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is.”
    “I don’t. Not at this very moment.”
    Keo stopped twirling the spork and pressed his forefinger against the metallic tines. “They’re pretty sharp. Not that sharp, but pretty sharp. It’ll puncture skin, and even bone, if you push hard enough. I saw it go through a forehead once…”
    Davis didn’t have to say anything, because his tensing body gave it away. The man looked as if he was mentally and physically preparing to spring up to defend himself, but either his bound arms and legs prevented him from taking action at the moment, or he knew it wouldn’t do any good. Instead, he remained nervously perched on the bale of hay.
    “Tell me where to find Mercer,” Keo said. “Is he in Lochlyn?”
    “No,” Davis said. “I told you. The last time I saw him was back at The Ranch, before all of this. I don’t know where he is now.”
    “And you won’t tell me where this Ranch is…”
    “No.”
    Keo sighed and lowered his hand. “All right. This is getting ridiculous. I’m running out of sunlight, and you’re just pissing me off now.”
    He began walking toward Davis.
    The man pushed himself up from the haystack and attempted to move toward the stairs, but he predictably tripped on his bound legs and fell with a thump! to the debris-strewn floor on his face. He tried to roll over onto his back, but by the time he finally managed it, Keo was already standing over him. Even in this shadowy part of the barn, Keo swore the eating utensil actually gleamed.
    “One last chance,” Keo said. “Tell me where to find Mercer.”
    “Jesus, please,” Davis said.
    Keo grinned. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but I have to admit I’ve never been mistaken for our Lord and Savior before. You a religious man, Davis?”
    “Yes...”
    “Me, I’ve never had much use for it. More of a hassle in my old line of work. So tell me, Davis. What did you used to do before all of this?”
    “I was a teacher...”
    “Cool. I killed a teacher once.” Keo sat down on Davis’s chest, put his hand on the man’s forehead, and easily pushed Davis’s head back against the rotten floor despite his attempt at resistance. “He screamed and screamed...”
    “Oh, God…”
    “It took a while, and it was messy…”
    “Lochlyn,” Davis said, almost spitting the word out.
    Keo sat back a bit. “Lochlyn?”
    “You can find Mercer through Lochlyn.”
    “You said he wasn’t there.”
    “He’s not, but you can find him through there.”
    Keo let go of Davis’s forehead. “Go on...”
    “We’re using Lochlyn as an FOB. You know—”
    “Yeah, I know what FOBs are. Go on.”
    “The last flight out is tomorrow. Everyone involved in this area is supposed to be back by then. Including Butch and me.”
    “What were you and the other guy doing out here, anyway?”
    “Perimeter security. In case of collaborator counter-attacks.”
    “What happens when you don’t come back?”
    “I guess they’ll know something happened. They’ll be ready for you,” Davis said, and Keo thought the other man wanted badly to smile but was doing everything possible to swallow the urge.
    “Where’s it going?” Keo asked. “The flight?”
    “The Ranch. If you want Mercer, he’s probably going to be there.”
    “Probably?”
    “I’m a small cog in the machine. I’m not privy to all his movements. But it’s your best bet.” Davis let out a heavy sigh and closed his one good eye for a moment before opening it again. “If you’re going to kill me, just make it fast. I’d like to skip the prolonged pain part if at all possible.”
    Keo stood up and put the spork away. “See, that wasn’t so hard. I knew you’d come around.”
    “Fuck you.”
    “Not right now; we both have headaches.”
    Davis struggled to sit up, pushing against the floor using his elbows. Somehow, he managed it after a few tries.
    “I’m curious,” Keo said. “What makes someone follow a man like Mercer?”
    “You want the truth?”
    “That would