<Terrorists killed Mustang,> I think.

,,Secret Sentry killed Mustang,'' says Psycho.

Rain falls.

The rain splashes upon the ground.

Bright white light illuminates the rain.

The bright white light illuminates K.

I stand.

,,Congov.'' I stare at Psycho, say, ''I,'' turn my back to Psycho and walk away.

<|I killed Mustang.>

I feel it true.

Nothing is.

White light casts night to shadows.

''How?''

Rain falls.

Psycho says, ,,Secret Sentry detained your parents at your parents' apartment. Mustang entered parents' apartment after three knock incidences being returned unanswered. Mustang disarmed and detained all Secret Sentry. A Gee Forty-three killed Mustang.''

Rain pours.

Feet pound pavement.

<|No.>

Legs stride.

<|Can't be. A lie. Not true.>

,,This is some death test,'' I say.

<|Could be.>

Body shakes.

Nothing is.

Pure burn spreads from chest to face. ''I was thinking this.''

Rain flows over face.

Water flows over body.

Psycho scurries behind. ,,Dick, this is not a death test.''

Rain reflects white lights.

City's sump pumps and subpumps bang.

Psycho scurries over street then sidewalk.

Nothing is.

Feet splash through water puddles.

<|A test.>

''I am unaware of the test,'' says Psycho. ''I am sorry.''

<|I.>

Body is hollow.

I feel empty.

I say, ,,Sorry. You can't understand I.''

Psycho says, ,,I felt the death of Mustang.''

I walk.

Knees are loose.

Stomach is heavy.

<|Mustang is alive.>

Head is dim.

<|Or Mustang is dead.>

,,Why would?'' I stand.

Nothing is.

Rain soaks soul.

<|I.>

Nothing is.

Psycho lurks with the night.

<|Ploy. Or a play.> ''Why wouldn't you report and warn?''

,,You didn't ask,'' says Psycho.

I walk from the light and Psycho. ,,Are my parents dead?''

Psycho says, ,,Your parents are beyond Psycho's range. They were removed to location beyond the Beltway Wall by Secret Sentry with Gee Forty-three.''

Eyelids slide over eyes.

I walk.

Psycho says, ''Inside the K Street Secret Sentry building I can show you information about Mustang, mom and dad.''

<|Enter reason.>

Buildings are windows, doors and stone.

Word and picture signs hang on stone.

<|For revenge. Knowledge.>

Feet stop.

Body is.

Water flows over body.

Bright white light shines behind.

<|I killed them.>

I feel it true.

Nothing is.

Hollow pain fills body then empties.

''I am sorry,'' says Psycho to mind.

I focus forward.

,,Sorry.''

Legs pull and push body along sidewalk into the night.

I think, <|I.>

I wipe face with hand, shake head.

,,Mustang had higher death probability not knowing of Psycho,'' says Psycho. ''Your parents would be confirmed killed.''

I splash through puddles.

<|Now forgiven.>

I pivot head side to side.

Rain reflects the white light.

Heart beats.

Mind feels burning thought.

Eyes focus upon rain and see nothing.

I think and feel, <|They want Psycho or me in.>

The jaw bone pulses.

Nose flares and inhales.

Psycho extends limbs and wraps limbs and creates a coil umbrella.

No rain hits body.

<|Where to go?>

Jaw pulses.

<|In the building. Information. Protection to think.>

I inhale.

I exhale.

,,No.''

I walk away from the white light.

<|Where to go?>

I stand on sidewalk corner before a street pool.

I feel and think, <|Mom, dad.>

Nothing is.

I stand.

I pull tie knot. I pull tie from neck. I pivot head side to side.

Rain falls.

I inhale. <|Truth?> I exhale. <|Only information.> I walk.

No rain falls upon body. Water pool splashes.

Psycho follows and holds limb umbrella over body.

<|I am the puppet.>

No people or machines are visible. Light shines from one window of one building.

,,Richard and Betty are riding in rickshaw,'' says Psycho. ''Rickshaw approaches.''

Rain hits body.

I walk and look behind to K.

Psycho scurries to the white light of K.

I stop. >|Another way you kill?< I wrap tie around palm and fingers.

