by Annie Berdel
Taking a step back, Emma observed the basic form each of her students had relaxed into during practice. She could then tweak their stance, head position or hands until their alignment with the target improved.
“Tiffany, are you ready? It’s your turn!” Emma said as she looked around for her next student. Everyone looked around when there was no reply.
‘Where’s Tiff?” Jay asked to no one in particular
“No idea. She was just here a bit ago.” Jess replied
“Hmmm. Jessica, watch the troops. I’m gonna go check the house and be back in a minute. Keep ‘em busy.” Emma said to her daughter-in-law as she took a gun case and emptied the contents and started repacking it with what she thought she might need shortly.
Emma started off back to the house having a feeling she would find her student back checking on something fictitious that absolutely needed her immediate undying attention. She saw the reservation in Tiffany’s actions when it came to firearms. Something was there, hiding behind the curtains in the dark that was hindering the woman’s ability to relax and enjoy the teaching and Emma was on a mission to find the demon.
Emma walked up over a small knoll that was situated right before the entrance to the chicken coop. As she ascended, she caught a glimpse of the woman’s blouse going inside the enclosure. Slowing down, Emma circled back around decided to try and head her off on the opposite side before the she could exit out the other side by the house. Damn if she wasn’t feeling her age! She needed to get her troops up and out running the hills behind her house if not for their benefit, for her own. With all the commotion lately going on, physical exercise was not a high priority on anyone’s list, let alone hers but now that things had started to calm down, it was time to get back out and get active. She didn’t need a fancy gym out here, she had nature at its finest. There was nothing better than running straight uphill and conquering the fictitious enemy at the top, even if that enemy happened to be your own self and the lack of willingness to do it.
Emma made it around to the opposite side and was leaning against the fence, a little winded but waiting no less for the woman to exit the pen.
“Tiff.” Emma said in a low almost growl
Completely caught off guard, the woman swirled around, dropping all of the objects she had so tentatively gathered from under her unwilling victims
“DAMN IT EMMA” Tiffany screamed as she tried to catch any eggs that she could before they splattered all over the ground between the two women.
“You want to explain to me what you are doing over here to begin with instead out with all the others? You are supposed to be learning how to defend yourself!”
“I, um remembered that we needed to get Mister Tom’s dinner started before he started doing all that yelling again at you again.” Tiffany tried to explain using her best innocent look, fallen lashes and all
“You let me worry about Mister Tom’s attitude and you, my dear, better start worrying about pissing me off! Now, let’s get back out with the girls, it’s your turn to shoot.” Emma said sternly
“Emma. Listen. I just....” Tiff started as she lost words to explain what was going on in her head
“I know. It’s why I came after you.”
“You know? Then why are you making me do this?” Tiffany asked
“Because I know you and I believe in you to overcome this fear you have. Listen, I don’t know what happened to cause this but I do know, without a doubt, that you can overcome this if you put your mind to it and if, you trust me. “Emma said gently
“I don’t know, I just don’t know how.” Tiffany said as she started to walk around Emma back towards the house
Emma grabbed her arm to slow her down and swing her around to look at her face. “Listen, honey. I refuse to let you fail on this. I know it’s hard but I want to help. Seriously. Tiff” Emma said as she tilted Tiffany’s face with the tips of her fingers. “Tiff, let me try.”
“Yes, Miss Emma. Okay. “
“Okay? Okay, let’s do this. And we don’t have to do it with all the others. Let’s go off down by the pond. We can use some one on one time until you feel more comfortable, okay?
Tiffany pinched one of her cheeks up to give a halfhearted approval of Emma’s plan but she went with it. She knew she wasn’t going to get out of this. Once Emma latched on, it was all in.
Emma sashayed her hand out to show Tiffany in which direction she expected the woman to walk. Quietly they walked around and down the hill to the pond that the cows used when penned closer to the barn.
Setting the silver case down that she had been carrying, Emma unclasped the top and opened the two panels that kept the contents secure. Reaching inside she pulled out the foam that was protecting the cargo that Emma had been lugging around.
“So. Tell me Tiffany. Have you shot before?”
“Yes. Jay took me to a range a couple times.
“And?”
“And what? I just didn’t like it.”
“Why? What didn’t you like about it?”
“Everything
“Listen, we can do this the easy way or I can sit here and ask you every little question until I get the answers that I need. Spill it. What is everything? You didn’t like the gun you used? The place smelled bad? You didn’t like the decor? What is everything?” Emma asked
“Well.” Tiffany started as she began to relive the experience. “It was bad from the get go. The men who were running the place acted like we didn’t know what we were doing so Jay kinda got a little ruffled and wasn’t in the best of moods.”
“I’m sure that didn’t make for a fun experience for you
“No. It was miserable after that. She was more worried about what those guys were saying about us then actually teaching me anything
“What was she having you shoot?
“Same thing she had. Her gun.”
“That forty-five?! Are you kidding me? Well that explains a lot!” Emma exclaimed. “Alright girly girl. Take a deep breath. You have my undivided attention. No one here to see us and I bet the place is a lot cleaner even though we are in the middle of a cow field.”
