Bam bam bam! The gun kicked back hard in Lorraine Phoenix’s hand, her arm rigid, one eye squinting. Bam bam!

It was as if that terrible day in Denver had never ended, even three years later. The screaming crowd running for their lives, cops closing in from every angle, Lorraine felt as if she was reliving it all in excruciating detail.

She was braced with nervous anticipation, muscles clenched with terrible expectation of those hot lead bullets digging into her skin, tearing through her organs. A terrible man’s last, best hope for some twisted kind of happiness.

But, so far she’d managed to survive, as she had before, even if it had been touch and go, her grip on life fast slipping away. But, the paramedics had been quick, just a few seconds ahead of their grim adversary.

Lorraine had to wonder, Will I be as lucky this time?

The visions had haunted her during sleep and while awake, inspiring lessons in how to shoot and hours of practice. Lorraine’s senses were swimming, her mind’s eye blurred with fleeing pedestrians, armed assassins, friends and loved ones in the direct line of fire, police sirens leaking in from the distance.

And she wasn’t the only one who came armed and ready. Bam bam bam bam! A man, not three feet to her left, pumped a series of shots in a tight cluster, the shots echoing amid the others.

Even Ashe was compelled to join the fray. Lorraine couldn’t see him, as she couldn’t afford to take her eyes off her hideous target, which was still upright and staring straight at her. But she could feel her stepson there, she could hear his gunshots amid the others, the .22-calibre shots just a bit softer than the .36 in her own hands.

Bam bam bam!

I hope he’s okay, Lorraine silently said to herself, but one glance back gave her every reason to be confident, secure, at least for the moment.

Griffin’s here, she knew, and that meant everything. His steely blue eyes were fixed on the subjects of his family’s shots, observing the sureness of their aim, silently assessing.

Bam bam click click click.

She was out of bullets.

Bam click click click.

Ashe stepped back, raising his own handgun to point harmlessly upward.

Lorraine and Ashe both reached for the electric switch which pulled their paper silhouette targets across the shooting range back to their booths. She didn’t remove her earphones but she did pull up her goggles to get a better look at the target.

Her shots were not well clustered, only a few hit the silhouette, one in the head and two in the chest.

She gave Griffin a look and a shrug, which said to him, Wouldn’t three be enough?

Griffin answered with a sad shake of his head. Ashe stepped around from the other side of the partition with his own target, which he offered to Griffin, who shared it with Lorraine. A tight cluster of shots, all grouped around the heart, was a perfect example of effective fire.

Griffin smiled and wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulder for a squeeze and a tap. Ashe could only shrug at Lorraine with a look that said, Maybe I was just lucky?

Lorraine couldn’t withhold an amused huff as Griffin fit two fresh silhouettes into the metal clips, she and Ashe reloaded for another round.

* * *

The chargrilled burger at the Spotted Pig was one of Lorraine’s favorite things, and it had become Ashe’s favorite place to go. The burger’s bun was crossed with grill marks, bleu cheese dripping over the side to add a tangy, exotic flavor to the rich, juicy beef.

Lorraine washed it down with a tangy, delicious lemonade, just sweet enough to be brisk and refreshing.

“Ashe,” she said, “you really can shoot. Are you sure you boys haven’t been doing this all your lives?”

Ashe shook his head, his blond hair and blue eyes and increasingly mature face made him look like a twelve-year-old version of his father. “Luckily, we haven’t had to.”

Griffin’s smile was replaced with an authoritarian air. “Ashe, are you being rude?”

“No, Dad, no,” Ashe said, his voice looping and innocent. “I just mean, we’re only doing it now. That’s the truth.” He turned to Lorraine. “I didn’t mean that, y’know, it was your fault or anything, nothing like that!”

“It’s okay,” she said with an easy smile, “I know what you mean, it’s fine.” Griffin nodded and softened his air, having done his parental duty. Griffin took a big bite of his burger as Lorraine went on, “I guess it’s just a natural talent. And Ashe, you have so many of those; the writing, now you’re going to get into acting … ”

Ashe had to shrug, “I dunno about that,” he said, and Lorraine knew instantly to back off. He’d made tremendous progress in the previous three years and Lorraine didn't want to push him and undo any of the good work they’d all done as a family. But Ashe surprised her with, “I thought about directing something instead, a play for school maybe.”

“That is a brilliant idea,” Lorraine said, glancing at Griffin for an approving nod. “Wow, writing and directing a play, I wish I’d done that when I was your age.”

“You could do it now if you like,” Griffin said.

Lorraine had to release a surprised little chuckle. “Me? Oh no … ”

Ashe cocked his head, “Why not? You know all about storytelling from all the books you’ve read. And you’re not afraid to get up in front of a crowd. Hey, maybe you could be an actor in my play!”

Griffin looked on with an amused half-smile, happily waiting for her answer.

Lorraine stammered and Griffin stepped in with, “Good opportunity to lead by example,” he said, teasing her.

“It’s not that,” Lorraine said, “I’m not … afraid, obviously, but … I think a school play should be cast with students or at least faculty.” Griffin and Ashe shared a glance and a shrug; they knew they’d been beat. And she went on to say, “Anyway, I had another project I wanted to talk to you about now that the library system is in good shape.”

Griffin nodded, chewing and swallowing a bite of his burger. “What’d you have in mind?”

“I’m not sure what we’d call it, but, I’m thinking of some learning centers in lower income areas. The public schools, in general, are pretty terrible. You said so yourself when we first met, remember?”

Griffin said, “They’re like prisons.”

“Right, exactly. And I don’t think there’s much we can do about that, the whole school board system is pretty corrupt, bureaucratic at best. They’d soak up any donations and nothing would get done.”

“I’ve already donated and it didn’t do a damn thing.”

“Right. And in the mean time, they’re cutting every teacher they can and every program except for sports. But if we could establish, like, free-clinics for education, y’know? Only open after school hours so it doesn't encourage truancy, volunteer or student teachers, or we can staff them with tutors. It would give kids a place to go during those dangerous hours after school, keep ‘em off the streets and maybe even give them the education they deserve.”

Griffin gives it some silent consideration, chewing slowly and glancing at Ashe. “What do you think, son?”

Ashe nodded, “I think it’s a great idea. But … what about crime? Wouldn’t gangs come around? Would it be safe?”

“Armed guard at each facility should keep the bad elements away. That could be budgeted, it’s not a big deal. I think the big challenge would be real estate. This is New York — ” Griffin replies.

“But there are unused buildings all over town, especially in some of those bad areas. We could pick up an old brownstone on some crappy block somewhere. You’re in real estate, Griffin, this is right up your alley.”

Griffin sighed, wiping his lips with his white cloth napkin and sipping his own glass of lemonade. “Let me see what I’ve got lying around.”

Lorraine’s brows arched up into her pale, freckled forehead. “Lying around? You’ve got real estate in New York just … lying around?”

“Tell you the truth,” Griffin said, “I’m really not sure. But we’re about to find out.”