Mostly Dead Girls

the woman with a gun

Faye chewed on her lip for a moment, then met Kelly's eyes and mouthed, slowly. Play along.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she declared loudly, letting the door behind her fall shut. "But I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else!"

Kelly didn't have to try hard to 'play along'. When Faye came at her again, it was all she could do to not shoot her once or twice, and kicking her when she came near was just reflexive. Faye wheezed, then tackled her again, this time catching her around the waist and sending them both stumbling backwards out the door. The sky swung sickly above them as they half-fell down the steps, and then Faye released her and scrambled to her feet.

"I know one of the girls," she said, low and fast. "She wouldn't hurt anyone but her killer, and I don't want anything to happen to her, but if you're looking—aw, fuck, my leg—" She doubled over for a moment, catching her breath, before speaking again. "If you're looking for someone who killed your boyfriend, it might be the bag girl. The first dead girl. She's following the orders of the man who killed both of them, and Dorita—my girl—said that she saw a strange man killed by them a few weeks ago."

"Your girl?"

Not all of the red on Faye's face came from the long scratch in her forehead. "The girl that I know."

Kelly gave a half-smile before the weight of what Faye said had sunk in. So he was dead—she had known that. Technically. Momoka had said I'm so sorry, pressed her hands, explained that she could not find a living flicker of Mickey's spirit anywhere in the U.S. There were traces, too faint to follow, of a soul in pain. Probably dying. With luck, Momoka had said, he'll have become a ghost.

But after you're told that someone you love is dead, it takes a while to sink in. It takes even longer if you distract yourself with anger, with plans and bus itineraries and house comparisons. Then, when something reminds you, it feels even worse. "I see."

Faye glanced towards the house. "You should get up and hit me or something. If we can get to the backyard, there's a place where the wall has worn out. I could tear it down and you could leave by there. And Dorita can meet us in the backyard, although it will have to be for just a second."

Kelly nodded slowly, getting to her feet. Then a breeze, whipping around the corner of the house, brought a snatch of music to her and she stiffened.

"What's that?"

Faye frowned. "The radio must have turned on by itself again—"

Kelly took off running.

The woman she'd shoved into the closet was crying, and the man on the floor was stirring. Kelly kicked him in the face as she passed, almost an afterthought, barely noticed the DSAC agent still silent and limp on the floor. She bent down in front of the radio, her heart hammering, and raised a shaking hand to touch it.

"Um..."Faye said from outside the door. "I guess you really, really like whoever this is?"

"Leeann Rimes."

"Right. Never heard of her. What are you doing?" Faye jumped back a step or two as the man on the floor groaned. "We're going to get caught!" she hissed.

Gently, Kelly tilted the radio, making sure it had a battery, then unplugged it. She cradled it in her arms as she turned to Faye, who was staring at her with confusion—slowly melting into understanding.

"Oh," she said. "It was acting weird because—"

With a crackle of static, the radio changed to a different song; a recent hit, something called Ghost. Kelly gave a choked laugh.

"I probably should have guessed that earlier," Faye muttered, then stepped back. "C'mon, someone's going to wake up or Alec's gonna get over his bulleted leg."

"You're doing remarkably well," Kelly observed, hugging the radio to her chest as she stepped outside. The radio quieted to a purr, and although she was never the best with energy she could easily imagine Mickey's spirit warming it, reaching out to touch her. I missed you. The sudden joy of it made her head spin. But through the haze of it, her mind was still working, observing Faye—blood on her chin, wounded leg only trembling slightly, eyes turning to the bushes in joyous recognition as a pale damp shape rose among them, looking at Kelly with wary dark eyes. She made a decision.

"I'm kidnapping you for a few minutes," she said, grabbing Faye's arm. "We need to talk. Tell your girlfriend she can come along if she wants; I've got something to say to her too." Adjusting the radio to a more comfortable position, she pulled Faye towards the back of the small yard. "Now, where was that weak bit of fence you mentioned?"