Rising Light

Chapter 2: Canary in a Coal Mine

"So John didn't kick you out?" asked Chas, putting his key in the lock of the door.

Kate chuckled softly, they had gone the whole trip without mentioning that, speaking instead about Liv or else catching up – Geraldine had taken up a considerable chunk of their conversation, Kate helping with ideas of what Chas could do next time he saw his daughter. But, she had known that the conversation about her staying was something they needed to air, and at least Chas was more open about those kinds of things than John was.

"He tried, but we both know I could've taken him."

Chas laughed, nodding slightly as they moved into the Mill House, Kate trying to maneuver the bags through the door without hitting the jar of pasta sauce. "I'm glad you're here," he assured her, his voice softer than before, as he started to descend the stairs.

"Me too," she murmured, a small smile slipping easily onto her face.

"Uh, working on your skills?" asked Chas, moving towards where John was sitting as Kate put the groceries on the floor, her attention flicking towards John. They hadn't spoken since the other night, at least not about anything serious. She knew that the Jelly Babies were a distraction, a very tasty one at that, but had decided not to pursue that line of inquiry too much, not yet. John was stubborn, there was little point trying to push it, but she mentally vowed that they were going to talk about it one day.

"Just one. Patience," John told them.

Kate scoffed, trying to muffle the sound with her hand. "John Constantine and patience. Now there's a coupling I didn't see coming."

John turned, not quite looking at them but giving up with the card tricks. "Where the bloody hell have you been?"

"I had to wait till the daily double. It was your only pick that paid off," Chas explained, shooting a quick look at Kate. They both knew why John was being so edgy; despite everything, he was still worried that something was going to happen to them. He handed over the envelope.

"And," she added, pulling a bag of Gummy Bears from a carrier bag, "we needed food."

"Not sure sweets count as food, luv," John said, shaking his head clear quickly, dismissing the flicker of a smile on his lips as he looked at the cash. He was up a moment later, grabbing his cigarette from the ashtray as he went. "And capnomancy isn't an exact magic. Divining the future through the movements of rising smoke, it's a tricky business." He stopped at the table, putting the cash into his inside coat pocket.

Chas quickly put the cigarette out properly, waving away some of the smoke. "I would think you'd be an expert," he noted.

"That's all just hot air," teased Kate, shooting John an innocent smile.

He ignored the comment. "Saddle up. We're heading to Pennsylvania. Look at the map."

"One of the drops is wet," said Chas, and Kate saw the droplet sitting on the paper like it was made out of plastic.

"Pennsylvania," Kate echoed, taking in the surrounding area.

"Mmm," agreed John, moving to grab his cases and head towards the stairs. "Our destination is the tiny town of Heddwich. According to local papers, a mining boss was just flash-fried in his shower."

"Hey didn't you –?"

"Get a warrant?" Chas finished for her, nodding slowly. "The succubus on a freight train?"

"That warrant still stands?" asked John, sounding weary more than anything else.

"Funny what a long memory the law has when it comes to train derailments." The note of sarcasm was obvious behind Chas's voice.