Chapter 5
Ava stepped onto the firing line.
She did not aim at the standard target.
She raised the rifle toward the farthest plate.
Harlan’s smile faded a little.
“Reed,” he warned. “That target isn’t for you.”
Ava adjusted her stance.
Left foot steady.
Right shoulder relaxed.
Cheek welded to the stock.
She exhaled halfway and held it.
Harlan took one step forward.
“I said that target is not—”
Bang.
The shot cracked across the range like thunder.
The sound rolled out over the desert.
For one long second, nothing happened.
Then, from the far end of the range, the steel plate screamed.
Ping.
Sharp.
Clean.
Dead center.
The spotter behind the scope jerked backward.
“Oh my God.”
The range went silent.
Not quiet.
Silent.
Ava lowered the rifle.
Harlan stared downrange.
His mouth was still open, but nothing came out.
The assistant instructor grabbed the spotting scope and looked.
Then he looked again.
His face changed.
“Sergeant,” he said carefully. “You need to see this.”
Harlan walked to the scope like a man heading toward bad news.
He bent down.
Looked through it.
May you like
And froze.
Read Part 6 to discover what the scope revealed about Ava’s so-called misses.
