Chapter 44 - A New Training Ground
The revelation of the dead-man’s switch shifted the atmosphere of the villa from peaceful recovery back to highly active tactical preparation. Emily refused to be caught off guard again. She requested that Arthur accelerate her self-defense and firearms training, pushing her body and mind to their absolute physical limits.
Every morning at dawn, the underground shooting range echoed with the sharp, rhythmic cracks of Emily’s 9mm pistol.
"Center mass, Emily! Do not anticipate the recoil!" Arthur barked, pacing behind her with a stopwatch. "In a high-stress scenario, your fine motor skills will evaporate. You rely purely on muscle memory."
Emily exhaled sharply, squeezing the trigger twice in rapid succession. Both rounds tore through the exact center of the paper target. She dropped the empty magazine, seamlessly sliding a fresh one into the grip, and racked the slide in one fluid, mechanical motion.
"Time," Arthur called out, clicking the stopwatch. "Three point two seconds for a full reload and target re-acquisition. That is excellent, Emily. You are thinking like an operative."
Emily lowered her weapon, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She was no longer the frail, terrified woman who had cowered in Marcus's shadow. Her arms were toned, her reflexes were razor-sharp, and her eyes held the cold, calculating confidence of a predator.
"It isn't just about shooting, Arthur," Emily said, holstering the weapon at her hip. "If the cartel sends a retrieval team, they won't kick down the front door like Victor's mercenaries. They operate in the shadows. They will try to isolate me in public."
"Which is why we are shifting to situational awareness and hand-to-hand evasion," Arthur nodded approvingly. He stepped forward, suddenly grabbing her wrist with a vice-like grip, testing her reaction time.
Emily didn't hesitate for a fraction of a second. She twisted her arm sharply against his thumb, breaking the grip, and simultaneously drove her elbow upward toward his jaw, stopping mere inches from his skin.
May you like
Arthur smiled, stepping back and raising his hands in surrender. "You didn't hesitate."
"Hesitation kills," Emily replied coldly. "I learned that lesson the hard way. I won't ever learn it twice."
