before saying 'Them the ones you're wanting this for?'
'Yup.'
He thought a few moments, and said 'Tell you what. You being military and all, and knowing how to treat a decent firearm – I'll let you have it for cost, just to get it out of here. Be worth it to me if it helps you keep those pretty girls from getting hurt.'
I thanked him, and said that I'd be needing some ammo for it, and a holster.
When he asked me what ammo I wanted, I told him 'The heaviest you've got; preferably silvertip, but hollow point will do, too.' He smiled at me and said 'You don't want 'em getting up, do you?' – and laughed when I answered 'Not if I gotta shoot 'em in the first place.' He rummaged around a moment, and put a couple boxes of ammo on the counter, next to the pistol. I asked if he had any spare magazines, and he came up with a couple of those, too. Then we went over to have a look at the holsters; I finally settled on a little number that would fit under my waistband, at the small of my back. He added it all up, and I gave him cash for the purchase. He looked at me, and raised an eyebrow; I just said 'I thought it might make the paperwork easier'. He smiled, and when he brought me over the forms to fill out for the handgun purchase, I carefully didn't notice they were all dated for a couple of days previous. When he brought me my change, I asked 'You got a range in here that I can use? Kinda like to make sure I still remember which end the bullets come out of.' He grinned, and said 'Oh, I reckon you still know.'
I looked around, and saw Lucy looking at me. I gestured her over, and asked 'I'm going to fire a few rounds through this thing to get a feel for it. Your call if you and the girls want to watch.'
She thought about it a few seconds, and finally told me 'Yeah, it would probably be a good idea. Let them know that it's not a toy, and show them that you're really there to protect them. Okay, we'll watch.'
As she went off to herd them over, the owner went over and locked the front door, saying 'Well, that's it for the night. I'll be closing up after you folks leave.'
When he got back, we were all ready, and he guided us to the indoor pistol range he had in the back. A couple of the agents followed us – as much to see if I could shoot, as to watch over us, I suspected. The owner handed out safety glasses and hearing protectors before showing me to the firing line. I carefully loaded all the magazines, leaving them next to the pistol as I put the holster in place at my back. One of the agents put a silhouette target up for me, and ran it down the range a little ways. I looked around to make sure Lucy and the girls were ready, and out of the way, before sliding a magazine in. I drew the slide back, and let it move forward, putting a round in the chamber.
I put it up in front of me, and carefully sighted in on the target, and eased the trigger back, firing the first round. The owner was watching the target through a small scope, and called out 'Nine, two o'clock', telling me where I'd hit the target. I fired again, and he called out 'Nine to Ten, Twelve o'clock'.
Again I fired, and he announced 'Ten ring, Twelve o'clock'. Then 'Ten to X, twelve o'clock'. Then 'X-ring, Twelve o'clock'. The last three, all he said was 'X-ring' – meaning that I'd actually hit the 'X' that marked the center of the target area.
The FBI people were looking at me strangely, and I let the empty magazine drop, and the agent that had put the target up for me brought it back in – revealing that the last three shots had left a single ragged hole in the target. He quickly put up another one, and sent it down the range – a little farther.
I slid the second magazine home, and held the pistol at my side, waiting. The owner knew what I was waiting for, and after a few seconds, called out 'NOW!' I quickly put the pistol in firing position, and popped off a couple of rounds, listening as the cases hit the floor with a 'tink-tink', before putting the weapon back at my side. Several seconds later, we did it again. Then again, and again. With the pistol empty, I set it next to the last loaded magazine as the agent got the target back – this time with only a single, bigger, hole in it's center. He looked at me again, and put a third target up, then sent it down the range again – this time, all the way to the end – fifty feet, or so.
I slid the last loaded magazine into the pistol, and then put the pistol in the holster. I turned sideways to the target, and waited. And waited some more.
Finally, the owner shouted 'BANG!' – and in a single, fluid, motion, I drew the pistol, and emptied it into the target as quickly as I could before letting my arm fall to my side.
Through the cloud of cordite, the FBI agent got the target back, and removed it. He laid it on the wooden shelf that made up the firing line, and whistled.
Then he looked at me in awe before using the palm of his hand to cover all eight holes in the target's x- ring.
I removed the last magazine, and put it and the pistol on the shelf before removing my glasses and hearing protectors. The owner looked at the target, and simply said 'Yup. Figured you'd remember which end the bullets came out of!', before laughing quietly. As I reloaded the magazines, the owner pulled out a cleaning brush, and ran it through the barrel as I watched. I nodded in thanks to him when he finished, and told him 'It's a nice weapon. Trigger's a little gritty, though.' He smiled and said 'I'd take care of it for you, but I just don't have the touch for it any more', before showing me his arthritic hands.
Then he told me 'I reckon you'll be okay for tonight; Mike down at the office can polish that up for you in about ten minutes, tomorrow.' I thanked him again, and he just laughed, saying 'Pleasure's mine. Nice to see someone that can shoot a proper gun – instead of those damn popguns these kids carry!', that last at increased volume, and aimed at the FBI agents, who just smiled.
With all the magazines reloaded, I slid one back into the pistol, then cycled the slide, putting a live round in the chamber. I removed the magazine, and replaced the round with one of the two that were left over from the box before sliding it back into the pistol. The owner watched me with a smile, not saying a word as I put the pistol in the holster – which had a nice pair of pockets on it to hold the other two magazines. The whole thing was surprisingly light and small, and the waistband of my pants kept it neatly tucked against my back, where it was less likely to be noticed.
As we left the firing range, Lucy and the girls were looking at me in wonder – the girls more so than Lucy, who at least had SOME idea that I could shoot.
When we got back into the store proper, I saw the other agents looking at the two that had been on the range with me – and saw the nods and thumbs-up they got in answer. I also saw that the agent that had taken care of the targets for me had brought them along, and was showing them to Agent Gallery as he explained what I'd done. He came over to where Lucy and I were standing and said 'That's a nice bit of shooting. It'll make my people feel better, knowing you hit what you aim at'. The owner was standing nearby, and said 'Oh, yeah, he'll make 'em count, all right!' before laughing again.
We all started to head for the door, and I thanked the owner for his time and trouble; he just said 'Use that thing well, if you need it, and that'll be thanks enough. My age, it's nice to know that there's still decent people in the world, and meet some of 'em every now and then. You just watch out for those girls, you hear?'
I assured him I would, and he let us out; we all waited patiently until we heard the door lock, and saw him wave to us.
Back in the car, Lucy hugged me, and said 'I never thought I'd be saying this, but watching you shoot like that made me*so* horny. Uh, was I seeing things, or were those FBI people kind of impressed?'
'Might have been impressed, I suppose. More relieved to know I wouldn't shoot them by accident, more likely' I told her. She gave me a playful pinch, before I reached back to hand the remaining loose bullet that had been left over to the girls. Each looked at it in curiosity, then looked at me. I asked them 'If I threw that at you, it would probably hurt, wouldn't it?' They nodded, and I asked 'If I threw it really fast, it would hurt more, wouldn't it' Again, they nodded, and I went on 'Now, when a bullet comes out of a gun, it's going at LEAST a hundred times faster than I could ever throw those. That's why it's so dangerous. So you know why I'm telling you that you are to NEVER, EVER touch the gun without my permission. I mean it. If I*ever* see
I just don't want YOU to get hurt, either, okay?'
I smiled at both of them, and said 'I won't, short stuff. Remember, before*I* get involved, the bad guys have to go through the FBI agents. Protecting sex bombs like you two is their JOB, and they're very good at it. Okay?'
