Page 20 of One Step Sideways

“Reaction?”

“Yeah, I mean, we know the guys had guns. Did they fire? I would have thought it would have been the first thing they did. They’ve got to have panicked, surely. Anyone would.”

I thought about the three times it had happened. The first in front of Archie, who’d just pulled me back out of the way and told me to get back to my cell. The second my mind drifted over because it didn’t want to make me remember those hands clawing at me before I escaped. The third…wait, that made no sense. Why didn’t they fire immediately? “That’s crazy.”

“What is?”

“The first time it happened was when Archie and I were just walking into the dining hall. Some dick had a blade. A rival gang member had just arrived and in the space of a second, it was a riot. Two guys ran straight for me, and I just did it. Archie was behind me and pulled me back out of the way.”

“They just stopped running at you?”

I tried to think. “They must have.”

“And no one said anything about smoke coming out of your fingers?”

I shook my head. “I panicked. Archie said not to get involved and to stay with him. I’ve no idea why no one else didn’t unless they assumed it was tear-gas.”

“Did Archie see what you did?”

I thought. “We didn’t talk about it. He just said to keep whatever it was to myself.” He hadn’t mentioned the black cloud, but I’d panicked so I hadn’t either.

“What happened yesterday?” Danny asked calmly, and I glanced at him. How had things shifted to him being reasonable? I was supposed to be helping him.

“He was gonna shoot the grandmother.”

“No,” Danny stopped me. “Tell me exactly step by step, as you remember.”

I took a breath. “Saunders told Rain to get in the car. She refused because of her gran, and Saunders repeated the order and raised the gun. I knew he was going to shoot the old lady, so I did the thing with the shadows, grabbed the grandmother and the kid, and dragged them back outside.”

“When did they start shooting?”

I huffed. “I was damn lucky. The firing didn’t start until we were out of the room.”

“How soon after you stopped the smoke, or whatever you call it, can they see?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Where exactly had you gotten to when the first shot was fired?”

“The front door.”

Danny was silent a moment. “How fast did the grandmother move?”

I winced. “I put my arm around her waist and hustled her.”

“But simple logistics. She can’t run. You had the kid as well, and three of you can't fit side by side.”

I shook my head. “The girl went in front.”

“Then tell me how you all didn’t get a bullet in the back?” He paused. “And tell me how come the boss just saw what you could do and calmly went away for the weekend?”

“I would have gone back for him,” I grumbled.

“What, you think he’s angry because you got the hostages out? You did your job. You did exactly what all of us would be expected to do.” I knew by the indignant tone in Danny’s voice that he was telling the truth. He looked down and so did I. We were practically holding hands. If I’d have thought about it afterwards, one or both of us should have let go instantly, but for some reason neither of us did. Touching. More touching. And this time panic wasn’t an excuse.

“Has it happened any other times?”

I stilled, and Danny must have noticed because he just skipped over my reaction. “I don’t know for sure without you testing yourself,” Danny said slowly, “but from what you describe, I think two things might be happening. Firstly, that the only person who sees the black fog that you describe might be you, and secondly that something else happens. I don’t think it's just your vision that’s obscured.” He tightened his grip and turned to me, his voice getting stronger. “Think about it. They didn’t fire until you got to the door? They should havepressed those triggers right away, and the guys in jail that were running at you. They suddenly stopped?”

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