Ghost Scarab

Bang, Bang

The song doesn't really have anything to do with what happens in this chapter, nor is it meant to be foreshadowing for what is going to happen later on in the story. I included it because the title of this chapter was inspired by this.

Disclaimer, portions of this chapter are taken directly from the first of the Scarab Beetle books. Mostly anything that has to do with guns, (I could fit everything I know about guns on a postage stamp), and the things Axel has to say about the  Academy.

As soon as Raven saw me walking next to Dr. Green he scowled. He stood and stalked over to us looking like a panther preparing to pounce on an unsuspecting doe. His expression softened as he looked at me and pulled me over to him. He draped one arm over my shoulders leaving me nestled against his side.

I looked up at Dr. Green in time to see a knowing look on his face as his eyes shifted from me to Raven and back again. He gave me a playful smile, "The results of your blood work should be back in the next day or two. Dr. Roberts will get in touch with you with the results. Also, don't forget we have a date in four weeks' time." Dr. Green paused for a moment and I could have sworn I heard Raven growl softly, then he continued, "That's when you will need to come back for your second round of vaccines." Then with a wink, he was heading back down the corridor.

Raven grumbled unintelligibly under his breath as he began to lead me out of the hospital.

It came as a surprise to me when instead of heading down to the garage where Kevin had parked we exited through the main entrance to the hospital. The black truck Marc had been driving yesterday was parked right out front of the hospital, in an area that I was fairly certain was reserved for ambulances. I briefly contemplated mentioning this to Raven but decided against doing so at the last minute.

Once Raven had pulled away from the hospital I looked over to him and asked in a soft voice, "Are we going back to the apartment?"

Raven shook his head and replied simply, "Gun range."

I stared at him, perplexed as to why he was taking me to a gun range. Mindful of my throat I simply asked, "Why?"

"I was told you wanted to talk to Axel."

"And Axel's at the gun range?" I asked.

"Da, he is teaching a training class. October is good weather for training. Not overly hot. I need to go there anyway to relieve him." Raven paused for a moment and then added, seemingly as an afterthought, "Would you like to learn to shoot a gun, маленький котенок?"

Did I want to learn to shoot a gun? I wasn't sure. I thought back to yesterday and how I felt looking at the gun Raven had slid over to me. Even knowing there were no bullets in it, I was still reluctant to touch it. I could clearly recall the way just the knowledge of the damage a gun could do seemed to act as a weight on my mind.

I gazed out the window as I thought and noticed that we appeared to be moving a bit faster than seemed safe.

I thought abstractly about what someone like my mother would do if she had access to a gun. I knew deep down if that if she had had a gun I wouldn't be still be breathing. I could easily see her having an episode and shooting me and then not even remembering having done so when she woke up. It was a sobering thought.

I was afraid of guns, but maybe that was a good reason to learn about them. Dr. Green had been right when he said that people often fear what they don't understand. Was there any real downside to learning more about guns?

Raven drove on for about ten minutes, neither of us saying a word, and it came as a relief to me that Raven didn't seem inclined to press me for an answer.