Capítulo 248: Chapter 248: Shooting Practice and the Hole
Shooting clubs, as the name suggests, are places for gunplay.
They are also one of the best options for beginners who want to practice shooting.
Compared to other countries, places like the United States, which can be called a gun nation with gun shops everywhere, shooting clubs are really easy to find.
You could say they're all over the streets.
In his previous life, he wasn't sure if America was like this because, at best, he was just an ordinary person buried in his studies, completely unfamiliar with firearms.
Even if a pistol were placed in front of him, he might not know what kind of gun it was.
His knowledge of guns extended only to world-famous, classic firearms like the AK47 and M4A1.
And even that was through the news.
This changed when he arrived in this parallel world. In America, you could find a low-key gun shop on almost any street.
Shooting clubs are often associated with gun shops.
Thanks to this, he really pushed himself hard back then, absorbing a lot of knowledge and feeding his shooting skills with a large number of bullets at shooting clubs.
So, while he wouldn't say he was an expert in firearms, he could make a reasonable guess about any gun placed in front of him.
This was all due to the lack of security he felt, which he improved on his own.
He was very familiar with shooting clubs.
However, he was too busy, so he let John Wick handle it, and unexpectedly, this shooting club was located on the outskirts of New York.
Following John Wick's directions, York easily found the shooting club mentioned.
Compared to those established in the city, this club's location was indeed a bit remote, situated in a small town on the outskirts of the city.
According to John Wick, this shooting club was run by an acquaintance of his, so it was more secluded and not open to the public.
It was more like a private shooting club, operating on a membership basis.
Without connections, one wouldn't even know this club existed.
The owner only opened the club to members or those with a member's referral letter.
"Father York, the advantage of such a shooting club is that there are no restrictions. You can use any type of firearm, including heavy weapons like rocket launchers," John Wick said.
"Moreover, they also offer specialized training services and even contract some military special training. If Sister Erin wants to exercise and enhance her physical strength, she can enroll."
Hearing this, York, who had just parked the car, glanced at Erin unconsciously.
John Wick's remark was clearly aimed at getting Erin involved in some training.
But obviously, Erin, who grew up in a convent, was somewhat clueless about such matters, not knowing what to do.
Seeing the plea for help and retreat in her eyes, York smiled and said:
"John, Erin is not like us. Just being good with guns and having some self-defense skills is enough."
John Wick nodded: "Alright, Father."
Seeing Erin quietly sigh in relief, York pretended not to notice and led the way out of the car after parking it properly.
The parking lot was connected to a large open space, leading to a cluster of low-rise buildings, behind which were a series of hills.
The whole scene looked very monotonous, like a villa at the foot of the mountains.
York squinted, knowing the truth wasn't as simple as it appeared. The low-rise buildings contained military land, with some people undergoing special training.
"The area here is quite large," York commented after scanning the surroundings.
With no one around and the road mostly paved with gravel, the place seemed desolate.
Considering the size of the small town seen on the way here, York looked towards the front of the open space, resembling a convenience store, and found the desolate scene unsurprising.
After all, this was a private club not open to the public. Moreover, the small town looked sparsely populated, naturally appearing desolate without people.
Compared to the desolation of this town, other small towns they passed had more people, and the junctions connecting these towns, including shopping malls and bus stations, had even higher foot traffic.
Noticing John Wick and Erin had followed him out of the car, York said, "John, you mentioned there's a military base behind these mountains?"
He remembered John Wick's introduction to the club.
If there really was a military base, then this shooting club, built near a military base and only open to members and acquaintances, must be related.
It's possible that the firearms here all came from that military base, and even the special training was handled by people from the base.
"Yes, Father York," John Wick replied without hiding anything. "The owner, Rich Ward, is a veteran from that military base."
Indeed.
Guessing the connection and that the club was a way for the military base to make extra money, York's expression remained unchanged. He looked curiously at John Wick, who was only slightly shorter than him.
"How do you know such a friend? People from the military and the assassin world really don't mix; they're completely different."
"I saved his life during my early days as an assassin," John Wick explained, seeing York's curiosity. "It was a coincidence. Along the way, I even took on a job from him..."
Hearing this, York raised his eyebrows slightly but didn't ask further, continuing to lead the way.
"Let's go."
John Wick, no longer an assassin but an employee of his Pluto Church, had left the past behind.
Silent, John Wick and Erin, who remained quiet, followed closely.
When the trio reached the building's main entrance, York stepped aside, giving John Wick a look to lead the way.
Understanding immediately, John Wick stepped past the priest and entered first.
As the door closed behind them, York gently held the doorknob, looked back at Erin, and noticed her breathing had become heavier.
"Don't be nervous. It's just shooting practice," York reassured Erin gently, who looked very young in civilian clothes. "Consider it one of the lessons you learned at the convent."
Erin blinked, took a deep breath under York's gaze, and seemed to prepare herself mentally, calming her nervous expression.
"Okay, Father," she said.
York smiled and led her inside.
Upon entering, the environment changed dramatically, a hidden paradise.
