Handling Things (working title) by CE Dalton

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Chapter 5

Beth was with Al and Richard at a shooting match to help them when Al was called up for his first shot. He paused and shook his head. Beth walked over. "Problems? Wrong gun?"

"Someone's screwed with it again." He looked at the judge. "Someone's screwed with my scope and barrel sight." They came over to look. "I had everything under lock."

"Let me check your other things and get your toolkit from your bag," Beth said, jogging over there. This was really bad. She looked. "Al?" she called. "Do you have your bag for your skeet gun?"

"No," he said, walking over. He looked. "That's that bag...I'm still missing one," he realized, pulling them out. "Richard!" he bellowed. He came jogging over. "I can't see your bags."

Beth found them for him. One of the judges was watching them checking them over. Beth spotted something. "We have an unbagged gun," she said with a point.

"That's good because this one's not mine," Richard said, holding it up. "No modification."

Beth looked at the judges and the others coming over. She held up the unbagged gun by the trigger guard. "Anyone claim this one?" One person raised his hand. "Where's your bag?" He found them and the gun that was in there that was Richard's. "Great. Okay, guys, I'm going to have you both check your weapons. I'll put them beside me so no one can tamper," she told the judge. "I'm their handler from the Reed Center," she said when someone else opened their mouth to comment.

"She can guard mine too," one of the female shooters said.

"Gladly." She handed Al his toolkit. He went to take apart his scope to look at it. She looked at the judges.

"We'll see who's been fiddling," he promised. "We're going to call a break so everyone can examine their weapons and put in any reports of tampering or missing ones." They all nodded and the rest of the athletes came to check over their gear. Beth settled in her seat on the stands with the weapons around her, and got Al sitting down with his scope. It was easier to fix on a flat surface.

Al shook his head. "I don't know what they did right off."

She looked through it. "It's got fisheye." She looked at them then pointed. "That's backwards."

He took out the lens to check then put in properly. "That's not my lens," he said. "It's got vision correction." One of the judges winced. A few people were checking their scopes and one came up to get their missing lens but his wasn't found.

Beth rubbed his arm, making Al look at her. "I've seen you make that distance without a scope before," she said quietly. "I've seen you do it just showing off and for real. Can you do it here?"

He looked then nodded. "I can. This isn't my long distance rig." He got up to check over his gun again. Beth found his long distance one to look at. Same lens problem so she switched that lens around for him. He came over to check it and nodded. "Thanks, Beth."

"You taught me well," she quipped with a grin. "Go be brilliant so you can brag to Celia and the others."

He nodded, going to talk to the judges. "I can make this without a scope."

"We'll allow it and make note on the forms," one of them promised. "Is it able to be fixed?"

"If I get another lens."

They nodded. "Do you want to withdraw?"

"My others are fine as far as I can tell. I only have this and long distance today since skeet got shoved to tomorrow."

"Good. We can allow that." Al nodded, going to take his mark so he could shoot.

Richard sat down beside Beth, putting his bags on her other side. "I checked, all mine appear to be normal and my scopes are fine. His are more open for tinkering than mine are."

She patted him on the arm. "We'll handle it and I'll be borrowing your big combat boots to stomp on whoever did that for you guys." He grinned, putting an arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him. "You know, my adopted father may make you make him promises if you get too cuddly."

He laughed. "Major Bill doesn't scare me, Beth. He's a good dad for you." She smiled and they watched Al fire. His first was slightly off but he had a practice shot he could use. The ones that counted were all spot on. "He's good."

She nodded. "He is. Great job, Al," she called, clapping when he was done. He smiled and sat down with his gun to clean while the next guy got into position. She handed him his toolkit and scope. He got them put up with a new lock put onto his case. He didn't usually worry about such things but some people were jealous assholes. Beth glanced at the people whispering about Al making those shots without a scope then at Al. Who just grinned and shifted up to sit next to her. He went over his next gun in detail. That one was fine, the case had still been locked. Beth shoulder nudged him, making him look at her. "Some people hate to see greatness," she said quietly.

"I know. That's why the trifling hos start on you." She grinned. "When's your next comp?"

"I got invited to nationals again this year. I turned down last year but one of the top two just announced a retirement in three years so I need to get my name up there."

