"Hey, ladies, this gun's got quite a kick. You might wanna give it a test shot first," the assistant said.

Melissa was shoved forward by Sophia. There was no way she could back out now—not if she wanted to save face.

She followed the assistant's instructions, loaded the magazine, and without waiting for anyone's reaction, raised her hand and fired a shot straight at the target in the distance.

Sophia took her time, getting a feel for the gun, when ...