Psychic

55. Departure

The following afternoon, a loud knock startled Kiyo from his heavy sleep on a lounger in the middle of the suite. He sat up slowly, staring at the door when there was another hard knock. He pushed himself off the chair and approached the door, standing beside it. Debra peeked out of the door to her room, looking at Kiyo to see if it truly was a threat. He held a hand up for her to wait. "Yeah?"

"Message for Ken Ansell and Lestat Ewaqua."

The voice was not familiar to him and he had never heard Lestat's surname before. "From?"

"Raisha Wallis."

Kiyo opened the door forcefully and found himself facing one of three soldiers standing there. "What?" he growled through clenched teeth,

"Ken Ansell and Lestat Ewaqua," the soldier repeated flatly. Ken stepped into their line of sight but kept his distance. "When you're ready to return to Sakorin you'll have a military escort to your ship to ensure the safety of the children."

"And Rai?"

"She'll be waiting for you at the port."

"Lestat!" Kiyo called him out of his room and he stepped out still half asleep.

"Lestat Ewaqua, ensure the second half of the payment is made to Ken Ansell when you return to Korrik." Lestat nodded sleepily and the soldiers turned to leave as soon as they were done without saying anything else.

Kiyo closed the door slowly as he thought about what just happened. Lestat lazily went back into his room. Kiyo made eye contact with Ken who looked visibly surprised. "She sent soldiers to talk to us?" Ken said quietly. "Why not come herself?"

"Because," Debra answered as she walked by them to the small kitchen, "she doesn't plan on going back with us. I wouldn't be surprised if she doesn't meet us at the port at all."

"And why not?" Kiyo asked.

"You think she's going to want to justify herself to us?"

Ken came to the realization, "she didn't want to tell us that Francisca asked her to stay."

"Because she was truly considering it," Debra continued while opening a small soda can. "And she didn't want to hear our thoughts on it."

Ken approached Debra and quietly asked her, "you think Lestat knows?"

"I don't think he's assumed anything."

He lowered his voice even more, "how do you think he's going to take it?" He tilted his head slightly over his shoulder in Kiyo's direction.

"I don't know but don't expect anything good. We need to get this over with. I'll go wake Roxanne and Marlene. You go tell Lestat and those kids to get ready to go."

* * *

When they arrived in the lobby, Marlene noticed eight soldiers there waiting for them as she returned the card key while carrying the youngest child, Callan. Kiyo and Lestat approached them. "We don't need you to go with us," Lestat told the one that approached him.

"It's really not our decision to make," he responded. "When you go, we'll follow, whether you want our help or not."

Kiyo covered his eyes with his hand, massaging the lids with his thumb and index finger. "Look, man," Kiyo shoved him back with an open palm, "I am in no mood. We don't want or need your help. Stay out of our business before a simple escort job becomes the death of you."

"I thought you were supposed to be the good one," Reno said as he walked over to him from the bathrooms.

"What're you doing here?" Kiyo growled without looking in his direction.