"We'll come clap," he promised, shoulder nudging her back. She grinned.

"Nationals for what?" Richard asked.

"She fences."

"Ah! It's a grand old sport, full of titles and wealth."

"And politics," she quipped. The guys smiled at her. "But we'll see. I'm presently ranked fifth in the nation." Richard stared, mouth slightly open. "That's why certain people," she said with a delicate point at one's back. "Have been sending me letters."

Al shook his head. "They should've learned when you killed someone trying to get free of the kidnaping. Proves they need better education."

"You say some of the sweetest things," she said with a smile for him. He laughed but shrugged. His competitor was finally ready and took his shots at the target.

***

Beth reported to the main office once they got back from the shooting event. "Reports on who the police there arrested for tampering with the weapons. He leads back this group," she said with a point at one section. "Though he would not say who hired him."

The director grimaced as he read them over. "Al's scope?"

"Needs a new lens. They couldn't find his. He's called his scope maker to get one. Should be about the end of the week. His sponsors sent him a congratulations basket on taking second without a scope during that one event."

"That's really good," he agreed. He handed them back. "Richard's?"

"Only one was slightly tampered with and he was able to fix it. He took first place for his groups." She handed over the score sheets. He smiled. "Richard has another event in three days and here is my vacation forms for nationals."

"You're going?" he asked, staring at her.

She stared back. "One of the top two is retiring in three years so they need to start getting to know me."

"Good point." He signed them off and handed them back. "Is that going to interfere with your job?"

"I usually take four days off a year for events, Director Bell. Even for Nationals. Most of the rest I adjust my schedule." She smiled. "Is it a problem for the center?"

"No. Not until you graduate. Senior handlers aren't expected to be competitors."

"Thankfully I still have years of classes at my current rate of two a semester," she said dryly. He rolled his eyes. "Who knows, maybe by then you'll be able to brag about having a medal winner on staff. Everyone knows fencing needs new blood." She walked off to file those in the appropriate areas and make sure her trainees knew she'd be out of the area during those times. She was on her way to the shooting range and got paused by Celia, who was happy about her new routine and needed a favor arranged for an interview. Beth promised to do that and headed off while typing an email into her phone for PR.

She opened the shooting pen's door and blinked at the blonde woman who was apparently riding Richard's hook and begging hard for more. She carefully stepped back and closed the door as silently as she could. She was blushing hard but she did put out a memo to all her people to remember to lock the doors if they were doing something...intense that needed privacy in the gym areas, or the changing rooms, and that while frustration cures weren't technically allowed no one really cared if they did or not as long as it was consensual and made them happy. She sent that memo to all her trainees then went to hide in the weight room.

Up the hall, Al got the memo when he came in and paused to read it. He shook his head. "Who was screwing where this time?" he muttered as he went to his gym. He found out because that blonde was pretty and Richard glanced back at him. "Sorry, Richard. Put a tie on the doorknob next time, okay?" He closed the door and decided to have an early snack today and then go to the weight room. He met Celia down there. "The new memo from Beth thanks to Richard?"

"Hmm," she agreed, smiling at him as she ate some yogurt with blueberries. "Probably," she said once she had swallowed. "Was she pretty?"

"Yes, she was." Al shook his head. "Beth hiding?"

"Still blushing like a virgin. If she could suppress that fewer people would realize she was." She ate another bite.

"She just needs a good lover," Al said. Celia nodded that was true while chewing on some blueberries. "I never really thought about how you'd have sex while using a hook." He ate a bite of his usual sandwich.

She paused, licking her spoon's back. "Attachments? Or at least something to blunt the sharp point?"

"He'd have to have something to blunt the point," he agreed. "I don't know if anyone could make attachments for a hook." They shared a look and grinned then got back to their lunches. Celia spotted the blonde strolling off. She nudged him and he nodded that was her. "Guess the shooting pen's free," he quipped.

"She was pretty," Celia agreed.

"I don't poach. That's not the guy I am, Celia. You know that." He blew a kiss as he walked off eating his sandwich on the way to the shooting pen. Richard was back in there. "Just lock the doors," he said when he spotted him reading the memo he had been sent.