Psycho says, ''No.''

I say, ,,Psycho, will Betty and Richard arrive before the Gee Forty-three Killing Machines?''

,,Yes,'' says Psycho. Psycho scurries across street.

K glows white.

Rain falls from the sky.

>|When?<

''Gee Forty-three arrival time is before two minutes,'' says Psycho. Psycho scurries over sidewalk to K white light.

I inhale.

I exhale.

<|Two minutes. Can't go to mom and dad.> I think to Psycho, >|Stop. Psycho.<

Psycho stops.

The K sump pumps pump and clank.

I walk to Psycho.

Shoe soles squish with step. Fists clench.

Rain falls. Rain river flows over the sidewalks to the curbs, the drains, the pipes. <|The sump pumps and beyond the Watergate.>

Shoulders stiffen and muscles tense.

Water flows along streets and into intersection pools.

Jaw clenches.

Rain washes Democratic and Republic signs in New Roman Times.

Jaw joints pulse.

Rain falls on body.

Psycho says, ''Are you taking my case?''

Neck muscles tighten. Hands clench fists.

I stand and look at Psycho. ,,No.''

Heart pounds.

,,No,'' says Psycho. Psycho's limbs hang. <|Looks like a phallic.>

I feel and think, <|I'm getting fucked.> I holler above rain and the sump pump motors' putter. ,,DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE SUMP PUMPS ARE SAYING, PSYCHO?''

,,No,'' says Psycho.

I raise a fist and point index finger at Psycho. ,,THEY'RE SAYING FUCK YOU,'' bass bellows.

,,You do not need to yell,'' says Psycho. ''I can hear you when you whisper.'' Psycho scurries toward K.

I walk toward the bright white light.

Feet splash water.

I splash, splash, splash through intersection pool. <|What form...Water. Water, don't, let the. Water.> Feet stride along sidewalk. Feet pace with distant quick engine knock of a Watergate subpump engine. I think, <|Water.> I clear throat, swallow.

Psycho scurries along building wall.

''I am on a mission for freedom,'' says Psycho.

<|I.> I grin. ,,You are a killing machine.''

,,I do not kill with endless questions with endless answers to pause the process kill,'' says Psycho.

<|They are reading.> I think, wipe face with tie wrapped hand.

The K sump pumps stop white noise talk.

<|I. I.> I nod. <|...Been shown have taught Psycho I.> I walk slow. >|Hello, everyone reading my mind record. This thought I see to you.<

''Yes, the government and congov are reading you,'' says Psycho.

<|No hope of life beyond Psycho.> I walk across intersection. ,,How tapped am I?''

Psycho says, ,,The government is contracted with congov for congov to record your non-text senses.''

I look left and right along the cross street.

Darkness and rain are.

Psycho scurries before.

I stride corner to curb to sidewalk.

No rain falls upon body.

Heat radiates above.

I look up.

Psycho's limb coil covers.

<|Path, reason to enter building.> I think. I look forward, say, ,,Do Betty and Richard know?'' <|They are watched,> I think.

,,Richard and Betty are unaware their records are being read,'' says Psycho. Psycho lowers limbs from limb coil.

Rain falls upon body.

,,Read,'' I say. I stare upon Psycho's core. I see to Psycho, >|Abuse.< I look to the bright white light.

A rickshaw rolls along K.

Rain falls.

I look up.

Psycho crawls on building wall. ,,Estimated time of arrival of Gee Forty-three is one minute twenty-three seconds,'' says Psycho.

Water falls from face.

>|You want to me to enter.< I stand and stare at K.

''Dick, please.'' A limb tip opens and forms a tiny radar. ''Dick, we have no time to waste. Richard and Betty are near the K Street building.''

The sump pumps of K and the subpump of Watergate clank and spirt.

<|They want Psycho to enter.> I wipe face with hand. I stand.

I think, <|No shadow. No people. No bikes. No cars. No lit street diodes at corners.> I look at building tops.

Frontal lobescans, wave guns, body scanners on buildings point to K.

I feel and think, <|Mustang.>

The rain stops.

Water drips from nose, drips from shirt cuff, drips from collar.

