Making a Killer (Frelance & NymphoWolf)

[Evo Var]

Jackson Rays set his case down on the counter of the gun range. "The usual Alex." The man behind the counter nodded and started gathering a mix of small caliber rounds and put boxes on top of the case. "So Jack its been a while. Traveling again?" Alex knew all too well what Jackson did for a living having hired him a few times in the past. "Ya, I just got back from Asia this time. Anything exciting happens while I was gone." He asked the man as he counted out the cash needed to pay for the couple hundred rounds. "Not much, someone tried and failed to rob a bank. I think the cops busted another drug operation." Jackson just shook his head at the idiots who let themselves get caught. "Oh well, at least the police are staying busy. Let me know if anything interesting comes up, I will probably be in town for a month or so."

Taking the case covered in boxes into the firing range he set up near the end and set about loading the rounds into the magazines he had brought with him. Once he was ready he opened the case and pulled out the Kriss Vector and unfolded the stock smiling as he checked the weapon over before sliding home a magazine and bringing the stock to his shoulder. Over the next five minutes, he went through five magazines as he let his mind wander. Recently he had felt something was missing in his life, the thrill of killing had started to fade and for a while, he had been able to get that thrill back my using blade and getting close to his targets. Over the last few months, even that had faded away and he was left with an empty feeling when he took a life. For the first time in years, he had started to worry that something was wrong.

The thought brought a smile to his lips as he ejected another clip and set the weapon down to refill the now empty clips. Something was wrong, something had always been wrong with him at least by the standards of the society he lived in. He had found out early on in his life that he was classified as a Psychopath. Something that his parents had tried their hardest to work with but after a few years he was shipped off to his aunt who lived on her own on a small farm when his parents died in a car accident. Neither of them ever talked about the accident until years later when they were skinning a deer he had killed. He had admitted to killing them but told her he had not felt the urge to kill anyone since moving in with her.

She laughed at that and took the information in stride teaching him to hunt with various weapons and techniques. It wasn't until a black SUV showed up one day and he overheard her speaking to the men inside about some mission that he found out that his aunt had worked for some three-letter agency before taking him in. Which explained why she was not afraid of him like his parents had been.

Movement in the corner of his vision pulled Jackson out of his thoughts and he watched a pair of girls walk into the range and set up a few stalls from him. He turned his attention to the target at the far end of the range and emptied his magazine. When he was finished he watched the girls target with some interest. After a few minutes, he set down his weapon and walked over to the pair. "If you like I can give you some pointers."

 

[Sin-Claire]

Alice Tanner walked in the gun range with the small case in one hand and her friend Jessica trailing behind. She felt an excited flutter as they approached the counter since she had never entered a gun range before. Her father had gotten her a gun, much to her mother's chagrin, for her 22nd birthday and she wanted to try it out. It was a Glock 19, something her father said would be perfect and reliable for her size and safety. Jessica hadn't seemed overly enthused by the trip but had agreed to go with her. Alice had only ever fired a shotgun and rifle with her father when they went out hunting so this was going to be an entirely new experience.

The smell of gunpowder tickled her nose and she breathed in appreciatively, eyeing all the guns that were mounted on the back wall. Her pale blonde hair was up in a messy bun and she tucked stray strands behind her ear as they moved to the counter, hearing muffled gunfire from the soundproofed door just passed the man behind the counter.

He was kind and he told them the rules of the range and gave them both safety glasses and ear muffs since they didn't have their own. Entering the range, Alice moved to the booth the man had assigned and set everything down. There weren't many people here and her eyes immediately flew to a man nearby who was firing an impressive gun she'd never seen before. His body was tall and hard and the way he handled the gun made her insides clench. Easy girl. Smoothing down the plain white v neck that clung to her she tried to ignore the distraction.

Forcing herself to the task at hand, Jessica seemed to try to look mildly interested as she set up her target but the girl was quick to pull out her phone. Hanging up the target, Alice pressed the button that sent it flying to 10 yards away. Filling the small clip she tried to remember the tips her father had shown her and what she'd watched online. Still her stance felt a little stiff and the first few shots went wide, only one actually hitting the figure on her target and it was in his shoulder. Giving a little huff of frustration she set down the gun and scrunched her mouth up as she eyed the target.

