The shotgun barrel stared Rafferty in the face from maybe six feet away. Lena didn't exactly seemed relieved to see her. Her eyes gaze was fixed and hard, like she thought Rafferty was dangerous.
Sheridan's Jack wouldn't miss from this distance. She wasn't one to hesitate, either.
I've got to calm her down.
"Lena, are you all right? Have you seen anybody else? I think if we work together—" Rafferty began, trying to sound calmer than she felt.
Lena interrupted her.
"I told you, I don't know who the railway man is, or why he needs your dreams! Stop asking me!" Lena shouted.
Uh-oh.
"Tell me where Sheridan is!" she yelled at Rafferty.
"Lena, it's me. I don't know where—" she tried to say, her own voice rising.
"Lies!" Lena shouted.
Rafferty noticed a couple of metal quills sticking out of Lena's upper arm. They looked just like the one Rafferty had pulled from her own arm, and she wondered for the first time if they might be darts. Lena took a step forward, and lowered the gun slightly, aiming at Rafferty's chest.
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Her hands are shaking. Just enough. Move now.
Rafferty lunged forward and swatting at the gun, knocking it away before Lena could pull the trigger. She put her hands on Lena's shoulders and vaulted over her, then ran as fast as she could. She ducked behind a the first building she found, in case Lena had picked up the gun.
She didn't like leaving the Jack alone in this state of mind, but they couldn't exactly work together as things stood. At least Lena had the shotgun to protect herself. Rafferty needed to find someone whose mind was working right. Then they could make a plan.
Rafferty stood against the brick wall, trying to rub all of the grit out of her eyes. Her vision still wasn't great, and her mind was getting soupy. It was probably a blessing that everything above her shoulder hurt like hell, it was the only thing keeping her even a little bit sharp.
Doesn't matter. Time to get going.
She had only taken two steps away from the building when she was tackled. They hit the ground hard, the attacker's weight forcing the air from Rafferty's lungs. Rafferty managed to get in a short punch. There wasn't much on it, but it was enough to separate them.
The attacker bounced up while Rafferty was still climbing to one knee. She looked at the blurry figure, and for a second she thought it was someone she knew, but when things came into focus she saw a lean figure with chestnut braids and dark clothes. The figure wore a mask with the same open, staring eyes as the others she'd seen. The mask's mouth was open, and it was stuffed with a stringy ball of hair.
Rafferty's opponent put up her hands, and slid into a fighting stance.
Seriously? No dirt? No darts? No dogs? Just punching? I can do punching. Probably better than you.
The figure launched a high kick toward Rafferty's head, which she blocked, but only just barely. Rafferty threw a right hand, but the other girl ducked it, and responded with a strike to Rafferty's ribs.
Rafferty shoved hard with both hands, pushing the figure back a few feet. She lined up a shot to the knee, and kicked as hard as she could. The girl hopped over it, leaving Rafferty off balance, an easy target for a sharp elbow that connected just below her eye. She staggered backwards.
Ok, this isn't going well. How is she this good?
A short left connected to Rafferty's jaw, straightening her up, and stunning her for a moment. Just long enough, it turned out, for her opponent to jump in the air and hit Rafferty under the chin with a well placed knee. The knee pulled back and struck again, too fast for Rafferty to react, or even really see.
Rafferty flipped over backwards, and skidded across the ground, the rough concrete scraping the skin off her palms and cheek.
She didn't care about that at the moment, though. Her mind was filled only with a single word.
Sheridan?!