Kian's Introduction

"Where are we going?"

It seemed like a good question.  Less than an hour ago Kian had been on a respirator in a military hospital.  Now....

Well, one thing was certain.  Breathing wasn't a problem anymore.

Maria didn't answer immediately.  He couldn't tell if it was because she was concentrating on driving, or if it was just another one of "those things" he had to get used to about his new state of being.  She was still.  Very still.  Oh, her feet worked the gas pedal like a master pianist at the keys, and her hands slid over the steering wheel with unnerving fluidity, but the rest of her was...still.  She didn't breathe.  She didn't blink. 

At last, she said, "We're going to find the guy who fucked up your sister."

Kian nodded.  The Porsche's leather seat creaked as he tried to relax in place.  He could feel his legs again, in a fashion.  He couldn't feel the tingle of blood in the soles of his feet or the brush of air against his skin, but he could wiggle his toes, and that was better than it had been.  The clothes he wore had come off the dead man one bed over.  The pants were too loose, the white shirt ratty and tight.  They were clean, or at least they looked clean.  He couldn't smell anything on them, but then, he couldn't smell much anymore.

"Well," he said at last.  "One nice thing about...this."  He couldn't quite get his head into the space where he could put words to this.  "No traffic at night."

"Traffic?" Maria asked, not taking her eyes off the road.  The fuzzy dice she had hanging off her mirror swung silently back and forth as she took a hard right turn, cutting off a Camero that protested with a startled honk.  "Not sure what you mean."

"Not sure what I...."  He trailed off.  "You've never run into traffic?"   In Chicago? he thought, but didn't say.

"Well, sometimes there are accidents, but other than that -- no."  She glanced up at the rearview.  "I've heard about it.  I bet it sucks."

"Yeah."  Kian moved around in his seat and looked out the window.  "Yeah, it does."

"Did, baby."  She winked and smiled, flashing one pearly white fang at him.  "Did."