Page 76 of Russian Roulette

“The third is to keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. Some guns are touchier than others and you don’t want to accidentally fire a gun. The last is to be absolutely sure about your target and what’s behind it in case you miss. Don’t be firing the gun wildly at anything that moves.”

“Do you think I would be that careless with a gun?” she asks. “I’m not an idiot.”

“No, I’m just making sure we’re clear on the ground rules before we start. If you accidentally shoot me, you’ve lost your helicopter pilot and there’s no phone service out here. Nobody has a fucking clue where we are. You might not be found for days.”

“I promise to be careful. We’re clear, what else?”

“We’ll start at the beginning with how to check a gun to see if it’s loaded before you handle it, then we’ll move on to the different parts of a gun. If you have any questions at all, don’t be afraid to ask. I want you to learn everything.”

“I’m ready,” she says.

38

VULCAN

Ahalf-hour later, I call for a break. Jade is an eager student, but I shouldn’t push her too hard in the intense heat. “Time to rest for a bit,” I say. “Let’s grab something to eat and cool off.”

“How did I do for a first timer?” she asks.

“Good,” I reply. “You’re a fast learner. We’ll practice until you’re confident enough to carry your own gun.”

“That might take time,” she says. “I would hate to accidentally shoot someone or myself.”

“You don’t have the luxury of time. We’ll keep working at this. Whatever it takes to get you up to speed. Why don’t we open the picnic basket? I’m starving.” I open the wicker basket and we go through the contents together. “What do we have here? A blanket, sandwiches, chips, bottled water, gourmet chocolate chip cookies and two plastic champagne glasses. Should we say a blessing to Seven for this bountiful picnic? Too bad he can’t be here to enjoy it.”

“Now you’re just being mean,” she says, trying to hide a smile. “Hand me the blanket.”

I toss the blanket to her and she carefully spreads it out directly under the shade of the overhang. “It’s weird not having cellphone reception,” she says. “I can’t remember the last time I was somewhere alone without internet or cellphone service. Besides, in your RV, of course, when you stole my phone. At least there, I knew you had a phone I could swipe if I really needed to.”

“You’re not alone here,” I point out. “Your mountain man is here to protect you. I will protect you and guard you from those nasty mountain lions.”

“And I’ll guard you all from cougars when we get back to Vegas. The over-forty, female kind.”

“Ha! So, youdohave a sense of humor hidden in there. I was beginning to wonder.”

She plops down on the blanket and pats a spot beside her. “Sit with me and take in the view.” She waves a hand at the canyon surrounding us. “This view is spectacular. How high up did you say we are?”

I move to sit close beside her and hand her a sandwich. “Almost a thousand feet.”

“Do you know how to rappel off a cliff? The knowledge might come in handy for a mountain man or woman stuck on a rock.”

“Why?” I ask. “Are you thinking of ways to escape again? Yes, of course I know how. Don’t get any bright ideas.”

“I’m not surprised,” she says. “I can picture you as an extreme sports kind of guy. What else do you enjoy doing?”

“Skydiving, hang-gliding, mountain climbing, bungee jumping. The list is a mile long. Any sport I can do within an hour’s drive from Vegas, since I rarely have a day off. Chasing the adrenaline rush is my favorite thing in the world.”

“Your favorite thing?” She turns to me. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“Did I say that? Chasing the adrenaline rushwasmy favorite thing,” I say. “Now I have a new favorite.”

“And what would your new favorite thing be?” she asks.

“You’ll find out later. Hurry up and finish your sandwich. We’ve rested long enough. Time for more lessons.” I stand and tug her up beside me. “You need to get in a little more shooting practice before it’s too hot to breathe. Are you up for it?”

“I’m more than up for it,” she replies, suddenly serious. “Thank you for teaching me. It means a lot, truly.”

We step out of the alcove and resume our lessons under the sun that’s now high in the sky. “We need to make this quick because the heat is rising fast,” I tell her. “If you begin to tire, we’ll stop. I won’t push you too far.”