Chapter 22. Training Sessions

Bucky

The news of Happy Hogan's "accident" spread quickly throughout the underground base that morning. The enemy had struck again but it didn't dishearten us. Instead, it pissed us off, especially Tony Stark. It became obvious that Happy was more than an employee of Tony's, he was also family. Getting on the phone immediately, Stark arranged to be flown to New York, declaring he wasn't going to sit in safety while his friend was attacked and injured. Thor apparently tried to talk him out of it, but the man wouldn't listen. As he and Melinda May watched Tony lift off in a helicopter, they decided it was time for us to start hitting back. First things first as I had some firearm training sessions to run.

After breakfast I went to the indoor gun range onsite and met the weapons master. A twenty-year veteran of the FBI, we gave each other a grilling on firearms that left us both satisfied that the right people were on the job. Together we set up the targets on the target line, then inspected the berm behind them and the baffles, making sure everything was intact and wouldn't ricochet any of the projectiles back towards the firing line. We both went to the armoury to see their selection of handguns. There were currently about a dozen people who would be staying onsite, eight of them had no firearms experience of any kind. The other four, including Peter and Ned, were paintballers. More were expected by the afternoon.

"What do you think Sarge?" asked Agent Darwin, the weapons master. "Most of the recruits I deal with already have firearms experience and they adapt very quickly to the Glock Gen 5, 9mm, as the FBI standard service weapon. I have lots of the 17s and several 19s. I know domestically the 19s sell more for personal defence."

"Can't go wrong with those," I replied. "Do you have enough back straps to customize the grips?"

He smirked. "Of course. Lots of ammo for both. I figure these computer people don't need to be pinpoint accurate in their shooting; they just have to be able to disable the attacker. Although if they're wearing body armour it will have to be head shots."

"Yeah," I sighed, knowing that was the hardest for people with no weapons experience to handle, the possibility of killing their attacker. Head shots were almost guaranteed to kill, but if the attackers were wearing body armour then going for chest shots would be a waste of ammunition. "We'll see how they do. If you're ready and set up each station I'll go round up the first bunch."

I headed over to the computer centre and pulled the first six people out, including Jane. When I got back I was surprised to see Joaquin and Carol in the firing range preparation room.

"Since we both learned under your supervision at the academy we figured we could help you out with loading the handguns and helping with their stances," said Joaquin. "First time firing a gun can be unnerving."

"Thanks," I answered, genuinely appreciating their gesture. Turning to the group I brought with me I began my spiel. "So, this is where we'll explain the rules of the firing range. Once we're out there we'll be wearing protective ear wear and you won't be able to hear me as well. As an instructor for NYPD and as Agent Darwin can attest, we stick to one model, maybe two models of a particular handgun. Each law enforcement agency has a standard issue for their officers. The most common is a 9mm Glock Gen 5, either a 17 or a 19. That's because of their reliability, their accuracy, and they can hold a 15-round magazine with one in the chamber. These particular models also have less recoil. What's recoil? It's the backward momentum of a gun after it is discharged. When you're shooting a rifle, you're backstopping the butt with your shoulder so that you use your body to absorb some of that recoil. In a handgun, you're using your hands, both of them and your stance, how you stand. When you're first starting out that recoil is going startle you and it may take some doing for you to get used to it. The thick pads on your palm may get sore or even a little numb from the repeated recoil. That's normal."

I looked around to see if there were any confused faces but they were all listening and watching me intently. So far, so good.

"That smell you can smell is going to be stronger in the firing range," I said next. "It's the smell of gun powder, along with some oily residue from when the firearms are cleaned and lubricated. Agent Darwin here has probably cleaned more firearms than most of you have ever seen in your life. It's part of being a responsible gun user. Keep your weapon clean so that it doesn't jam up on you at the worst time possible. When we go on our raids and you're left guarding the house, Agent Darwin will issue each of you a sidearm. Keep it in your holster until you need it. It's not a toy. It has one purpose... to take down the adversary, by either killing him or disabling him."

I read them the riot act about how we would handle the guns in this range. Each gun had already been placed in a tray, with a full magazine of ammunition for each, plus extra ammo to be loaded in the magazine for the next set of shooting, 4 sets in all. Out in the range I, or the designate, would load the gun, put it back on the tray, and the individual would pick it up on my command and take their stance. They were never to point it at themselves or anyone else, either loaded or unloaded. The only place to aim it at was the target. Agent Darwin handed me some empty Glocks and I checked the chamber to make sure they were, emphasizing that although I trusted him implicitly to do that I also was responsible for making sure they were empty before handing them on to anyone else. I handed them to the people, reminding them to keep them pointed down, just so they could feel the weight of the piece, and the shape of the grip. Each part of the gun was explained, emphasizing the safety features that would prevent them from firing accidentally. Then I asked them to check the chamber before handing them back. Next, I handed the pieces to the remaining people, including Jane.

