take because…I mean, it’s so small from this vantage point that I didn’t even notice it at first. Surely, that’s too far away!

“Are you serious?” I murmur, a little appalled. “Shouldn’t I shoot at something…closer to start?”

“You’ll be shooting ten times that distance in a few weeks,” the Captain murmurs, making my eyes fly wide. But he doesn’t look over at me, instead peering through the rifle’s sight and recalibrating it. “Now be quiet and watch what I do.”

I do as I’m told and the Captain narrates his actions as he lays down his stomach and positions himself next to the gun, telling me how he’s taking aim, how he’s attempting to control his breathing and his body movements, how he’s paying attention to the way that the breeze is blowing. Then, once he’s ready, he moves his finger to the trigger and deftly pulls it.

To my surprise, the gun barely makes any noise – just a little puffing sound, no louder than a snap. The Captain stays still for a second and then sits up.

I glance over at the target and then back at him. “Did you hit it?” I whisper, a little breathless.

“You tell me,” the Captain says, smirking proudly, and then he pulls the scope deftly off the rifle and hands it to me.

A little tickled at the fact that it doubles as a spyglass, I look through the scope and gasp when I see that he did indeed hit the target – not precisely dead center, but still a solid shot.

Eager, laughing in my excitement, I lower the scope and push it back at him. “Put it back on! Let me try!”

The Captain, pleased, laughs at my enthusiasm but does as I say, showing me how to reattach the scope and then helping me lay down flat on my belly. He then coaches me through my position and my steps, helping me adjust when necessary. Finally, I take in a deep breath and pull the trigger.

But to my disappointment…

Nothing changes down the scope.

“Crap,” I mutter, lifting my head up and peering at the target without the aid of the scope, as if that will change something. “I…I missed.”

“To be expected, Cadet,” the Captain says patting me warmly on the back. But I scowl and sit up, folding my legs beneath me, a little disappointed. He laughs at me again, shaking his head. “What, did you think it would be easy?”

“Well, it’s fancy,” I say, gesturing to the gun. “And it has a scope. You point the crosshairs at the target and you shoot – it should work!”

He laughs at me again, I think genuinely pleased and entertained. “It’s going to take a long time to get good at it, kid,” he says, smiling at me and patting me on the shoulder. “You’ve got to learn the gun, how to adjust to the height, the wind patterns, your own bodily movements. Then once you’ve done that, I want you to master it sitting, and standing. Then we’ll move the target further out, and so on.”

He nods to me, smirking as my eyes go wider and wider at each item on the list.

“It’s going to take a long time, kid,” he says. “And I want you out here every day practicing on your own time. If you only come once a week with me, it will take seven times as long to get you where we need you.”

My mouth falls open a little at this because when – when the hell am I supposed to fit that in!?

“Problem with that order, Cadet?” he asks, an eyebrow going up. “Because I can take the gun back…”

I snap my mouth shut and straighten my shoulders. “No sir,” I say immediately, putting a possessive hand on my new favorite possession. “I’ll do it. I’ll…figure it out.”

“Right answer,” the Captain says. “Now let’s get out of here.” Together we pack up the gun and sling it over my shoulder, heading down the makeshift ladder towards the ground. I hold my breath almost the whole way, hating going down much more than I hate going up, and only half listening to the Captains instructions about saving my targets from my individual practice so that he can evaluate them.

He only pulls my attention fully back to him when my feet are on the ground and he says my name.

“We need you, Ariel,” the Captain says, clapping a warm hand on my shoulder. I look up at him, surprised and a little awed that he’s not calling me Clark, pretending that nothing’s changed. “Our army is currently lacking in sharp shooters – we’ve got a few grunts that can shoot from a distance, but a real sniper? Who can put a hole in a quarter from a mile or more?”

I blink a him in shock because – does he seriously think I can do that someday?

“You could make a real difference in this war, Ariel,” the Captain says seriously, tightening his fingers on my shoulder. “Besides, the sooner you get good at this, the more desirable you’ll be as a candidate in the Games. Not that I imagine either Jackson or your brother will let you be picked last, but if you can actually snipe – you’ll be a help instead of a hindrance.”

I frown as I look up at him, taking a step back. “Wait, what are you talking about?” I ask, tilting my head to the side. “What are the Games?”

He laughs again, shaking his head at me. “Why don’t you know these things, Ariel? Every other Cadet in this school knows what’s coming up this semester.”

I scowl, looking away, embarrassed. “The boys…kind of tell me what I need to know when I need to know it.”

“Well, then be sure they tell you about this,” the Captain says, giving me a steady nod and turning back to the castle. “No time for it now. Let’s get you in for your lesson with that madwoman Neumann insisted on hiring for you.”

I can’t help it – I burst out laughing as I trot at the Captain’s side with my new rifle slung over my shoulder, eager to keep up.