Man In Black

CHAPTER IV-2

"MOVE TARGET TO 15 METRES. Fire!"

The voice came from their headphones, giving instructions and changing the training course at will. It was the voice of the field instructor of the beginners class at the shooting range.

All the students were sweating. The training had been going on for only a week and it had gotten to everyone already. They had been training on using rifles for short-distance fire for a steady three hours and half. Only those who hit their targets were allowed to rest until the others hit theirs too.

Presently, Chuks, Belinda and some others were sitting to one side, having their rest. They had hit their targets and had taken water as a reward. Segun was sweating profusely, still trying to hit his own.

"Again, fire!"

A chorus of shots rang out. All missed.

"Again!"

Another volley. Segun and another student hit. Only two were left. Segun ran to Chuks' side, grabbed a cup and drank glucose water for his parched throat. Then he sat down to breathe.

Today's training fire-arm was the AK-74 assault rifle. At first, they had been given a breakdown of the rifle to familiarize themselves with it's capabilities, an opportunity for them to meet with their class instructor once again. Then, the training started.

The field instructor had said he wanted to show them what it was like to be involved in a real battle, which could rage on for days.

At first it had seemed fun, but after going on for over an hour, they found that they were easily fatigued. The scowl on the field instructor's face at seeing them repeatedly miss such easy targets prevented them from asking for even a little rest.

Segun was now a bit settled. He stretched his hands, noticing he could feel them better now.

"Guy, how do you see the training?"

"O-boy, I no know sey the thing go hard reach like this o."

"Ah, hard? Wasn't it you that signed up for it? And it has been only a week now", he said, exasperated.

"Anyhow sha. But you see your bae for that side? She even qualify before you, self."

"Look, I don't have time for that now, before..."

A shrill whistle sounded. Like robots, they all ran to their positions and took up their guns. The whistle meant that the rest had hit their marks. It was now time for work.

"Move target to 20 metres. All take aim."

They all did. He turned and looked at Chuks.

"Hey, you, why are you taking aim like that?" he queried. He moved over. "Here, stand up straighter...okay then raise your gun, point it directly at the target...right. Now, fire!"

The shots went off. Chuks' buzzer sounded. He had hit the bulls-eye. Everyone else turned and looked at him.

"Again!"

They did. Chuks hit again. The instructor told him he could go and sit. The rest quickly copied his example.

"Again. Fire!"

All hit their targets. They were surprised.

"Again! And again!"

They all fired twice again in unison. All hit again.

The instructor was a bit pleased. They were becoming better marksmen. That meant they needed more training. He called Chuks back.

"Now move target to 30 metres,” he said with a devilish grin.

The targets moved back nearly out of sight. Someone groaned in despair. Everyone started grumbling.

"Silence!" he bellowed. "Impossible is only in your mind, and unless you get it out, you will be able to do next to nothing. Now, you notice that you can nearly not see the bulls-eye." He picked up a gun.

"Since you already know the position of the bulls-eye on your target, you'll use your intuition. Since this is not a sniper rifle, you have no field lens to target with. Just work with your mind and your eyes."

Taking a good look at everyone's faces, he nonchallantly pointed the gun at a target and fired. A buzzer sounded. He had hit the bulls-eye.

The rest stared with mouths agape. It was true. The impossible was possible.

"All right, man your stations, people. No one is going on break until you complete two bulls-eye shots each", he said with a tone of finality. "Now, all take aim. Fire!"

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