Someone To Run To

27

Morning came swiftly.

Alan woke Gina up early and they had breakfast together alone. He told Giles to leave it to him for the day. Alan fixed them omelets and toast and poured two tall glasses of orange juice. They ate in silence and Alan did the dishes when they were finished.

Gina helped him tidy up the kitchen and then they headed outside. He stopped by the door to pick up the briefcase and then they were on their way again. The light atmosphere from days past was all but forgotten. Alan's face was deadly serious.

They walked far into the grounds, past the rose garden and the dock, where he had taken her to see the lake. When they finally stopped, Alan sat the briefcase down on the ground and opened it. He looked up at Gina. Her whole body was shaking something awful. She was nervous about what was about to happen.

"Bend down here for a second, love," Alan told her.

Gina got down on the ground on one knee.

"I want to show you how to load the gun and how to take the safety off."

She nodded. "Okay." She had just been lucky with the gun she had shot Amy with. Other than that awful day, she had never touched one.

He demonstrated it to her and then let her do it herself. Once she was comfortable with it, he straightened up and helped her up off the ground by offering his hand. She took it without hesitation.

Gina hadn't been able to sleep much last night, plagued with anxious anticipation. She didn't want to learn how to be proficient with a gun. She didn't want to know how it felt to pull the trigger ever again, but with Ron on the loose and no guarantee she wouldn't somehow get separated from Alan, she agreed she needed to know how to use one. She was looking forward to the karate lessons a lot more. Karate was something she had always wanted to know how to do. She loved watching the competitions on television.

"Okay," Alan said. "There is a target at fifteen feet." He pointed in front of him. "Do you see it?"

"Yes," Gina said. "I do."

"Raise your gun at it, aim, and fire."

Gina's hands were shaking. "You haven't shown me anything yet."

Alan spoke softly. "You've fired a gun before. I just want to see exactly where you're at before I start giving you pointers."

She nodded. She studied the gun in her hand for a few seconds. It was a deadly weapon and she was about to learn how to use it. It made her apprehensive. She wrapped both hands around the gun and pointed it in the direction of the target. She stood there for a moment and put her finger on the trigger. She looked to make sure the safety was off like Alan had taught her. Then she took a deep breath.

Alan watched her closely. He could see she was unsteady and he instantly felt bad for making her go through it, but it was necessary. She needed to be prepared for anything. He wanted to know if something happened to him, she would be able to take care of herself. Her finger was on the trigger now. All she had to do was shoot.

Suddenly the shot went off like a bomb, but she didn't hit the target. Alan was pretty sure she missed it completely. He chuckled.

Gina whirled around. "What?"

"I saw you," Alan told her. "You have to keep your eyes open, Gina. Otherwise, you're not going to be able to see what you're shooting."

"I'm sorry," she whined. "I'm just not used to this."