# Aftermath - Intermission

Author: SrA havenofimage
Tags: Hare, Rifle, Snow Leopard, flashback, memory, shoot

#2 of Aftermath

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&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I was crouched behind a rock, bullets flying past my position and chipping the stone.&nbsp; I spun out and opened fire on blurry figures below me, taking single shots from a long barreled rifle.&nbsp; I watched as the dark shadows fell.&nbsp; I was running.&nbsp; My leg tore open and I collapsed to the ground, searing pain filling my body...

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I awoke with a start, panting and sweaty.&nbsp; I had had similar dreams before of being in firefights.&nbsp; This particular one tended to come back to me often, where I was shot and fell to the ground to die.&nbsp; I rubbed my right leg where I had felt the pain in my dream.&nbsp; There were five black spots where the fur had grown over scar tissue.&nbsp; I had always assumed the injuries were from the crash.&nbsp; It was one of the few dark spots over my nearly completely white body.&nbsp; I ran my fingers through my fur again, wondering at the injury.&nbsp; Somehow it didn't quite add up.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I decided to get up since my alarm was set to go off in ten minutes anyway.&nbsp; After breakfast I went downstairs to my gun safe.&nbsp; I had taken the day off and planned on doing some shooting in my free time.&nbsp; The safe door opened to revile my prized gun collection.&nbsp; I had a few handguns and shotguns, but it mostly contained rifles of every shape and size.&nbsp; In the center rack sat the most valuable of these, and my personal favorite, a working Deterrent sniper rifle.&nbsp; I had procured the weapon as well as the military grade ammunition for it, through a strong business relationship with the manufacturer three years earlier.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I returned upstairs and wheeled myself out to the concrete pad and table I had set up for shooting.&nbsp; 1,750 yards away, on the opposite side of my property across a ravine, I had built an electronic target system which resembled an enlarged biathlon target.&nbsp; I set up the rifle and was about to load the first round when my cell phone alerted me that someone had rang the doorbell.&nbsp; I linked to my house's intercom and keyed the door speaker.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Who is it?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "It's Ryan.&nbsp; I had a question about one of the problems on your homework assignment that I was wondering if I could talk to you about."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Sure, I'll be right there."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I removed the bolt from the rifle, pocketed it and rolled back into my house.&nbsp; I opened the front door to let Ryan in.&nbsp; He was a hare and his tall ears brushed the top of my door frame as he entered the house.&nbsp; Though slightly out of shape, his excellent bone structure and incredible concentration and patients combined to take him to the top of the shooting team.&nbsp; He was also a great student, but was so devoted to the team and his school work, he didn't have much of a social life as far as I knew.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even though it was the weekend, I had never turned away a student who needed help with class work.&nbsp; I wheeled about and moved slowly through the house, leading Ryan behind me to the dining room.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What's your question?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "It was on problem twelve, where we had to calculate the angle of the initial force vector for a projectile to hit a given target."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "That shouldn't be a problem for you, you do it mentally every practice."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I know, but I did all the calculations correctly, but my answer is less than one MOA even with the provided drag coefficient.&nbsp; It doesn't seem possible for a non vacuum environment."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Doesn't seem possible because you trying to over analyze it with incomplete data.&nbsp; You are in luck though."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I turned away from the table and moved towards the back door.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "That question is based on data for a special bullet shot from a special rifle."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I opened the back door and led him outside.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "This rifle in fact... and this bullet."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Wow, where did you get this?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Long story.&nbsp; Anyway, like I was saying, the projected problem is for the rounds I'm shooting for this rifle, so why don't we test your theory."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I positioned myself back behind the shooting stand and re inserted the bolt and loaded a round.&nbsp; I aimed at the target, the cross hairs sitting slightly above the center of the target.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Alright Ryan, check my angle here, is it what you calculated?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Using a laser protractor, he measured the angle of the barrel.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Yes."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Okay then, if you are right, with the muzzle velocity being the given initial velocity in the equation, and with our know acceleration vectors; if your calculations are correct, this should hit that target."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Assuming you can shoot that accurately."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I turned and looked at him, almost glaring.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Trust me, you haven't seen anything."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I turned back to the scope and lined up my shot again.&nbsp; The air was still and clear providing perfect shooting conditions.&nbsp; Ryan had no idea just how accurately I could shoot.&nbsp; I exhaled slowly and squeezed the trigger.&nbsp; The recoil of the rifle pushed my shoulder back.&nbsp; A heartbeat later the bullet struck the target, an electronic sensor closing the opening to indicate a hit.&nbsp; I turned back to Ryan.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "It seems that your answer was right."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He was still staring down range with a dumbfounded expression on his face.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Where did you learn to shoot like that coach?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I don't know, probably something with the National Guard, but I can't imagine them teaching helicopter pilots to shoot that well with a rifle.&nbsp; I've always been a natural shot."

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Can you teach me to do that?"

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon shooting.&nbsp; Not everyone could just pick up a rifle like this and hit a target.&nbsp; Ryan was a good shot though and by the end he was landing one out of three.&nbsp; Pretty good for his first day on anything bigger than a .223.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After he left, I sat in my study cleaning the rifle, thinking about events of my past.&nbsp; Nothing served to clear my mind better than working on my firearms.&nbsp; The fine, loving, work I showed my rifles gave me time to speculate and ponder, usually my unknown past.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; I was running a swab through the barrel.&nbsp; I was in the back of a truck, bouncing along a street.&nbsp; I flung the door open and took cover as a hail of bullets was fired at me.&nbsp; I bent out and killed a pair of soldiers.&nbsp; I pulled the dirty cloth out of the rod and inserted a new one.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Damn!&nbsp; Another one of those stupid visions.&nbsp; Always when my thoughts were unfocused, I tended to have flashes of memory.&nbsp; They never seemed to add up to what my life had been though.&nbsp; It was all very strange.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There were many strange things about my life.&nbsp; I noticed details and minute facts that other's missed or passed off.&nbsp; I could analyze any location as well as a strategy for moving through it or fighting in it.&nbsp; I could also find a weapon just about anywhere without much searching.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; These were all irrelevant though.&nbsp; Right now I had more important things to worry about than my countless oddities.&nbsp; I had a business to run, tests to grade, and a team to coach.&nbsp; Time to focus.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The school year moved on and was soon nearing its end.&nbsp; The season continued with our team's longest ever winning streak ever.&nbsp; As I had predicted, we were invited to nationals.&nbsp; The school board even paid for the transportation and lodging for the five team members and myself.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; We did exceptionally well at nationals.&nbsp; The team took second overall.&nbsp; Ryan won in the individual completion and we clenched two of the other top slots.&nbsp; All in all it couldn't have been a better end of the season.&nbsp; We returned to Leavenworth as champions.&nbsp; Now I had a break from the classroom and could relax a little for the summer.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For the first time in five years, life was really starting to look up.&nbsp; I was finally truly settled down; I had a secure job, a house and car of my own, and a successful business.&nbsp; Nothing could possible ruin this.

Source: https://sofurry.com/s/Rm0905Qn
Part of the series Aftermath
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