Page 151 of Stolen Empire
But I can give her something else.
"Come," I tell her, standing from the table where I've been getting messages from Rolan.
"We're going outside."
She looks up, surprised. "Outside?"
"The yard. I need to see what you can do with a weapon."
I move to the closet, pulling out a pistol and a box of ammunition.
"If you're going to be part of this, you need to know how to defend yourself."
I set them aside while I grab a jacket and put it on, then take a second one out for her and toss it at her.
She catches up, but stares at me.
Her expression shifts, and she rolls her eyes and scowls.
"I know how to defend myself."
"Not with a gun, you don't."
I check the chamber, then hand her the weapon.
"Let's go."
Katya grumbles as she puts the jacket on, swapping the gun to the opposite hand when she has to slide her arm into the sleeve.
Then she huffs as she follows me through the cabin to the back door where the brisk breeze blows in the instant I open it.
The yard behind the safehouse is small, enclosed by a copse of trees that line the property.
I set up a row of bottles on a wooden crate at the far end, then turn to face her.
She's holding the pistol awkwardly, her grip too loose, her stance all wrong.
"Hold it properly," I tell her, moving behind her.
I adjust her grip, wrapping her fingers around the handle.
"Firm but not tense. Your finger stays off the trigger until you're ready to shoot."
She nods, but I can feel the tension in her body.
She doesn't want to be here.
She doesn't want me teaching her this.
But she needs it.
If she'd have had a weapon and training when she went into that meet, maybe they never would've gotten the upper hand.
"Feet shoulder-width apart," I continue, nudging her left foot back with mine.
"Bend your knees slightly. You need balance."
I stand behind her, arms around her torso as I reach out to guide her hands on the weapon.