At that, Tiffany busted out laughing “You know us to well girl. The bathroom in that place was absolutely disgusting! I know it’s mostly guys but come on now!”
Emma chuckled “I had a feeling” she said looking at her friend
“Okay, let’s do this my girly girl!” Tiffany said more relaxed now and much more confident. They took the next few minutes reviewing the components of the twenty-two that Emma was going to start her out on. Seven feet from the target and Tiff hit it dead on.
“WOW! That’s like shooting butter! I couldn’t even feel it kick!” Tiff squealed in excitement.
“That’s called muzzle flip and if you have proper control of your firearm it reduces that effect. Let’s take a few steps back and you are still going to aim for the same spot on the target. Now remember, part of this is to build muscle memory for when you can’t think straight. So it’s important that you practice the fundamentals each time.”
Taking a couple giant steps back, Tiffany turned and gave Emma the biggest, happiest grin. Emma sighed. It’s what this was all about. She was teaching firearms training but she was also teaching confidence and when it clicked in the student, there was no better high for Emma. They continued practicing until Tiffany was hitting dead on the target at 20 feet. Emma then walked Tiffany up the calibers, giving her the time to feel comfortable until she was as proficient with each until Emma reached in her case and pulled out the last one.
“This is it girly girl. Last one.” Emma said
“That’s a forty five like Johnisse’s?”
“Yes. Different brand but this is a forty five.”
Emma handed the firearm to Tiffany and watched as the woman looked it over
“Well hello there.” Tiffany said as she held the gun in her hand “We are going to be good friends” she said as she turned the firearm over and looked her up and d
own, learning her curves. Tiffany ran her thumb over the engraved letters at the bottom of the grip “X - O- M?”
“XDm” Emma corrected. “This is a Springfield XDm. The company that manufactured it is Springfield. The XD stand for X-Treme Duty, the M is for the match grade barrel and match grade trigger. Polymer frame with a striker fire it’s pretty lightweight at about 31 ounces without the magazine. Its one sweet little firearm. Here.” Emma said as she handed a magazine with one cartridge in it. “Same drill, okay? Keep your thumbs up and I don’t want you to use your sites. Feel this baby. Feel it all the way to the target.”
“Yes ma’am” Tiffany replied as she took a deep breath and lined herself up. Taking a deep breath in, she slowly started to release it as she pointed her thumbs at the target and just as she was ready, she held her breath and pressed the trigger straight back with the pad of her index finger.
The blast from the firearm ricocheted up and into Tiffany’s wrist, then her arm and shoulder absorbed the blast just as it should. Very little muzzle flip as the projectile left the barrel, hitting its target dead on. The smile that crept across the woman’s face showed the success.
“Y’all may wanna start action right, post haste. I just shot a forty five and hit the fricken target!” she squealed “Again, correctly and like, text book beautiful! To be clear, call your momma and get right with Jesus. Give me a couple more of those cartridges and don’t say I didn’t warn you! Your badass had arrived.”
44
Both the curtains and the blinds were closed against the brightness of the sun. Tomas lay on the bed with his arm haphazardly thrown across his eyes. His head was throbbing. He was damned if he could get any rest around this place but he had to stay on his plan. Once the right time hit, he would be gone along with a few things that would help him get set up in his new life. He had been lifting supplies quietly for a few days now and stashing them in one of the cabins while he was out on his daily walk. Even if someone visited the cabin, he had hidden the items well. So far he had handheld radios, medication and a water filtration system. He still needed some firepower and ammo but Emma would notice something missing if he collected those items too soon. He would need to wait until right before his escape before he took the guns.
Gold. He still need to get the gold. He knew it was here somewhere if he could just remember where! Emma always talked about how currency would change after a collapse, or so she thought it would. Tomas had often wondered if she had an ulterior motive but couldn’t figure out what it could be. Was it control over him? He could still take it and spend it and easier now that it fit into his pocket as opposed to another of her damn solar panels. So far they hadn’t needed to make any purchases with the amount of forethought that had gone into setting up the farm so there was still quite a bit in the vault. The vault!! The damn vault!
About fricken time you start remembering!
The problem was a small one but still posed an issue none the less. The vault was hidden through a closet in Emma’s bedroom. He needed to get access back in there without sending up red flags and with him sleeping downstairs, that was the small issue. Could he stomach making Emma believe he was ready to move back into the bedroom he supposedly shared with his wife prior to all shit going down? Probably as she was gullible as hell when it came to her feelings towards him. He watched her even now, walking on glass every time she was around him, her heart dripping out of her chest.
Oh, poor me. Poor little Emma who has a husband who can’t remember her awesomeness. What was she to do, the poor helpless excuse for a human. The Queen Bee of her kingdom was going to crash and burn if he had anything to do with it.
Hell, he didn’t even see it as half his anymore. Emma owned everything. It was all hers. All the hard work was hers also. He just road her coattails, just along for the ride.