A deep voice from her left startled her and she turned to look at the ruggedly attractive man from a few stalls down approaching. Damn he looked good. Alice gave him a smile that was welcoming but also a bit embarrassed. She had to have looked like a complete amateur for him to have approached. Still, she would gladly take all the help she could get. Especially from someone so attractive. Jessica would probably scoff and say something about him being old enough to be her dad but Alice didn't care. She preferred older, more mature men.

"That would be great," she replied, turning more fully to face him. "I'm Alice," she greeted holding out her hand, "And that's Jessica," she continued pointing to the redhead who was more immersed in her phone. Jessica gave a slight wave but hardly looked up, clearly not interested in the entire affair. Her friend's lack of manners made Alice wince inwardly but she turned back to the handsome stranger instead her wide blue eyes taking him in. "Did I look like I needed help that much?" she asked with a teasing smile.

 

[Evo Var]

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jackson." After years of practice, his smile looked as sincere ance anyone else, but he had only come over to teach Alice how to hit the target. It was stupid, and he knew it, but he came here to relax, and if he had to watch her miss repeatedly, it would ruin his time at the range. It also didn't hurt that both girls were attractive though he only got the briefest of Jessica's glances. She was just another drone paying to much attention to her phone, and whatever was being fed to her, at least Alice seemed to be interested in something physical which he could respect. Her question and the obviously teasing smile got a grin from him as he looked over at her target then raised an eyebrow. "Unless you were trying to hit my target, then yes."

Jackson stepped up beside her and picked up the Glock 19 and smoothly edged the magazine and cleared the chamber before looking over the gun. "Decent choice, I assume this is your first weapon?" His smile was he fed a fresh magazine into the Glock and offered it to her. "You need to relax, trust me tensing up will make you sore later." He moved behind her and waited for her to get in position before he stepped up close, starting from her hips and moving up and making adjustments. "Also, let the gun kick, you can absorb most of the recoil, but there is no need right now." He paused as he reached out and adjusted her grip then added with a soft chuckle that while she probably couldn't hear with the hearing protection on but, she could feel with his back pressed up against hers. "We just want you to hit the target first."

He lowered his hands but stayed where he was as he waited for her to take a few shots before speaking again. "Your not bad, have you fired a weapon before?" She seemed comfortable firing the weapon just not used to the Glock 19, making him think she was used to different. Either that or she might be like him and just naturally felt comfortable with firearms.

 

[Sin-Claire]

Alice felt herself relax at his easy return of playful banter and her insides twisted as he stepped closer, his body easily exuding confidence as well as dominance. He picked up her gun, his large hands sliding over it with an ease that only came from countless practice. "It is," she answered, reaching for the gun, astutely aware of the slide of his hand against hers.

She wasn't normally so easily impressed or attracted but his presence screamed predator and that was one of the few qualities she valued. There was a subtle hierarchy in the world that most people tended to ignore but everyone had a pecking order and this guy was definitely high up on it, she just knew. Tensing up will make you sore later. The words made her insides clench and she tried to ignore his hands as he made slight adjustments to her form.

Clearing her throat she exhaled slowly, relaxing back into the stance he'd set her up in, her blood pounding in her ears which made time seem to slow. His chest was warm against her back and the corner of her lip curved into a smile at his jab.

Sharpening her focus she gently squeezed the trigger, pausing between each shot for a moment while realigning her sights. Turning when he spoke, she lowered the gun and was pleased to find that all the shots had landed on her target. They weren't by any means perfect but they were all huddled in relatively the same area. That was much better.

She nodded at his question. "I've shot rifles and shotguns while hunting but I've never had a handgun before," she answered setting the gun down and tilting in his direction. "You're a lifesaver Jackson," she thanked him with a brief smile, her wide blue eyes taking in his features with appreciation. Before she could continue to even think about flirting, Jessica cleared her throat from behind her. Tamping down the instant feeling of irritation, Alice turned and raised an eyebrow. She could tell by Jessica's judgemental appearance that she did not approve of what was going on.

