They Mocked Her At The Firing Range, Unaware Of Her Hidden Identity
Previously: When Jessica was unfairly dismissed from the force, she lost everything. But a surprise challenge at a dusty shooting range gave her one shot at ultimate redemption.
The Sabotaged Challenge
The spectators who had gathered around the range watched in absolute awe as Jessica fired shot after shot, each one striking the target dead-center with flawless precision. Caleb's smug expression instantly vanished, replaced by a dark, furious scowl. He couldn't let her succeed. If Jessica passed this evaluation, she would secure a prestigious contract with the international security firm, placing her far out of his reach and potentially exposing the lies he had used to destroy her career on the police force.
Before Ryan could officially record her perfect score, Caleb stepped forward, aggressively pushing past the instructor.
"This is a joke,"Caleb sneered, his voice dripping with venom.
"Anyone can hit static steel in broad daylight. If she wants to prove she belongs in the elite division, she needs to face a real-world scenario. Let's see how she handles the moving hostage rescue."
Ryan frowned, checking his clipboard.
"Caleb, that's not part of the standard evaluation protocol. The moving target system hasn't been calibrated for this caliber."But Caleb waved him off, using his authority on the advisory board to force the issue. He wanted to break her spirit, to trigger the memories of the failed raid he had framed her for.
Jessica looked at her ex-husband, her gaze steady.
"Set it up,"she said, her voice cutting through the tension. They activated the hydraulic system, and a silhouette target representing a hostage-taker clutching a victim began to zip rapidly across the dusty field. But as Jessica brought the rifle scope back to her eye, her heart skipped a beat. Through the high-magnification lens, she noticed a subtle anomaly. Caleb had rigged the mechanism. A metal plate representing the hostage had been mechanically offset, overlapping the target area. No matter how perfect her shot was, the bullet would strike the hostage, resulting in an automatic disqualification and a permanent ban from the industry. She had only seconds to act as the target neared the end of the track.
”She had only seconds to act as the target neared the end of the track.