The secret to a sniper’s heart

Is this what love feels like?

Emily had an adrenaline filled week. Every cop in New York had heard about her sniper skills, and every time someone needed sniper assistance, they always asked her first. She was honoured to say the least, and when she was called into the office of her lieutenant, she had butterflies in her stomach. She was 70 percent sure it was a good thing, but she couldn’t help worry that she had done something wrong. When she approached his door, she took a deep breath and knocked. She heard his gruffy “come in,” and she opened the door. She was surprised to see a high ranking officer sitting in one of the chairs opposite of her lieutenant. “Sir” she greeted and shook his hand. “Sit, officer Gene.” Emily dragged the chair out, sat down and crossed her legs. A habit she had developed when she was nervous. “I have been ordered by the highest office of NYPD, and they have an opening for you in the special units. You would normally go through a lot of training, but you are better than anyone I’ve seen in a long time. You will have to take the detectives exam, and if and when you pass, you will be the youngest detective in out history to ever be on the special units” he says, and Emily’s jaw drops. “I.. uh.. really?” She breathes out, too in shock to form any other words. The other man looked at her, and she recognised him from that unit. “Welcome on board” he says and extends a hand that she shakes. They find a date for her to take the exam, and she start studying for it.

*

Three weeks later, Emily is sotting at her desk, finishing up some paperwork when her lieutenant suddenly enters the room and asks for everyone’s attention. “It is my honour to introduce you lot to the newest detective of our unit; detective Emily Gene. She has been promoted as the youngest sharpshooter on the special units division New York have ever seen!” He announced, and Emily couldn’t believe it. She had passed! She stood up and recieved her new badge and the stripes. Her lieutenant gave her a fatherly hug and wished her good luck, before signing her transfer papers and telling her what building to report to. Smiling, she hugged all her coworkers and made her way to the elevator. She had to count in her head all the way down, just so she wouldn’t jump up and down in excitement. When she came outside, she hauled a cab and gave the adress for her new job, and took long, deep breaths on her way there. It had been a dream for her since the day she found out she made it to the academy. When the cab stopped outside the building, she paid him and went inside. She found the lobby, and the receptionist called the right floor to let them know I was coming up. Wmily walked to the elevator and a security guard entered with her and pressed the button for the 35th floor, before placing the key card in the slot and typing in a code. It took several minutes to enter the floor, and when the doors opened, it was anything but what she had expected. It was a very expensive lab with several detectives working. It was the crimelab. Confused, she followed the security guard to an office. The man inside motioned for them to come inside, and the security guard opened the door for her. She walked inside, and the guard closed the door and went back to the elevator. I turned to the man and looked confused at him. He smiled. “Please, have a seat, detective Gene” he said, and she did as he said. He knew her name, so apparently she had come to the right place. “Before we get you a security pass, I need you to tell me the reason why you changed your name from Emily Gene Maxwell, to Emily Gene the day after your 18th birthday” he says, and sighing, she tells him the whole story. When she’s done, he nods and grab something from a drawer in his desk and hand it to her. A plastic card with her name and profession on it. He told her the code, and she memorised it right away. “Any questions?” He asked, and she nodded. “Only one, sir” she started, and he held up a hand. “Never call me sir. It’s to formal. Call me Mac” he said, and Emily continued. “Mac, I have only one question. I was told I would be working at the special unit division, not the crime lab. I failed chemistry in high school. I do know how to havk a computer tho” she added with a hollow laugh, and Mac nodded. “Yes, I know. We asked for you specifically. We need someone with your skills. Not only for testing weapons, but I need to know my team are safe in the field. That’s where you come in” he said, and Emily nodded. “That make sence” she said, and Mac nodded again. He stood up, and she followed suit. He extended a hand for her, and she shook it. “Now, let me show you were you’ll work. Tou will also be dealijg a bit with computers and cellphones” he said and opened the door for her. Emily smiled and nodded before exiting his office. He showed her around the lab, and last he showed her where she would work. It was a large room with several, different targets, raging from water to dead pigs, and a variety of weapons were placed in several gun lockers. “This is insane” Emily said and gasped. This is f*****g heaven she thought to herself as she took in the sight. “We have a few new weapons that needs testing. You know how to test the striads?” He asked, and she nodded. They showed her that when she first started. “Good. Document your findings. Ask for help if you need it. Have fun” he said and walked away. Grinning from ear ro ear, Emily walked over to a steel table and read the dokuments laying there. It said what weapons to test fire, some that needed cleaning and some that needed to be matched to a few bullets. She smiled and started working immediately, quickly finishing the list, and then went in to look at the different weapons in the locker.

*

Emily had made great friends at the lab, and she enjoyed the field work. She loved being able to wear normal clothes, and she grew close to a particularly cop. Donald Flack. They would often talk after interrogations, and he would make a point of bringing her coffee every morning. She often found her heart beat faster when she smelled his cologne or when she heard him in the lab, and soon realised that she had feelings for him. She was terrified, and immediately kept thinking what her kife would be like if she hadn’t ran away from home. She took a deep breath and loaded the shotgun, aimed it at her target and shot the entire clip into the target. Her aim was better and her anger flared when she thought of her father. She removed the earphones and put the safety back on. She jerked when she saw detective Flack, and he saw how her eyes expanded in fear. “Wow. It’s me” he said and raised his hands, showing her he wasn’t dangerous. “I know. I’m sorry. Sometimes my mind goes to what my life was like in Montana, and what it would be like if I hadn’t ran away when I did, or if my father would have shot me if he’d arrived at that bus station just a few minutes before” she said honestly and broke down in tears. She froze when she felt his strong arms around her, and she took a deep breath. She realised her mistake and took a step back. “I can’t. We have to stop whatever this is. I’m not someone you want to be with, not ever. Had my father gotten his will, I would be on my back in his bed now. I don’t know if I’ll ever be ready” she said, pushed past him and ran. She heard him call her name behind her, but with tears in her eyes she placed the gun back where it was supposed to go, and went to the roof. She was hyperventilating when she got there, and sank down to her knees and cried. She cursed her father for still making her life hell, and she cursed herself for being scared to take a chance. Im a sharpshooter for f**k sake! And I’m afraid to love someone. She mentally cursed herself and cried until her tears finally dries up.