Always Was The Better Shot

Chapter 8

By dawn the next morning, the entire base was bustling with activity. Since the date of when the Diamondbacks were moving The Western Sunrise was unknown, everyone was acting like they could get word back about it at any moment. Since that very well could be the case, everyone was trying to get as much done as possible. Travis was over in the weapons cache, feverishly taking inventory of their weapons, ammunition, and explosives while drawing out plans to make new ones. Lauren was setting out with two other Rebels, taking the quietest bikes to The Rusty Railway where they hoped to find clues on the whereabouts of the Diamondbacks' base. The rest of the gang was either at the shooting range practicing their marksmanship, tuning up their bikes and vehicles, or just getting over their hangovers.

Despite their scruffy appearances, Cassidy was impressed with the crew's skill. Now, they weren't anything like Blackwatch or Overwatch, but they were competent in their own way. Or at least, competent enough that they had a chance at pulling off this job. He moved around B.O.B., who was pushing a lev cart piled with spare parts to the garage and ambled over to the shooting range. As he approached, the sounds of gunfire filled his ears, as well as the occasional celebratory remark or curse. There was one sound that stood more than the rest; the steady firing of a Viper rifle, constantly hitting the bullseye. He rounded the corner of a building and saw Ashe standing a hundred yards away from her target, firing bullet after bullet into the center of the target.

The shooting range wasn't the prettiest thing to look at, but it served its purpose, as well as any professional range could. The targets were anything from metal oil barrels to high-tech electronic targets (probably stolen) that were made out of extremely durable steel, the type used in tanks. These targets were the ones Ashe was shooting at. Every time her bullet found its mark at its center, a loud ding was emitted and a score was displayed from a holographic port on the side, along with a projection of where the bullet made contact with the target. The bullets crumpled against the high-quality steel, so the target wasn't full of holes and looked as good as new. A loud clicking noise emitted from Ashe's rifle, announcing the empty magazine. Shifting the weight of the rifle into her right arm, she started loading more bullets into the chamber rapidly, clearly testing to see her reload speed.

"Not bad," Cassidy called over the sounds of gunfire, walking up behind her and admiring the target she'd just been shooting at. The holo display showed a cluster of closely grouped dots at the center of the target, a tribute to Ashe's excellent aim. "You seem to be a little rusty and off your game, but not bad." He smirked at the competitive glare that Ashe shot at him, before examining the marksmanship of the other Rebels at the range. Overall, the gang approached adequate accuracy, though it was something that Ana would definitely scoff at. Nowhere near as good as her or Cassidy's shooting, but decent enough that they should be able to hit most targets at medium range.

"You think you can do better?" Ashe challenged, pumping the lever of her rifle and looking Cassidy dead in the eye.

"Think? Nah, I know I can do better," Cassidy said, winking at her. Ashe returned the smirk he wore with ease, but he could see that she was raring for a competition underneath the surface. Same old Ashe, no matter how much time passed. Some things never change, like how much fun it was to push Ashe's buttons.

"Oh yeah? Prove it," Ashe said, mockingly bowing and gesturing to the target she was just shooting at. She pressed a button on the ground with her foot, which cleared the holo display of the target and reset the score to zero. "Show us what you've got," Ashe drawled, resting her rifle on her shoulder. The rest of the crew, sensing a contest, all stopped their shooting and turned to watch Cassidy as he squared his shoulder and marched up to the firing line. He stood facing the target a hundred yards away, his face lined with determination. For a moment, nothing moved. Not the wind nor the clouds, not Ashe nor her gang. Then, as quick as a viper, Cassidy drew the Peacekeeper from the holster on his hip and fired at the target.