tc.patriotgames-第58部分

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　　　　〃Okay。　Let's　do　a　little　experiment。〃　Breckenridge　walked　into　his　office。　He　returned　a　minute　later　with　a　cardboard　box。
　　　　〃Lieutenant；　this　here's　a　High…Standard　target　pistol；　a　。22　built　on　a　。45　frame。〃　The　Sergeant　Major　handed　it　over。　Ryan　took　it；　ejected　the　magazine；　and　pulled　the　slide　back　to　make　sure　the　pistol　was　unloaded。　Breckenridge　watched　and　nodded　approvingly。　Jack　had　been　taught　range　safety　by　his　father　twenty　years　before。　After　that　he　fitted　the　weapon　in　his　hand；　then　sighted　down　the　range　to　get　used　to　the　feel。　Every　gun　is　a　little　different。　This　was　a　target　pistol；　with　nice　balance　and　pretty　good　sights。
　　　　〃Feels　okay；〃　Ryan　said。　〃Little　lighter　than　a　Colt；　though。〃　
　　　　〃This'll　make　it　heavier。〃　Breckenridge　handed　over　a　loaded　clip。　〃That's　five　rounds。　Insert　the　clip　in　the　weapon；　but　do　not　chamber　a　round　until　I　tell　you；　sir。〃　The　Sergeant　Major　was　accustomed　to　giving　orders　to　officers；　and　knew　how　to　do　so　politely。　〃Step　to　lane　four。　Relax。　It's　a　nice　day　in　the　park；　okay？〃
　　　　〃Yeah。　That's　how　this　whole　mess　started；〃　Ryan　observed　wryly。
　　　　The　Gunny　walked　over　to　the　switch　panel　and　extinguished　most　of　the　lights　in　the　room。
　　　　〃Okay；　Lieutenant；　let's　keep　the　weapon　pointed　downrange　and　at　the　floor；　if　you　please；　sir。　Chamber　your　first　round；　and　relax。〃
　　　　Jack　pulled　the　slide　back　with　his　left　hand；　then　let　it　snap　forward。　He　didn't　turn　around。　He　told　himself　to　relax　and　play　the　game。　He　heard　a　cigarette　lighter　snap　shut。　Maybe　Robby　was　lighting　up　one　of　his　cigars。
　　　　〃I　saw　a　picture　of　your　little　girl　in　the　papers；　Lieutenant。　She's　a　pretty　little　thing。〃
　　　　〃Thank　you；　Gunny。　I've　seen　one　of　yours　on　campus；　too。　Cute；　but　not　very　little。　I　heard　she's　engaged　to　a　mid。〃　
　　　　〃Yes；　sir。　That's　my　little　baby；〃　Breckenridge　said；　like　a　father　rather　than　a　Marine。　〃The　last　of　my　three。　She'll　be　married　〃
　　　　Ryan　nearly　jumped　out　of　his　skin　as　a　string　of　firecrackers　began　exploding　at　his　feet。　He　started　to　turn　when　Breckenridge　screamed　at　him：
　　　　〃There；　there；　there's　your　target！〃
　　　　A　light　snapped　on　to　illuminate　a　silhouette　target　fifty　feet　away。　One　small　part　of　Ryan's　mind　knew　this　was　a　test　　but　most　of　him　didn't　care。　The　。22　came　up　and　seemed　to　aim　itself　at　the　paper　target。　He　loosed　all　five　rounds　in　under　three　seconds。　The　noise　was　still　echoing　when　his　trembling　hands　set　the　automatic　down　on　the　table。
　　　　〃Jesus　Christ；　Sar…major！〃　Ryan　nearly　screamed。
　　　　The　rest　of　the　lights　came　back　on。　The　room　stank　of　gunpowder；　and　paper　fragments　from　the　firecrackers　littered　the　floor。　Robby；　Jack　saw；　was　standing　safely　at　the　entrance　to　the　Gunny's　office；　while　Breckenridge　was　right　behind　him；　ready　to　grab　Ryan's　gun　hand　if　he　did　anything　foolish。
　　　　〃One　of　the　other　things　I　do　is　moonlight　as　an　instructor　for　the　Annapolis　City　Police。　You　know；　it's　a　real　pain　in　the　ass　trying　to　figure　a　way　to　simulate　the　stress　of　bat　conditions。　This　here's　what　I　came　up　with。　Okay；　let's　get　a　look　at　the　target。〃　Breckenridge　punched　a　button；　and　a　hidden　electric　motor　turned　the　pulley　for　lane　four。
　　　　〃Damn！〃　Ryan　growled；　looking　at　the　target。
　　　　〃Not　so　bad；〃　Breckenridge　judged。　〃We　got　four　rounds　on　the　paper。　Two　snowbirds。　Two　in　the　black；　both　in　the　chest。　Your　target　is　on　the　ground。　Lieutenant；　and　he's　hurt　pretty　bad。〃
　　　　〃Two　rounds　out　of　five　　must　be　the　last　two。　I　settled　down　on　them　and　took　some　more　time。〃
　　　　〃I　noticed　that。〃　Breckenridge　nodded。　〃Your　first　round　was　high　and　to　the　left；　missed　the　card。　Your　next　two　came　in　here　and　here。　The　last　two　were　on　the　money　fairly　well。　That's　not　too　bad；　Lieutenant。〃
　　　　〃I　did　a　hell　of　a　lot　better　in　London。〃　Ryan　was　not　convinced。　The　two　holes　outside　the　black　target　silhouette　mocked　at　him；　and　one　round　hadn't　even　found　the　target　at　all　。　。　。　
　　　　〃In　London；　if　the　TV　got　it　right；　you　had　a　second　or　two　to　figure　out　what　you　were　gonna　do；〃　the　Gunny　said。　
