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Dietz drove up the pass in his little red Porsche like afor a car chase later on The Porsche was not equipped with passenger brakes, but I kept my foot jammed to the floorboards in hopes From where I sat, it looked like one of those caht uphill I ishing I believed in an afterlife, as I was about to enjoy mine Dietz didn’t seem to notice my discomfiture Since he was totally focused on the road, I didn’t want to spoil his concentration with the piercing screaun club was deserted except for the range-master, to e paid our fees The May sun was hot, the breezes dry, scented with bay laurel and sage The rains wouldn’t coust, the etation desiccated, the ti doard the valley, I could see a haze in the air, ghostly portent of the fires to coet at a distance of seven yards I’d been practicing with the Davis at twenty-five yards, but Dietz just shook his head "A32’s designed for self-defense inside fifteen yards, preferably inside ten The round has to penetrate deeply enough to get to the vital organs and blood vessels, eight to ten inches in The Silvertip has a better chance of getting far enough to make a difference"

"Nice business we’re in," I said

"Why do you think I’ out?"

I loaded the azine on my little Davis while he detailed an exercise he referred to as a Mozauard position: pistol loaded, round cha at a forty-five-degree angle doard "Bring the pistol up to shooting position and fire two quick shots into the upper chest, level with the sternum Do a quick visual check to see where you’ve hit and then fire a third ht around here," he said, indicating his eye sockets

I put onself-conscious at first under his scrutiny It was clear that in the years since the police academy, my skills had deteriorated I’d coe of once a un to think of it al in self-defense Left to orous nor exact Dietz was a good teacher, patient,corrections in a way that never un in your purse," he said when he was satisfied

"How do you know all this stuff?"

He smiled faintly "Weapons are a passion ofin defensive pistolcraft was a class designed for certifying security guards to carry weapons on the job The practical shooting part wasin the laws related to firearms I went to the American Pistol Institute after that" He paused "Are we up here to work or chat?"

"I get to choose?" I said

Apparently not He hadoff the32 He relented on that point and let me continue with the Davis We went back to work, the s the air as I concentrated on the process I’d ceased to think about Mark Messinger as a person He’d become an abstract-no more than a flat, black silhouette seven yards aith a paper heart, paper brain It was therapeutic firing at hian to fall away and my confidence returned I fired at his paper neck and hit an inky artery I pretended to tattoo my initials on his trunk By the ti like e Coach Tavern, tucked up against the h the rocks close by Live oak and bay laurel kept the tavern shrouded in chill shade The quiet was undercut by the gossiping of the birds Only an occasional car cli for thethe pre beer, one foot propped up on the crude wooden bench where he sat I was seated on his left with h there wasn’t much to see There were only three other custoh plank tables outside

We’d ordered the chili verde, which the waitress brought: tide bowls of fragrant pork and green chili steith a dollop of cilantro pesto on top and two folded flour tortillas subht be as close to heaven as a sinner could get without repenting first

"What’s your deal with California Fidelity?" he asked, between bites