Raven's Will

14. Gathering Evidence

 It was very much like a vacation.

After a few days of peaceful solitude, in which he didn't have to deal with bloodthirsty flyers or moody civilians, Jett had come to this conclusion. All he had to worry about was finding enough food and water to sustain himself. That was it. No life and death struggles, no war, no angry glares - it really was a refreshing change of pace.

He currently sat beside a gurgling creek. It was about a half hour's hike from the farmhouse, and it had some of the sweetest tasting water he'd had in a long time. If he followed it downstream, there was a good chance that it would open up into a much larger river, in which he might find fish. But that was a hike for another day.

It was already getting late, and he still had to clean the two rabbits he'd caught earlier. After another quick drink from the creek, he started heading back.

The ground was littered with small brush and rotting twigs, so every step he took made some degree of noise. The surrounding bushy landscape was silent save for the sound of his movements. Only a jay would occasionally screech in the distance.

He smiled. So peaceful...

Unfortunately for him, such peacefulness wouldn't last. When he finally got back to the farmhouse, a beaten up truck was parked out front. He stopped a distance away, staring. The little bubble of warmth and happiness that he'd carefully cultivated during the past couple days popped instantly.

Wariness flooded back, causing him to raise his guard immediately. On the positive side, it probably wasn't flyers. As far as he knew, they often travelled in the skies. And if the distances were too far to conveniently cover by flight, then they'd ride in one of the military vehicles. This beaten up rust bucket was most definitely not a military vehicle.

Still, that didn't mean he was safe.

He approached cautiously, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword. No one was in sight. But as he drew near, he could hear the soft murmur of voices coming from within the farmhouse. One of them was higher in pitch, clearly being female. And it sounded sort of familiar.

What's going on? Curiosity and Paranoia struggled briefly before Curiosity pummelled its rival into silence. Jett reached out and gave the farmhouse door a gentle shove. It lacked a proper lock, as well as a working latch, so it easily swung open.

He took a cautious step inside before immediately freezing. Four people were in the kitchen. Two occupied the only available chairs, while one sat on the counter. The fourth leaned against the stove, arms folded, a familiar twisted sneer adorning his unwelcome face.

Upon seeing Gant himself standing in his house, Jett's expression immediately stiffened. Instinctively, he picked out the Crossfire man as the biggest threat, so most of his attention immediately zeroed in on him.

"Why are you here?" He asked flatly.

"Cos we wanted to see you!" A girl's voice exclaimed. She did not use her inside voice, either.

Startled, Jett blinked. He looked over to the table, and saw none other than Callie sitting with her boots propped up on the table. Her chair was tipped back, balancing precariously. Dumfounded, he could only stare.

Her brother sat across from her. Unlike his sister, Robbie sat stiff as a board. Both feet flat against the floor, he was the model of perfect posture. He can't be too comfortable like that, Jett thought.

His gaze travelled to the other man in the kitchen. This guy was someone he'd never seen before. At least he didn't seem to be too hard to deal with, judging by the amicable smile he flashed. Like Gant, he was armed with a firearm. Unlike Gant, his handgun was safely holstered at the hip, while Gant's rifle was leaning against the counter beside him.