Free Bringer of Fire by Jaz Primo

change. Or maybe he was just fighting unconsciousness.
    He moved his head back into his pillow and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity.
    “Damn. I’ve never even heard of anything like that,” he half-whispered. “Whatever this is, you’re in deep, Bringer. And this better mean that you’re planning to cooperate fully with us now.”
    “Just so long as I’m able to get to the bottom of who set fire to my sister’s house and nearly killed my family.”
    Burroughs remained silent for a time.
    “Fine. You can start by telling me why some heavy was ransacking your house when I arrived there.”
    “ Ransacking ?” I asked.
    Burroughs took a series of shallow breaths before speaking again.
    “Yeah, I heard him rifling through things. I think I surprised him, but he was a much quicker draw than me.”
    Burroughs closed his eyes for a few moments, and I almost got up to leave before he finally added, “My pistol barely cleared leather before I had two rounds in my chest.”
    I mulled that over for a moment. I wondered if the stranger fired two rounds as a matter of habit.
    Something about the technique triggered in my mind.
    “This guy sounds like a pro. Maybe ex-special forces or sniper,” I ventured aloud.
    That realization should’ve made me cringe, but instead all that I felt was steely resolve.
    “The man’s formidable,” Burroughs conceded.
    “Doesn’t matter,” I added. “Soon, he’ll be the one who needs to start looking over his shoulder.”
    Burroughs grunted.
    “Well-well, I’d say that soldier boy finally woke up again,” he whispered.
    There were a few moments of shallow breaths before he spoke again.
    “Honestly, when I first saw you, I thought you were just another washed-up, former army loser. What do you think about that, ground-pounder?”
    I frowned.
    “I think I’ll let my future actions do the talking,” I replied.
    He squeezed his eyes shut and then opened them to stare at the ceiling above.
    “Good enough for me, Army. Just don’t get Sanders killed in the process, or so help me, I’ll hunt you down if it’s the last thing I do.”
    The guy was barely conscious and had numerous tubes stuck in his arms, yet he sounded like he meant every word.
    “I stopped two bullets for her earlier tonight,” I said. “What makes you think I won’t stop more for her, if needed?”
    The resulting surprised expression on his face was truly priceless.
    A knock sounded behind me and the door opened to reveal both Agent Sanders and Burroughs’ wife.
    “Are we interrupting anything important?” Sanders asked with a suspicious expression.
    “Nah,” Burroughs insisted in a voice that sounded a little weaker than a few minutes ago. “Just asking Bringer some questions.”
    “My God, Ted, you just got out of a critical surgery. I think you need to concentrate on healing for the time being,” Sally Burroughs chastised. “However, you have two daughters who’d like to visit their father before you get some sleep.”
    Burroughs grunted.
    I rubbed at my mouth with one hand to hide my look of amusement. It appeared that Agent Burroughs wasn’t the only assertive person in their household.
    “All right, honey,” Burroughs muttered. “Come on in, girls.”
    His two daughters carefully squeezed past me and slowly approached their father’s bedside. Agent Sanders gently led me from the room and toward the nearest elevators.
    “Why in God’s name were you pestering Agent Burroughs?” she asked in an accusatory tone.
    “I couldn’t resist the temptation,” I replied dryly.
    She shook her head but didn’t press the subject.
    “How’s your family?” she asked as we entered the empty elevator car together.
    “They’re okay, thanks for asking. I suggested they should visit my parents out of town for a few days,” I replied.
    “Not a bad idea, but the police will want to visit with them first, myself included,” she said.
    I nodded.
    “Where to now?” I