I drove Annika down to her realtor’s office, pulled up at the front of the building, and was about to ask her if she wanted me to come in, but she was already opening up the passenger door.
“I’ll only be five minutes,” she said, and I nodded. I shifted in my seat, feeling the gun in the holster to the back of my pants pressing into my back, while I searched around in the backseat for a secondary weapon.
If she’s going to learn anything today, she needs to know how to operate a gun. It’s going to be her saving grace if she ever gets herself in too much trouble.
I found a small handgun tucked into the duffle bag on the floor of the backseat. I sat there for a moment, sticking the gun in the glove compartment for easier access when she returned, while I started thinking about how this was all going to go down.
I worried that she was in a little over her head, but she wholeheartedly felt like this was a part of her that she had to explore, so I promised myself to do what I could to make it easier on her.
I couldn’t help but think about what she was going to be like after all of it, because I knew how difficult it was to get accustomed to the ways of criminal life when you’re just starting out. She could be caught in a whirlwind of emotions, not knowing what to do if she ever had to pull the trigger on someone.
I felt it in my gut that she was going to be just fine, that she may even enjoy this life and choose it for her own.
If she turns out to be a good fit for crime, it will certainly make our relationship a lot more interesting, if I could even call it that.
I still had no idea how she felt about me, or if she was even thinking about me at all. Her life was changing so rapidly in a matter of days, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she would eventually reach her limit, begging to return to something that felt normal.
I remembered that feeling quite well when I was younger, but I abandoned it the minute I realized that I was capable of doing so much more.
She came back a few moments later with a small yellow envelope in her hand, taking a deep breath while she shut the door, mentally preparing for what we were about to do next.
Her father never thought about showing her how things are done, and I wonder why that is. It could be because he wanted a better life for her, but even so, it didn’t make sense that a woman living under her father’s roof, knowing what criminal activity he gets up to, doesn’t know how to wield a weapon. Well, she’s about to find out soon if this is what she really wants.
“Where to now?” she asked, and I could’ve sworn her eyes lit up ever so slightly, as though she was a bit excited for what was to come.
“I’m going to take you out to the woods, and show you how to shoot a gun, because I’m not taking you anywhere near a job until I’m sure you can shoot your way out if you need to,” I explained, and she nodded, taking in every bit of information I gave her next, while we drove out to the middle of nowhere.
We were surrounded by large cedar trees, the sweet scent of grass and untouched forest hit the both of us when we finally got out of the car, beginning our walk. Annika struggled to keep up in her strappy sandals, putting on a brave face even though I could tell that she was absolutely terrified. It was nice to see her take such an initiative to find herself because if I had half the determination she had, I’d probably be a completely different man.
“How far are we going?” she asked.
“Not too far, I just want to get you away from the street so no one can hear our gunshots. The last thing we need is to alert someone to our little training session,” I said, and she nodded.
She clutched the ends of her black leather jacket, pulling her red tresses up into a high ponytail so she could focus on what she was about to do. We stopped about a mile into the forest. Letting her get a feel for our surroundings, I asked her if she noticed anything strange.
“What exactly am I looking for?” she asked, confused.
“I want you to listen closely, listen for the rustling of rabbits or squirrels, how the leaves crunch beneath your shoes. I need you to be aware of everything because while we’ll only be firing off at tree branches, you’re going to have to envision someone else at the end of the barrel. I know you probably haven’t given much thought to what it would be like to kill someone, but if you’re going to test out the waters of what it’s like to be a criminal, that’s, unfortunately, part of your new normal,” I said, and she nodded, gulping while I retrieved my gun, watching as she staggered back for a moment to see it in my hand.
“You also shouldn’t have that reaction to a gun, either. Every criminal you’re going to come into contact with can smell fear, and they’re going to use that to their advantage if you’re not careful. That is the last thing that you want,” I explained.
“It’s going to take a little getting used to, I suppose. I still have no idea what I’m doing, but I’m here to learn,” she said, and I could practically hear the inner monologue happening in her mind, while she tried to convince herself that she was capable of seeing this through.
“Just breathe, Annika. You can do this.”
