Chromium

Chapter 18.4

First draft

Dia put her hands on her hips and looked at him sideways. "What a surprise. I thought you'd be gone by now." 

"Yeah." Sarah said. "What are you still doing here?"

Everyone looked at him in annoyance, but Fanning didn't look contrite.

On the contrary, he seemed displeased, clicking his tongue and shaking his head as if they had wronged him greatly. "Not one word of thanks. Is this the way you treat your benefactor?" 

"Can we put him back in jail? Please?" Rodriguez sounded wistful.

Dia shot her an amused look. "You know, that's not a bad idea." 

Omen faked a cough, attracting their attention. "Let's get not ahead of ourselves, ladies. We should at least hear what he has to say."

"I suppose you're right." Dia sighed with mock disappointment. "Fine. What do you want, Fanning?"

"What I want doesn't matter." Fanning glanced briefly at Omen before turning his attention back to Dia. "I'm more interested in what you want. Are you planning to take down the Umbra?"

"Maybe." Dia replied vaguely. "Why do you care?"

"Because if that's what you're planning, I want to come with you." He said lightly, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"You want to tag along?" Dia wasn't quite able to keep the disbelief out of her voice. "Are you serious?"

"I am." Everyone looked at him like he was crazy. "Oh come on, don't look at me like that. I think I've proven that you can trust me." He had the gall to say. "So? Can I tag along?"

"No way." Dia flatly refused.

"Are you sure?" Fanning asked, his tone turning slightly derisive. "What if I told you that I've been there before?"

"There?" Rodriguez stared at him in obvious confusion. "The Greenhouse you mean?"

Fanning nodded, but he kept looking at Dia. "Believe me, you'll need a guide. That place is a maze."

"So you have been there." Dia spoke softly, her voice deceptively calm. "Then why the hell didn't you tell us before?"

Fanning shrugged. "It didn't seem important at the time. Besides, I really don't know where the Greenhouse is."

"Don't listen to him, Dia." Sarah said. "He is is a pathological liar."

"I'm not lying." Fanning insisted. 

"Why are you even talking to him?" Willis butted in. "Let's just throw him in the brig."

Willis took a step toward Fanning, but Dia stopped him. "Wait, first I want to know why." Dia turned toward Fanning. "Why do you want to come with us?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Fanning looked at her like she asked a stupid question. "I want revenge. After what the Umbra has done to me I think I'm entitled to a little payback." 

Dia stared at him attentively. Fanning's expression was grim, his fists clenched and his eyes full of hate. He looked pretty convincing, and yet, Dia had an inkling there was more than that to it. "Are you sure that's your only reason?"

Fanning blinked surprise. "Of course. What other reason would I have?"

He sounded honest enough, but Dia had learned her lesson.

She started shaking her head. "I don't think this is a good..."

"Let him come." Omen interrupted her.