"Alice, we still need to go grab some food and swing by the library," the other girl insisted impatiently. Letting out a gentle sigh and pressing down on the instant anger that threatened to rise, Alice nodded slowly. She was used to suppressing her anger, it was a near constant thing in her life. Plus Jessica gave her plenty of practice in that respect. Truth be told she didn't know why they were friends other than the fact that it had been convienient. Jessica could be rude, vain and downright annoying but they'd known each other for a few years now.

"Alright," Alice replied, exhaling to release the tension in her shoulders. Turning back to face her impromptu coach she gave him a grateful smile, slightly disappointed to leave but perhaps it was for the best. He would probably just be another good tumble in the sheets that would have had some sort of weak flaw after getting to know him for five minutes. Although part of him had seemed different.

"Thanks for your help," she told him honestly. "I'll only hit your target on purpose next time," she teased, releasing the clip and emptying the chamber before stowing everything back in her case. As if there would be a next time. Packing up their things she spared him another glance before they left, exiting the range and turning in the hearing protection and glasses.

"What the hell Alice?" Jessica asked right in front of the clerk. "That guy could've been old enough to be your dad!"

""Lighten up Jessica," she retorted giving the clerk an apologetic glance before turning to walk out, "He was just being friendly and giving me some pointers. Plus, in case you missed it, he was rather attractive." Jessica scoffed and Alice knew the other woman had thought so too even though she wouldn't admit it.

Before Jessica could start in again Alice tuned her out and they both climbed into her car. Too bad, she thought to herself as she remembered Jackson's warm hands against her body. She pressed the entire experience from her thoughts and began the drive.

 

[Evo Var]

Jackson was usually very good at reading people as it was the primary way he had learned how to mimic their emotions. His aunt had spent months taking him to malls and quizzed him on the interactions between the people they saw—everything from substantial arguments to the most subtle of whispered conversations. Reading Alice was different from what he was used to, he was used to seeing everyone as prey, but Alice had a predatory air. Similar to him but only at specific moments. When she was focused on her task, but at other times, she was just like everyone else prey waiting to be killed.

"That's what I thought. You are a natural, though. With some more practice, I am sure you could be a formidable hunter." As he spoke the last word, a genuine, more predatory grin flashed across his face. It was quickly hidden before a real laugh as she called him a lifesaver, something he was far from. "You would be surprised, but thanks anyway." He flicked to Jessica when she cleared her throat, but he looked at Alice again within a second. Jackson watched with growing interests as he saw the small signs of Alice swallowing her anger.

The pieces all started to fall into place one by one then. When she looked back at him, Jackson's fake smile was gone replaced with a more natural and much more cruel expression. "Careful Alice, you don't want to enter another hunters territory without permission." He grinned a little wider at his own words before adding. "I am happy to help, don't hesitate to ask for another lesson if we run into each other again."

Jackson went back to his own station and readied his weapon, but he held it easily in his arms, just watching Alice as she packed up her things. He nodded as she gave him one last look before he turned back to the range and emptied another clip. Setting the rifle down, he left the range and walked back out to the counter. "Do me a favor and print me off a copy of those girl's IDs." Alex hesitated as he thought it over and wondered why Jackson would want the IDs. "Sure, just give me a minute."

Jackson pulled four fifties out of his pocket and set them on the counter when Alex came back. "This is to delete the security footage from today. Just make it disappear, don't really care how." Alex shrugged happily to take the money and went into the back again. Jackson took the print outs with him back to the range. He stayed for another half hour, taking home four magazines worth of ammo.

He spent the next first days watching Alice and learning everything he could about her. By Wednesday, Jackson sat in his apartment as he looked over the documents he had spread out over his dining room table. He had spread some money to the right people and got copies of all of any material connected to Alice or her immediate family. He was confident that she had potential, but he needed to see how she reacted to the death of someone close to her.

By Friday, Jackson had followed Jessica long enough to copy her sim card and was just waiting for her and Alice to make plans. He sat in his car down the block from Jessica's house, reading a book as he waited. When the girls had started planning their night out, he had grabbed one of his favorite blades and the cloned phone before he left his apartment. It never paid to wait until planned had been finished. No, he wanted to be close so he could pick his time to kill her. It wasn't hard to decide that Jessica would be a good test. He had seen Alice's irritation at the girl ending her session at the range early, and Jackson was happy to kill the girl for the same reason.

