Chapter 22: Ardeen's gun training

AS I stepped on the smooth flooring of the training room, I was welcomed by the empty room. My every step echoed and filled the four corners of my footsteps.

No one was here except me, I guess I'm too early for today?

As I walked through the room, I started to inspect inside as if it was the first time I laid my precense here.

The air smelled of newly bought metal and leather. The room was outfitted with thick mats on the floor, five punching bags hanging from the ceiling with chains on it and a wall full of different weapons that highlights every gun's model, knives, axes and even bullets.

There was a complete sets of every kind of weapons hanging and resting on the wall. As I walked towards it, I can't help but to adore every details in them.

I touched a hand gun attached to the wall and gently pulled it out on its place. It was heavy, a typical characteristic of a gun. I aimed it to my target meters away from here but a sudden sound of the door swinging open interrupted my focus and made me aimed at the door.

Ardeen's eyes widened when he look at my direction. "Woah, woah! Easy, babe. We are not yet starting," he said while his both hands is on the air, signaling that he will not fight.

Ardeen was a towering figure with a broad chest and arms. In our past training, he moved like a shadow. He's incredibly fast and his every move was calculated.

Kagaya ni Nick, may tinatago rin pala siyang bangis. Dahil nasanay akong puro patawa at pagloloko ang ginagawa nilang dalawa ni Nick ay minsan ay nagugulat ako kapag siniseryoso nila ang isang bagay.

I put the gun down. "Am I too early for today's session or you are just lazy to get up early?" I raised my brows when I heard him chuckled.

"Did you eat your breakfast, babe?" he asked ignoring what I said. "I don't want you to carry you around if you fainted of hunger, I will be dead for sure," he joked and laugh.

After that my stomach growled. I embarrassedly look at Ardeen while touching my belly in my fitted black outfit tank top. He laughed harder when he saw my reaction.

My cheek tinted with red and bit my lip. Sobrang nakahihiya!

"Here, breakfast is ready. Eat before we train with guns. You need a surging energy for today, babe." He dramatically clap his hand twice and Karen appeared holding a tray of food.

She smiled as he put the tray on the table. "Kumain po muna kayo, ma'am," malumanay na aniya.

Malugod kong tinanggap ang pagkain at hindi na nagdalawang-isip pa na kumain. Inalok ko pa si Karen kung gusto niya at tanging pag-iling lang ang sinagot niya.

Ardeen on the other hand was busy arranging the guns on the table. By the look of it, he was like an expert playing with his toys.

Sumisipol pa ito habang pinapaikot-ikot ang ibang baril na nahahawakan niya at hahalikan animo'y pinakamamahal niya. Napangiwi akong napatapos sa pagkain at umalis agad si Karen.

When I felt that I'm ready for another instense training, I stood besides Ardeen. I keenly observe him how he handled every gun.

"I want you to pick one of these." He motioned his hands on the guns.

"This." I picked Beretta 92FS pistol.

"Nice choice. Now, I want you to aim that red target from here." He pointed the bulls eye hanging on the wall. "Hit the target accurately under low light condition."

"What?! How can I hit the target if I can't see?!" giit ko pa.

"And that's the essence of our training today. You need to learn how to fight in the dark. Feel it, use your other senses. Humans are created with various senses, you need to rely on your other senses if you can't use your eyes."

I nodded in response and prepared myself. Ardeen picked something in his pocket and when I saw it, it was a remote. He pressed the red button on it and most of the lights turned off.

Tanging isang bumbilya na lang ang natira na nagbibigay ng kakaunting liwanag sa paligid, ngunit hindi 'yon sapat para makita ng maigi ang paligid. Mas lalong nakaduduling ang pagpatay-sindi nito, animo'y malapit ng mapundi.

"Oh, it's should not be flickering," puna ni Ardeen. "Let's set aside that. Now, I need you to focus. If you hit that target in just one shot, we are done for today's training," he challenge.

Alam talaga ng isang 'to kung paano ako isahan.

Nagsalpukan ang kilay ko dahil alam kong hindi ko magagawa 'yon.

I raised my hand, tightly gripping the gun and my forefinger was just above the trigger. I opened my eyes more to have a visual of my target but I can't barely see it. It's blurry and the almost pitch black sorrounding makes it hard for me to focus and aim.

"Under this circumtance, you need to trust your intuition. In real battle, people move discreetly. One wrong move and you will be buried 6 feet under the ground. If you felt that you aim in the target, shoot them," he instructed.

Instead of whining, I focused more. I calm myself as I look straight on the target. I can now see the faint red dot at the center. I aim my pistol and pulled the trigger firing two consecutive shots.

When Ardeen turned the lights back, my shots missed the bullseye.

"Getting there. Trust your instinct, you need to focus more."

Muli ay pinindot ni Ardeen ang remote at isang bombilya na lang ang natira. I cleared my mind as I breathe calmly and aimed for the target.

I took a firing stance and when I felt the surge of energy in my hands, I release a shot.

Ardeen smile when he opened the lights. My shot is in the target. "Good job. Now, your target is moving." He pressed another button and 3 dummies appeared, moving in different direction.

May nakadikit na target sa bawat katawan ng mga karton na hugis tao. Ang isa ay nasa ulo ang target, ang isa ay sa dibdib at ang isa ay sa tagiliran.

I raised my pistol and the lights turned off.  I stood calmly, feeling the movement of the dummies. With each pull of the trigger, I missed all the target points.

Countless of time I repeated it, I adapted on the environment, my precision became more accurate. As the time passed, I can finally hit the target and that was satisfying.

"You're a fast learner, babe. That was incredibly fast for a beginner!" he commended while clapping. "Now, I want you yo fight me while shooting the moving dummies. Learning to shoot  while fighting under pressure can greatly affect the success rate of a mission," he challenge.

Hindi ako nagpatinag at sinimulan ulit ang training. Pagod man ang nararamdaman ay natagpuan ko na lang ang sarili na tuwang-tuwa habang nilalabanan si Ardeen.

I guess I learned to enjoy these things. A world full of bullets and strategy is now my new comfort. The old Jeykcil Ryen Eleutero is now gone, and the new-born Jeyk is now equipped with knowledge on how to fight and defend fearlessly.