Bang! Bang! Bang!
The loud, piercing sound of high-powered artillery echoed around them. It sliced through the silent breeze of the wind.
Except for a few voices and the occasional roar of engines , the explosive sounds of tal striking against tal were the only noise that could be heard from miles away.
"What happened to your investigation?" Oliver asked as soon as they stood at the fully secured facility owned by the Morton Group.
It was acres and acres of barren land, from every direction, that were converted into a manufacturing plant, producing so of the most advanced military weapons in the world.
Besides owning a large portion of the casino business, Oliver had also diversified their family business into legitimate transactions.
Today, his R&D Departnt would be demonstrating their latest product to so Military Generals so he could secure a billion-dollar governnt contract.
"Nothing yet, Oliver." He still felt unsettled as he walked alongside his friend toward the firing range. "But I really believe Sophia and Ashley are hiding sothing."
Although the doctor hadn’t said anything that would truly help his investigation, he still sensed that she was acting suspiciously.
Oliver stopped on the lane reserved for him, grabbed the box of bullets from the table, and started loading his gun, but he did not say anything.
"Ashley knew sothing, but she’s not spilling the beans." He reported, convinced that the doctor was lying through her teeth. Then, he also moved to the next lane, mimicking his friend’s movents.
Of course, he rembered how her eyes twitched as if she sensed danger whenever he asked a question. He noticed her shoulders tensing and her guarded stance. She was being cautious. Too cautious as if she had been protecting sothing very important.
But he kept his observation to himself, not wanting Ashley to realize that he was onto her. The last thing he wanted was for her to be alard, thus increasing her guard around him.
"She might be a goddamn good doctor, but she’s a poor liar." He had studied her subtle movents, which readily hinted at her determination to hide sothing.
"Can you break her, Jacob?" His friend asked, as a smirk appeared on his lips while his tone carried a challenge that he easily recognized.
Everyone in their circle knew he had a way with won. He had this carefree charm that made won relax and lower their guard. So even called him the boy next door, because he exuded an easy-going appeal that many won felt comfortable with.
"Give ti." He silently contemplated his new task. "Ashley is not so ordinary woman. It might take more ti to break and get through to her."
So won were easy targets. Smile. Say a few nice words. Flash so money and expensive gifts. That’s it. They would be putty in his hands.
But Ashley belonged to those exceptions. Simple tricks would not work on her. A girl like her needed wooing, more than most.
To get even her attention, and especially her trust, he would require so serious work. It would be challenging, but not impossible. A girl like Ashley always had a weakness. He just had to find and explore that.
"Well, I’ll give you a nice bonus if you can do it in less than a week." Oliver tapped on his watch to emphasize that ti was of the essence.
When he nodded, accepting his deal, Oliver turned away from him and started firing multiple shots at the target.
"Fuck, Oliver." He shouted after grabbing a pair of binoculars and checking the human paper target at the other end. "That’s all bullseyes." Seeing that every bullet passed through the X-mark.
But he knew his friend had always excelled in anything he did. So, shooting perfectly would be no different.
"My turn." He aid his gun at the target and released several rounds. Upon close inspection, he hit one bullseye and had two nines and three eights. Not bad, but not the best either.
Imdiately, Oliver reloaded his gun while he also did the sa. It was still early. They still had ti for a few more rounds before their visitors arrived.
"Do you mind if I join?" Aaron marched toward them with a confident and steady stride. He took the other lane next to Oliver.
After he took his first round, which showed he might be as good as Oliver, he confidently challenged them to a ga.
"A thousand bucks." That was the wager.
"I’ll just be the judge." He said, knowing he was no match against the two.
But after the first match, no one won. It was a tie.
"Why don’t we make this more interesting?" Aaron said, his voice laced with mischief and slight mockery. "If I win, I get to go on a dinner date with your wife."
He imdiately saw how his friend’s eyes turned hard and cold. Clearly, Oliver didn’t like his cousin’s teasing.
"What makes you think that you can win against ?" Oliver still maintained his indifference, looking unaffected as he calmly questioned his cousin’s ability.
But Aaron appeared unfazed by Oliver’s dominating presence as he answered his cousin with a confident smile. "My skills and luck."
Oliver shook his head as if unconvinced that Aaron would win, but his cousin was determined to rile him up.
"Unless you’re too chicken to lose." Aaron dared to say with brutal sarcasm.
At that point, he knew that Aaron had succeeded in getting on his friend’s nerves as Oliver loaded his gun with a deadly determination.
"Lose?" Oliver directed his question to his cousin. "Never. But if I win, you’ll date my intern, Elizabeth Winston. And you’ll try to get all the information I need from her."
With a mole roaming freely in the company, he believed Oliver wanted everyone investigated. That included all the newly hired employees.
"I guess that is a win-win for ." Aaron smiled with satisfaction as he also picked up his gun for their mini tournant. "Why would I say no to that?"
The ga started.
One set.
Five bullets.
The one who got the most bullseyes would be declared the winner.
Aaron went first. He got the first bullseye. Then, Oliver took his turn. Bullseye.
It continued until the fourth round. The score was tied. Three a piece.
Aaron missed for the first ti.
"You got this, Oliver." He was so sure Oliver would win.
But Oliver was still human, as he also missed the target by a hair.
Although the bet might not be that much, it was still completely nerve-racking to watch these two compete against each other.
It was as if they were fighting over which one should live and die.
"This ti, I won’t miss," Aaron said. Then, he put a solid hole in the target.
Now, it was Oliver’s turn. If he failed, then his wife would be dining with his cousin tonight. Of course, from the look on his friend’s face, he wouldn’t let that happen.
But if luck was not on his side, then Oliver could lose.
At that mont, everyone else had already stopped their activities and had beco spectators in the ongoing match.
Not a sound could be heard in the still silence. Except for the steady stream of the wind, he doubted if anyone was even breathing at that point as they all waited for Oliver to take his last shot.
Bang!
This ti, he also held his breath as he picked up his binoculars to check the target.
"Damn! Dead center." He excitedly shouted before anyone could inspect that target closely. "So, we are going for a tie breaker."
One last round. One bullet. Now they had to target the center of the head. Then, they had to shoot simultaneously at the green light.
Bang! Bang!
The gunshot sound was electrifying as everyone anxiously awaited the result. Then, not a few seconds passed, and he declared a winner.
"Oliver hit the target, while Aaron missed the mark." The result was conclusive.
"I guess I should go and prepare for my date with Ms. Wilson," Aaron said, acting like a good sport. "But don’t get too cocky, cousin. I might get you next ti." He said with a friendly warning.
Soon, everyone went to their business, and they also attended to their arriving guests.
After a few hours of negotiating for their governnt contract, they finally convinced the Generals to accept their terms.
"I guess I’m the lucky one today, Jacob," Oliver comnted when they finished up and sent their guests ho.
"Yep! You get to keep the girl and earn a billion-dollar contract." He totally agreed. But he knew if Oliver had lost that bet, there would be hell to pay.
"Are you actually falling for Sophia?" He finally asked that nagging question that had been pestering him all day. "I told you that I caught her snooping through your things, but you don’t seem to be bothered by it."
He had caught her that morning in Oliver’s office. Of course, Sophia said so la excuse about looking for a pen and paper. But he was absolutely certain that he saw her tinkering with his friend’s computer.
"If she said that she was not doing anything wrong, I believe her," Oliver said, which was very unlike him.
If that had been another woman, he would have had her dragged into their interrogation cell. But since it was Sophia, he was making excuses for her.
"I trust her," Oliver said. "Now, unless you have any other solid proof against her, then that’s the end of this conversation."
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