"Is she that uptight?"

"You probably freaked her out a bit. She's still boyfriendless and nineteen," Al said. "She still blushes a lot too."

"Still!" He looked at him. "Why?"

"Let's see, she went from her aunt, who was pressuring her to make a bid for the national team she didn't qualify for so she could get product endorsements, who incidentally introduced her to her adoptive father, Major Bill, when looking for an individual coach for her. He took her in and realized that fencing was her happier sport, even though they don't get product placements. He kept her aunt away from her thanks to her aunt's shitty attitude. He got her a job here as a trainee handler back when she was sixteen." Richard slumped, staring at him. "That plus high school, and he didn't let her slack there either, and training for later events. She didn't have time. Now it's two college courses at a time, all of us, and no life in her apartment upstairs." He shrugged. "She needs to fix that. Maybe that guy in the UAE would leave her alone if she did."

"Probably. So I really freaked her out?"

"The same as anyone having sex can freak out virgins, man. Don't worry about it. Though there are two underage trainee handlers presently training and one does work with the female shooters." Richard winced. "She's fourteen I want to say. Former gymnast but won't get beyond college level so she's looking at her future as a coach."

"Good to know. I'll apologize."

"Just lock the door next time," Al said dryly. "It works and we all realize you're not the first to have sex in the gyms." Richard grinned. "Though we were trying to figure out if you used something like a foil tip blunting sheath or not. Celia thought you might have specially built appliances."

Richard burst out laughing, shaking his head. "No, I can't find anyone who can build the hook a vibrator." He patted Al on the back. "Thank you."

"Welcome. She was pretty and most of us don't poach. Except one of the soccer guys and two of the trainers."

"I'll keep that in mind. That's my wife."

"Then that's all good for us," Al quipped with a smirk. "Beth won't have a problem."

"I'll remember to lock the door next time. She just got back from an assignment."

"That's good." He patted him on the arm. "I've got to go over my spare scopes."

"Want the overhead lights on?"

"Nah, I use the workbench over here." He grabbed his stuff and settled in while Richard worked on a weak spot at a longer range. He'd talk to Beth in a few hours, once she had quit blushing.

