Bullets through time

Chapter 7

Diana stretched out her arms before getting out of bed, lethargically getting dressed and taking her rifle from its rack by the door.

"Today's the day Uzo" she proclaimed, opening the door.

"You've been saying that for months," he shouted back from her sock drawer.

But this time she'd succeed, Garrett had promised her a place on the team if she could bullseye all the targets, and knock down every can without a single miss. Diana knew he was making it as difficult as possible for her, he wanted to protect her yet still give her a chance to succeed. She left the building with her rifle slung over her shoulder. Uzo had crafted it for her, lightweight with a lever-action. He'd initially offered her an assault rifle... whatever that was, but she trusted to the weapon Garrett had taught her with. Rounding the corner she found Garrett waiting for her, his hands resting on the saddle of his horse.

"Today's the day," she told him, loading her rifle.

"You've been saying that every day for a month" he replied with a smile.

"Yes, but today it's true."

Diana raised the rifle and within a few seconds every target had a bullseye, but that was the easy part. She drew her pistol, loading bullets into all six chambers. Diana aimed carefully, pulling the trigger smoothly and picking off the cans one at a time. Within a minute five cans lay on the ground punctured, for the last one she gripped the pistol with both hands, bracing her legs and taking a deep breath. Diana pulled the trigger, the loud crack echoing more than usual. The bullet flew through the air... and struck the edge of the post, knocking a huge chunk of wood away.

"Fuck!"She shouted, lowering her pistol dejectedly.

"GeezDi, you kiss your mother with that mouth?" Jameson asked from beside Garrett, who clipped him on the back of the head.

"Oh, sorry Di... I forgot" he added, pushing up his hat.

"Its fine, it's fuc.... it's fine" she said, calming herself down before storming off.

Diana eventually found herself in the library, Garrett told her it was the biggest repository of knowledge on the creatures of the void in all the known worlds. She was still feeling angry, embarrassed that she'd failed again. Looking up a glint of light caught her eye, she walked over to the large bookcase and slid the sliding steps over, navigating the multitude of racks was a daunting prospect as nothing was in any sort of order. She reached the top and pulled out the glinting tome, the book was thick and bound with thick leather that creaked as she gripped it.

"The testament of Glavius Frock," she said, reading the title out loud.

She climbed back down the ladder, putting the book down upon one of the wooden benches. She flipped through the pages, finding most of it written in an incomprehensible language... then she stopped, a single page written in English and scrawled in red ink.

'It was only when my food and water had depleted that I dared speak his name. I didn't want to die... I hope that my fellow haunted will forgive me' was all that was written, along with a single word at the bottom. 'Rez Kiall Vas'.

She started to mutter the name when a hand slammed the book shut. MissJane stood beside her, the blind woman's hand holding down the cover like it might open itself.

"What did you read girl?" She asked sternly, staring at her with those dead eyes.

"Nothing," she lied. "It was all written in some weird language."

MissJane continued to look at her, unmoving.

"How did you find me here anyway?" Diana asked, hoping to deflect the blind woman.

"I felt the book open... how did you come to find it, Diana?" She asked, her tone softer now.

"It glinted, in the sunlight" she replied quickly, not wanting to lie again.

"But there is no sunlight here, all light is neutral in the stronghold and doesn't reflect... stay away from this place Diana, there is foul play at work here."

"Of course Miss Jane, I didn't mean to be any trouble."

MissJane smiled, stroking Diana's hair softly. "You're no trouble, it's just if this is calling to you... well, we nipped it in the bud."

MissJane ushered her out of the library and into the hall, what exactly was she afraid of. Unbidden, the name came into her head 'Rez KiallVas,' it seemed so familiar for some reason. Diana shrugged and walked away, she had things to do after all.