Rai deals with an unwanted interloper…
The bounty hunter was outside. So was Alan, struggling against the Bounty Hunter’s arm around his neck and glancing fearfully between the gun against his head and Rai as she closed the door to the store and moved cautiously toward them. Rai thought, surely this couldn’t be the shifty Gren Jan had talked about. He looked like a scared child.
There was an uncomfortable silence before the bounty hunter broke it. “The Countess wishes your presence, Rai-“
“I’m guessing you know why she wants to see me, which would mean you know who I am.”
“Yes.”
“Let the Gren go. I don’t have any stake in him so there’s no use threatening him. Also, I know the Countess will have given you specific orders not to use lethal force. This isn’t my first time, and I have no such order.” Rai raised her pistol, flicking a switch on the side, it produced a high pitched whine.
There was another awkward pause and the bounty hunter released his grip and lowered his gun. “Fine.”
“Alan, right?” asked Rai.
Alan looked positively sheepish. “Yes.”
“Go back to the ship.”
Alan sped away without uttering another word. Rai watched as he ran down the street and disappeared around a corner.
“Now, you.” Rai tuned to address the bounty hunter again. She walked towards him menacingly “I have an idea.”
Inside the store, Sophie was worried. “What’s going on out there?” She asked, sitting on the edge of the shop counter.
Jan was looking through the door’s peephole. “I can’t tell. looks like they’re talking.” he backed away from the door and tried to be reassuring without loosening his grip on his gun “I’m sure she’ll be fine; she’s got through much worse than this in the past.”
“Who is that guy? And, while we’re on the subject, who the heck are you?”
“You mean she’s never talked about me?” Jan was genuinely shocked and his pride a little dented.
“No. Why, were you her boyfriend?”
Jan laughed, “No! Nothing like that. We were in the war together, we worked together for a while after too.”
“Rai fought in the war?”
“Wow, I see she’s kept herself pretty hidden.”
Sophie sensed that Jan didn’t want to pursue the subject “Who’s the guy outside? Is he something to do with the Consortium?”
“At least you can guess which side we fought on, that’s good. But, no, he isn’t from the Consortium.” Jan leaned up against one of the shelving units that lined the store walls, momentarily distracted from the goings on outside. “He works for The Countess, she’s an outsider like the man I’m working for. Rai did something to upset her back when we worked together.”
“What did she do?”
“I have no idea.”
“You know why The Countess wants to see me and you know how to find me. That’s still gonna be the case in three weeks, right?” asked Rai.
“Yes, but I have strict orders to bring you in as soon I located you.” Said the bounty hunter.
Just tell her I was already gone when you got here, but you have my word that in three weeks time, I’ll be here and ready to come with you. I’d go by myself but I wouldn’t want you to lose your cut.”
“What’s to stop me from taking you in now?”
Rai held up her gun and waved it about, just in case the bounty hunter hadn’t seen it. “This. And my rather intimidating and similarly armed friend inside.”
“You don’t want to kill me.”
“That’s right. And you really don’t want to kill me. But if I have to, I will. You won’t. That’s why I’m offering to come with you, but only if you give me some time.”
A few minutes later and Jan was storming back towards his ship, Rai trailing behind and trying to reason with him.
Alan was in the cargo hold, he looked surprised to see them approaching but that turned to fear when he saw the fury in Jan’s face. He began to back away but Jan quickly caught him and slammed him held up against the wall by the throat.
“You think that was funny, you little-” Jan began.
“Jan, I’m telling you, I don’t think it was him.” Rai protested.
“Oh it was him alright. Wasn’t it, Alan?”
Alan looked confused “What was me?”
“Don’t be cute, the bounty hunter!”
“It wasn’t me! I promise! Why would I try and sabotage the mission?”
Jan let Alan go, he dropped to the floor clutching his neck.
“Well, if it wasn’t you, who was it?”
“Jan,” said Rai “I think it was me.”
