Page 58 of Enforcing the Rules

“Then you want her to have the Glock. Just make sure she doesn’t end up shooting you with the damn thing.”

“I’ll make sure that’s lesson one.”

“Just sayin’.”

They chuckled, then emerged from the room.

Utah walked out with a gun and a box of ammunition in his hand. “Thanks, Darko. I’ll pay you tomorrow.”

“Have fun, kids.”

Utah led me farther down the hall to a rear door, and we exited out behind the building. We walked to a small clearing about thirty yards away. On the far side, against the wooded area, was a board propped across two barrels. Old bottles stood lined up on it. Next to that was an actual paper target on a plywood board nailed to two by fours stuck in the ground.

“First, you need to learn how to load it.” Utah set the gun in my hand.

“What is it?”

“A Glock semi-automatic.”

“What’s that mean?”

“It means when you fire it, the energy not only fires the bullet but also ejects the spent cartridge, re-cocks the hammer and feeds a fresh cartridge from the magazine. But it’s also an easier trigger to pull, so you’ve got to be extremely careful of misfires.”

“Okay.”

“I’m serious, Kate. Anytime that thing’s in your hand, you’ve got the power to kill someone. Never point it at anyone unless you want them dead. And never put your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to kill them.”

His words were so ominous; I swallowed.

“I’m not trying to scare you. I’m being straight with you. Respect the gun always, and don’t point it at anyone, unless your life is threatened.”

“Okay.”

He showed me how to load and expel the magazine of cartridges. I was surprised by the weight of the thing in my hands.

“Now let’s try to hit the paper.”

He stepped behind me, and my nervousness eased.

“Always use two hands. One on the weapon, and one palm up to brace your hand on.” He wrapped his arms around me and lifted the weapon. “Finger straight out until you’re ready to pull the trigger.”

“Line up the sight with your target. Now when you want to fire, you don’t jerk the trigger, you squeeze it. Got it?”

I nodded, loving the feel of him at my back, but taking every word he said seriously.

“Now the Glock’s gonna have some kick to it, so be ready. Okay. Finger on the trigger. Squeeze.”

Even though he’d warned me, I wasn’t ready for the recoil. Luckily, he was right there to steady me.

“Not bad.” He dropped his arms and took a step back. “Try it on your own now.”

I concentrated on every step he’d shown me, then aimed and squeezed. This time I was ready for the kick, and I was even inside the outer circle.

“Getting better.”

“Now what?” I asked.

“Now you practice until it’s second nature to you.”

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