Through Fire

Through Fire - Chapter 08

His mind ran with images as he drove through the fading day, Blacksnake's tattoos come alive and writhing, then turning to soot, to burst into a cloud that wove itself into a tall tower, a burning light within. He came back to himself with a gasp, and realised that the intense strain of the past day, and the growing ease he felt at breaking free from two ancient death machines, had bushwacked him, and he'd lapsed into slumber. He thanked the Rhino for watching over him, and promised her a complete service once he got back to the city. Then he went to find Diana.

Once he'd got her back, Diana went to her spot, but instead of sitting, she bent over and peered at the blistered patch on the right edge of the window. She turned back and frowned. "I did everything you said, Flint, but you didn't tell me much, and you still haven't."

He locked the cockpit door.

"Flint?"

He slipped past her, unlocked the glove compartment, and showed her the gun. Her eyes went wide, she reached out, and pushed the weapon away. "Put it back, put it back."

He held it between them for the moment. "I've pulled our little lion's teeth. Now you are right; I didn't tell you much, but neither have you." He slid the gun back into the glove compartment and locked it. "I think it's time that changed."

He sat, and she chewed her lip as she stood looking down at him, her arms folded across her body. She tapped the bubbled window. "I don't know what you did, Flint, but I can guess. There's only one thing I've heard of that can do that to the Rhino."

"Pretty much."

She raised her hands. "But that's so dangerous. You could have... We all could have..." She glared at him with moist red eyes.

"But it worked," he said.

She scowled at him, and then she giggled. "Yeah, I guess it did." She dropped into her seat.

He felt tension ease out of his muscles. "Now I need to know something."

She turned away, and nodded.

"I've got all sorts of questions, but as I see about it, most of them come down to the same thing. I think you knew Caerlion wasn't from the bay, and I think you knew he had the gun."

She shrugged.

"I doubt you knew much about his people, but you probably knew about the trade, too."

"You haven't asked me any questions yet."

He licked his lips. "Getting there. I met some of Caerlion's... Well, I wouldn't call them friends. I don't think he has friends. But I met someone, and she told me he wasn't my real enemy."

Diana turned further in her seat, put her feet up on the chair, and hugged her knees.

Flint rubbed his jaw, and felt bristles scrape his palm. "So what I want to know is this-"

"Vistor."

He froze. "What?"

She turned to face him, tears rolling down her face. "It's my uncle Vistor, that's who you're asking about. He's the one who bought the guns. He's the one!" She trembled, and buried her head in her arms.

Flint felt torn between sudden, almost painful curiosity, and the desire to put an arm around the child, and tell her everything would be alright. He knew, though, that if he said that, she would see the lie. It wasn't going to be alright. It hadn't been alright all week, and if he understood matters, it hadn't been alright for a long time. He didn't know how Vistor and Caerlion had met, but the murdering bastard had called himself a ranger, and Bear had told him he'd gone to the bay to trade, so he imagined Caerlion had begun the process. Perhaps he'd sounded out Buck, first, but Buck had turned him down, or Vistor had made a better offer. And then they'd announced the race... The timing was too perfect. He tried not to acknowledge his next thought, but it rose before him, inexorable as gravity.