The shiny floor that reflected sunlight, the large hall and reception desk, and the corridors on both sides with vaguely visible figures in each partition created a stark contrast to the desolation outside.
John Wick was waiting at the reception with a middle-aged man with gray hair and a black-and-white beard, clearly the club owner, Rich Ward.
"Father York, this is Rich Ward, the owner I mentioned," John Wick introduced, then turned to the middle-aged man. "This is Father York, and this is Erin, our shooting practice participant today."
As agreed, John Wick didn't reveal their identities.
This was why he had Erin dress in civilian clothes. It would be too conspicuous for clergy to go to a shooting club for practice.
York didn't chat much, ignoring Rich Ward's curious gaze, and simply paid for some beginner's shooting practice services.
Then, led by the owner, they came to a partitioned area with food, drinks, and sofas, fronted by a spacious shooting range.
Recalling the partitions they passed, York didn't need a 3D map to know how large the area occupied by the club was. After all, each partition, separated by nets and concrete, was equipped with its own shooting range.
It truly befits an American military base.
After touring the area, York understood why John Wick chose this place. Compared to city shooting clubs, this place was larger and offered a wider variety of firearms.
Soon, the staff laid out the firearms on the table.
York glanced at the guns being placed, then looked away.
Beginners usually start with pistols, and the ones laid out on the table were arranged according to their power, including some designed specifically for women.
"John has told me you're new to firearms, mainly to familiarize yourself with them," Rich Ward began, picking up a compact pistol.
"So based on your situation, we've developed a complete experience plan."
He picked up a Hellcat RDP from the table.
"You can start with this compact model. The Hellcat RDP, with a length of 154 mm, a width of 30 mm, a height of only 114 mm, and an unloaded weight of 692 grams..."
As Rich Ward continued, Erin's shooting practice began.
York and John Wick sat on the sofa, watching, or occasionally standing up to shoot.
If John Wick was not an ordinary person, the outcome of their shooting competition might have been a draw, but as a mere mortal, his consistency and endurance were slightly lacking compared to York.
"John, I win again," York said with a smile, removing his noise-cancelling headphones after hearing the results.
John Wick also took off his headphones, showing a rare fluctuation in his expression. Being a top assassin, he relied on his shooting skills, thinking he could at least match up but was easily defeated by the priest. This made him acutely aware of the difference between them.
"Is this the world beyond ordinary people that Winston mentioned?" he wondered.
"I expected this outcome," John Wick responded calmly.
"It's normal for you to win."
York set aside the headphones and, putting down the Colt M2000 he was holding, was about to say something but was distracted by the sound of gunfire from Erin's direction.
Bang! Bang!
York looked over to see Erin already adopting a very standard shooting posture, stable and confident.
Bang! Bang!
...
The woman-specific pistol seemed to suit her petite frame perfectly, allowing her to fire rapidly despite just getting acquainted with firearms.
Casually tracking the bullets with his 3D map, York easily spotted the bullet holes on the target paper ten meters away.
The center of the target was torn, revealing a small hole.
"Ten shots, not a single miss, all within the sixth ring. Does she really have a talent for this?"
York was somewhat surprised.
When the results were announced, not only did John Wick look at the bewildered Erin, but even Rich Ward, who was coaching next to her, was taken aback. He looked at York and John Wick, astonished.
"John, are you sure she's a beginner?"
John Wick silently turned to the priest.
"Of course, she's a beginner."
York hid his surprise and walked over, praising Erin, "You might truly have a talent for this."
He took the gun from Erin's hands and picked up a Glock 17 from the table, handing it to her.
"Try this one."
Erin quietly accepted it, her calm appearance belying the turmoil within.
"Change the target paper, shoot at 20 meters," York instructed Rich Ward.
Rich Ward complied promptly.
For a novice, twenty meters is quite a distance. To hit within the sixth ring from such a distance would double the difficulty.
Erin aimed the gun as she had learned, and before firing, she couldn't help but glance at the priest, only to find encouraging eyes.
"Go ahead."
Encouraged by the priest's voice, Erin took a deep breath, aimed carefully, and then pulled the trigger.
"Three misses, seven within the sixth ring."
The results indicated Erin's talent in this area.
"A genius indeed." Rich Ward was genuinely surprised. As a widely experienced owner, he had seen shooting talents but had never encountered a petite girl achieving such a feat upon her first try.
"Well done!" York praised Erin, who blushed slightly. He took the gun from her hands and continued.
"Let's try this one..."
He handed her a Glock 19.
The practice continued with breaks in between. However, Rich Ward, the owner, seemed to have an emergency and hurriedly left.
Through his 3D map, York saw Rich Ward leaving the club and entering a suddenly arrived car.
It seemed ordinary, but York, with his enhanced hearing, caught parts of a conversation inside the car, not clear but indicating something had happened.
"A problem at the base?"
"fk! Those damn fools of scientists accidentally created a hole!"
"...there's something inside..."
The conversation cut off as the car hurried away.
York narrowed his eyes, sensing something, and looked in the direction the car had taken.
That was where John Wick mentioned the military base was located...
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