Taking sides
***
"I'm coming with you," Alex said. He lay down in the rear foot well straight away. I bit my lip, thinking of protesting. But the truth was, I felt safer with him there. And I knew I could trust him to keep out of sight. I got into the driver's seat silently.
The address was for a warehouse in a storage complex, deserted in the bare moonlight. The entrance was open so I drove in, the structure swallowing the car like a mint. I got out, staring around me in astonishment. There was pallet after pallet of medications, bandages, fluid bags, everything you could think of.
"Wow," I said under my breath.
"Not a bad little collection?" Falling Smoke said, emerging from the shadows.
"How did you do this?" I asked.
"All kind donations for a terrible earthquake in Guatemala," he said sorrowfully. But a smile played about his lips.
"You can't steal supplies from a natural disaster area!" I said, shocked. He grinned.
"Actually Guatemala has a great health care system already operational," he admitted, "They'll be puzzled as to why we're sending them anything at all."
I was doubly shocked.
"You lied?!" I said. He laughed.
"No there really was an earthquake, a small one anyway. Big enough to make the news. I am just redirecting people's sympathy to a more worthy cause." I was dumbfounded.
"You don't disappoint, Dr. Jones," I said softly. He blushed.
"Well I can't have my brand-new fixed-up patient going empty handed into the jaws of evil" he said.
"I'm not exactly defenceless you know," I looked at him shrewdly.
"You wouldn't have a chance against a wild human," he said. I raised my eyebrows.
"Alright then, try me," I said. He grinned.
"Now I'll just walk along here, all unsuspecting, and you come up and try and grab me," I instructed. I dawdled along innocently with my back to him. I felt his hands grab me and I flipped him lightly onto the concrete.
Suddenly Alex was running towards me, gun aimed at Falling Smoke.
"Alex! What are you doing?" I hissed, glaring. He looked back and forth between us as I helped Falling Smoke to his feet. He lowered the gun slowly.
"I thought… I thought he was attacking you," he said. I hit my head with the heel of my palm and turned away, choking on my anger. A human, running out into plain view in the middle of a Soul city. He was unbelievable. And I thought he was supposed to be the careful one.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Falling Smoke said.
"Alex, Falling Smoke. Falling Smoke, Alex. A wild human," I muttered. Falling Smoke held out his hand, and Alex put up the gun and shook it.
"So this is your secret weapon," Falling Smoke said appraisingly.
"Quite a store you've amassed here," Alex said grudgingly, looking around in amazement, "It's good to know some Souls are on our side."
"Well I don't know about that," Falling Smoke said. Alex narrowed his eyes.
"If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem," Alex said rigidly.
"Alex!" I hissed. Great, get our only legitimate source of supplies offside on the first meeting. Well, semi-legitimate anyway. I pulled the gun off him.
"Well I'd certainly like to be part of a solution," Falling Smoke said evenly, "a peaceful solution that is."
"The supplies are great, but otherwise we're doing just fine without your help thanks," Alex said, frowning.
"Maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but you've been getting your asses kicked," Falling Smoke said. Alex look stunned to hear such language from a Soul. Then he was smiling despite himself.
"I don't know how a good law-abiding Soul such as yourself could be of any use to us," Alex said.
"I feel like I'm being seduced by the dark side of the Force," he said, glancing at me. I snorted.
"Oh you got there ages ago." I said, grabbing some trays of medicines and shoving them at Alex.
"I find your lack of faith disturbing," he replied.
"We'll let you know if we think of something," Alex said, thoughtfully.
"I'm at your service," Falling Smoke said graciously.
"I don't want to rain on your parade, but we've gotta to get going," I said, grabbing a tray myself and pulling Alex to the car. "I'll come back with a truck later," I called over my shoulder.
We drove off leaving Falling Smoke standing alone in the lamp lit warehouse.
***
I was too angry to speak. Luckily, Dorsey was doing all the yelling for me.
"You let him see you?" she yelled at Alex.
"Well, yes…" Alex said.
"You let him know that Flame goes around with a wild human, of her own free will?"
"Uh-"
She smacked him.
"If he tells anyone, you'll have every Seeker in town tracking her down!"
"I don't think he'd tell anyone…"
"Really. The other day you were convinced he was a Seeker himself!"
"Well…"
She smacked him again. I grabbed her hand and held it.
"He's hardly going to tell on his favourite little patient, is he?" Alex said, his eyes narrowed in dislike. Dorsey stared at him, open mouthed.
"You are unbelievable."
"Ok let's get a grip on the damage," Henry said.
"I don't think there is any," Alex said, "Ok, so he knows about me, but he must know Flame was working with people somehow. It just puts a face to the concept."
"Ok, and we've still got the goods…" Henry said.
"Plus he's offered to help out more if he can," Alex said grudgingly.
"Oh, anything to be with his sweetheart," Henry said, fluttering his eyes at me.
Dorsey threw the keys at him and Alex caught them, surprised.
"What, you think I'm driving you around after that little stunt? You can drive yourself, mister," she said, and stalked off into my car.