52 Lie, Lie, Lie (1/2)
Ika pockets his radio and makes his way around the edge of the crowd. When he gains sight of parked vehicles, he begins to jog toward the packed lot. He finds Marcus arguing with a guard. The guard is gripping the young man's forearm and holding it up to his chest. Marcus is forced to stand on the tips of his toes.
”No. I wasn't ordered here, but I have a good reason...I'm not just wandering around,” Marcus kicks at the aggressive guard's shin, ”I'm looking for something! Let go!”
The behemoth is unphased by the kick.
”Then tell me what you're looking for. Odd, that you say you're not trespassing and I got a message to look out for an unknown person wandering around,” the guard pulls out his radio.
”I feel profiled. I'm being profiled!”
”What? What are you talking about?” the guard frowns and shakes Marcus's arm, ”Answer the question. What are you looking for?”
Marcus winces at the tight grip, ”You don't have to be so violent with me. I didn't do anything! There must be a real intruder and you're wasting your time with me.”
”How about you—”
”Good, you've found him,” Ika walks over to the pair.
The guard turns around and yanks Marcus along as he acknowledges Ika, ”Brown jacket, unknown face, sir. Is this the thief?”
”No, thief? Just rounding up a lost merchant. Good work,” Ika nods at the guard.
The guard nods back and releases his hold on Marcus. Marcus stumbles forward a few steps and rubs his forearm. He stops beside Ika and sneers at the large guard.
The guard hooks a thumb in his belt and sneers at Marcus, ”I could escort him to the Merchant quarters, sir. This one can be a handful.”
”I've got it,” Ika waves the guard away.
”He's got it,” Marcus says and copies Ika's hand movements out of sight above his head.
The guard glares at Marcus and moves his hand to his side to grip his gun. Marcus takes a step behind Ika and raises his eyebrows.
”I said, I've got it from here,” Ika glares at the guard.
The guard relaxes his grip on his gun and nods again at his superior before he jogs back over to his post. His short ponytail is the last thing seen as he disappears past an armored black Hummer.
Ika turns to the younger man, ”So, what were you looking for?”
”What?”
Ika frowns at him and waits for an answer. Marcus's brows meet and he scratches at the top of his head.
”Well, the thing is. I don't know where the beat up truck we came here in went. I thought it would be easy to spot, and got lost.”
”Follow me,” Ika leads the way through the maze of vehicles.
Marcus stays a step behind the quick man, ”I..uhh..I don't need anything. I'm not trying to find something I lost. It's just I left it behind and couldn't find the truck. It's not mine, but that man during the attack gave it to me, and I didn't think I could sleep before I...”
Ika abruptly stops and Marcus collides with his back. They stumble forward a step. Marcus grabs Ika's shoulders to straighten up and Ika elbows the other man away from him.
”Ouch,” Marcus breaks away from the other, ”Sorry. Why'd you stop so quick?”
Ika gives Marcus a blank stare and dusts off a shoulder. Before them is the hole-ridden armored truck they'd exited not thirty minutes before.
”Oh,” Marcus clasps his hands together and tips his head toward Ika in gratitude, ”Thanks.”
Ika turns away from the truck and pulls out his radio to call in that the search is over. Marcus climbs into the truck. The hornet's body is just as they'd left it. The wings are crushed under the red and yellow body.
Marcus sits beside the remains on a metal bench and scans the floor. Ika turns to him after he completes his radio message. Ika raises an eyebrow and frowns at the mysterious merchant, ”Can't find something?”
Marcus nervously smiles and rubs his sweaty palms on his knees, ”Well, no. I found it. It's just...,” he motions at the hornet remains.
”Hurry it up, so I can bring you to the Merchant quarters,” Ika taps his empty wrist.
Marcus blinks down at the other male and swallows. He steps over the hornet remains and moves the winged corpse with the steel tip of his boot. The vicious amber blood coats the boot. A squishing sound emits from the corpse's back as it is raised off the floor.
Marcus grimaces and pulls his foot away. The body thuds back down on the floor. Marcus rubs his hands on his thighs and steps over to the other side of the corpse. He looks down for a long moment.
Ika ignores the other man and sits on the bumper of a car beside the damaged truck. He pulls out his radio and presses the scan button to search for any information broadcasts.
A look of triumph crosses Marcus face before he frowns and concentrates on his new task. Marcus kneels on the floor and reaches underneath the metal bench welded to the wall. He retrieves a long bundle of white cloth. The stained sheet almost unravels again.
”Woah!” Marcus exclaims as he catches the bundle between his legs before it rolls to the floor.
He ties up the loose ends with two knots and holds the bundle against his chest. Ika rises from the bumper when he hears the loud exclamation and walks back over to the truck.
”What is it?” Ika is holding his radio to his ear.
He lowers his radio when he sees what Marcus is holding.
”I didn't think I could sleep before your friend got buried. I don't think anyone remembered in the rush,” he adjusts his grip on the bundle and hops out of the back, ”It'd be a shame to leave them behind here with the hornet.”
Ika turns off his radio and puts it back on his waist clip.
”Follow me,” Ika stomps off to exit the car lot area.