When he heard the phone go off, he looked over to the passenger seat and grinned. Staring his car, he waited a minute until he saw Jessica get into her own vehicle before he pulled out and followed her downtown. After that is was just a matter of following her and waiting until he saw Alice text her that she would meet her in a minute or two. The timing couldn't have been better; it was just him and Jessica for almost half a block when he quickened his steps and pulled his blade just as he reached out and put his hand over her mouth from behind. His other hand came up, and in one fluid movement, he cut deep into her throat, making sure she would bleed out in a minute or two.

After the initial spray of blood, he pushed her down onto the steps of the closest doorway and was about to leave her there as her blood-soaked the front of her shirt, but stopping, and he looked down at her with a smirk. Jackson took the extra few seconds to fish her phone out of her pocket and put it in her hands. Wiping his blade off on her sleeve, he slid it back into the sheath strapped to his forearm and walked away. He had just reached the end of the block when he heard someone scream but just kept walking.

The next morning he left the house dressed in a simple black t-shirt and blue jeans. Carrying his gun case in one hand and his phone in the other, he walked the few blocks back to Alex's shop. Walking in, he just smirked when the man gave him a knowing look, having seen the same report on the news that Jackson had watched when he got home the night before.

 

[Sin-Claire]

Friday afternoon Alice felt a stirring and decided to take Jessica up on her standing offer of a girl's night out. She felt restless and pent up and decided finding someone to find a bit of release with would help her mood. Applying minimal makeup she geared herself up in tight clothes and hopped in her car, texting Jessica to let her know she was on her way. Parking a few blocks away from the club, Alice stepped from her car and breathed in the cool night air. She enjoyed the gentle breeze was about to cross the street when she saw a familiar figure. The man from the gun range. Jackson. She almost called out to him but a scream quickly pulled her attention.

Crossing the street quickly, her boots clicked loudly on the concrete sidewalk as she neared the source, something in the air making her pulse quicken. Pressing past a small crowd of people she looked to the source of the excitement and found Jessica. The girl's brown eyes stared openly at nothing and there was blood still flowing from the slice in her throat, indicating just how recent this had been.

Ignoring the crowd, Alice stepped closer, shocked by the sight and also strangely intrigued. Someone behind her was sobbing and another was making a report call to 911. Blocking them out, she drew close and crouched down to the dead girl's level. No, to Jessica's level. Blood pooled in her cleavage, the color darker than she would've imagined. However, it complemented her natural red hair color. Alice's nostrils flared, absorbing the memory and she felt her heart beating faster as she looked at the large clean gash in the girl's throat. Glancing down she finally noted the phone stuck in the Jessica's hand and almost snorted out loud in laughter.

This was the point she realized how unnaturally callous she was being. She stood quickly and took a step back. Someone asked her if she knew her but she was too busy trying to wade through the complex emotions in her mind to answer. Police showed up soon after and someone ushered her to sit on the curb. Definitely shock, she heard one of them say.

She wanted to correct them but decided it was probably better to let them think as much. In truth, she was feeling a strange stirring excitement, similar to arousal. It was then she recalled seeing Jackson moments before seeing Jessica. That couldn't have been a coincidence. The EMTs were checking her vitals when her parents arrived and her mother was a blubbering mess, pulling Alice into her arms. Alice hated when she got like this. Her father wrapped them both up in a tight embrace but Alice could only think about the way the blood stains had been spreading on Jessica's blouse.

The rest of the night passed in a blur and Alice suddenly awoke the next morning to find herself in her childhood room. Recalling the previous night's events she felt a need to be concerned by her lack of grief but that was easier said than done. Instead she focused on other things as she got up. There was a subtle certainty that Jackson hadn't been there by coincidence. Grabbing her things, she left the house, leaving her parents mystified by her sudden exit. She drove home, her mind becoming blissfully empty on the drive. Entering her apartment, she set her keys on the counter and they clanged next to her gun case pulling her attention.

She felt a sudden urge to take it and go back to the range. Although a gun wouldn't have helped Jessica, Alice felt like shooting something would help clear her mind of the confusing fog that had settled. Making up her mind she changed into tight jeans and tight red top, exiting quickly.

