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“Hoo-boy, I’m on fire today!” Duke hollered from the stall next to him, after emptying what sounded like twenty full magazines into the target at the end of the firing lane.
“Hope it doesn’t burn too bad,” Trent chuckled from the cubicle on the other side of Chuck.
Duke, the loose cannon of the group, liked pistols. His current favorite was a Desert Eagle. He fired fast and loose, seeming to care more about the sound and feeling rather than hitting the target.
Sensible, serious Trent, on the other hand, only ever fired bolt action rifles. In contrast with Duke’s spray-and-pray strategy, Trent would spend ages lining up each shot, before purposefully pulling the trigger. His accuracy was off the charts.
Duke’s, on the other hand, wasn’t even on the charts.
“I’m telling you,” Duke said after the three brothers had finished their ammo for the day, “in a life or death situation, I wouldn’t miss.”
The three of them were leaned up against the wall of the shooting range, looking out at the ranch at night. The stars were out and the moon was full, bathing the countryside in a magical, silvery glow.
“So, you’re just choosing to miss the targets?” Trent said, giving Chuck a knowing look.
“I’m choosing to not give a crap,” Duke replied.
“Using up a lot of ammo just to miss,” Chuck said.
“Yeah, well, Mr. Karas has kindly supplied the ammo.”
Sometimes his brother’s bluster got to Chuck. Duke liked to make out that he didn’t care about authority, that he didn’t respect anyone or anything, but Chuck knew that deep down, his brother was a good soul. It was almost like he was afraid to let anyone see that part of him — even the people closest to him.
“Takis is a good man,” Chuck said, seriously. “Might not be the smartest thing to blow through a load of the ammo he bought for us to protect this place.”
“If you love him so much,” Duke said, “what’s all this talk of you quitting?”
Chuck shot Trent a look. “Sorry, bro,” his older brother said. “You know I can’t keep secrets from either of you.” It was true — Trent was almost pathologically honest and open. Chuck wondered why he bothered telling him anything in confidence.
“It’s complicated,” Chuck grumbled.
“How?”
Chuck sighed, then explained his situation. He spoke about feeling out of place now that the ranch had changed so much. “I just feel like an outsider in my own home. It’s like life is telling me that it’s time to move on.”
“So, it’s nothing to do with that cute Little that you’re going to be working with?”
Instantly, Chuck felt prickly.
“What do you mean, cute?” He tried not to let the jealousy into his voice. Duke was a renowned ladies’ man. He’d had more girlfriends and one-night stands than Chuck had had hot dinners. When it came to women, he somehow had the ability to turn off the rough, annoying side of him just long enough for them to think he wasn’t a complete ass. His relationships never lasted, though. Probably because after a while, playing the part of a normal human being was too much effort.
“She’s pretty, don’t you think?” Duke took out a cigarette and lit it up.
“Put that out, moron. Takis said that this is a no-smoking site.”
“How’s he gonna find out? He’s in his private cabin, away from the likes of us.”
“He’ll find out,” Trent said, “because I’ll tell him.”
Duke scowled. “Fuck you.”
“I’m not risking the chance he’s given us so that you can get a nicotine hit. Buy some damn gum if you have to. Or try vaping. Everyone seems to vape these days.”
Duke took another puff. “You wouldn’t tell.”
Trent took out his phone and pulled up Takis’ number. “Last chance, idiot.”
With a growl, Duke threw down the cigarette.
