My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 76: Passing the Burden

Jaxon woke up to a white ceiling. For a moment, his mind felt empty. Then his eyes shifted to the clock on the wall.

4:02 p.m.

He had slept longer than he expected, but his body needed it. Tonight, he would be on night watch. He sat up slowly, rubbed his face, and let out a quiet breath.

After washing up, he got ready and stepped out to check on the others.

As he walked through the underground bunker, he could not help but feel impressed again. The place was bigger than it looked from the outside. Wide halls, solid walls, even a separate training room. Whoever owned this house before must have been rich, or paranoid, or both. Either way, they were lucky to find it.

Still, no matter how good the place was, Jaxon did not want to stay in this city for long. Good shelters only delayed the danger, they did not erase it.

When he reached the training room, voices and movement greeted him. Almost everyone was there. Burgors, Bong-gu, and Haris were missing, likely still on lookout duty above.

Elena stood at the center of the room, hands on her hips. "Alright, ladies, keep pushing. Ten more reps."

She clapped her hands, the sharp sound echoing across the mats.

The group groaned, but no one stopped.

Jaxon leaned against the wall and watched quietly.

Isabel’s training clothes clung to her figure, highlighting the gentle curve of her hips. She was a beautiful woman, and it was hard to believe she already had children. Many men had shown interest in her before, even knowing about her kids, yet Isabel never remarried.

Jaxon knew a little about her past, but not much. By the time she took him in, her husband was already gone. He did not know if the man died or simply walked away. All he knew was that Isabel raised her children alone.

Jaxon wondered how a man could leave someone so lovely and beautiful. No matter how he thought about it, it made no sense. The only answer his tired mind could come up with was a strange one. Maybe the man did not like women at all.

Cindy suddenly turned and spotted him near the door. Her face lit up at once. "Brother, you’re here." She waved at him. "Are you going to join us?"

The others followed her gaze and gave small, tired smiles.

Jaxon shook his head. "No. I just came to check how you’re all doing."

"Continue with your training," Jaxon said with an encouraging voice. "Na-rin, can you come with me for a bit?"

"Where are you taking her?" Natasha asked.

"I’ve got something to discuss with her," Jaxon replied, as he gently pulled Na-rin away from the group.

"What is it?" Na-rin curiously asked.

"You’ll see. Just come with me," he said, giving her a small smile.

Natasha’s gaze stayed fixed on them as they left. Elaine also glanced over, noticing that Jaxon had called Na-rin away twice already.

’Huh, what am I thinking? It’s probably nothing,’ Elaine shook her head, dismissing the thought as she focused on her training.

.....

When they reached the backyard, Na-rin finally broke her silence.

"Why did you bring me here?"

Jaxon stopped and turned to face her. He reached into his jacket and took out a Glock 17. Gently, he placed it into her hands, guiding her fingers around the grip.

Na-rin stared at his hands, her gaze lingering on his touch, then turned to look at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"I can’t guarantee to protect you all the time." Jaxon said quietly. "Use it to protect yourself and keep your classmates safe."

A silence lingered between them as Na-rin kept staring at the pistol, its weight heavy in her hand.

"Why me? You could have given it to Miss Elaine."

Jaxon shook his head. "It might be hard for her to pull the trigger. But you could."

"How do you know that?" Na-rin said, her eyes searching his.

Jaxon held her gaze for a moment, his voice barely above a whisper. "You’re smart, observant, and you’re not afraid to make tough decisions. I trust you to use this responsibly."

Na-rin swallowed. They stayed locked in each other’s gaze, a silent understanding lingering in the space between them.

"I don’t kn..." Na-rin started, her voice hesitant.

"I’ll teach you now," Jaxon said softly. "Will you do it?"

Na-rin nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on him.

Jaxon moved behind her and adjusted her stance. He placed his hands over hers, guiding her arms as he raised the gun toward a makeshift target in the distance.

"Relax your shoulders," he said calmly. "Take a deep breath."

Na-rin focused on his voice, trying to ease the tension in her arms. The weight of the Glock felt heavy in her small hands.

"Here," Jaxon continued, guiding her aim. "Point it like this. When you’re ready, just press the trigger."

Her heart beat faster as she followed his guidance, watching their hands move together.

The pistol felt large in her grip, and the recoil was stronger than she expected. Jaxon stayed close, guiding her stance, showing her how to hold it with both hands and lock her wrists. Her first shots were rough, but Jaxon could see the potential in her sharp eyes. With practice, she could become a skilled shooter.

For over an hour, they worked in quiet concentration, shooting at the simple targets he had set up. By the time they returned inside, the sun was already dipping low, casting long shadows across the backyard.

As Jaxon returned with Na-rin, Natasha noticed the gun in her hands, her gaze sharpening as she looked at Na-rin, then she stared at Jaxon. Elaine and the others looked surprised as well.

"They can’t be completely helpless. At least they’ll have the ability to fight back, to defend themselves," Jaxon said, meeting Natasha’s gaze.

"We’ll train again tomorrow," Jaxon continued. "Burgors, Hannah, join us too."

Since Haris was injured, Hannah was the one holding the M16, taking on some responsibility of protecting the group.