Bleeding Steel

Chapter Fifteen: Smoke and Mirrors

"There's only one more place we haven't checked five times already." Nora frowned, pausing to lean against the statue plinth and catch her breath.

"Which would be...?"

She raised her finger, pointing to the top of the white tower.

"Of course." Danse sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Only one of us needs to go up there. I don't mind doing it. Might take me a while to get up and down, but-"

"Don't be ridiculous." Danse snapped, fixing her in a dark glare. "You need to go and rest that leg. Make yourself useful and order our dinner at the bar. I'll join you shortly."

Before she could say anything, he had already set off towards the narrow doorway leading to the stairwell. She heaved her shoulders in a sigh before setting off towards the bar. There was no need to antagonise him further by ignoring him again.

The pastel shades of dusk were painting the sky in shades of pink and purple, the canopy of lights overhead flickering into life. As she passed by the brahmin corrals, she caught sight the broken fence and cringed, recalling Kay and Kessler's furious rant at Danse on how he should keep his soldiers in check.

Had it not been for her talking the women down and promising them future favours, she was quite certain they would have been kicked out on their asses, Burke or no Burke.

The Glowing Sea's going to be a cakewalk after this. Pretty sure deathclaws and irradiated beasts are less annoying than a vanishing Squire.

The bar area was relatively quiet. She could see Lucas Miller lounging at a table with his guards, gambling caps on a card game. Only three Gunners were present, including the rusty haired man who had caught her. His piercing blue stare locked onto her over the neck of his bottle as he took a swig, his free hand reaching down to brush over the sleek flank of the dog lying under the table, crunching on a large brahmin bone.

Nora turned away towards the bar where Joe Savoldi was already waiting for her, his large hands resting on the countertop.

"Any luck finding the kid?" He asked, straightening up and wiping his fingers down the front of his shirt.

"No. It looks like we might have to head outside to look for him tomorrow if he doesn't turn up soon." She sighed, easing herself up onto a barstool.

"Sheesh. Not havin' the best time of it, are ya? The barman in me wants to say 'now's the time for liquid courage and drownin' your sorrows'. But the father in me says you need to stay stone cold sober to keep lookin'. Who knows what kinds of trouble he's gotten into this time."

"Well, no need to worry on that front. I'm just here to order food." Nora's smile was strained, her fingers drumming on the countertop.

"Brahmin an' tatos sound good to you? Coz that's all we got right now."

"Sounds good."

As Joe turned towards the storeroom, she felt something poke her bare neck.

Startled, she whipped around to find a pair of sunglasses level with her eyes.

"Deacon?! What the hell?!" She hissed, glaring at him. "Where have you been? Where's Burke?!"

"Shhh keep it down! You're making people stare!" Deacon chided, glancing around them nervously. "Burke's fine, he's with me, but this is a conversation we need to have, right now and in private."

Wordlessly, Nora slipped down from the stool, casting her eyes about to observe the other patrons. Nobody seemed to be paying them any attention, not even the Gunner who had been watching her. Instead, he seemed to be busy enjoying a smoke and conversation with his fellow mercs.