Nevermore: The Secret Order

Chapter 14 - Message Sent

- EIGHT YEARS AGO -

Mentoring is harder than others made it out to be. No one knows that harder than Alistair. However, he always figured no one is truly ready once they're out in the world. Be it in the field or just life in general. No one prepared him for parenthood and now he has a teenager to deal with. The beady-eyed child he came to know is growing fast. His greatest fear is, a time may come that he may have to grow up faster the hard way. Hopefully not the way he did.

"Focus." said Alistair. "Now I want you to at least hit the target. Not everything but the target. Keep the barrel forward and steady."

Raven put the butt of the rifle against his shoulder and kept shuffling his fingers on the grip before he could squeeze the trigger. And it began. The young man kept his aim low but still has issues keeping the weapon steady. It felt just like yesterday that he was just habitually snuck past him for a candy bar or two. And here he is now, fourteen and firing a semi-automatic rifle. Trying at least. It was also just yesterday that the young man was overwhelmed by the recoil, causing the weapon to tilt upwards with his finger still on the trigger. Consequentially, this also inadvertently caused the death of two innocent pigeons who just dropped to the ground.

"Shit! The kick back on this thing is gonna take my arm off!" exclaimed Raven as he massaged his shoulder with an ACR 6.8 assault rifle strapped over it.

"Language child." said Alistair.

"Sorry." groveled Raven.

"Well, you did manage to hit the target." said Alistair while looking through his scope. "But next time, I would suggest aiming around the midsection and upwards. Not the thighs or the beyond that. And certainly not the crotch."

"At least I hit it this time." said Raven. "Right?"

"Yeah" said Alistair. "We'll see."

"Maybe I can get an ACOG scope or that same EO Tech holo sight you've been using." said Raven. "That should help me with my aim."

"What good is a scope if you can't even steady your weapon?" Alistair said with a chuckle.

He still has much to learn. But he is motivated and naturally talented. Above all, he is persistent. Watching the young man stumble and get It also made him ponder what it was like to grow up with a father or at least a mentor. That is something he will never truly know. Alistair grew up in an orphanage in Cardiff.

No one cared to adopt him for some reason. Everyone thought of him as a problem child. He found himself running off on his own and bouncing between odd jobs. He eventually decided to give the British Army a go. Perhaps he could make enough and once he's done, maybe he could start his own pub. He's slept in worse conditions. Living over a pub would be tame in comparison. That was the plan. At least it was.

But something about it felt natural. Every time he squeezed the trigger on his rifle, he felt no different from fighting just to stay alive. The promotions just meant better pay for him. Until of course he was made an offer he couldn't refuse. It was too tempting to pass up. Not once did it occur to him that the nature of the work transcended the interests of governments and the limits of borders. Nor did the fact that it transcended all what humanity generally knows as real. Lucrative as the pay was and grateful as he was as this meant he can afford better for his young ward. He did not wish for him to go through such. But something else made him stay. It was the nature of the work itself. It gave him a sense of purpose. Though he would rather have Raven live a life outside it, he cannot rule out the possibility that the young man may find himself in the same world. After all, he's already shown signs that he may be too clever and crafty for his own good. So one can never be too sure. He can only prepare his young ward. Fate has a way of biting one back.