Free Fire Eye by Peter d’Plesse

hold on the gun. Their range officer introduces himself as John, nickname Hammer, reason not explained, and gives them the standard safety briefing. He’s young, crew cut, tanned and muscular, with the confidence that comes from a military background.
    Once cleared to load, Jed puts on the ear muffs, slips six rounds into the cylinder and snaps it shut. Hammer spends more time with Alexander getting her set up. Jed would have liked to guide her himself but has enough nous to leave it to the official expert. He takes a two-handed hold, adopts a comfortable standing position with his left leg toward the target, straightens his right arm with the left supporting the revolver, eases the hammer back and squeezes a shot onto the target. The muzzle blast is loud even with the ear protection and the barrel kicks up with a snap, but he brings it back onto the target smoothly. He clicks the hammer back with his thumb, fires again and moves the revolver into his left hand. Changing position with his right foot toward the target, Jed releases two fast shots. Back again to his right hand, he fires two quick rounds, double action. Placing the gun on the bench with the cylinder swung open, Jed calls, “Gun clear.” He hits the button to retrieve the target on a pulley system and is satisfied to see a group of six holes that can just be covered by a fifty cent piece.
    “You’ve done this before. Less than twenty seconds start to finish!” calls Hammer. A statement, not a question.
    “Once or twice,” replies Jed. Seeing Hammer’s quizzical expression, he decides to be more forthcoming. “I was state champion in Practical Pistol—house clearing, hostage rescue, obstacle courses. Owned a 686 and a few others but mostly used a Beretta 92SB in competition.”
    Hammer visibly relaxes, realising he is talking to someone who knows what they are doing. “Nice gun, the Beretta. I’m currently using a Glock 40 for security work, pretty standard in the industry.”
    Jed nods.
    Hammer moves closer to Alexander to keep an eye on her. He gives her a briefing on how to hold the revolver tight into the web of her hand and sight the pistol, loading six rounds for her. She pulls the hammer back for single action firing as briefed, braces herself down onto the bench and squeezes off a shot. Without breaking concentration, she fires five more rounds, clearing the gun with confidence and retrieving the target.
    “That’s terrible!” she groans, seeing the six holes spread vertically on the target.
    “Relax,” Jed chips in after a glance at Hammer. “All your shots are on target with less than an inch horizontal movement. The vertical difference is because you’ve let the front sight move just slightly up and down. Keep it in the same place on the target and you will be a master.”
    “That’s fucking brilliant… sorry, that’s very good,” Hammer confirms. “Your trigger pull is smooth and consistent. Have another go and control the front sight.”
    This time she loads six rounds herself, takes a brace position and single actions them onto another target. This is proving to be a new and challenging experience, but she has a strong competitive streak. When the target is retrieved, the two men exchange glances and Jed offers his remaining six rounds of .357.
    “That’s still not good enough,” Alexander spits out. “They’re all up to the right!” The holes are grouped into a circle less than six centimetres in diameter.
    Jed and Hammer recognise a significance that escapes Alexander. “These will kick a bit more but that’s all—just do again exactly what you just did. Keep the same sight picture and squeeze the trigger,” Hammer encourages.
    Alexander hits the switch to move the target back to the twenty-five metre range, loads the rounds and fires them off. She concentrates on the front sight and squeezes the trigger smoothly. This time Hammer hits the switch to retrieve the target—twelve holes are punched into the paper