"Are they heavy? Yes, which is why I want you to use both hands to hold and fire them. When you see the hero firing with one hand that's Hollywood. In a real situation a law enforcement professional will use both hands, always, for the most control."

So far they were still with me. After giving the second group a few minutes to get use to the feel of the weapon I asked for them back, satisfied at how they handed them back to me with the barrel pointed down and the grip towards me. I explained how, once we were out on the range, they would see the target sheet at the far end of the range.

"NO ONE," I emphasized, "absolutely no one is to step over the firing line. The space between the firing line and the target line is no man's land. It is not safe if there are weapons in the range. Agent Darwin and I went out before I came for you to make sure everything is working. There is no reason for you to do the same."

"Are the targets of people or the round targets?" asked Jane.

"In a regular range that would be a choice," I replied, looking at all of them in turn. "In this range it will always be an outline of a person, with the head and chest area emphasized. The chest is a bigger target than the head but if you are attacked I can almost guarantee the attackers will be wearing body armour. That means you must shoot to kill, with the head shot. I wish it were otherwise but we don't have much time and you need to be proficient at this by the time the rest of us go on the raids."

"Will we get body armour?" asked Ned.

I looked at Darwin. "We're working on it," he said. "Can't promise anything. I'll be here as well as two other individuals with weapons experience. We'll be the first line of defence. You'll be barricaded in your computer centre. If they get to you, it means we're down. Sorry, I don't want to sugar coat it."

I looked at Ned grimly but he just nodded and accepted it. They all did, which was reassuring in a strange way. I guess they all realized we were asking them to rise to the occasion. Even Jane. Finally, we were ready to go into the firing range and we filed in, with one of us trained professionals in between two raw rookies. Deliberately, I put myself between Ned and Peter, letting Carol stand between Jane and Peter. I didn't want our personal relationship to affect her learning experience.

Then we started, loading the weapons, and letting them have their first feel of a gun in their hands. Ned and Peter's experience with paintball was a benefit, even though those weapons are air powered, as they were less surprised by the recoil on the Glocks. When everyone had emptied their magazine, they were instructed to place the gun back in the tray as we brought their target sheets forward. Although we had said they would be taking head shots I noticed most aimed at the chest instead. It was a good strategy for this first set, helping them to get used to the feel of the gun. There were some that seemed to be naturals as all of their bullets hit the target in one location or another. A couple of people missed at least half their shots.

After sending the targets back and loading the next set of 15 bullets into the magazine, plus one into the chamber, they were given the okay to fire again. The results were better, even for those who had missed many shots before. We did the third round, and like I expected, the results were down as people were starting to feel the ache and numbness in their hands. After finishing that set I signalled for everyone to step back from the firing line and remove their ear protection so I could address them.

"About now, your hands are feeling sore and maybe numb," I began. "That's normal. But it doesn't mean you get to stop. We have one set of bullets left before this session is over. I want you to try to empty your magazine as quickly as you can in this last set. If you're in the thick of it you're not going to have much time to prepare your shot. You're going to have several magazines already loaded and ready to go, so that when you empty one, you have a full one ready to take its place. They're not going to wait on you to load before they start shooting again but when you are loading the next magazine you're going to be vulnerable so make sure someone is covering you, or find better cover so you can do it without being a target."

Restoring our ear protection I loaded the magazines for Ned and Peter, returned their guns to their trays then waited for everyone else to be ready. Then I tapped Ned on the shoulder and was pleased that he didn't hesitate to unload his magazine in rapid succession. When he put his weapon down I tapped Peter and although he took a bit longer I was satisfied with his attempt. Trading places with Carol I tapped Jane and watched as she, like Ned, quickly emptied her magazine. Joaquin's pair was next, followed by Darwin's pair. Everyone fired their handguns much faster than the previous three sets. When we pulled the target sheets in we could see that the aim was improving. More than half the shots hit the head or neck. To me, that was acceptable for the first session with these people. We gave each person their target sheets then had them come out to the preparation room for a quick debrief.

"So, how did that feel?" I asked. Normally, with police recruits I wouldn't ask that but with everyone being civilians I wanted to gauge how firing a gun affected them. "I would like to have at least one other session with you, tomorrow, if we can manage it, then a third one if we have the time. But if you were left on your own, do you think you could handle it?"

"I'd like to learn how to load my own magazines," said Jane. "If there's only three agents going to be left here, we should know how to do it ourselves."

I looked at Agent Darwin and he agreed that their next session could involve loading the magazines. No one else had any questions so I dismissed them. Agent Darwin, Joaquin, and Carol stayed behind as the others left.

"Well?" I asked. "What do you think?"

