Free Needle Rain by Cari Silverwood

assessment?”
    She cleared her throat. “It was a disaster. I take responsibility for it.” She spread her hands. “We should have held back and assessed the situation better.”
    “Bulldust. I left Sonja and Bull with clear instructions to take over if you made a bad decision. You’re not to blame.”
    “You did? I disobeyed orders and, well...I still should have...”
    “No! You’re only twenty-one. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me. Now.” He sat back and heaved a sigh, “Tell me something I don’t know.”
    And so she told him of the events the night before. He listened without commenting, even when she faltered, allowing her time to recover. When she finished talking, he put up both hands and ran them through his hair then down his face.
    “Right,” he said. “That’s done. Unless the enforcers or the Guard want to ask you questions, that’s it. I had to pull some strings to keep you all out of prison. You cannot talk about this. Drager and this other man, Kengshee, are still out there. Heading for Sungea on that boat most likely. The navy has ships out chasing them.”
    “Sir. I can’t do this anymore.”
    “What?”
    She shifted on the chair. “I can’t do this.”
    “I can understand that you might feel that way, but this is the worst situation my company has handled ever. Ever. I won’t tell you that you have to stay.” He reached out and pulled the hilt of the dagger toward him then let it go. The dagger waggled back and forth. “If you go, well, I’ll help you, but don’t decide quite yet. Let time do some healing. Okay?”
    “Okay. Thank you.” She rose to her feet.  Sadly, Uncle’s sympathy didn’t change anything. She was no less weary or devastated than when she’d entered the room. “But I won’t change my mind. Um, there’s something else.”
    “Yes?”
    “When the funerals come round, make sure I get told. Especially the girl’s.”
    “Drager’s daughter?” He halted, as if he’d thought better of what he was about to say. “I’ll make sure you know. Um, there’s a prayer dedication tomorrow for Sonja, Marty and Wallace at the Higher God’s chapel.”
    “Uh. Wallace?”
    “Tinman. That’s his real name.”
    “Oh. Wallace?” He had a real name. Once upon a time, that would’ve been a point of amusement – something to tease him about. Now it was merely a sad fact. “Really? I’ll be there.”
    She turned and left. Funny, but the girl’s death haunted her more than Sonja’s or Marty’s or Tinman’s. At least Sonja had chosen what she did, as had the others. Leonie was far too young to know who she was, let alone what she wanted to do. When she thought of the lost years of her life...the feel of her small hand and the cold, forever stare in her open eyes.
    Heloise teared up. Head down, she stopped with her palm propped on the wall to her left, blinking to clear her vision. If anyone saw her weakness, she didn’t care. Leonie had trusted her. Someone should be at her funeral. Drager wasn’t ever going to turn up.
     
    ****
     
    Exiting out the back door of the clinic, Thom had realized that Kengshee was following him. Luckily the man spooked and hung back when a band of late morning revelers staggered past him through the street.
    Thom had hidden in the shadows and backtracked to completely lose him. He suspected almost anything would have deterred Kengshee at that point – he’d just lost all his men to a raid by debt-collectors. It would have been hilarious, if people hadn’t forfeited their lives.
    After he’d stopped at his house to get Leonie the funny side of things waned. She was gone. How and when and where she’d gone...he had no idea. No clues at all. He collected a less ostentatious wardrobe and changed into brown trousers, a white tunic, and slip-on leather shoes. A backpack came in handy for storing dried snacks, a small knife, some coins, and twenty-five fine needles. The needles were the only reminder of his profession and he