Project Rescue - A Shifter Novel (NaNoWriMo19)

“Are you as good with guns?” Eagle questioned with a hint of a challenge.

I shrugged my shoulders, not commenting yes or no. I wouldn’t make a big deal of my training. If they wanted a demonstration they would have to put up or shut up. Eagle must be the shooter of the group. This could be a fun challenge, if he challenged me.

“I call for a challenge,” Eagle shouted out, his eyes on me.

“How much?” Madrid asked, wanting see her in action.

Everyone threw in their bet and waited on me to accept the challenge or decline.

I walked over to my backpack, pulling about two-hundred-dollars out and walking back to the table. I threw my two-hundred down and smiled. “I’ll take the bet.”

“You’re in trouble now, Eagle.” Matheus had a wicked smile on his face. “Who is your bet for? I need to know names.”

I had more bets this time but Eagle didn’t act worried. I knew he would be good but I loved a good challenge. This was going to be fun. I hope he loved running and jumping. I wasn’t kidding when I said I could shoot one handed flying through the trees.

“Ladies first,” Eagle commented, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

I walked over to the blade practice area, pulling the trapeze to me. I was about to step into the set up when Eagle’s words stopped me.

“Um, Selina, that’s the blade practice area,” Eagle pointed out.

“I know. But, there were no rules set and I know Matheus has this set up for both blades and bullets, right, Matheus?” I questioned.

“Right,” Matheus said, smiling at Eagle.

“Okay, just checking,” he hesitantly said.

I climbed into the harness and took a breath and let it out slowly. I ran into the middle of the range, flipped and took the shot while I was in the tuck of the flip. I landed and looked at the target, knowing I hit it before a sound was made. How did I know this? The men quit talking completely.

“Yes! That’s my girl,” Matheus yelled. He was smiling so big he I thought his would freeze.

Eagle nodded his head at me. He walked over to the harness and strapped himself in. I wanted to see what he could do. I knew he had to be a good shot. I just didn't know how good. He took the shot and hit the bullseye too.

“Yes! That’s my...way to go, Eagle,” the General voiced, wincing a little at his almost slip.

I nodded at Eagle, walking back over to the harness. I didn’t strap in this time. I had an idea and I wanted to be free to take the shot at my own pace. “Hey, Matheus, turn the air on to about twenty miles per hour please.”

I watched out of the corner of my eye as the men looked at each other, wary looks on their faces. Living in California I had high winds one day and nothing the next. It was how I was taught. I had to learn wind speeds quickly or miss my shots and be stuck in another four hours of training. Thankfully, I learned quickly. It gave me more time to plan my escape - something I did on a daily basis.

I climbed to the middle of the bungee rope, swinging the rope as I did so. I turned upside down, holding on with one leg and took the shot, again, hitting the bullseye. I jumped down, landing quietly on my feet and walked over to Matheus’s side.

We watched a he walked over to the bungee rope, climbing quickly to the top as he swung the rope. He turned upside down and when he was on his way back from the first swing he took the shot, hitting the center of the bullseye.

“You get to pick this time, Eagle,” I told him, waiting to see what he would do.

Eagle nodded and went to the actual gun range. We followed behind him as he picked up a rifle. I noticed what he picked up as he laid on down on his stomach, without using a sandbag to hold his weapon up. He was shooting using a Nightforce 4 - 14 x .25MOA SHV - MOA 1000 rifle. A great rifle for long range shooting. I watched him take the scope off. He took his shot hitting the bullseye.

I nodded at him again and walked over to the rifle. He picked a heavier weapon hoping to throw me off. He should have thought about what the monster would use before he picked a gun he thought would be too heavy for me to balance without the bags.

I took a quick breath, letting it out slowly as I took the shot. I couldn’t see my shot. I knew I hit it but it wasn’t showing. I looked at the edges and around each circle but still nothing.

All of us walked to the end of the target. Everyone was curious as to why there wasn’t a second hole. We looked it over but still couldn’t see.

“Let’s look at the slow motion camera. I hooked it up awhile back,” Matheus dryly said.

We walked over to his computer screen. Another one that was bigger and also slid into the wall. He started the camera and slowed it down until we were watching the bullet come out of the gun slow enough you could follow it completely.

The air whooshed out of Eagle. “Are you kidding me?”