Chapter Six
The words hung unanswered in the dusty silence. She tipped her head, refusing to take the bait. The only noise in the airless room was that from the wire brush she was using to clean the gun barrel. Angela found herself counting the times it rasped across the metal surface. She reached twenty before John's patience ran out. She was surprised. She thought it would have given out at about ten.
"Solitaire?" John prompted, more than a little annoyed with the game she was playing. He sat with his arms loosely folded, leaning against the arm of the couch. Angela sat next to him, and absently, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her closer to him. She was happy to comply. She was still getting used to the touching thing, but it was a nice feeling when it happened. She took hold of his other hand, absently smoothing his thumb with hers.
"You want me to help you?" She asked, tone slightly mocking, hands still occupied with the dissembled gun she was putting back together. He watched as under her deft hands, a gun grew from a pile of parts. She scraped a knuckle, and a bead of blood appeared on her finger. She raised her hand to her mouth, sucking the wound for a second before continuing with her task.
"We need you, Solitaire." Angela said, wondering if she'd be forced to beg for the girl's help. "Can't do it without you." Angela added somewhat reluctantly. Angela liked Solitaire, she just wished that the younger woman would be more co-operative with them. It wasn't like she and John were there to hurt Solitaire. If anything, Angela had a feeling that John wanted to protect the young woman.
Solitaire stood, picking the gun up and fixing it into a gun safe. She took the keys out of her pocket, locked the safe and slipped the keys back into her pocket. She carefully folder the newspaper she had been using to protect the table into half, rubbing her finger up and down the crease. It seemed like a nervous habit to John. Outside, day was quickly giving way to night. John rose from the couch and glanced at Angela as a slight cue to do the same. She did, but her eyes were still fixed on Solitaire. The girl was staring at her boots, not meeting anyone's eyes as she tossed her options around.
"Thank you for your time." He said stiffly, as if he had to force the words past uncooperative lips. He turned and started walking down the hallway towards the door. He reached the door before Solitaire's voice rang out.
"Wait!" She snapped, hurrying into the hallway so quickly she nearly fell over Angela, "It's not safe."
With an infuriatingly smug smile, he said "We'll be fine." Both woman noticed the note of self mocking in his voice as he added "I am the great John Constantine, after all." He was goading her, forcing her towards some kind of reaction. It was a waiting game to see if it worked.
She smiled her own smug grin as she said " If you go out there, you'll be the great dead John Constantine." Despite her smile, she was deadly serious. Those haunting grey eyes sought and held his. "You're staying here." She said, already walking back down the hall to make up a bed for them. Her mother might have been a crazy alcoholic, but she had taught her daughter manners.
Bed made, she re-immerged ten minutes into the living room where John and Angela were waiting. Dropping into a chair, she asked "So what's going down?" She was serious, all traces of her earlier cynicism gone, at least for now.
"We're declaring war on the half-breeds." John answered her, "They're in violation of the balance and must pay." He wore a smirk and those brown eyes held a promise that there would be hell to pay.
"Can't you just cast a spell and blow them all back to hell?" She untied her boots, kicking them off before pulling her knees onto the seat. "I guess what I'm asking is what do you need me for?"
"Are you as good as they say you are?" Angela spoke this time, hoping that the grapevine was right for once.
"No." Solitaire said, causing Angela's heart to sink. "I'm better than they say I am." She looked down, examining her nails, "Quite a bit better, actually." She added in a drawl.
"We need to find out what's casing this. And then we need to take them down." He paused, thinking. He glanced around the room, taking in a pile of climbing equipment stacked in one corner. "You climb?"
"I was state champ 3 years in a row." She said diffidently.
"I'll take that as a yes then." John said dryly, his mind occupied with the beginnings of a crazy plan. He thought it might just be crazy enough to work. Without filling either woman in on his plan, he asked "Do you have a city map?"
"Uh, sure." She said, obviously wondering where it would lead. "I'll get it." She said, getting up. It took her less than a minute before she returned with two maps. John discarded the first, deciding that it was too out of date to work. The second was the kind he had been thinking about- it listed points of interest. Quickly finding the icon he wanted, he scanned the map for it. Without looking up, he asked for a pen and paper.
Not quite hiding her exasperated sigh, Solitaire went to fetch them. She dropped them onto the table by John's hand and rolled her eyes when he didn't offer any thanks. A list of addresses began to grow as he made a catalogue of places that might work. Finishing with the map, he shot a smile of thanks to Solitaire, who smiled back at him before she realised what she was doing.
"What are you planning John?" Angela asked.
John frowned, trying to think of a way to explain his plan without sounding insane. "I want to bless the next rainfall we have. You know, turn it into holy water." It was ingenious, but he didn't know if it would work.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Solitaire asked, already knowing that the list he'd made was of churches.
"You'd climb onto the church roof and recite the blessing." He said, straight faced.
"No." Solitaire said, not even considering it. "I don't do religion." She explained without elaborating.
"I'll do it." Angela offered softly, adding "The blessing will work better coming from someone with faith." She looked directly at Solitaire, and said "I need you to teach me how to climb. Just the basics."
"Angela…" John said, sounding concerned. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. Yes, I am." She said firmly.
He heaved a sigh, giving in. "Okay then."
"So the plan's a go?" Solitaire asked.
"Yes. I guess it is." He said and felt a smile creep onto his face. It was time to get back into the game.