　　　　〃That's　pretty　much　the　way　it　was；〃　Ryan　admitted。
　　　　〃You　see；　Lieutenant；　that's　the　real　important　part。　That　one　or　two　seconds　makes　all　the　difference；　because　you　have　a　little　time　to　think　things　over。　The　reason　so　many　cops　get　killed　is　because　they　don't　have　that　little　bit　of　time　to　think　it　out　　but　the　crooks　have　done　that　already。　That　one　second　lets　you　figure　what's　happening；　select　your　target；　and　decide　what　you're　gonna　do　about　it。　Now；　what　I　just　made　you　do　was　go　through　all　three　steps；　all　at　once。　Your　first　round　went　wild。　The　second　and　third　were　better；　and　your　last　two　were　good　enough　to　put　the　target　on　the　ground。　That's　not　bad；　son。　That's　about　as　well　as　a　trained　cop　does　　but　you　gotta　do　better　than　that。〃　
　　　　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　　　　〃A　cop's　job　is　to　keep　the　peace。　Your　job　is　just　staying　alive；　and　that's　a　little　easier。　That's　the　good　news。　The　bad　news　is；　those　bad　guys　ain't　gonna　give　you　two　seconds　to　think　unless　you　make　them；　or　you're　real　lucky。〃　Breckenridge　waved　for　the　men　to　follow　him　into　his　office。　The　Sergeant　Major　plopped　down　in　his　cheap　swivel　chair。　Like　Jackson；　he　was　a　cigar　smoker。　He　lit　up　something　better　than　what　Robby　smoked；　but　it　still　stank　up　the　room。
　　　　〃Two　things　you　gotta　do。　One；　I　want　to　see　you　here　every　day　for　a　box　of　。22；　that's　every　day　for　a　month；　Lieutenant。　You　have　to　learn　to　shoot　better。　Shootin'　is　just　like　golf。　You　want　to　be　good　at　it；　you　gotta　do　it　every　day。　You　have　to　work　at　it；　and　you　need　somebody　to　teach　you　right。〃　The　Gunny　smiled。　〃That's　no　problem；　I'll　teach　you　right。　The　second　thing；　you　have　to　buy　time　for　yourself　if　the　bad　guys　e　lookin'　for　you。〃
　　　　〃The　FBI　told　him　to　drive　like　the　embassy　guys　do；〃　Jackson　offered。
　　　　〃Yeah；　that's　good　for　starters。　Same　as　in　Nam　　you　don't　settle　into　patterns。　What　if　they　try　to　hit　you　at　home？〃　
　　　　〃Pretty　isolated；　Gunny；〃　Robby　said。　
　　　　〃You　got　an　alarm？〃　Breckenridge　asked　Ryan。　
　　　　〃No；　but　I　can　fix　that　pretty　easy；〃　Ryan　said。
　　　　〃It's　a　good　idea。　I　don't　know　the　layout　of　your　place；　but　if　you　can　buy　yourself　a　few　seconds；　and　you　got　that　shotgun；　Lieutenant；　you　can　make　'em　wish　they　never　came　calling　　at　least　you　can　hold　them　off　till　the　police　e。　Like　I　said；　the　name　of　the　game's　just　staying　alive。　Now；　what　about　your　family？〃
　　　　〃My　wife's　a　doc；　and　she's　pregnant。　My　little　girl　　well；　you　saw　her　on　TV；　I　guess。〃　
　　　　〃Does　your　wife　know　how　to　shoot？〃　
　　　　〃I　don't　think　she's　ever　touched　a　gun　in　her　life。〃　
　　　　〃I　teach　a　class　in　firearms　safety　for　women　　part　of　the　work　I　do　with　the　local　police。〃
　　　　Ryan　wondered　how　Cathy　would　react　to　all　this。　He　put　that　one　off。　〃What　sort　of　handgun　you　think　I　oughta　get？〃　
　　　　〃If　you　e　by　tomorrow；　I'll　try　you　out　on　a　couple　of　'em。　Mainly　you　want　something　you're　fortable　with。　Don't　go　out　and　get　a　。44　Magnum；　okay？　I　like　automatics；　myself。　The　springs　eat　up　a　lot　of　the　recoil；　so　they're　easier　to　get　fortable　with。　You　want　to　buy　something　that's　fun　to　shoot；　not　something　that　beats　up　on　your　hand　and　wrist。　Me；　I　like　the　。45　Colt；　but　I　been　shooting　that　little　baby　for　twenty…some　years。〃　Breckenridge　grabbed　Ryan's　right　hand　and　flexed　it　around　roughly。　〃I　think　I'll　start　you　off　on　a　9…millimeter　Browning。　Your　hand　looks　big　enough　to　hold　it　right　　the　Browning's　got　a　thirteen…shot　clip；　you　need　a　fair…sized　hand　to　control　it　proper。　Got　a　nice　safety；　too。　If　you　have　a　kid　in　the　house；　Lieutenant；　you'd　better　think　about　safety；　okay？〃
　　　　〃No　problem；〃　Ryan　said。　〃I　can　keep　it　where　she　can't　reach　it　　we　got　a　big　closet；　and　I　can　keep　them　there；　seven　feet　off　the　floor。　Can　I　practice　with　a　big…bore　handgun　in　here？〃　
　　　　The　Sergeant　Major　laughed。　〃That　backstop　we　got　used　to　be　the　armor　plate　on　a　heavy　cruiser。　Mainly　we　use　。22's　in　here；　but　my　guards　practice　with　。45's　all　the　time。　Sounds　to　me　like　you　know　shotgunnin'　pretty　good。　Once　you　have　that　skill　with　pistol　too；　you'll　be　able　to　do　it　with　any　gun　you　pick