Page 15 of Mafiosa
My mouth had gone dry. My arms were buzzing, and my breathing was coming more rapidly.
‘Let the adrenalin steady you.’ He was behind me again, his hands on my shoulders as he turned me just an inch to the left. He squeezed once – a reinforcement – and then withdrew. ‘Let it focus you.’
I envisioned Donata’s overly made-up face, her sickly grin. I imagined her pallor drained by fear as I aimed my gun at her skeletal frame.
‘Fire,’ he breathed. ‘Kill the bitch.’
I fired.
My hand snapped backwards, the gun veering towards the ceiling on its recoil. ‘Shit,’ I hissed, releasing the trigger. ‘I didn’t think it would be so strong.’
‘You’ll get used to it,’ Nic assured me, unfazed by the fail. ‘Keep your hand steadier this time. Don’t let the recoil push your grip backwards.’
The exhilaration of firing the gun was fast being eclipsed by the fact that I didn’t get anywhere on the target. I squinted. ‘Where did the bullet go?’
Nic pointed towards the ground on the right of the Donata target. ‘It’s lodged in the wall.’
‘Well, that’s embarrassing.’
‘Your arm lagged.’ Nic stood behind me again. He lifted my hand with his until the gun was in front of me again. ‘You have five more bullets in this magazine. Five more chances to hit a target before we reload.’
I focused entirely on the task at hand, not his breath on my cheek or his voice in my ear. Our arms lined up, and I was thankful for his coat and my sweater. Skin-to-skin would not be a good idea right now. ‘Line up your sight. Hold steady.’
Donata’s features shifted into view. I saw her in my mind’s eye, as plainly as if she was there in front of me.
‘Again,’ he said, pulling back. ‘Shoot her.’
I fired again.
This time I was expecting the recoil. My arm still flinched, but not much. I missed the target.
‘Again,’ Nic commanded.
I replanted myself and fired.
Miss.
‘Again.’
Miss.
‘Higher.’
I held my arm higher. It was starting to get tired.
‘Again.’
Miss.
‘Again,’ he demanded.
That one hit the torso of the target next to the one I was aiming for. The bullets had run out. I dropped my arm, and realized I was panting. Frustration and embarrassmentwarred inside me.
‘Damn it,’ I cursed. ‘I can’t do it, Nic.’ I wanted to throw the gun across the room. ‘I’m terrible at this.’I am powerless. I am weak.
Nic took the gun from me and reloaded it. ‘You’re a beginner.’
‘A bad one.’
