Sunblind Serpent: The Zodiac Without A House

The shooter had stopped firing, although this did not make the intersection safer.

Marek stayed beside the damaged van. The pharmacy windows were still dark. He could not tell whether anyone was inside.

The Taurus detainee sat several meters away with his forearms on his knees. His breathing had settled. He checked on the security officer every so often. The officer did the same to him. Neither seemed interested in fighting again.

The Libra detainee stayed near the back of the van. The Scorpius man stood farther off, partly behind an abandoned vehicle.

Marek checked his Mark.

[TRANSFER ATTEMPT HALTED.]

[VESSEL ACCEPTANCE: NOT ESTABLISHED.]

[CASE BOUNDARY INCOMPLETE.]

The first two made more sense now. The third did not.

He knew where the transfer had started. From the Taurus detainee. He knew contact had made it stronger. He knew his Mark had considered him a compatible Vessel. He knew he could refuse it.

He still did not know what had tried to enter him.

That probably mattered.

”When you grabbed me earlier, were you trying to pull me?”

The man raised his head. ”Obviously.”

”How hard?”

”I don’t know.”

”You don’t know how hard you pulled?”

”Do you measure everything you do?”

”Not everything.”

”You’re making it sound like you do.”

Marek ignored that. ”Did it feel like you were using your Mark?”

The detainee considered the golden pattern under his shirt. ”No.”

”Did you feel anything from it?”

”Not really.”

”You probably were.” The officer did not turn around when he said it.

”And you would know?”

”Yes.”

That irritated him. ”How?”

The officer turned. ”Because I’ve been trying not to break anything since I had this mark.”

The detainee stared at him.

”You think I wanted to spend the last several hours learning how slowly I need to close my hand?”

The detainee considered the bent metal along the side of the van. ”You had training.”

”A few hours.”

”Still more than me.”

”Yes.”

The Taurus man turned away.

Marek listened to all of it.

That was the other difference between them. Not the Sign. Experience.

The officer had Awakened on duty. His job kept him around other people. He had been forced to control his movements almost immediately.

The detainee had Awakened inside a detention center that was already falling apart.

One had been taught to reduce force. The other had learned that enough force opened doors.

Same Mark. Different origins.

”When you first Awakened, did you break anything?” Marek asked.

The officer gave him a tired look. ”Why?”

”I want to know.”

”I cracked a chair.”

The detainee’s head came back around.

”Then I nearly pulled the handle off a door.”

”And after that?”

”I stopped grabbing things normally.”

Marek nodded.

The detainee frowned. ”That’s it?”

”No. I broke a magazine release. Bent part of a locker. Nearly hurt another officer when he tried to stop me.”

The Taurus man became quieter.

Marek considered both of them. The detainee had already hit Cooper without meaning to. The officer had nearly hurt someone too. The difference was not that one was dangerous and the other was not.

One of them had been given several hours of practice before they met.

Marek had another question ready when the Scorpius man turned his head.

His expression changed.

”What?” the officer said.

The man did not answer. He stepped away from the abandoned vehicle and faced the northern road. The Taurus detainee stood.

The Scorpius Mark along the left side of his waist became brighter beneath his detainee shirt.

”What happened?” Marek asked.

The Scorpius man raised one hand. ”Quiet.”

The officer’s grip tightened on his weapon.

Everyone stopped talking. At first Marek heard nothing. Then something came through under the noise of the damaged vehicles.

Engines. More than one.

The Scorpius man stepped backward.

”Security?” the Taurus detainee said.

”Probably.”

”How many?”

”I don’t know.”

”Then what do you know?”

”More than one vehicle. Coming this way.”

The Libra detainee moved away from the van immediately.

”Stay where you are.” The officer raised his weapon.

The man stopped.

For less than a second.

Then he faced the road again. The engines became louder.

”You called them?” the Taurus detainee said.

”No.”

”Then how do they know where we are?”

”We were part of a convoy.”

”That doesn’t answer my question.”

”It doesn’t need to.”

The Scorpius man turned to the pharmacy. ”Gemini!”

Nothing answered.

”Gemini! They’re coming!”

A woman’s voice came from somewhere beyond the building.

It was not hers.

It sounded exactly like the Taurus detainee. ”I heard you.”

The Taurus man stared at the pharmacy.

So, she was still there.

The Libra detainee took another step. The officer moved the weapon toward him.

”Don’t.”

The man checked the approaching road. Then the officer.

”You think I’m waiting here?”

”You run, I can’t guarantee what happens.”

”You couldn’t guarantee what happened when I stayed.”

The officer said nothing.

The Libra detainee turned. He ran.

The officer raised his weapon. He had a clear line on the man’s back.

He did not fire.

The Libra man crossed the road and disappeared between two buildings.

”You let him go,” the Taurus detainee said.

”He’s running away from us.”

”So?”

”So, I’m not shooting someone in the back because he doesn’t want to go back to detention.”

The Taurus man seemed surprised.

So was Marek. He did not say so.

The engines grew louder.

”Which way?” the Taurus detainee asked.

”South side street,” the Scorpius man said.

”Aries went south.”

”I know.”

”Then let’s go.”

The officer raised his weapon again.

The Taurus man faced him. For several seconds, neither moved.

The officer could probably stop him. At least for a while. The detainee might fight. The officer might win. Or one of them might put someone through another vehicle.

Cooper was injured. The woman and child were still nearby. The driver was barely conscious. There were already too many people here who could get hurt.

”Don’t,” Marek said.

The officer glanced at him. So did the Taurus detainee.

”If he runs, let him run.”