A Secret Man of Blood

Chapter Fourteen

"An orgy."

Squad laughs. "An orgy of Dwarves?"

"Yeah," Sig smiles.

"I'll take your word for it—"

A door in the far side of the room screeches open and several imposing-looking Scrovengi warriors, dressed all in black, enter.

Sig turns to Squad, jubilant. "I knew it was a sex cult! We're saved!" The Scrovengi warriors line up either side of the door in salute and Lord Scipio walks through. "Oh, fuck!" Sig exclaims. "He's not going to bum me, is he? God, that'll be a hate-fuck if ever there was one!"

"Hello, Sig," Scipio smiles. "I haven't seen you since Racambad. How is old Senderos?"

"He died peacefully in his bed..."

"That's nice."

"...Of fifty-six stab wounds in the back."

Scipio smiles. "I've missed your sense of humour." He punches Sig full force in the gut, causing the Dwarf to reel forward into his chains.

Winded, Sig looks up at Scipio and chokes out a ragged retort. "I see you like to have clean shoes...but, buddy, you've just stepped in a huge pile of shit called Sig Hammerhead!"

"I know," Lord Scipio replies.

"...That probably didn't come out right," Sig adds, before Scipio catches him across the head with a powerful backhand, launching his neck backwards. "Ah!" Sig moans.

Scipio turns to Squad. "You see, Squad, I know you won't talk under interrogation, no matter what you're put through. But let's see how your pet fuckwit holds up."

Squad protests. "He may be a fuckwit, but—"

"Could you both please stop agreeing that I'm a fuckwit?" Sig butts in. He turns to Scipio. "It doesn't matter how much you torture me, I'll never tell you where we took the Jiangese girl!"

"Ah, so you have the girl?"

"Shit!" Sig turns to Squad. "That would have been a lot more heroic if I hadn't just given the game away."

"You're still my hero," Squad says.

"Thanks." Sig turns to Scipio. "So, what have you got planned for us, Lord Scipio? R.K.A. Mr Happy Nice Guy."

"R.K.A.?" Scipio enquires.

"Rarely Known As," Sig explains, and gets a punch to the gut for his troubles. He spews up a lot of blood and looks Scipio right in the eye. "Sorry, I've got an allergy to nutcases."

Looking at Squad, who senses what's coming next and fights against the chains, Scipio smiles and lifts his fist, holding it in above Sig's head; then he launches it into Sig's face with brutal force: one, two, three times, snapping the head back with each hit, breaking the Dwarf's nose and causing devastating damage.

Sig slumps forward and Scipio lifts his head, then smashes it back with concussive force. As he strains against the chains, Squad shouts. "Come on, that's enough! You're going to kill him! What use will he be to you dead?"

"What use is he to me alive?" Scipio counters. "Tell me what I want to know," he demands of Squad, choking the semi-conscious Dwarf.

Squad hears the Dwarf whispering something and, trying to save him more punishments, interrupts. "Be quiet, Sig!"

A smile flickers on Scipio's face. "What did you say?" he asks Sig.

Sig leans forward, left eye full of blood. His words are a whispered trail. "I said..." His voice grows stronger. "UP. YOURS. MICRODICK."