enclosed the real bullet until it hit
the target, then parted with it and moved on.”
“You mean…” He
stopped to touch his side. “This here is just one part of two?”
Rayenne bit her
lower lip.
“Unfortunately,
yes. But there’s more.”
“Unfortunately?”
“The bullet’s a
transmitter. As long as it stays intact, someone will be able to
follow and find us, no matter where we go. That’s how they got to
us so quickly.” She inspected the tiny object then crushed it with
the butt of her weapon.
“Then you have
to take it out.”
“How? I can try
to pull out the shell if you want me to, but the bullet is another
story. If it already parted with the shell, there’s no telling
where it went.”
“Shall I wait
until it peeps out and tells you?” Rayenne took a deep breath to
answer, but he was faster. “Ray, please, you have to try. I don’t
want to run around like a signal tower.”
“It’s not sure
if it’s transmitting across this great distance and…”
He held her
wrist, looking intently at her.
“That’s the
answer to Sanjongy’s killers being ahead of us! We have to become
invisible or we’ll be trapped like Dikis in a sling. Please, it’s
worth a try. I have a first aid kit in my saddlebags. With some
painkillers. You just have to do it. I can’t do it alone.”
“I’m no
nurse.”
“And I’m no
criminal. Which means, I’m worth saving. So, will you get out now
and shuffle your nerves together?”
Rayenne wanted
to contradict, but the prospect of cutting out a bullet silenced
her. She nodded and left the tent.
Upon her
return, Sajitar had resumed a position that allowed her best access
to the small gleaming object. She sighed and put down the first aid
kit and a bigger lamp. Eying him skeptically, she handed him his
flagon.
“You got
something against the pain, you said. This looks like a bottle
of—”
“Medicine, Ray,
pure medicine.”
He reached out,
but she pulled back her hand with the flagon.
“What is
it?”
“Kiliak, a
strong drink I know. Now give it to me.”
“Where did you
get it? I heard it’s forbidden.”
“You heard
wrong.” He snatched the flagon from her hand, unscrewed it and took
a long swallow. “Here, you need something, too.”
“If I
drink…”
“Do it. You
truly look as if you’d break down any minute.” Her hands trembled
when she took it. “Hey, it’s just a hot shell in my skin. You don’t
have to perform heart surgery, okay?”
“Why are you so
damned sure I can do this?”
“Because I
can’t. Even if I could reach the spot, I would faint the moment I
cut myself. There’s a clear reason for self-protection built into
mankind’s genes. I could fall into a knife by accident, but I
wouldn’t cut myself up willingly.” He held a stick in his hand,
thicker than his finger. “See? I’ll bite on this and you get that
shell out nice and quick.”
“I still feel
like I could faint any minute.”
“You can look
at blood, can’t you?”
“I’m a police
officer.”
“Now that
explains everything.”
“Shut up.”
“As you wish.”
He waved the stick before his face, but she could not smile through
the strain. She put down the flagon and closed her eyes for a
moment, waiting for the alcohol to kick in and lend her some
strength.
Rayenne took
her time assorting the instruments she needed. She disinfected the
area around the shell, placed the scalpel and forceps beside her,
and wished that she could call someone to take over the task.
Finally she
nodded, taking a deep breath. “Now you’ll learn if I can help or
harm you.”
“Just go
ahead.” He put the stick between his teeth and turned his gaze
toward the scalpel in her hand.
She wished he’d
make a joke, but now the stress got to both of them. The area was
reddened by the disinfectant and the shell gleamed like a hot spot
in its center. She put the blade close to the rim of the shell. To
cut the skin was much easier than she had thought.
the target, then parted with it and moved on.”
“You mean…” He
stopped to touch his side. “This here is just one part of two?”
Rayenne bit her
lower lip.
“Unfortunately,
yes. But there’s more.”
“Unfortunately?”
“The bullet’s a
transmitter. As long as it stays intact, someone will be able to
follow and find us, no matter where we go. That’s how they got to
us so quickly.” She inspected the tiny object then crushed it with
the butt of her weapon.
“Then you have
to take it out.”
“How? I can try
to pull out the shell if you want me to, but the bullet is another
story. If it already parted with the shell, there’s no telling
where it went.”
“Shall I wait
until it peeps out and tells you?” Rayenne took a deep breath to
answer, but he was faster. “Ray, please, you have to try. I don’t
want to run around like a signal tower.”
“It’s not sure
if it’s transmitting across this great distance and…”
He held her
wrist, looking intently at her.
“That’s the
answer to Sanjongy’s killers being ahead of us! We have to become
invisible or we’ll be trapped like Dikis in a sling. Please, it’s
worth a try. I have a first aid kit in my saddlebags. With some
painkillers. You just have to do it. I can’t do it alone.”
“I’m no
nurse.”
“And I’m no
criminal. Which means, I’m worth saving. So, will you get out now
and shuffle your nerves together?”
Rayenne wanted
to contradict, but the prospect of cutting out a bullet silenced
her. She nodded and left the tent.
Upon her
return, Sajitar had resumed a position that allowed her best access
to the small gleaming object. She sighed and put down the first aid
kit and a bigger lamp. Eying him skeptically, she handed him his
flagon.
“You got
something against the pain, you said. This looks like a bottle
of—”
“Medicine, Ray,
pure medicine.”
He reached out,
but she pulled back her hand with the flagon.
“What is
it?”
“Kiliak, a
strong drink I know. Now give it to me.”
“Where did you
get it? I heard it’s forbidden.”
“You heard
wrong.” He snatched the flagon from her hand, unscrewed it and took
a long swallow. “Here, you need something, too.”
“If I
drink…”
“Do it. You
truly look as if you’d break down any minute.” Her hands trembled
when she took it. “Hey, it’s just a hot shell in my skin. You don’t
have to perform heart surgery, okay?”
“Why are you so
damned sure I can do this?”
“Because I
can’t. Even if I could reach the spot, I would faint the moment I
cut myself. There’s a clear reason for self-protection built into
mankind’s genes. I could fall into a knife by accident, but I
wouldn’t cut myself up willingly.” He held a stick in his hand,
thicker than his finger. “See? I’ll bite on this and you get that
shell out nice and quick.”
“I still feel
like I could faint any minute.”
“You can look
at blood, can’t you?”
“I’m a police
officer.”
“Now that
explains everything.”
“Shut up.”
“As you wish.”
He waved the stick before his face, but she could not smile through
the strain. She put down the flagon and closed her eyes for a
moment, waiting for the alcohol to kick in and lend her some
strength.
Rayenne took
her time assorting the instruments she needed. She disinfected the
area around the shell, placed the scalpel and forceps beside her,
and wished that she could call someone to take over the task.
Finally she
nodded, taking a deep breath. “Now you’ll learn if I can help or
harm you.”
“Just go
ahead.” He put the stick between his teeth and turned his gaze
toward the scalpel in her hand.
She wished he’d
make a joke, but now the stress got to both of them. The area was
reddened by the disinfectant and the shell gleamed like a hot spot
in its center. She put the blade close to the rim of the shell. To
cut the skin was much easier than she had thought.
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