When she reentered the front shop, she saw the clerk's eyes widen in recognition. She left out the small talk, quickly grabbing the muffs and glasses. Entering the range she froze as the door slid shut behind her. There he was. It felt like fate had placed him here to wait for her. There was a fleeting sense of fear, followed by a renewed determination. Seeing him now only made her more sure of his involvement and she wanted answers. Striding past the stall she'd been assigned she strode straight to him, setting her things in the stall directly beside him.

His tall muscled form pulled her gaze to travel up the line of his body. "Jackson was it?" she asked loudly to garner his attention, her eyes blazing, not bothering to hide the accusation they held. Her blood was racing and her excitement only caused her to act more recklessly. They were the only ones on the range today and she snapped open the case, pulling out the Glock it held and a loaded clip. Turning to him she shoved the clip in forcefully and then drew back the slide, allowing a bullet to slide into the chamber. She didn't point it at him by any means but there was a slight threat in the gesture. Adrenaline pumped into her veins and she felt giddy on the high of it.

"I think we should talk," she spoke, holding the gun loosely at her side as she faced him. Definite predator, her body warned, screaming a myriad of alarm bells in her head. "Did you have an eventful night last night?" she asked, driving the point home. I know what you did. Did it feel good to slide that blade over her throat? The questions were unasked but they floated into her mind nonetheless.

 

[Evo Var]

Jackson ignored the door as he heard it open and continued to fire his rifle. When he heard his name hesitated and looked over to see who had spoken more to confirm that it was Alice. He lowered the rifle, cradling it in his arms as he turned to look at her. "Stupid question, but yes, its Jackson." Drummed his fingers on the body of the rifle and just raised an eyebrow at her accusing stare. His lips turned up in a grin as she loaded the gun and drew back the slide.

Definite potential in her, he was sure of it as he stared into her icy blue eyes. "Happy to. There is a great cafe around the corner. Nice and public there, or we can talk here." He flicked on the safety of his own weapon and set it down before leaning back against the wall and crossed his arms. Her question got a laugh out of him before he narrowed his eyes, and his grin turned predatory as he shrugged. "Honestly, last night was not that great. Broke a toy," He paused and watched her reaction to his words very closely before he continued. "maybe made a friend. Not sure yet. How was your night? Go meet your friend Jessica or was she busy with Tony?" He dropped the name of a guy he thought Jessica was dating at least that was the impression he had got from reading her texts.

 

[Sin-Claire]

Alice watched warily as he flicked the safety on his rifle and set it down. Still, it didn't make her relax. He may have relinquished the weapon but she knew better than to think he was defenseless. If anything she merely tightened the grip on the pistol she held. She was under no assumptions about how much larger he was. The gun was her main line of defense and a part of her was itching to pull it up.

Her eyes narrowed as his words confirmed her suspicions. Not only that but his words hinted that he'd been watching Jessica. Which meant that he'd probably been watching her as well which set her on edge. "I think I'd rather stay actually. I paid for the hour after all," she retorted, eyes flickering to the security camera nearby.

"My night turned out to be a bit of a mess actually," she continued tersely. What was she doing? What was her plan? "Someone decided to break one of my toys," she finished, widening her stance. What did that mean? Was she angry that he had killed her best friend of the last few years? Or was she jealous? It wasn't like she was going to miss the personality of that vapid twit.

It was hard for her to put into words what she was feeling. She didn't understand any of it herself. The only thing she did know was that there was something inside of her she didn't understand and it was hungry. Without thinking she took an aggressive step closer to Jackson her body's fight or flight mode beginning to activate.

 

[Evo Var]

His eyes flicked to her gun hand when he saw her tighten her grip and just huffed out a laugh. She was smart enough to know he was still dangerous without an obvious weapon. Good.

"Sure, we can talk here. Those cameras are bit finicky, so they might not be working today." He knew once he walked out of the store, they would not be working, not today anyway.

"Oh your toy got broken, well thats no good." He chuckled at her choice of words and just relaxed a little more. "Sometimes, they can be fun. I bet you liked seeing your toy sitting there broken." When she took a step towards him, he was off the wall and reaching for her gun arm in a flash.

