Blood Double (God Wars #1)(51)

The scenario that was sure to follow went this way; I'd refuse to tell them anything and they'd lock me up. Simple. Direct. There might never be freedom for me again. I had to come to terms with that. Taking a moment to silently curse whomever or whatever had placed me in this situation, I jerked upright in the less than comfortable chair I sat on when Norian Keef and a man I didn't recognize walked into the room and shut the door.

"You likely know who I am," Norian grinned nastily at me. "But you won't know this one, I think," he nodded toward his companion who was taller, better looking and held a power in his aura lines I hadn't seen before. The man had dark hair, darker eyes and reeked of something frightening. "This is King Jaydevik Rath, of Kifirin," Norian announced. "Do you know what a Guli is?"

"No." My voice was shakier than I wanted it to be.

"A Guli is a truthspeaker," Norian said. "He will know if what you say is the truth or a lie. So please, be honest," he almost laughed. "We will show you a series of vid-images, and you will tell us if you recognize each of them with a yes or no answer," Norian got down to business, clicking a remote to bring a screen on the wall to life. The first image I didn't recognize and I almost breathed a sigh of relief.

"No," I said.

"Truth," Jayd said flatly.

We went through six images that I didn't know before Kabe Nind's image appeared. Clasping my hands tightly in my lap, I whispered my answer, "Yes."

"How do you know him?" Norian hissed.

"I only saw him a few times," I muttered.

"What was he doing? Did you see him committing any crimes or talking about crimes he'd done?"

"He never said anything like that to me," I said.

"Truth," Jayd said.

The next image was Raphel Stoweff. "You know him, too. I saw you wince," Norian accused.

"Yes."

"Did he ever talk of his crimes?"

"Not to me."

"Truth."

Six more images came, all of whom I'd seen before. Whenever Norian asked whether I'd ever talked with them concerning their crimes, the answer was always no, and each time Jayd pronounced my words as truth. The final one made me cringe. Hordace Cayetes' face appeared.

"You know him as well, I can see it," Norian pointed a finger at me. I wanted to shudder and weep. Hordace's image was impotent, and still it managed to frighten me nearly senseless. He couldn't reach through the screen and snatch me back—I knew that. It didn't keep a part of me from wanting to scream in fear and anger anyway.

"How do you know Hordace Cayetes?" Norian was on his feet, vibrating with anger and excitement. "Tell me!"

What was I supposed to do? If they'd let me out of there, I had a way out of all of this. I could tell Norian Keef enough to keep him happy, and if he let me go back with Frank and Trace, a container of pills was available and waiting. They couldn't keep digging—I wouldn't let them.

"Hordace and some of his associates like little girls," I lowered my head so Norian Keef wouldn't see my shame and horror over Kalia's life. "I was sold to him when I was nine."

"Truth," Jayd muttered angrily.

*

"Just leave. Leave." I wasn't looking at Frank or the others crowding around my bed, waving a hand vaguely to get them to leave me alone. If they didn't know already, they would figure it out soon enough. Kalia's childhood ensured that I'd never get real love from anyone, if I could bring myself to love someone to begin with.

They were all horrified at my background. Tiny whore to criminals, that's what I'd been. What man could ever want that? My equilibrium was nearly gone, having evaporated away inside an interrogation room at the hands of Norian Keef, Director of the ASD. All that was left now was the small voice, telling me to end it for both of us, this time.

*

"What in the name of the stars are we supposed to do, now?" Norian paced and growled while Lendill sat and watched. "She's a victim, that's easy enough to see, but what if she has other information?"

"Keef, she didn't know where Cayetes' hideouts are—he was smart enough to keep that information from everyone," Lendill pointed out with a sigh. "Jayd confirmed it. She wasn't lying."

"We didn't ask her about the one or ones who sold her," Norian's head jerked up at the thought.

"I think Trace or Franklin will try to kill both of us if we show up at NorthStar again today," Lendill said.

"You're right. We'll give this a few days and then go back."

"Norian, you're a snake, not a bulldog," Lendill observed dryly.

*

Kay's Journal

I'd refused dinner and thankfully they hadn't pushed it. There was no forced march to the kitchen or dining room, no obligated seat at the table so they could all stare. I didn't want their revulsion or their sympathy. I wanted a normal life. That's all I'd ever really wanted—twice. Was there punishment waiting in the afterlife for suicide? Punishment on top of punishment? Is that what there was?

I resolved not to think of it as I drew out the bottle of pills with shaking hands. Each round tablet was coated with a separate, harmless covering of painkill. That's how they'd gotten past the security gates on both Campiaa and Avendor. They'd registered as the other drug instead of the dangerous, forbidden one. Cull had spent quite a bit to get them—he'd planned his own death if the authorities ever came knocking.