Secret World of Occultists-Chapter 59: Shooting Range

The police headquarters was a large three-story building with a fortified entrance. Men dressed in dark blue uniforms could be seen going in and out of the iron gates.

When Abel and Henry neared the entrance, a young man came out of the guard post by the entrance and stopped them.

"Gentlemen, may I know the reason for your visit?"

Henry simply responded with a smile. He silently handed the young man the folded letter of authority.

When the man read the contents of the paper warrant, he immediately straightened his back. "Welcome to the Newport Police Headquarters, Mr. Mercer!"

"Thank you and have a wonderful evening." Henry tipped his hat and walked past him.

Abel, who had seen the whole interaction take place, couldn’t help but feel impressed. Not by Henry, of course, but by the organization supporting him.

The Ministry of Occult Affairs truly was something else!

The ground floor of the building was occupied by the main reception and public offices. There were also temporary holding cells for criminals.

This was where civilians reported crimes and made complaints. Furthermore, this was where the district commanders operated from.

Lastly, the armory and equipment room was also located on this floor.

Abel was quite curious as to what the three upper floors contained, but his journey wouldn’t take him there.

"The shooting range is underground," said Henry as he led Abel down the flight of stairs.

For obvious reasons, it was located beneath the headquarters to prevent noise disturbances.

Suddenly, much to Abel’s surprise, he found a familiar face while he was entering the shooting range.

"Ah, Mr. Bishop! What brings you to our range this evening?" A stout middle-aged man, with a rather receding hairline and wearing a police uniform, stepped out of the entrance of the shooting range with a few other men following him.

Paul Carter was an inspector who oversaw an entire police station in the city’s central district. He, along with his wife and little daughter, lived on the first floor of 17 Highfield Street.

Not only that, the man was also the son of Mrs. Carter, Abel’s grumpy old landlady!

Abel’s eyes lit up. "Mr. Carter! What a pleasant surprise." He offered the man a handshake. "I came here for firearm practice."

The middle-aged man firmly shook Abel’s hand, displaying a wide grin. "Well now, I wasn’t aware you had connections with the military. Or perhaps... someone here at the headquarters? Other than myself, of course."

The underground shooting range was strictly accessible to only the police or military. Very rarely would people from private security forces use these training grounds. But of course, that was only if they had government ties.

"Uh..." Abel was at a loss for words, but he quickly came up with an excuse. "You see, Mr. Carter, the Chairman of the Trust I work for as a security consultant happens to have a friendly relationship with the Chief Constable of Newport. So, you know..."

"Hmm." Paul stroked his chin, adopting a thoughtful expression. "Ah, yes, my mother did mention that you work as a security consultant. Though, I don’t believe she mentioned the name of your employer."

"Mr. John Kensington, sir," Abel politely answered. "The Chairman of the Kensington & Blythe Commercial Trust."

"Mr. Kensignton!" Paul Carter was taken aback, and so were the other men in uniforms standing behind him.

Of course, the name of John Kensington was quite reknowned amongst the police officers, especially at the headquarters.

He was a well-known philanthropist and a major figure in Newport’s finance industry.

Not just that, but the Kensington & Blythe Commercial Trust had also contributed towards the construction of several police stations the smaller towns surrounding Newport.

But the main reason that the police of Newport knew of John Kensington was that several years ago, the man had helped the headquarters receive generous funding from the government because of his ties to important politicians in Winchester.

Furthermore, he was also known to be quite well acquainted with the chief constable of the police. freewebnσvel.cøm

"Good Lord, I had no idea you were in that gentleman’s employ!" Paul Carter exclaimed.

"Well, now you do." Abel chuckled lightly.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Paul Carter bid the youth farewell. "I shall take my leave now, young man."

"Goodbye, Mr. Carter." Abel tipped his hat with a light smile.

Then, he saw Henry waiting for him at the other side of the shooting range’s entrance. He walked passed the double doors and couldn’t help but state, "The Director seems to be quite popular among the police, huh?"

Henry chuckled, guiding him to the administration area that recorded the names of everyone who practiced at the shooting range.

"That gentleman wasn’t jesting about the Director aiding their headquarters in securing funding from Winchester."

He paused for a moment and said in a low voice, "The Trust also provides the chief constable with rather generous endowments every year. Naturally, it’s all off the record."

Abel’s lips twitched. "Of course..."

Henry gave the man sitting behind the reception desk the letter of authority. In the meantime, he wrote down his and Abel’s name on the register.

After showing Abel all the paperworks that he would need to complete everytime he used the practice range, Henry finally received two revolvers and a box full of bullets—counted and recorded.

Then, the pair walked to the far end of the shooting range where there were barely any people.

Abel noticed that the underground range was made of stone walls and reinforced wooden beams for security. Gas lamps and candle-lit lanterns mounted on the walls provided sufficient lighting.

Target dummies and wooden frames were placed on the other end of the range. Furthermore, there were also ventilation shafts to prevent the gunpowder from building up.

This side of the shooting range was divided into a dozen sections—each section big enough for only person to occupy and practice shooting.

Abel and Henry occupied Sections 11 & 12.

Before they began practicing, Abel asked, "Henry are you right-handed?"

"No, left-handed." Henry shook his head as he started putting bullets into his revolver.

"Perfect." Abel smiled.

"Today, we shall practice shooting at stationary targets," said Henry as he finished loading his revolver. "Watch closely first, and then I’ll walk you through it."

The moment Henry raised his arms and took aim, Abel’s pupils shrank as he had activated his Hallmark!

Henry pulled the trigger and shot six times, emptying the cylindrical chamber, and hitting the target four times.

He then turned to look at Abel with a light smirk, "I’ve practiced marksmanship since I was a boy. My grandfather used to take my siblings and me hunting... wait a minute..."

Henry noticed that the aura around Abel had changed. Then, it dawned on him. "Did you just..."

Abel’s pupils returned to normal and he nodded. "Alright, I think I now know how to shoot a gun now."

Then, under Henry’s dumbfounded gaze, he grabbed the second revolver and loaded it with bullets the same way Henry had. He then mirrored Henry’s every movement that he had just memorized.

Of course, Abel’s actions were in reverse. But it worked out perfectly for him since Henry was left-handed.

Abel took a deep breath and aimed at the target dummy in the distance. Then, he repeatedly pulled the trigger, emptying the chambers within moments.

Although, all of his shot ended up missing the target, his marksmanship posture was exactly the same as Henry—albeit just a little bit crass.

The youth turned to look at Henry with a light smirk, "What do you think?"

Henry was speechless for a few moments before heaving a sigh, "I’m truly envious of that ability, my friend."

He then recalled something and revealed a smirk, "Judging by how quickly you’re picking this up, I reckon you’ll be handling a firearm with ease in no time."

Abel’s brows furrowed a little despite hearing that compliment. "You... Why are you smiling like that, Henry? What are you scheming?"

"Heh, my friend," Henry chuckled. "Once you get your firearm permit, it won’t be long before you receive your initiation mission."