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Handling Things (working title) by CE Dalton [Reviews - 0] Chapter or Story Table of Contents - Text Size + Chapter 5 Beth was with Al and Richard at a shooting match to help them when Al was called up for his first shot. He paused and shook his head. Beth walked over. "Problems? Wrong gun?" "Someone's screwed with it again." He looked at the judge. "Someone's screwed with my scope and barrel sight." They came over to look. "I had everything under lock." "Let me check your other things and get your toolkit from your bag," Beth said, jogging over there. This was really bad. She looked. "Al?" she called. "Do you have your bag for your skeet gun?" "No," he said, walking over. He looked. "That's that bag...I'm still missing one," he realized, pulling them out. "Richard!" he bellowed. He came jogging over. "I can't see your bags." Beth found them for him. One of the judges was watching them checking them over. Beth spotted something. "We have an unbagged gun," she said with a point. "That's good because this one's not mine," Richard said, holding it up. "No modification." Beth looked at the judges and the others coming over. She held up the unbagged gun by the trigger guard. "Anyone claim this one?" One person raised his hand. "Where's your bag?" He found them and the gun that was in there that was Richard's. "Great. Okay, guys, I'm going to have you both check your weapons. I'll put them beside me so no one can tamper," she told the judge. "I'm their handler from the Reed Center," she said when someone else opened their mouth to comment. "She can guard mine too," one of the female shooters said. "Gladly." She handed Al his toolkit. He went to take apart his scope to look at it. She looked at the judges. "We'll see who's been fiddling," he promised. "We're going to call a break so everyone can examine their weapons and put in any reports of tampering or missing ones." They all nodded and the rest of the athletes came to check over their gear. Beth settled in her seat on the stands with the weapons around her, and got Al sitting down with his scope. It was easier to fix on a flat surface. Al shook his head. "I don't know what they did right off." She looked through it. "It's got fisheye." She looked at them then pointed. "That's backwards." He took out the lens to check then put in properly. "That's not my lens," he said. "It's got vision correction." One of the judges winced. A few people were checking their scopes and one came up to get their missing lens but his wasn't found. Beth rubbed his arm, making Al look at her. "I've seen you make that distance without a scope before," she said quietly. "I've seen you do it just showing off and for real. Can you do it here?" He looked then nodded. "I can. This isn't my long distance rig." He got up to check over his gun again. Beth found his long distance one to look at. Same lens problem so she switched that lens around for him. He came over to check it and nodded. "Thanks, Beth." "You taught me well," she quipped with a grin. "Go be brilliant so you can brag to Celia and the others." He nodded, going to talk to the judges. "I can make this without a scope." "We'll allow it and make note on the forms," one of them promised. "Is it able to be fixed?" "If I get another lens." They nodded. "Do you want to withdraw?" "My others are fine as far as I can tell. I only have this and long distance today since skeet got shoved to tomorrow." "Good. We can allow that." Al nodded, going to take his mark so he could shoot. Richard sat down beside Beth, putting his bags on her other side. "I checked, all mine appear to be normal and my scopes are fine. His are more open for tinkering than mine are." She patted him on the arm. "We'll handle it and I'll be borrowing your big combat boots to stomp on whoever did that for you guys." He grinned, putting an arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him. "You know, my adopted father may make you make him promises if you get too cuddly." He laughed. "Major Bill doesn't scare me, Beth. He's a good dad for you." She smiled and they watched Al fire. His first was slightly off but he had a practice shot he could use. The ones that counted were all spot on. "He's good." She nodded. "He is. Great job, Al," she called, clapping when he was done. He smiled and sat down with his gun to clean while the next guy got into position. She handed him his toolkit and scope. He got them put up with a new lock put onto his case. He didn't usually worry about such things but some people were jealous assholes. Beth glanced at the people whispering about Al making those shots without a scope then at Al. Who just grinned and shifted up to sit next to her. He went over his next gun in detail. That one was fine, the case had still been locked. Beth shoulder nudged him, making him look at her. "Some people hate to see greatness," she said quietly. "I know. That's why the trifling hos start on you." She grinned. "When's your next comp?" "I got invited to nationals again this year. I turned down last year but one of the top two just announced a retirement in three years so I need to get my name up there." "We'll come clap," he promised, shoulder nudging her back. She grinned. "Nationals for what?" Richard asked. "She fences." "Ah! It's a grand old sport, full of titles and wealth." "And politics," she quipped. The guys smiled at her. "But we'll see. I'm presently ranked fifth in the nation." Richard stared, mouth slightly open. "That's why certain people," she said with a delicate point at one's back. "Have been sending me letters." Al shook his head. "They should've learned when you killed someone trying to get free of the kidnaping. Proves they need better education." "You say some of the sweetest things," she said with a smile for him. He laughed but shrugged. His competitor was finally ready and took his shots at the target. *** Beth reported to the main office once they got back from the shooting event. "Reports on who the police there arrested for tampering with the weapons. He leads back this group," she said with a point at one section. "Though he would not say who hired him." The director grimaced as he read them over. "Al's scope?" "Needs a new lens. They couldn't find his. He's called his scope maker to get one. Should be about the end of the week. His sponsors sent him a