Psychic

17. Intentions

In the morning, Ken scraped at the tent screen, waking Jericho first. His barking then woke Rai. "Oh, hang on," she groaned as she stirred. "Let me get the key."

Before Rai could find the key to the padlock, Ken pulled the zipper apart himself. A cold draft filled the tent, making Rai and Debra pull up their blankets.

"Where's the fucking lock?" Ken nearly yelled.

"Found it," Lestat announced as he picked it up off the dirt and threw it to Ken, who started laughing deliriously as he looked at it. He threw the broken lock into Debra's lap as she woke.

"Oh, this... this is great! Our General is gone and now so is the stupid fucking princess!" Ken yelled, pointing at the empty spot in the middle of the tent where Marlene had slept.

* * *

Kiyo woke to the smell of steel. He was facing a black metal roof. For a second, he thought he was still asleep until he turned his head left to see several giant energy storage units beside him. On his right was a machine he recognized as a solar powered engine. He had ridden in ships with similar hulls and solar power was not available to the public. He knew it was a military ship. The last time he was in one, he was not locked in a steel case from his neck down. It was a type of iron maiden except on the inside of this prison was a hard gel that held him firmly in place.

A loud creak of a metal door was followed by footsteps on metal stairs. "You're awake. Good." Reno approached Kiyo's table and took the cigarette from his mouth before crossing his arms on his steel prison. He blew his smoke into Kiyo's face with a smile. "You really didn't know it was me, did you? It was a pathetic disguise but I could always count on you to be foolishly righteous, you fucking moron." Reno pinched Kiyo's cheek roughly. "Honestly, helping someone who won't even reveal his identity to you? Come on."

"Why did you help us with the Generals?" Kiyo asked abruptly.

Reno held up a finger as he spoke. "I couldn't have you dying on me, could I? Tolaymus wants to kill you himself and I needed to know where Marlene was. Now, if the other girl comes for you, I win all the way around."

"What other girl?"

"The psychic with the big eyes. I was going to bring her along on this first trip but I couldn't get any psychic restraints or cages in time. I figured I'd just wait for her to come get you and have her arrested then."

"Arrested for what?"

"How about whatever I want? You know she had the nerve to be mad at me for getting involved in your fight?" he scoffed, gently slapping Kiyo's face twice. "The cheek of it, right?"

"She doesn't need protecting. That's what she believes."

"She's proud," Reno shrugged. "It's nothing I can't overcome." He sat down on a table beside Kiyo's prison, leaned back on the palms of his hands and put his boots up beside Kiyo's face.

"She'd never let you dick her up the ass, you know."

"What makes you think I fuck my bitches up the ass? I prefer the visual aspects of a mouth on my dick." Reno took his feet down suddenly and brought his face close to Kiyo's. "What do you think she'll say if I tell her that I gave you that note, huh? The one that says where all the kids were sold. The one I taped to my sword that I let you steal."

A breath slowly escaped through Kiyo's nose. "Why?"

Reno shrugged his shoulders and turned away from Kiyo. "I was suspicious. I suspected Tolaymus was going back to Korrik and that he didn't want anyone to know. I couldn't imagine why he'd do that and feel the need to hide it. The longer he stayed away from the palace, the more paranoid I was that he killed the psychic I wanted. I hired outside help to monitor calls to and from him and his lieutenants. I heard everything and wrote it all down, nice and neat for you." Reno patted Kiyo's cage.