“I’m not from Damardor originally. I was passing through. Guessing the same as you.”
“You don’t think I’m from Damardor?”
“No offense, Shawn. You seem like a nice person who is up to some important shit that I don’t want to know anything about. But I thought I’d mention it before you get in too deep with Scarella and her goons.”
There was a low groan from the other side of the wall, and Tyche felt bad for the guy. It wasn’t his fault. Most wouldn’t notice it too much. Tyche had traveled most of the world, lived nearly everywhere. He spoke to the common people every day and knew their eccentricities better than most.
“Where do you think I’m from?”
Tyche bit the inside of his cheek. Did he dare? Even if he admitted his idea, would Shawn be honest with him?
“Probably Caspagir. Toward the north, or one of the bigger cities like Sirelis. Though it has been a very long time since I traveled that far north.”
“You get Caspagir from talking to me?”
“Eh. You also talk in your sleep. That changes your accent a lot.”
“I do not!”
Tyche had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing out loud. Right now, he was more afraid of Shawn escaping his cell and beating the shit out of him. “Sure, and you’re not secretly upset with someone named Rayne.”
“I am not!” Shawn barked, sounding petulant this time. “Just…don’t talk about this. To anyone.”
“Why would I repeat any of this? You’re my ticket out of this hellhole, and I’m not fucking that up.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“No problem.”
Tyche had no desire to ruffle Shawn’s feathers or to dig any further into his secrets. He preferred not to be completely blind when it came to Shawn, but their relationship was fairly simple. They were using each other to get free. Beyond that, they had no other need of each other. Tyche knew the value of a secret. He had more than enough secrets that he wanted to keep hidden away from the world.
“I think this isn’t a government-run facility,” Shawn stated after a couple of minutes of silence.
“I’ve been wondering the same thing. With government, there are all these rules and restrictions. Checks and balances, right?”
“Yes, it’s chaotic here. No consistency. Either this is a poorly run government black site…” Shawn trailed off, leaving Tyche to finish the thought for him.
“Or this is a private citizen’s illegal operation, overseen by a bunch of amoral assholes.”
Shawn snorted. “Sounds right to me.”
“You’ll meet the private citizen soon enough. Right now, they must wear you down, make you vulnerable. They have to be sure you aren’t a risk to him.”
“You’ve met him?”
Tyche grunted. “Saw him once. Tried to slime his way into my good graces. Very smooth. Never gave his name, but I wouldn’t believe him even if he did.”
“I need to meet him, Ty. See him with my own eyes. After that, we’re out of here,” Shawn promised.
“I’m holding you to that,” Tyche muttered.
It was about what he’d expected from Shawn. This was a man with a goal, and right now that goal demanded he peel back the layers of the organization that held him. That was fine. Tyche wouldn’t mind seeing them dismantled and tortured the same way they’d tortured so many others. He could wait. He justneeded to know that there was a light shining at the end of this long, horrible tunnel.
CHAPTER 9
Adrian Westergren
“Three days,” Adrian snarled as he stomped through the tiny motel room. He snatched up a little decorative doodad from a nearby table and threw it. Yet before the glass figure could smash against the wall, Haru’s hand shot out and caught it in the air, saving them from having to deal with the damage and nosy people wanting to know what was happening.
