Sea of Secrets

Chapter 6 - Mira

"And I said, 'There's nowhere left to hide, Hans.' You should've seen his face..." Nikolai looked over to her, "Kid? Are you even listening?"

"No. I've heard that one before," Mira muttered, keeping her eyes fixed on the crowd shuffling through the tunnel, studying their faces as they browsed into the shops and pointed to the trader's displays.

Nikolai let out a sigh beside her. A rather obnoxious one. "Where the hell is Pirate Boy? He's been almost half an hour."

"Don't know."

"I'm worried. You think he's okay?"

"Don't know."

He gave her a long stare, but she refused to meet it, and his gaze didn't falter as he studied her, "You're still angry about before?"

"You're smart, right?" Her voice was sharper than her dagger's edge, "Figure it out."

"Stop acting childish." Mira heard him stifle a chuckle from beside her, which only made her arms fold tighter.

Nikolai Baro telling her not to be childish. The man who spends his small pay gallivanting in the tavern. Who pouts when he doesn't get his way. Who throws a tantrum and refuses to listen to a word anyone says.

"Don't," she hissed, her mind spiraling in fury. She refused to even look at him, "Just don't talk."

Nikolai knew he had done it now. Her face was even more bleak than usual, and under it, he sensed the hidden rage. This time, he listened to her and kept his mouth shut.

Mira was enjoying the unusual, prolonged silence from him.

Very much.

She was still leaned up against the wall, surveying the crowd once again with wide eyes Despite her newfound hatred for Nikolai, she still had listened to his concerns.

Where was Kai?

Her eyes searched for a devious smirk in the crowd, but unfortunately, there was none. Mostly disappointed frowns on all their faces after reading the ridiculous prices of all the merchandise.

She looked closer now, tilting her head to see further down the tunnel. Past a few displays, she saw a giant figure, a head towering amongst the swarm of others. Slow and methodically, he glanced back towards the entrance, back towards her.

All she saw was his shadowed face underneath his cloak's hood.

Nikolai.

Gods. That explained the peace.

She pushed herself off the wall, diving straight into the flood of bodies. She was weaving in and out, dodging the browsing customers. The pleasant thoughts of killing Nikolai propelled her.

His head stayed perched above as he sat idle amongst the crowd.

At the promising sight, she nudged her way to him, close enough to reach out as she shouted, "Nikolai!"

His head whipped around and looked down at her, then he grinned, "I knew you'd come along, Kid."

Oh, her blood was seething. "I came to make sure you don't mess everything up!"

"I'm not." His head turned to one of the shops, "We just can't sit back and wait."

He began to walk down the tunnel, and Mira raced after him.

"Nikolai," She snapped, "This is not part of the plan."

He continued walking, "This is a better plan."

"What?" She hurried to catch up, "This market is for illegal goods." Then she spoke a bit more quietly, her eyes drifting to the faces beside her, "There are criminals all around here. You know they wouldn't hesitate to take out a hunter, Nikolai!"

"You want me to help with bounties." He grinned, "Here I am, helping."

She sighed, "Nikolai..." You aren't helping. You're making this worse.

Then he gasped as if he'd seen his friends at the Tavern.

"Kid!" He shouted, his finger pointing ahead, "There!"

Her eyes widened as she looked at a boy exiting one of the faraway shops.

"Is that Cillian the Clown?" He rubbed his eyes, and looked again, "Or is that Cillian the Clown?"

The pale skin, the curly red hair, and...the gap.

"That's him," she nodded before she and Nikolai were in a dead sprint.

==============================================================================

KAI

"To hell with you," the trader spat, staring straight into the muzzles from each of Kai's revolvers. "I'm not telling you a thing."

Kai edged the revolvers closer, only inches from the trader's eyes, "It would be your best bet." The trader's hand crept to his side and reached for his holster, and then there was a pop.

And a terrifying scream.

"You!" The trader cried, "You shot through my damn hand!"

Kai kept his hollow stare as he saw the hole in the trader's palm, "And I'll do the same to the other...unless you want to tell me where Cillian is?"

"I'm no snitch!" He spat.

"And I'm no killer, but you could make me one." Kai aimed both his revolvers to the man's chest, "Talk."

The trader closed his eyes, tears flowing. He began to stutter at the sound of the revolvers' hammers cocking. "I-I don't-I don't know," A small sob, "Please!"

Kai took in a sharp breath, his eye burning.

The pleading. The tears. Gods.

"Don't lie to me," Kai warned.

"I'm not," the trader cried, "I promise!"

Kai felt his covered eye scream again, an itch to pull off his patch, and-

"I said," Kai snapped, "Don't lie." Without another word, he put the barrel against the trader's head, and he felt the man trembling.

"I'm civil," Kai said, his voice fiery, "So tell me, and this can be over." He pushed the barrel harder, and the trader let out a sob.

"Okay!" He shrieked, "He's-"

A roar outside the shop entrance left Kai and the trader dead silent. Someone's booming voice echoed down the tunnel, but Kai couldn't make it out over the trader's whimpers.

"Quiet," Kai ordered, and the trader listened.

Kai focused on the voice, and as it came closer to the shop, it became clearer.

"Cillian the Clown!" The voice roared.

Kai's mind drifted for a second, his revolvers lowered, piecing together the voice, the name.

Gods. They'd found the target, but he couldn't leave the trader restless, an armory of weapons at his disposal.

Subdue the trader, follow the voice, get the bounty. That's all Kai needed to do.

But that would've been too easy.

In his moment of hesitation, the newly brave trader lunged forward and tackled him to the ground, pinning a stunned Kai.

"I'll kill you!" The trader yelled as he pulled out his engraved blade, and Kai's shoulder shot with more pain each passing moment.

Live or die. But Kai couldn't die. Not yet.

There was no time to second guess as Kai mindlessly drew his revolver and quickly fired a single shot.