His other hand went to her throat as he spun her towards the wall. Jackson's smile was gone replaced with a snarl as he pinned her against the wall. "Drop it, Alice, unless you want to end up like Jessica." His voice was oddly calm, but there was excitement in his eyes as he studied her. "I had to see if you were prey or a predator, and there is no better way to tell than killing another animal close to you." He fell silent and let her think about his words for almost a minute before he asked. "So, you ready to enter into wonderland with me?" His cruel smile pushed its way back onto his lips.

 

[Sin-Claire]

His hand snapped forward and though she tried to bring up the gun, he was simply too fast. Fuck. His other hand grabbed her by the throat and he spun her into the wall behind him in a flash. Shoving her against it's surface she grunted as the air was driven from her lungs. Bringing her free hand up, she gripped his wrist that held her pinned, glaring at him but more angry at her own inability to stop him.

His hand against her throat was firm but she could still breathe easily while his other hand was crushing the arm that held her gun. Eyes still blazing, Alice dropped the gun and it fell to the floor beside them with a loud clatter. His face was close to hers, lips twisted into a snarl and she could feel the heat emanating from him, the position making her insides curl. For a moment she struggled in his grasp as if testing the security of his hold and then still listening to his words. Prey or predator? The words were struck a chord but then her eyes narrowed at his question.

For a moment her crystal blue eyes stared into his, as if judging their depths and looking for something hidden. Had she liked the sight of Jessica's broken body, spilling out onto the sidewalk? A further curling of her insides indicated she had and while she almost felt a flicker of trained shame at her own lack of sympathy she shrugged it off.

Being right here, shoved against the wall by a man who had all but confessed to murder, had her feeling more alive than she ever had. "How do I know you won't just kill me like you did with her?" she asked through gritted teeth, already having relented in her mind. She'd always known there was something different in her and she'd never found the same in someone else. His offer was an opportunity she couldn't afford to refuse.

 

[Evo Var]

Jackson kicked the gun away before he pulled his hands off her but stood right up against her. He held her gaze as she looked into him. When she asked her question the corner of his lip curled. "You don't but if that was my intension you would have died along with your friend." Stepping back until he was out of her reach he crouched and picked up the gun from the floor. "I think you like me, kid. You're not like the rest of them." He gestured towards the entrance of the store and the world outside.

"I have read every document mentioning your or your family and its obvious that you don't fit in." He watched her closely for her reaction to this expecting that same anger he had seen before when her friend had interrupted them. "They called it anger issues, but that's not what it really was. You see the world for what it is, don't you? The world it has always been." Standing a bit taller he spun the Glock in his hand idly while he studied her. "Predator and prey, sure there are different levels but it all comes down to those two types of people."

"I will teach you to break people and how to make money doing it." He looked at her gun in his hand then ejected the clip and flicked on the safety before he tossed it at her. "So make your choice, kill me for breaking your toy or take this," he held up the clip. "And become the predator you know you are. Forget what your counselors told you or what your parents tried to teach you. They are just prey who can't see the world the way you and I see it."

 

[Sin-Claire]

He picked up the gun and she eyed it warily before letting her eyes rove over his form. She knew he had been watching her and digging up her life but it still brought a scowl to her lips at the invasion. She valued her privacy. Still, she remained quiet as he spoke, her mind processing everything he said, hand sliding idly against her own throat.

When he stood even taller she stood firm, not allowing his intimidating presence to cow her into submission. Catching the emptied gun she held it while gazing at him. She had grown up all her life being told to suppress her instincts and it was hard to alter that way of thinking in a single moment. Swallowing hard she looked at the clip in his hand, absorbing the information. Did she want to break people? Finally unleash the feeling she'd been wrestling with her entire life? In answer she stepped forward and took the clip from his hand and slid it back into her gun in one smooth movement.

Eyeing him cooly she set the gun beside them on the stall counter. "Alright then," she began, her eyes flashing to him with a new purpose. "Where do we start?" Heat blossomed from her stomach and she felt a wry grin curve her lips. He could kill her any moment, but letting herself feel without restrictions felt good. It had been a long time coming. And she was ready.

 

[Evo Var]

"Good choice." He saw the flash of purpose in her eyes and knew he had was not wasting his time. When she asked him what her first lesson was, he felt a stir of genuine excitement. Something he had not felt for at least a few years now. "First? You wait."

