Then he stepped out from the left of me, not where I had thought he was. ‘Sorry, I was just having a bit of fun.’
I frowned. ‘This is a serious matter.’
‘You’re right, but we still have to find some light-hearted moments when we can, no matter how insignificant they seem.’
I couldn’t help agreeing with him. ‘Very well. But we need to do something serious now.’
‘Of course. Follow me,’ said Marcel, heading back through the trees.
I had to run a little to catch up. ‘Does Gaston know you’re helping me?’ I asked.
‘He hasn’t asked, and I have volunteered the information,’ said Marcel.
‘And if he does ask?’
‘Then I shall tell him. It wouldn’t do me any good to get on the wrong side of your cousin. He needs to know he can trust me.’
‘Well, I’m grateful and I’m sorry if it causes you any problems,’ I said, more out of courtesy than sincerity.
Marcel laughed. ‘You’re not that sorry, really.’ He looked over his shoulder at me and grinned.
His smile was infectious, and I couldn’t help returning it. ‘Not that sorry, no.’
We tramped through the undergrowth of the forest for about another fifteen minutes. The trees were denser and taller, allowing less light to filter through the branches. I didn’t know where we were, but I had a sense we were travelling away from the camp. Eventually, Marcel came to a halt, and I stood beside him. We were on the edge of some sort of ravine that overlooked a clearing about twenty metres below.
‘We just need to get down there and we should be far enough away and sheltered from any unwanted attention,’ said Marcel.
‘How long have we got?’
‘Thirty to forty minutes.’
It didn’t seem long enough for me, but then all I really needed to know was how to aim and fire. We made our way down into the gully, Marcel holding out a hand to steady me as we navigated some rocks and uneven ground.
‘Aren’t we making ourselves vulnerable down here?’ I asked.
‘Not really. There’s enough coverage to protect us from any prying eyes and there are several ways out of the valley. We’re not sitting ducks. I’m not that stupid.’ Marcel held my hand a little tighter and longer than necessary now we were over the rough ground.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to imply you were.’
‘Good.’ He let go of my hand and, from the bag he’d slung over his shoulder, pulled out a small pistol. ‘Now this little beauty is ideal for women as it’s small enough to fit in your purse, but it means you have to be pretty close to someone to use it effectively. It’s got a silencer. If you go for the head shot, you’re likely to be sprayed with blood, skull, and brains. You all right with that?’
To be honest, I hadn’t considered the blood and guts part of killing someone. Pulling the trigger had been as far as I’d thought. ‘Yes. I’m fine,’ I replied, not entirely sure if I sounded convincing enough.
Marcel continued. ‘So, if you’re facing your target, you’re going to need to be close enough that they will make eye contact with you. Their eyes will be surprised and then plead with you. It will all happen in a second, before you can register it, but your subconscious will take in all those thoughts. Don’t let that deter you. You have no time to think of them. You’ve got to pull the trigger before you even think. A clean head shot. Blow their brains out.’
I swallowed. It sounded so barbaric. ‘And if I shoot from behind?’ This seemed a coward’s way of doing it and I wanted to see that fear, that surprise, and that pleading in the eyes of whoever had killed my brother.
‘From behind. Well, first you will have to get close enough that they don’t hear you and spin around. In all honesty, that will lower your chances of a clean hit. They will effectively be a moving target once they turn.’
‘I want to see the look on their face,’ I said. ‘I want to say my brother’s name. I want them to recognise the name and realise I have come to get them.’
Marcel let out a low whistle. ‘That second you hesitate gives them the chance to react. They might have a gun too. They might overpower you.’
‘I’ll be ready,’ I said. ‘What other options are there, other than this little pistol?’
‘There’s the .38 Special revolver. You can be further away from your target. But the further away you are, the more accurate you have to be, the bigger the margin for something to go wrong.’
‘Until I know the target, I won’t know which one I’ll use,’ I said. ‘I need to learn how to use both.’
