Dire Straits Read Free Page A

the Sheriff about this. You had best come along, to back up what I'm saying."
    "Of course," Bannick replied. But as they rode off, all he could think about was Ezell and the fact that they would be meeting again, when Bannick had been certain they would never cross paths again.
    They'd met when they had been stranded in the city of Hallow. The snow there had stranded everyone, and everything. Bannick had been just twenty-two, a brand new Class Two so proud of the blue collar he had earned well ahead of expectations. Ezell had been a student, a couple of years younger than Bannick, eager to go abroad to schools and places that Bannick would likely never see.  He had been the most beautiful person Bannick had ever seen, all long, smooth gold hair and the prettiest hazel eyes framed by delicate spectacles.
    The snow had stranded them in Hallow for two weeks; it had not taken them more than a day and a half to become lovers. Bannick had never met anyone, before or since, like Ezell. When the snow had finally let up, and they'd been forced to go their separate ways, Bannick had never been more devastated.
    One month later, he had been sent to tend a minor problem in a small farming town in the company of a senior Class Three who was training Bannick. The demon there killed the entire town and the senior agent in the end. By the time he had managed to destroy the demon and save a few small surviving children, Bannick's fate had been rewritten—no longer on the path to a Class Five black collar, but destined to go one step further to the notorious red.
    Thirty-five now, going on thirty-six but feeling closer to eighty, those two weeks were still the sweetest memory he possessed. And in less than twelve hours, he would be seeing Ezell again.
    Bannick did not know what to think, what to feel—what to do. Even a dire demon, at that moment, was nothing next to the moment when he had read Ezell's name on that little slip of paper.
    Forcing the thoughts away, he tried to focus on the job, if only because it would make the time pass more quickly and the morning would come all the faster.
    *~*~*
    Bannick lit a cigar, even more restless than usual and barely able to listen to Myre's chatter. The train was ten minutes late and waiting was driving him crazy.
    He wondered idly if Ezell remembered him, and how well. Nearly fifteen years was a long time. And he wasn't the type to worry much, but he did wonder. Not even the bittersweet smell of the calm weed was soothing him this morning; the restlessness stirring his blood was caused by something that no cigar would ever cure.
    Bannick scratched at his cheek, realizing belatedly that he should have bothered to shave, but by the time he had finally fallen into bed, it had been later than he liked to think upon, and he had stayed in bed as long as he could.  There'd been no time to shave—or do more than wash, dress, and eat quickly—before they had ridden off to meet the early train.
    The sound of the whistle drew his head up sharply, and Bannick took another drag, trying to focus himself.  He suspected, however, that telling himself such things were futile.  That he was going to be seeing Ezell again in a matter of minutes had him more restless than usual, and nothing was going to fix it except for Ezell finally showing up.
    "I sure hope this necromancer can take care of the dire demon," Myre said as the whistle faded.
    "He can," Bannick said. "I knew him, once. Years ago. If he's even half the man now that he was then, we'll be just fine." Myre eyed him, expression more thoughtful than Bannick liked. He raised his brows in inquiry.
    Smiling faintly, Myre asked, "Knew him once, huh? Like that, is it?"
    "Like what?" Bannick asked, barely keeping the irritation from his voice. He hated know-it-alls. "Met him, oh, nearly fifteen years ago. Spent two weeks in Hallow, snowed in. Last I checked, that was like a whole lot of nothing."
    Myre laughed. "Son, I had ambitions to be wealthy and