"Your friend was just murdered. The cops will be around to ask questions, so until the case goes cold, play the role of the shocked friend." He reached past her and picked up the gun. "We can meet here a few times a week. At the same time, the police search for a way to close the case. Now you paid for an hour, so let's work on your aim." He pushed the gun into her hand before putting a hand on her shoulder and gesturing to the target.

Like the week before, he stood behind her and adjusted her stance, but this time, he started asking her questions. "When you went hunting, how many kills did you get? And what were they?" His subjects were mainly more personal things that he could not learn from the files. After a few magazines, he went and picked up his rifle and offered it to her. "Let's see how you do with a gun. This only shoots 9mm rounds and has an active recoil absorption system, but it's just as deadly when used in the right circumstances." He showed her a rundown of how the rifle worked before handing it to her to try.

 

[Sin-Claire]

Alice's mouth screwed into a minor frown but he was right. There were too many seaching eyes right now. Taking the gun she turned as directed and squared her shoulders, breathing slow as he stood just behind her and adjusted her stance. Like before, she was acutely aware of his proximity and the warmth of his chest against her back. Only now she was contending with the fact that he was an apex predator who had used the same hands he now aligned her with to murder someone she'd known just the night before. This time she was excited in more ways than one.

Breathing even slower she tried to focus on her aim rather than the warmth of his breath on the nape of her neck or the miniscule ways he shifted his body against hers to adjust her stance. Squeezing the trigger, a smile graced her lips when her first shot hit near the center although a bit low. "I've killed a few white tail deer," she answered before squeezing off another round. A little high. Damn. "Countless birds. Some raccoons and coyotes, and one wild hog," she finished, continuing to adjust her aim.

She continued to shoot, emptying several clips but she was already feeling a bit more familiar with the weapon. One of her biggest issues was overcorrection but once she was good enough there would be little need for correction so it wouldn't be quite the trial. She answered other questions, unsure why some were necessary but answering them all the same.

They paused as he grabbed the rifle he had brought and she watched with interest as he explained the intricacies. The rifles she had all used back home were nothing like this in looks but the heft was the same and it rested on the inside of her shoulder much the same.

Lining up the longer sights she squeezed off a round and was shocked by how little she felt it lower the weapon to look at it again in a more appreciative light. Of course the rifles she had shot when hunting were all higher caliber and the guns had been older so they kicked like mules. Grinning she hoisted the weapon back to her shoulder and fired off several rounds, enjoying this much more than the handgun. Her shots were also more accurate than they'd been probably due to the familiarity of using rifles in the past.

Lowering the gun once there was a click that indicated the magazine was empty she turned to him. "I like that one," she spoke honestly. Pressing the return button, the target she'd been firing at sped towards the stall. Coming to an abrupt stop she frowned at the sight. While it seemed most all her shots had hit, there was a good deal of outliers that had probably been from when she shot the handgun. She was a perfectionist at heart and the target only strengthened her resolve to practice more frequently.

"So when are we going to do this again?" she asked Jackson, her gaze unreadable. Alice was still on the fence on how to feel about the man but she couldn't deny she was attracted to him. She had never had anyone see into her as he did and appreciate it. Her father had seen some of what lay beneath the surface, as had her childhood therapist, but they had told her to push down that part of herself.

 

[Evo Var]

Jackson helped adjust her stance once or twice once she brought the rifle to her shoulder but quickly stepped to the side and leaned against the bottom of the stall. He had found Alice attractive the first time they met, but he saw her in a new light now that she had accepted his offer.

Maybe it was a confirmation that she was like him. His question helped distract himself from breaking his own rules and taking her home like he wanted to. Not he would have to wait until things had cooled down before he could take her home as he wanted.

"Not a bad selection. Wild hogs are fun little fuckers to take down." He chuckled as he thought back to a few hog hunts he had been on. "Did you skin them it did your family leave that to a butcher?" He made a mental note to set up some time for them to work in a local slaughterhouse so that he could see how she dealt with the blood and gore.

"Ya, the Kriss Vector is an excellent middle ground between a handgun an rifle. Usually, my preferred weapon when it comes to close and medium-range hits." Taking the rifle from her, he cleared the chamber and set it back in its case as she hit the return to bring the target again.

