Jacked Up Part 6
Round Two was, of course, outside on the long gun range. As we left the building the range officer gave a trooper the bundle of targets and told him to start a file for Major Jackson and then tidy up in the range.
It was early evening and we still had an hour or so of good light but the better thing was that the evening stillness had started. This would make it much easier to put a long shot into the rings. Major Quinn led me to a firing point where there was a standard issue assault rifle and a long gun with a big telescopic sight that I realised was a sniper weapon. The Major said “This one is straight forward. We want you to field strip the rifle and reassemble it before loading up a full magazine. You are then to take the prone firing position and we will allow you one test shot. I will be looking through the telescope and will advise you of the placing. You can then adjust the weapon and put another five shots into the target. This one will be timed.
He gave me a count down and at zero I field stripped the rifle. It was a good job I had taken some care with my nails this afternoon. After reassembling it, I checked the sights and reset them to what I thought would work, pushed in a magazine and dropped into the prone position to line up and take the first sighting shot. “Low left inside the fourth ring” was the report so I made a click adjustment on the sight and laid down my next five. Getting up I ejected the magazine and the one in the breech before laying the gun on the table. Major Q beckoned to the range officer to have a look at the target through the lens and he whistled when he looked. “All five inside the middle two rings” he said, “Well done Major Jackson, admirable shooting.”
“One last task tonight” he then said. “You have just given me another win in my betting spree and I will show my regard for your shooting by doubling up on the result of your long shot ability.” He then showed me the workings of the sniper rifle, something I had never shot in my thirty years in the service. The ammo was humungous! He pointed out the target which looked as if it was set in the next county and told me that I would get three shots. He had already calibrated the sights this afternoon and I should be able to put the first on the target if I try hard.
I got down in the prone position and took my time making myself comfortable. The weird part was that having breasts helped slightly as it raised my upper body slightly. Putting the first cartridge in I took a good look at the target. The sights brought it into high relief and I settled myself and calmed my breathing. I knew it would have kick seeing the size of the ammo so was not totally surprised when I did fire. The first one was level with the bull but on the outer. There must have been a slight breeze during the afternoon. I made a very slight adjustment and then fired my second, which was inside the second ring. My third was almost opposite on the other side of the bull but both holes were on the edge of the bull. At that distance I thought I had done well.
When I stood up and put the weapon back on the table the range officer held his hand out to shake mine. He said “I think that you are a killing machine pretending to be a tabby cat, young lady. If the rest of your basics go like this old Q here will not be getting any furlough for the next six months. I thank you for leaving me with a big win.” I said “thank you, Sir” and we exchanged salutes. Not to be outdone completely, Major Quinn and I had a five mile jog back to my quarters. When he left me at the door he said “O five hundred, here, in full combat kit. You’ll get breakfast afterwards.”
I stripped off and showered, got my nightie on and went straight to bed, setting the alarm for O four hundred. After the two runs I was really tired and went off like a light, only waking to the sound of the alarm and needing a trip to the toilet. I had another shower and started to dress. It does not pay to take short cuts when getting into combat gear; there are times that you may be wearing it for days on end. I put on the heavy duty sports bra that almost flattened my breasts and made sure I had a pad in my panties. A plain grey tee shirt followed and then a bullet-proof vest and a camo shirt over the top. I put on two pairs of socks and the camo pants with lots of pockets. I took a lot of time getting the boots right as you really do not have time to rearrange them under fire and you do need to be able to move quickly.
The Anita in me was a bit querulous when I put on a second flak jacket and followed it up with the usual weapons harness and I assured her that everything will reveal its usefulness when we get out there, I was sure that Q had a real test for me today. Its not that we chat, it is a feeling I get from her memories that I can offer a feeling in reply. By O five hundred I was ready and standing outside when Q pulled up in a Humvee. He got down and inspected my appearance. “Major J,” he said “you are something else again. There is nothing in your docket that shows time in the military but you have now turned out two days in a row in the correct kit for the task I am about to put you through. Is there anything that you have done in your short life that isn’t in the paperwork?”
I said that the CIA did not note all of the things I had been trained in and I had not remained a secretary all the time. That seemed to placate him and he motioned me to get into the Humvee and we drove out to the edge of the base. We stopped at the base ‘playground’, the assault training range. Pulling up at a cabin we got out and went in. There was a table with a selection of weapons, including grenades, as well as a helmet with a go-pro camera mounted on it. He took me to the window and said “There is a barn over there, it is about a thousand yards away and, between here and there is a killing field. We will be using live ammo and you do need to stay alive today if you want to continue. I promise that, after this, we will go to more normal training. Your task is to make it to the barn and get inside. However, on the way we will be putting up targets that you need to eliminate.”
I took my time looking at the ‘suicide run’. To the left there was a water tank about two seconds from the door and then about two seconds to a high wall that ran about a third of the way to the barn. On the left was a low bank about twenty inches high that stopped a little before the other one. It looked like it would need about four seconds to get down behind it. The rookie would take the water tank and high wall but that would leave you in sight of any fire coming in from the high ground off to the right. I looked at the table and put on the helmet. There was an item that looked like a mobile phone and, when I turned it on, along with the go-pro, I was rewarded with a picture of what was in front of me. Major Q stayed quiet while I did all this.
I clipped a couple of grenades to my weapons belt, around the side as I knew I would be spending some time on my belly, and strapped on a sidearm after checking it. I noticed that it had wad-cutter rounds on it that did not have penetration power. The only thing needed now was to check out the assault rifle, load it up and get going. I took another look outside; now looking at the firing points up to the right, then went to the door. Major Q said “It opens outward J, good luck. The incoming is all automated and whatever you do will not kill anyone.”
Taking a few deep breaths I barged through the door and headed a bit further right and then veered left, diving to get behind the low bank. As I expected, the incoming took a couple of seconds to calculate my direction and the first bullets hit the ground along my original direction, passing through the space I would have been if I had not veered. I crawled along for several yards and then took my helmet off to pop the camera above the rim of the bank. Panning around I saw the target that had popped up showing the source of the first incoming fire. As I panned I saw another on pop up very close to me and bullets kicked up dirt as they ranged along the top of the bank. As I had a good idea of where this target was I rolled on my back and pulled a grenade from my webbing. I pulled the pin and threw the grenade from my lying position and quickly went back on my stomach and, as the grenade went off on the second target, I popped up and gave the first a short spray before diving back behind my cover.
I used the camera again to check that I had eliminated the two targets and saw that there were no more yet to be seen. I crabbed my way to the end of the bank and then used the camera to look to my left first without seeing any danger. To the right the ground now sloped away so the enemy no longer had high ground. In front of me were a variety of wrecked vehicles between me and the barn and, more of a worry, the ground seemed to be pockmarked with what looked like filled-in bomb craters. It looked like I needed to do the final distance at a run with likely gunfire from the left and either mortar fire coming down or maybe just explosives already set in the ground to throw me off.
Now looking at the barn I saw that a door was ajar and this would be my destination. I didn’t trust Q as far as I could throw him and it could be that there was more danger when I got inside, thinking that I was safe. The whole thing was a way to mess with your mind and the only way to defeat them was to never consider yourself safe until you were told you were able to stand down.
Marianne G 2021
