Cold Lonely Courage (Madeleine toche Series Book 2) Read Online Free Page A

as they beg for life and an end to their pain. You may make decisions that get innocent people killed, and still you must go on killing, because finally that’s all you have left. And then one glorious day, the killing stops,” he said, a hard edge entering his voice.
    “Just teach me how to shoot that pistol.”

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    CHAPTER SEVEN
    Jean-Pierre and Madeleine stood behind a derelict barn. The salt air had worn down the boards and nails, and it looked like a strong wind could push it over, but it made an effective shield for target practice.
    They arranged a few cans from inside the barn along a pile of gravel in a small hollow that curved around the back of the farmyard.
    “Won’t people passing by hear the shots?” Madeleine asked as they walked back towards a small table Jean-Pierre had set up a reasonable distance from the targets.
    “For the job you’re going to do, a small caliber pistol will work best. Besides, nobody comes this way anymore and the Germans aren’t going to worry about a pea-shooter. If we ever get caught, we’re just shooting pigeons in the barn for our dinner.”
    “Actually that doesn’t sound like a bad idea,” Madeleine said.
    “We’ll get to that,” Jean-Pierre said, smiling. He set a cloth-wrapped object down in front of her.
    “Where did this come from?” Madeleine asked, as she looked over at her father.
    “I’ve had it a long time. My father gave it to me when I went off to war. He knew I couldn’t carry it on my hip like an officer, but he wanted me to hide it inside my uniform in case I needed it. He said it had been to war before, but that was all he told me.”
    “Did you have to use it, Papa?”
    “Too many times. Fighting in a trench is very close. The Germans are fierce fighters. Sometimes I used that at very short range or put the barrel against the other soldier’s body and pulled the trigger. That way, it’s impossible to miss.”
    “Do you think I should do that when I kill the SS captain?”
    “Yes, and it might also help to muffle the gunshot somewhat. Put the gun up against his head and pull the trigger. That way one shot will kill him. Now, if you mean what you say, pick that up. It’s loaded. Just aim and squeeze the trigger.”
    Madeleine picked it up and pulled the cloth from around the small, wicked looking pistol. For its size, it felt heavy in her hand. She turned it over, instinctively releasing the lever that ejected the magazine, pushing it back into place. She smoothly raised the gun and pointed it towards the targets. Jean-Pierre watched her handle the weapon; she had neither fear nor hesitation. He had never seen Madeleine handle any firearm before and felt her affinity towards it as if it was an extension of her person. She fired holding the weapon at arm’s length, immediately correcting as her first shot went wide. The next three shots were rapid in succession as she hit each can.
    Madeleine turned and smiled at Jean-Pierre and said, “I guess it’s not that hard.”
    “Not for you. When have you ever fired a gun?”
    “Never, but I’ve seen other people load and shoot before. My friend Janine’s brother, Paul let us watch while he shot targets before the war. He asked if I wanted to try it but I didn’t see the point, so I didn’t.”
    “I hope this will be the only time you ever have to use one,” Jean-Pierre said. “Now take a few more shots. We don’t have very many bullets and should come back at least one other time. We need to get the plan straight.”
    Madeleine fired the remaining bullets in the magazine. When she finished, Jean-Pierre pulled out a small rod and rag soaked in gun oil. “Always keep your weapon clean,” he said, opening the action and wiping it. He used the metal rod to push a piece of rag down inside the barrel. “That was a problem in the war. Most of the time we were ankle deep in mud and clay. Flanders is a bad place to dig in and try to stay dry. Now before we go home, we need to talk about