Delicate Rain

by Mitch Goth

  "So," Ben looked to Rain as they drove through the pitch dark streets and out of the warehouse filled neighborhood, "you did good back there."

  "Thanks," Rain nodded, her mind obviously elsewhere. "You think he was right about us needing eyes in the back of our heads?"

  "Normally, I'd say that's just Deacon being cautious," Ben shrugged, but his face told of hidden concern. "But, I've heard that from a few people already. I guess the KC Devils are more of a deal than I thought."

  "So what's that mean for us? For me?"

  "Well, you've only got a few more days to stick around, then you can pick up and leave. You shouldn't have to worry at all, just as long as you get out of Kansas City right after you leave. As for me, big deal or not the Devils aren't anything Vin and the rest of us can't handle just fine."

  "What if you're still underestimating them?" Rain inquired.

  "That's what's still stessin' me out," Ben chuckled nervously. "Because, honestly, that's a very real possibility. I haven't heard a damn thing about 'em in months, they must've been waiting and buildin' something up so they could take out the competition. I guess it all depends on how much they built. If I'm being perfectly honest, the fact that word is spreadin' so quick has got me worried. I never thought they'd have enough range to spread all that word that fast."

  "So Deacon was right? We should be stressing about it?" Rain figured.

  "That's about right," Ben groaned. "I'm certainly stressin' over it."

  "You know," Rain spoke carefully, as if she was hiding something, "I might have something that could fix that for the both of us?"

  "And what's that?" Ben wondered. "A gun big enough to take out all those bastards at once? Because that would really fix everything."

  "Not to fix them, to fix us. For a little while anyhow," Rain elaborated as vaguely as she could.

  Ben hummed for a moment as he thought. But soon an eyebrow raised on his head, as he quickly caught on to what she was saying. He turned to her, his stress reaching a peak.

  "No you didn't," he prayed he was over thinking what she meant.

  She held out a closed fist and opened it, revealing two triangular orange pills. A worrisome half-smile appeared on her face.

  "I did," she replied.

  "You didn't," he repeated, taking one of the pills out of her grasp and holding it up to try and get it in the light of the swiftly passing streetlights. "If Deacon finds out we shorted him, he'll kill us."

  "It was only two pills, we're fine," Rain assured. "That's only like a hundredth of one percent."

  "Its seriously that small?" Ben actually laughed through his stress. His vision was beginning to be focused more on the pill in his fingers than on the road.

  "It seriously is, maybe smaller," Rain nodded.

  "What about Vin?"

  "What about him? He never has to find out anything. If we don't tell him anything, he'll never find out."

  "You sure?" Ben was still apprehensive.

  "Pretty sure, yeah," Rain shrugged, figuring it was the only decent thing she could do.

  "Will I be able to be drive when I'm on this?" Ben inquired smartly, not wanting to damage his car more than the KC Devils and Rain already had.

  "No clue. I guess it depends on your driving skills. I wouldn't be able to, that's for sure."

  Ben sighed, tired of just looking at the pill in his hand. "Fuck it," he tossed the pill down his throat and prepared for the worst.

  "That's the spirit," Rain laughed, tossing hers back as well, expecting the best.

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