Let's Start A Riot

Chapter Seven - Hostile

Marcus sneaks over the rise of the hill to see what we are up against, and Hugo and Sarah turn to me, grinning.

"Ready for your first combat lesson?" The excitement in Sarah's voice is evident.

"Would've been great if it wasn't just before my certain death but whatever." I grumble.

"Okay, me first!" Hugo exclaims like a kid on Christmas but quietly, as we are still in supposed enemy range.

Hugo pulls me down the hill a bit more to make sure we're completely out of sight while Sarah keeps an eye out at the top for Marcus or unwelcome visitors. Hugo pulls the pistol strapped to me out of its holster. He hands it to me, the cool metal of the gun biting into my palm as I hold it uncertainly. He then pulls out one of his own pistols and brings it up in front of him.

"First you want to hold it in both hands for the purpose of the recoil." Hugo says, showing me and gesturing at me to copy. "Make you sure grip it tightly so that when you fire it you don't drop it – but not too tightly, we don't want you accidentally pulling the trigger, just make sure you have a firm hold." He adds, watching my knuckles turn white as I squeeze the gun. "Now place the index finger of your dominant hand on the trigger, make sure you flick off the safety beforehand, and then press the trigger and it will fire. When you're just carrying the gun but not going to fire, rest your index finger along the gun, not on the trigger so that you don't press it accidentally. You got all that?"

I nod at him, my body tense from the power of the weapon I hold in my hands, my hands cramping from the short time I've been holding it.

"Good, now with your stance," Hugo continues, "You want your feet shoulder-width apart, your dominant foot set slightly forward, and keep your shoulders relaxed. Bring your arm up in line with your shoulder, elbows slightly bent – only slightly – and if you're walking or running point the gun towards the ground and away from your feet with both hands still on it, ready to bring up when you have to shoot. That's good, you're a natural." He finishes looking at me approvingly as I copy his movements.

"My turn!" Sarah jumps in as I place the gun back in its holster and Hugo goes back to crouching just below the top of the hill as Sarah had been.

Sarah plucks a knife from its sheath and tells me to do the same, then she begins her explanation, "When using a knife, you have to be loose. Think of it as an extension of your arm rather than a separate object, it is a part of you. You can hold it many ways, but for the purposes we'll need them for and the limited time I have to teach you, I'll just teach you quick and efficient stabs." She then shows me two different ways to hold the knife, one like an overhead stab, and the other as a quick stab to the thigh as an example, hand over the top of the knife handle, then underneath.

I practice this a couple of times until Sarah squeals excitedly, barely staying quiet which earns a sharp glare from Hugo. "You got it! Take that Mr Broody Bitch, I knew you could do this!"

"I guess he had a fair point, I have no idea what I'm doing even with what you both just taught me – it takes longer than five minutes to learn how to actually do all of this." I sigh wearily, gesturing around me as Sarah and I join Hugo.

"Just stay behind us, you shouldn't have to do anything as this is just a precaution," Hugo explains, "You need to be trained by the professionals before undertaking anything like this but unfortunately it looks like it's the professionals we're having to rescue."

"You'll be fine." Sarah assures me. "We'll kick arse, rescue some hostages, and then you can start your proper training, like the actual basics."

I laugh. "The basics would be nice."