Episode Three: Her Ladyship: Scene 25

“Just a stray,” I told Thea, later, cleaning my gun carefully.

“They’re going to be out there. But as long as they don’t come against you in force.”

“Not going to tell me I should have killed him?”

“Well…it would have got rid of him, but a persistent detective might have tracked you. So, no. Not killing him was probably prudent.”

From her tone, I rather thought she would have killed him and taken her chances with the police. I let out a breath. “I was hoping to feed him to the cops, but he was just that bit too smart.”

Thea nodded. “Well, take any opportunity, as long as they look nuts and you’re willing to risk a bit of perjury.”

I wasn’t telling the cops I was a specific target. They’d put me in witness protection in approximately five seconds flat if I did that. Which would work for maybe three months. “I also don’t want any dead cops on my conscience.” I felt my lips quirk. “I mean, they’re cops, but they’re just doing their jobs.”

Thea grinned. “Hey, some of them are okay. Straight laced, but okay.”

I laughed a bit. “Hot, right?” Thea, I was beginning to realize, was a bit of a flirt, although I’d never seen her do more than that.

“Good views.”

“That’s all you ever do, though, right? Look.”

Thea turned sober. “Let’s just say casual relationships would be…too dangerous for the person. And the same goes for you.”

“I worked that out. Bad enough that Kanesha’s involved.” Although that was more than a casual relationship. It was something else. Mostly friendship and I was determined to keep it that way.

“Something I’d never have agreed to if she didn’t have a good head on her shoulders and a solid ability to look after herself. But she can’t dodge bullets.”

“Neither can I,” I noted, wryly. “As far as I know, anyway.” This would have been a better story if I’d manifested superpowers…or at least more than I had. And that sense of everything I’d had out in the country had faded.

Or maybe it was just that there was less to sense in the middle of the city. I should go to the mall and try. Better yet, the zoo.

“So. School in a week. Do you think it’s safe?” Thea brushed back some stray hair as she fixed her gaze on me.

“I think it’s as safe as we can make it. If that guy shows up…blast it, I daren’t carry at school.”

Thea nodded. “Don’t. They wouldn’t just expel you, they’d send you to juvie. Or try. But your hand to hand is decent, and they won’t shoot into a school. Have they directly endangered civilians?”

I shook my head. “No. So, yes, I think it’s safe.”

Not that I was looking forward to it. But…well. Could I make a paid career out of monster hunting? Likely not.

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