Last Time: "Ready or not, Earl Anthony Schroder, I'm up to the challenge. You're going down you white-livered snake!" a lionhearted Cody deafeningly thundered. He vowed, "I've had it!"


******************************************************************************************
******************************************************************************************


Lightning struck. Nothing would ever be the same way Cody had imagined things would be as he and Sheriff Daniels arrived at the Duckworth Shooting Range on the south side of Astatula. Sheriff Daniels stopped his squad car in a slip on the gravel parking lot.

Before they exited the vehicle the Sheriff told Cody, "From this point on I want you to do exactly what I tell you to do while we are here."

Then, he asked him, "Is that clear?"

"Yes, Dad," Cody replied, "your message is received on this channel."

The response was the boy's way of reassuring the Sheriff he was listening to each word spoken to him.

They departed the car and walked to the gate that stood in front of the twelve firing lanes. Cody noticed the wooden shack was lime green and simply built. The front side had no wall. It opened to the elements. He also saw the shooting range was located in a meadow. Nobody else was present, so a kind of eerie silence filled the air. Four lanes over from where they were, a red-tailed hawk soared in the morning sky.

Cody wondered if the bird searched for a field mouse, or some other tasty snack. Perhaps the predator sought a jackrabbit, or maybe even a kangaroo rat? They abounded in the area. He watched its graceful swoop. The hunter snatched something in its talons, screeched twice, and flew off towards the horizon, leaving the boy and his Dad to enjoy the freedom of having the ranges all to themselves.

Sheriff Daniels noticed what his son was looking at and stated, "Freedom is never free, Little Man."

Cody nodded his head in agreement. He understood that concept real well.

Observant of the boy's reaction, the Sheriff assured him, "When I get through teaching you what I brought you out here to learn you'll never have to live in fear of Earl Anthony Schroder again."

A thought entered Cody's mind. He wondered if he could ever actually shoot another person, even if it was the biological sperm donor making his life so miserable? For the longest time, he'd yearned for Sheriff Daniels to educate him on the proper way to use a firearm. Perhaps he would even let him shoot off a few expendable rounds at a paper target? The youngster never expected the circumstances to arise that led to their coming to the firing range that morning.

Sheriff Daniels escorted Cody to Lane Number Eleven. Upon arrival, he placed a brand new, unloaded, Ruger LCR revolver in his hand. The pistol possessed a smooth, easy-to-control trigger and a highly manageable recoil.

"This is your pistol, Cody," the Sheriff said, "not only am I going to teach you how to properly fire the gun, I am going to show you how to clean it, respect it, and take care of the weapon, too."

Cody's eyes illuminated

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, "That's a nice gun, Dad."

The pistol felt good in his hand. He'd never handled one before. Cody smiled like he'd just received everything he ever wanted for Christmas.

"First, and foremost, Little Man," the Sheriff began, "never, ever, point a weapon at someone unless you intend to use it. And, then, only do so in self-defense. Right now, I want you to keep the barrel pointed towards the ground."

Cody aimed the pistol downward as he'd been instructed to do. Sheriff Daniels was well pleased he obeyed his instructions. The boy's lessons could continue.

"Lesson Number Two, son, is to never run with a loaded gun in your hand," the Sheriff began, "safety is always of the utmost importance when you're handling a gun because you can easily get badly injured, or even killed, if you are careless with one."

Cody did not say a word. Like a sponge, he soaked up every word his Dad reiterated.

"Now, show me how you properly grip a pistol," Sheriff Daniels directed the boy to do.

Cody gripped the handgun so tight his knuckles were almost white. His whole finger was on the trigger. Sheriff Daniels examined the hold the boy had on the weapon.

"Relax your hand, son. Don't be afraid of it," he said, "always hold a gun like you would fine china."

Cody complied.

Sheriff Daniels laughed and stated, "You couldn't hit the broad side of a barn from ten feet away gripping a gun that tight. You'd jerk the round off to one side or the other."

He adjusted Cody's finger so that only the tip of the digit pressed against the trigger.

"And, always remember when you shoot to do so with a calm breath," he added.

Cody's shoulders sagged in disappointment at failing his Dad's test. Sheriff Daniels immediately noticed the boy's depression.

"Don't fade on me, Little Man. You've got to learn how to do this the right way," he said.

He smiled and promised his son, "When I'm done teaching you everything you need to know about this gun you'll be an expert. We're not leaving this range until I'm satisfied you are. Even if it takes all day and all night. That's why we packed a cooler before we came here."

A smile returned to Cody's face. He was happy his Dad had the patience to properly teach him as he graduated from playing with his little green Army men to his new real pistol, that fired real bullets, that killed real people. Earl Anthony Schroder beware!

The playing field was soon leveled.


*******************************************************************************************
*******************************************************************************************


Cast of Characters:

Cody Schroder - Blond munchkin and main character of the book.

Sheriff Brock Daniels - Long time Sheriff of Astatula and Cody's Dad.

Earl Anthony Schroder - Cody's biological sperm donor. Put Cody through ten years of hellacious physical, mental, and sexual abuse in Palo Pinto.

Chapter Word Count: 996

Book Word Count: 15,406