She owed him though for all the years that he kept his mouth shut. All the years that she made him feel less than a man, less than a human. Emma this and Emma that.
Fury flung his arm from his eyes and onto the pillows beside his head. Over and over he picked up his arm and beat the bed beside him trying to release the frustration building up inside. It was becoming uncontrollable. He felt the anger creep over his face and down his neck, heat turning his skin red beneath his otherwise olive hued casing.
Jumping up off the bed, Tomas walked around to the bathroom. Leaving the door open, he turned the cool water on that flowed into the sink. He watched it swirl into the drain for a few moments. Captivating his attention, he didn’t hear a soft knock at the door. Reaching his hands down into the cool water, he cupped his hands and gathered as much liquid as he could before splashing it on his burning skin. Over and over he covered his face and neck until he could feel the nerve endings returning to normal. His eyes closed, he reached out and grasped for the hand towel that he knew would be there. The agitation returned as the demons in his mind taunted him on who made sure the hand towels were perfectly placed. Emma.
Slamming his towel clad hands against his face, he tried to stop the thoughts of her.
Damn her
Throwing the towel on the floor, he walked abruptly back into the bedroom.
“What the hell!” he shouted
“I knocked. You didn’t answer so I thought you were out. I came in to clean up a bit.” Emma said, her eyes drifting to the towel he had just thrown down.
The fury in his face startled Emma. Walking past him, she was going to straighten the bed a bit before she tried to talk with him about the next few days. She needed to leave for a few days and go check on some family scattered around the county. Two days max was all she needed and Tomas could take care of himself now fairly well but she had things taken care of to make her time away easier for him.
Something made Emma pause in front of Tomas and turn towards him, face to face. His pupils, clouding over made her blink.
Did she just imagine that?
She blinked again.
“Tommy?”
“What?”
“I um. I am leaving for a few days. Will you need anything before I go?” she stammered
“Where the hell do you think you are going?”
“I um… I just wanted to go check on….”
“What the hell Emma! Other people are more important than taking care of your own husband?” screaming at her now, Emma took a step back
“I just thought…”
“That’s your problem, you been thinking again. I need clean towels. My sheets need washed.” He started his list of demands, his arms and hands flailing with each command.
“Now wait a minute Tom, I am not here to be your slave! I will gladly take care of you but don’t demand from me what I am currently giving willingly!”
“Are you sassing me?”
Perplexed, Emma bent down to remove the dust cover from the bed.
“Emma, I asked you a question and I demand an answer!” he screamed
“I’m not quite sure who you think you are talking…” her voice trailed off as the palm of Tom’s hand made contact with her cheek
Out of habit, Emma brought both forearms up to protect herself. Backing away, she braced herself for more violence from the man she loved.
Emma swallowed the lump in her throat. She wasn’t about to let him see her cry. They stood staring at each other for what seemed like eternity.
“You need to leave” Tom seethed from between his teeth
Emma backed to the door, not taking her eyes off the person before her. Reaching her hand around her back, she opened the door without turning around. Backing out, she closed the door quietly in front of her, releasing the handle like it was ablaze. She couldn’t bring herself to turn her back on the door. Reaching up, she laid her palm on the wooden crossbeam as the tears started to flow. Closing her eyes briefly, she exhaled and backed down the hallway.
A line had been crossed that could no longer be denied. Boundaries were broken, but could they be repaired? Trust was destroyed in the blin
k of an eye. People change whether intentional or not. Denial of someone’s true nature does not change them, it changes you. The rules change after a traumatic event. Play the game or get played. How far will you bend in the wind to save someone you love? Will you allow it to destroy you? When do you sever the ties that bind? Vows made and love promised will not keep evil at bay. Demons stalk our innermost playground waiting for the chance to jump on in and tell us lies. Some souls cannot break free from their taunting. Some souls begin to sing the same song….
45
“What’s all this?” Scott said as he walked around the table looking at the scraps of metal and plastic that obviously met an unfriendly end.
“Well, I wasn’t sure when to bring this up considering Shelby’s surgery and all but, I would like your thoughts on some things.”
“Okay, well, I will give you whatever thoughts i have but I don’t need to tell you that this tinker toy was blown apart.” Scott replied
Pulling up a chair, Jeremiah motioned for Scott to take a seat. “Here ya go. Let me bring you up to speed on this.”
“Sure! I seem to have all the time in the world lately.” Scott replied with a partial grin.
“As you know, I wanted some answers to what exactly happened out there.” he said pointing with a flip of his thumb towards the outside. “So I had Ridley and Angie keep Shelby busy for a bit and headed down towards Memphis. Seems to me that was ground zero for the blast I saw.”
“I agree. When Ang and I were trying to get back to Ohio from Memphis, that blast was somewhere at our back. We didn’t see it straight up but we certainly felt the repercussions!” Scott explained
“You all were damn lucky.” Jeremiah said to the man sitting across from him.
“You don’t think I think about that? One more day, hell, twelve more hours and neither of us would be here right now. I saw nothing unusual when we were cleaning out her apartment so I have no idea what the hell happened.” Scott added
