9 The First Shot

"You make a good point, Young Miss. However, it is the first time that you will be firing a gun. I think that after you become a little more comfortable with the weapons, then we can discuss this again," John firmly replied. He was paid to ensure their safety, so even if the Young Miss was adamant, he would not budge.

"Hmm. Fine! I understand," Artemis decided to compromise. She would first prove that she has the capability to be trusted with the weapons and not need so much protective gear. Her desire to succeed had ignited a fire in her. Damien and Artemis walked up to the gear and started to don it. Artemis was quick and understood how to put on the gear with just a glance, but Damien was a little less than slick. He was stumbling with the bulletproof vest, so John came over to help him wear it properly.

"Artemis, let me take the first shot. I want you to follow in my lead, okay?" Damien asked.

"Okay!" Artemis agreed. She wanted to compare herself to someone at her level and Damien was also a beginner.

"Okay, sir. First things first, you need to take the proper stance," John was demonstrating the stance a person would take by firmly planting his feet on the ground with his left food forward and his right foot back and two hands on the gun. Damien followed his advice and properly set up his stance. "Next, aim the gun at the target with both eyes. It is a bit harder because you are looking at a target in the distance with the help of the reticle on the gun. Don't worry, you will understand how to focus your sight later on as you get used to the gun."

"Okay! Can I fire the gun now?" Damien was impatient.

"Not yet. You need to turn the safety off first," John pointed out how to turn the safety off via the switch on the left side of the gun. "Now, the first shot won't be your best because it is not easy to aim at the target properly the first time you fire a gun. Don't worry and just take your best shot."

"Will do!" Damien replied enthusiastically. He aimed as best he could and fingered the trigger before pulling it. As soon as he shot the gun, he almost dropped it because he had not expected the recoil to be so strong. Guns are not easy to use if you have not every fired them. "Dang, that was a lot tougher than I expected. And my shot just nicked the edge of the target! Ugh. I could have done better."

"No worries, sir. I didn't tell you of the recoil because I wanted you to experience it firsthand yourself," John replied. He knew that if he had warned him, then he might have been too worried about the recoil to aim properly. Aiming was far more important with a low recoil weapon like the Glock 45.

"Let me try," Artemis took her stance as she asked. She aimed and shot as soon as she felt her aim was stabilized. Her first shot was a clean and perfect bullseye and as she was prepared for the recoil, she barely moved.

"Wow! Well done, Young Miss," John complimented her. He had never seen someone get a bullseye so easily. He chalked it up to beginner's luck, but he didn't know what was coming.