Walking back over, he looked it over and then watched Alice and smiled as he saw her annoyance. "Not bad. Next couple of months, we will send experimenting until you find a few weapons you enjoy." Her question got a chuckle from him. "Next week, same day, same time." He ripped. Piece of water off the target and wrote down a cell number. "Pick up a burner phone on your way home. You can contact me on this number. If anything happens that you think I need to know about, text me when you're along and can talk. I will call if I can; otherwise, I will give you a time that I will call."

Packing up his rifle, he glanced at the time and pocked it up before coming back to her and staring into her eyes for almost a minute before he slid his hand to the back of her neck and brought his lips to hers for a brief kiss. While brief, he felt a spark that he had not felt for years. "Next week, we will go out for coffee after our session here. Start to normalize my presence as a new friend helping you through a troubled time." He pulled his hand back before he went any farther with Alice.

Leading the way back out to the front, he handed Alex two more hundreds. "Your cameras are acting up this afternoon again. It should be good to come next week when we're are back." Turning to Alice continued. "Shouldnt be go hard for anyone to believe you are finding a companion with your mee hoddy. So give it a month, and we can start to meet other places than here."

 

[Sin-Claire]

Alice nodded, mildly disappointed that she would have to wait an entire week. She understood why though. She shoved the paper into her pocket and watched as he packed up. He approached her and she felt tense in his presence. Then, without warning he reached forward and cupped the back of her neck causing her to tense. However, he drew her in and his lips pressed down against hers and she melted. There was something there, something between them she couldn't put a finger on. If he hadn't pulled away she would have deepened it and tried to take it farther.

When he stepped back her eyes were dilated and her lips were parted. Fuck, she wanted to do it again. Grabbing her handgun case she followed him to the front, ignoring the questioning glance she could feel from the clerk, Alex. Instead she kept her eyes on Jackson. Her lips still tingled with the remnants of their kiss and she could feel her hunger growing. Too dangerous. Bottling up what she felt for him she nodded tersely. "Alright. I'll see you in a week," she commented then turned and left before she could do something stupid.

Walking to her car she slid into the warm seat and gripped the steering wheel hard. Her fingers finally came up to brush over her lips, remembering the spark she'd felt. Fuck. The week passed by agonizingly slow. Soon after she'd gotten home a couple of detectives had knocked on her door and she'd let them in. They asked about the previous night's events and she answered everything honestly, only omitting Jackson's presence.

They seemed satisfied, and she didn't bother to show a flood of tears. That wasn't who she was and changing her nature so abruptly would only look suspicious. They left and promised to find whoever had done this. After the door was closed she let a wry grin curve her lips. Fat chance. It was actually easier to avoid people than she thought. Her mother called but all she had to say was that she didn't want to talk about it and she wanted to be alone. Piece of cake.

The coroner's office held onto Jessica's body for longer than expected so the funeral got moved back a week and Alice just kept her head low. On her next grocery trip she stopped by Walmart and paid cash for a nameless phone and phone card. She quickly memorized the number he'd given her and destroyed the piece of paper. The work week dragged on and she was a bit more irritable than she normally would've been, allowing a slice of her real disdain to show through. Most people thought she was just grieving. Dumb fucks. She worked as a design manager for an architectural company but the work was hollow. Even more so after she'd met Jackson. But the money was good so she stayed.

During the week, she kept picturing how Jessica had looked and imagined different ways she would've done it herself. Her mind quickly became an overeager playground for her inner demons when she allowed herself to feel what she wanted to it seemed.

By Thursday she was pacing the floor of her apartment and Friday she called in sick to work. She was on edge and needed some form of release. She was set to meet Jackson tomorrow but she'd never felt this out of control before. Perhaps because she'd never let herself feel so naturally before.

There was a banging from the apartment above and she growled in frustration. Storming to her bedroom she started a hot bath. Calm down. She needed to calm down. This had been the longest week of her life. Patience was by no means a virtue she contained. After a hot bath and masturbating she went to bed early, tossing and turning through the night. She had to see him. It had taken every ounce of her willpower not to call the number he had given her. Luckily the next morning she awoke was Saturday. Time for the range.