"Better than I was expecting for civilians with little to no firearms experience," answered Darwin. "I would be happier if they managed to get at least two more sessions in, including some firing from a kneeling position."

I agreed with him as did the other two. They offered to help with the other sessions as Thor was still planning with the other team leaders. We had spent two hours with this first group and it was approaching lunch time. I decided we would take the next group after lunch and if the other people arrived in the afternoon as expected we could fit in an evening session. As we left the range area I was happy to see Jane waiting for me, leaning against the wall in the hallway.

"Well, that was better than my previous experience," she said, as she stood upright and took my hand. "You are a pretty good instructor. I'd give you 5/5 on Yelp."

"Thank you," I replied. "You were good students. It wasn't too much crammed into too little time?"

"Not really. It's not like you have all the time in the world. Will this interfere with you training with your team?"

"I'm sure we'll fit in the time somewhere," I admitted. "We did have some sessions before I left to be with you and they continued training. I'm adaptable."

After taking a short break for lunch I kissed Jane goodbye and returned to the firing range to see Darwin already cleaning some of the handguns used that morning. I took a couple of the others and began cleaning them. When Joaquin and Carol arrived they brought Malin, Rig and Sam with them. Thor was still in meetings and they wanted to feel useful. With them we could handle a larger group, which was good as some newcomers had trickled in. Rig volunteered to bring in the next group, returning with ten people, including Bruce Banner and Ben Harmon. With the extra help we had mostly good results with the second group, breaking after a couple of hours. I did speak to Bruce after as he expressed reservations about handling a firearm.

"It's not that I'm against guns," he said. "I'm just jumpy around them. Even with the ear protection on it felt like every shot was reverberating through my head."

"You could have very sensitive hearing," I theorized. "I'd still like you to complete the sessions, just in case you find yourself in a position where you have no choice. But I'll understand if you choose not to take part. I'm not going to force you and I won't think less of you if you choose to contribute in another way. You could always load magazines for the others."

He smiled grimly at being given a choice. "I'll keep trying but I know I wasn't hitting the target areas at all. Really, I might be better hiding somewhere, being out of the way."

I patted him on the shoulder. When I did instruct at the academy there was often at least one recruit in every class who found the firearms section too much to handle. It wasn't for everyone. After he left I joined the others as we cleaned the handguns and prepared for the evening session, making sure everything was locked up before we left.

I stopped by the computer centre on the way to the briefing rooms, as Thor was ready to share some information with our team. Jane was at a station and I approached her from behind, placing my hands on her shoulders. She jumped a little, then chuckled when she saw it was me.

"Your afternoon session is already done?" she asked, looking up at the clock. "That seemed to go fast." She looked past me seeing Bruce and Ben were back. "How did they do?"

"Mostly alright," I said, not wanting to say anything about Bruce with him so close. "We'll see if things get better at the second session. I'm headed to a meeting with the team. How long are you going to be here?"

"Couple of hours, at least," she replied. "Meet you for dinner?"

"That's the plan."

I kissed her again and headed over to the briefing room. As I was the last one to arrive I closed the door behind me, taking a seat next to Sam. Thor looked at me first.

"I've heard good things about the two sessions you ran today," he said in that deep voice of his. "Agent Darwin has worked with many firearms instructors and he thinks your method is very effective. You're running another session this evening?"

"That's the plan," I replied. "Joaquin and Carol helped this morning then the others this afternoon. It helped to have them on hand, as it was a larger group. I'm hoping they'll be there for the evening session as well."

The others nodded. "Good," said Thor. "With you tied up in making sure the civilian residents here are capable of defending themselves it will leave little time for us to train as a team. We may have to go out after the evening session for a few hours and again in the early morning before your morning session. If you can get that evening session integrated into the morning or afternoon sessions tomorrow, then we'll use the evening for our training."

Sounded reasonable. Then he cleared his throat and pulled some papers out of a folder, passing them out to us. They were grainy photos of Thaddeus Ross, Emil Blonsky, John Walker, and several other men, all of them dressed in tactical gear and carrying weapons. Another photo showed the bottling process at a vineyard, not the one we visited near Washington.

"We believe these photos came from Phil Coulson," he said. "They were texted to several of us who had been recruited by him. This vineyard has been identified as being in Virginia, south of the capital, on the Potomac. We believe they're using boats to transport the explosives both upriver to Washington and downriver to other destinations. Considering the number of vineyards around the Washington area it's been determined that our first targets should be those locations."

"When?" asked Rig.

"Three days." He looked down. "I also received a text message from an unknown number." He showed it to us ... the words "hjelp meg Lille." "I think this is from Coulson himself asking for extraction. It's Norwegian for "help me Tiny."

"He knows Norwegian?" I asked.

