Between Darkness and Dawn

14.

“Something about how you’re never happy being interrupted and how he thinks if I interrupt you, you won’t be so mad. I don’t know…but, while I’m here, I wanted to ask if we could go shopping later? The clothes you got me are great but the kitchen is freezing and I need some jumpers.” Cody could only smile at the happy smile she gave him, whilst so innocently scrunching up the sleeves of her light jumper in her hands. She was just far too adorable and he couldn’t say no to her. But he really needed to look over the present catalogue and send it off to the museum first, and if he was going into town to deliver his letters, it would be a fine time for some shopping.

“Would one of mine do for now? I’m going into town in a few days if you can wait that long?” He asked, hoping that the compromise suited her. Her new wardrobe had arrived the day after their outing to the club and it had been exactly what he had ordered, he just hadn’t counted on the unusually cold weather. So he was relieved when Carmen agreed, actually claiming that it suited her ‘just fine’, as if she really meant it. He held some hope that their relationship was progressing beyond their arguments and could become something very special.

With a sigh Cody finished the paperwork he was working on, leaving the rest for after his chat with Darick. Carmen had happily left the study to go fetch one of his jumpers, which left him with barely a few moments peace before he found Darick in the living room, grumbling to himself. “Right, what’s this phone call about?” He wondered, taking a seat across from Darick, beside the fire, doubtful that there really was a message. Darick was far too interested in Carmen for his own good…and hers…and had been for far too long. Cody had hoped he would have got the message already, but it seemed not. And he didn’t know how else to put it across to him without getting into a fight.

“This guy heard you were looking for a marksman and he’s willing to take the job.” Darick sighed, looking into the fire for a moment. Cody was a little confused; that job offer had gone out almost a year ago and as far as he knew, all the decent marksmen were either working with or for the guerrillas or as mercenaries, only concerned with their latest wage. Why would anyone want to work for him? He needed them as security, when they were on treks into dangerous territory, travelling either alone or in a group of two, watching over the rest of the team and making sure they weren’t taken by surprise. He would have been particularly useful in watching Carmen the night she had walked out of camp.

“Alright. Why the meeting?”

“He wants an interview first to talk about terms.” There was something in Darick’s eyes, when he said those words that told Cody there was so much more to their talk than any marksman wanting a job. He could believe that the guy would want to know the terms of his employment before accepting a job, wanting to know what he would and wouldn’t be expected to do, but it wasn’t enough to explain Darick’s reluctance to talk. He had requested the meeting; something else must be going on. It took a few moments of goading to get him to speak, but when he did, Cody knew it was bad.

“To complicate things, he’s been asked to find Carmen. Her parents are looking for her and they know what area she was last seen in, so he was approached to find her, but he refused. Luckily for us. But it does mean that they’re looking for her. That’s why I needed to talk to you about it before calling him back. He’s got himself to a village bar and he’s waiting there over night for an answer.” Cody turned the information over in his mind. Darick was obviously trying to suggest that he could call the marksman back and get him to accept the job of finding Carmen, just so that no-one else was approached. But it seemed underhanded and dangerous. After all, Carmen was staying with him of her own free will, she had been given multiple opportunities to leave and so while he thought about what to do, wondering if he could just ask Carmen to contact her parents to clear up matters, he changed the subject.