congratulations basket on taking second without a scope during that one event." "That's really good," he agreed. He handed them back. "Richard's?" "Only one was slightly tampered with and he was able to fix it. He took first place for his groups." She handed over the score sheets. He smiled. "Richard has another event in three days and here is my vacation forms for nationals." "You're going?" he asked, staring at her. She stared back. "One of the top two is retiring in three years so they need to start getting to know me." "Good point." He signed them off and handed them back. "Is that going to interfere with your job?" "I usually take four days off a year for events, Director Bell. Even for Nationals. Most of the rest I adjust my schedule." She smiled. "Is it a problem for the center?" "No. Not until you graduate. Senior handlers aren't expected to be competitors." "Thankfully I still have years of classes at my current rate of two a semester," she said dryly. He rolled his eyes. "Who knows, maybe by then you'll be able to brag about having a medal winner on staff. Everyone knows fencing needs new blood." She walked off to file those in the appropriate areas and make sure her trainees knew she'd be out of the area during those times. She was on her way to the shooting range and got paused by Celia, who was happy about her new routine and needed a favor arranged for an interview. Beth promised to do that and headed off while typing an email into her phone for PR. She opened the shooting pen's door and blinked at the blonde woman who was apparently riding Richard's hook and begging hard for more. She carefully stepped back and closed the door as silently as she could. She was blushing hard but she did put out a memo to all her people to remember to lock the doors if they were doing something...intense that needed privacy in the gym areas, or the changing rooms, and that while frustration cures weren't technically allowed no one really cared if they did or not as long as it was consensual and made them happy. She sent that memo to all her trainees then went to hide in the weight room. Up the hall, Al got the memo when he came in and paused to read it. He shook his head. "Who was screwing where this time?" he muttered as he went to his gym. He found out because that blonde was pretty and Richard glanced back at him. "Sorry, Richard. Put a tie on the doorknob next time, okay?" He closed the door and decided to have an early snack today and then go to the weight room. He met Celia down there. "The new memo from Beth thanks to Richard?" "Hmm," she agreed, smiling at him as she ate some yogurt with blueberries. "Probably," she said once she had swallowed. "Was she pretty?" "Yes, she was." Al shook his head. "Beth hiding?" "Still blushing like a virgin. If she could suppress that fewer people would realize she was." She ate another bite. "She just needs a good lover," Al said. Celia nodded that was true while chewing on some blueberries. "I never really thought about how you'd have sex while using a hook." He ate a bite of his usual sandwich. She paused, licking her spoon's back. "Attachments? Or at least something to blunt the sharp point?" "He'd have to have something to blunt the point," he agreed. "I don't know if anyone could make attachments for a hook." They shared a look and grinned then got back to their lunches. Celia spotted the blonde strolling off. She nudged him and he nodded that was her. "Guess the shooting pen's free," he quipped. "She was pretty," Celia agreed. "I don't poach. That's not the guy I am, Celia. You know that." He blew a kiss as he walked off eating his sandwich on the way to the shooting pen. Richard was back in there. "Just lock the doors," he said when he spotted him reading the memo he had been sent. "Is she that uptight?" "You probably freaked her out a bit. She's still boyfriendless and nineteen," Al said. "She still blushes a lot too." "Still!" He looked at him. "Why?" "Let's see, she went from her aunt, who was pressuring her to make a bid for the national team she didn't qualify for so she could get product endorsements, who incidentally introduced her to her adoptive father, Major Bill, when looking for an individual coach for her. He took her in and realized that fencing was her happier sport, even though they don't get product placements. He kept her aunt away from her thanks to her aunt's shitty attitude. He got her a job here as a trainee handler back when she was sixteen." Richard slumped, staring at him. "That plus high school, and he didn't let her slack there either, and training for later events. She didn't have time. Now it's two college courses at a time, all of us, and no life in her apartment upstairs." He shrugged. "She needs to fix that. Maybe that guy in the UAE would leave her alone if she did." "Probably. So I really freaked her out?" "The same as anyone having sex can freak out virgins, man. Don't worry about it. Though there are two underage trainee handlers presently training and one does work with the female shooters." Richard winced. "She's fourteen I want to say. Former gymnast but won't get beyond college level so she's looking at her future as a coach." "Good to know. I'll apologize." "Just lock the door next time," Al said dryly. "It works and we all realize you're not the first to have sex in the gyms." Richard grinned. "Though we were trying to figure out if you used something like a foil tip blunting sheath or not. Celia thought you might have specially built appliances." Richard burst out laughing, shaking his head. "No, I can't find anyone who can build the hook a vibrator." He patted Al on the back. "Thank you." "Welcome. She was pretty and most of us don't poach. Except one of the soccer guys and two of the trainers." "I'll keep that in mind. That's my wife." "Then that's all good for us," Al quipped with a smirk. "Beth won't have a problem." "I'll remember to lock the door next time. She just got back from an assignment." "That's good." He patted him on the arm. "I've got to go over my spare scopes." "Want the overhead lights on?" "Nah, I use the workbench over here." He grabbed his stuff and settled in while Richard worked on a weak spot at a longer range. He'd talk to Beth in a few hours, once she had quit blushing. Previous Next You must login (register) to review.

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