"No, only that," replied Thor. "When he was first mentoring me we talked about how to know when an undercover agent needed help. He suggested using a phrase in another language that could be connected to the agent. This is my phrase. He would call me tiny man, Tiny became his code name for me." Thor smiled gently as if remembering better times. "He knows that I would understand it came from him."

"So, our target is the vineyard in these photographs," said Rig, sounding like he was ready to get down to business. "Do we have a layout?"

"I'll assign that research to the computer people on our team," said Thor. "They'll also begin the satellite surveillance of the location to monitor who is coming and going. Once we have that we begin training; two days maximum. Sam, I was told you have drone skills."

"I do, as a hobby," he replied. "You want some drone surveillance as well?"

"Yes. We have a fleet of drones available. Each team will be assigned one to use for closer surveillance. You'll be our eyes from the sky. Buck, get those civilians trained, finishing tomorrow, if possible. Joaquin, Carol and Malin, you help him. I'll see if I can get a volunteer from each team to assist so that it's not just our team doing it. We're going to have power through all of this to be ready to go on the third day."

With that I headed back to the computer centre. Jane wasn't there so I went to our quarters, finding her on the couch. I climbed on top of her, making her laugh as she accommodated my attempt at being cute. We finally settled with me laying with my head on her lap as she ran her fingers through my hair, giving me a great scalp massage.

"What did Thor have to say?"

"Tomorrow will be the last day of firearms training as we need the time to train our team for our mission," I replied. "The computer teams will be getting the layouts of the vineyards then monitoring the real-time satellite surveillance. Three days from now we're headed out."

"Finally, some real action," she said. "You must be getting anxious to get into it."

"Yeah, I am, but the timeline is being forced by the fact they're already bottling the wine," I said. "Coulson has asked to be extracted as well. It must be getting pretty dangerous for him to request that. John is deeply involved. He was wearing tactical gear and carrying a weapon in a picture that Coulson sent Thor."

She shook her head. "I'm not surprised. He had this weekend warrior thing going on while we were married. Doing military re-enactment retreats with some guys once or twice a month. You know, come to think of it ... he didn't go with any of his friends. Lemar and him had a major falling out after the divorce, and the others soon followed suit." I sat up and looked at her for clarification. "Lemar Hoskins was his best man. He was a good guy who admitted his friendship with John was more out of obligation than actual respect. He told me some things about what John said and did before and during our marriage. John's the reason my brother became an addict. He also stole bonus money from me, drained our savings account. Lemar felt guilty about never saying anything. I know he didn't go on those retreats. Like me he thought they were silly get-togethers of alpha male wannabes."

That set off a bunch of red flags in my mind and I asked if she remembered the name of the organization that hosted the retreats. It took her a few minutes browsing on the phone before she found it and showed it to me, California Readiness Legion. As I went through their innocuous looking website some of the phrases that were used when I clicked on the links reminded me of some of the slogans used by the White Sword militia. Opening the photo gallery I looked through them before stopping on one of the images that showed a group of men in black tactical wear, many of them in balaclavas. Behind them was a wall with a design on it. The top of the design hidden behind the men looked like the tops of the swords of the White Sword emblem.

"Shit," I muttered. "He's been part of it all along. I think that place is a branch of the White Sword militia."

Looking at the remaining images in the gallery didn't show anything more so I searched using California Readiness Legion, which linked me to one of the Facebook groups that had been monitored by Rig.

"We should have had you as part of the team from the beginning," I said, partly angry at myself for not thinking of using her knowledge sooner. "Come on, we have to let the others know about this group. I'm certain they're being used to recruit members."

When I caught up with Thor and the others he had much the same reaction as me, feeling like he had failed by not having Jane more involved in the investigation at the start. We had fallen into the trap of thinking of her as a victim, someone to be protected, rather than as an asset to the investigation. Fortunately, when he shared the information with one of his California colleagues, he learned the group had been under limited surveillance for some time because of the militaristic nature of their so-called retreats. With the news that John Walker was a regular participant in those retreats it meant the colleague could advise his superiors back in California to consider organizing a raid against the group. With any luck they could arrange to do it at the same time as we hit the vineyards.

Authors note: This chapter describes Bucky Barnes instructing people on how to handle guns. I have had about half a dozen sessions in a gun range, most of them when I was much younger (in high school) learning how to fire a rifle for the marksmanship module (no longer taught, I believe), and one more recently when my husband purchased a session at a private range for me to learn how to fire a handgun. I am not an expert in handling weapons. Most of what I have written has come from what I remember being taught in my sessions, supplemented by online research. As a Canadian, our gun laws are different than the United States so there may be differences in how a person is taught between the two countries and even between two instructors. The point in including this process is to emphasize Bucky's dedication to being a thorough and calm instructor.