Vain (The Seven Deadly 1)

I was learning Bantu, not enough to hold a conversation but enough to ask the younger ones if they needed to use the restroom, if they were hungry, etc.

Mandisa had started eating again thanks to Dingane and me. After our powerful breakthrough in the kitchen, she’d warmed up to me though I hadn’t any idea why at the time, but Karina helped me see that Mandisa chose who she thought could help her the best and she felt that was me. Who was I to argue? If I could help, I was going to. She’d gained almost seven pounds in two weeks. Mandisa had even taken to occasionally sneaking into my hut late at night and sleeping with me. I wouldn’t have admitted this to anyone but she was my favorite.

A week after Mercy came back, Dingane and I had to make another patrol near the watering hole. After classes, we got into his truck and headed that way.

“Oliver’s driving me nuts,” I told the window.

“He drives us all nuts.”

I laughed. “He’s too smart for our lessons.”

“I know this.”

“So why don’t we alter his curriculum accordingly?” I asked.

“That’s a fine idea,” he conceded too easily.

I sat up a bit and stared at him in shock. “What? No argument?”

He only rolled his eyes.

“No, seriously. No argument? No telling me ‘you’ve got this’ or dismissing me? I must confess, I suspect I’m living in an alternate universe.” I pretended to check out the window. “Nope, pigs aren’t flying.”

“Har, har.” He sighed, parking the truck.

He leaned over and removed his pistol from the glove compartment. I got out, not wanting to be anywhere near it. I had a healthy respect for guns. Very healthy.

“You’re scared of it,” he proclaimed to the wind.

“I’m not,” I said, moving to the other side of him, the side without the gun.

“After we check things out, you’re going to shoot it.”

My mouth dropped open to my chest. “Absolutely not!”

He stopped short and grinned at me. “You absolutely are. I can’t have you frightened of it. What if there’s occasion to use it?”

“I’ll never have need to hold it, much less use it.”

“Don’t be naive, Sophie.”

“I won’t need to know.”

“This is a ‘just in case’ kind of situation. Once I teach you how to aim and shoot it, I won’t ever ask you to use it again.”

“Fine,” I gritted, continuing on without him.

I could hear him snicker below his breath behind me. “It’s not funny,” I sang.

“I beg to differ. This is going to be delightful for me.”

I deliberately walked faster.

“Stop,” he said, catching up. “I’ll stop teasing. Just stay near me.”

I obeyed but didn’t acknowledge him. We searched the entire watering hole and found no evidence that anyone was there. We rounded the entire bit of land and were nearing the truck. I made a mad dash toward it, hoping he’d have somehow miraculously forgotten our lesson, but there was no such luck.

“Wrong way, Sophie,” I heard him say. I stopped, disrupting the dirt beneath my feet and turned around, slightly winded.