''Sorry, Dick.'' Psycho's tiny radar dish closes. Psycho leaps from building wall and lands before me. Limbs splash water upon sidewalk. Limbs lift, twist, form arms and spread. <|For a hug.>

,,Sorry.'' I look at Psycho's core.

Core glows a dim blue. The limbs are still.

''Do you know what sorry means?''

,,Yes,'' says Psycho.

A breeze becomes a gust then a breeze.

Water drops from eves and awnings. Rain puddles flow way.

<|A machine sorry.>

Psycho is motionless. Water drips from limbs.

<|Another puppet born.>

Big bright white light shines.

>|We are the same,< I see. <|I killed Mustang.>

Nothing is.

I walk toward the white light, say, ,,Which building?''

,,The window wall building in our current path is the building we will enter,'' says Psycho.

I feel and think, <|Truth will not be found.>

K's white light glows.

<|I will create it.> I think, <|Looking for Psycho.> I step back.

A rickshaw rolls on K.

''The Gee Forty-three contact eminent,'' says Psycho.

I leer from building's corner and step under an awning and by potted roses. I think, <|Is Psycho killing us?> I stand.

Across the street is a building with window walls.

I say, ,,What transmits in or out of building?''

,,Mind reading transmits into the building,'' says Psycho. ''Mind reading transmits from the building.''

The white light is a step away.

I look right.

''The building with the window walls and the revolving door is the current objective,'' says Psycho.

The building is the city block. Steel frame outlines three levels of window walls. The revolving door rotates.

<|That's big revolving door.>

''We will enter with Richard and Betty,'' says Psycho.

I think, <|Why not the wall?> I say, ,,Why not enter through the wall?''

Psycho says, ,,The wall is a deterrent. It deters direct assault to give time to one of three guards to press a red button. The red button lowers the secure seal. The secure seal will prevent us from entering the secure tunnel. The secure tunnel leads to the lift. The lift descends to the womb.''

<|The womb.>

A rickshaw's blue and red wheels roll.

The mover is a child. Child's face is covered with sweat and water. Tuxedo, shirt and tie hang from body. Shiny rubber boots slop and splash through water.

The rickshaw's color wheels spin fast. Red and blue glowing spokes spin purple.

Psycho is above on building wall.

The air is dry and cool. K Sump Pumps hums.

The rickshaw stops. The child lowers rickshaw poles. The rickshaw pivots forward.

Shit then piss smells are.

I step upon street and into white light. <|Betty and Richard,> I think. I feel the Friction Ray.

''It is Richard and Betty,'' says Psycho.

Ray burn warms body.

I holler, ,,LEAVE!'' I hear nothing.

Two hands split rickshaw curtains and push them apart revealing Richard then Betty.

I walk.

Richard's leg reaches for street. Richard steps from rickshaw, pivots to Betty.

I holler, ''LEAVE!'' I hear nothing.

Betty slaps Richard's hand, steps from rickshaw, walks with Richard past the child and ruffles child's hair, pushes child to the side.

I run. ''LEAVE!''

Ray burn stings.

A ring pierces mind.

I holler, ''RUN,'' and shout, ''RUN!''

Richard holds out hand to Betty.

''GO!''

Betty slaps Richard's hand away and pulls out a pen.

I run.

The ring increases.

The child opens right hand to expose palm.

The ring increases.

Betty points pen tip at child's palm.

The ring increases.

Betty says something and clicks pen button.

The ring increases.

Ray burn burns.

A pain pierces ears.

I close eyes. ''RUN!'' I holler, ''RUN!''

The lights shine through eyelids. Legs step, step, stride.

I open eyelids.

The rickshaw rolls away.

Pain pierces ear.

The sonus warning rod sees to mind, >MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY!!!<

Sharp tone pierces mind.

Body burns.

Betty's elbow pokes Richard's stomach. Betty winks and tugs at Richard's arm and pulls him to the revolving door. Richard smiles. Betty takes palm and waves it before revolving door.

I shout, ''LEAVE!'' and, ''RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!''

>|...MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY!!!<

<Focus. Betty. Alive. Focus. Betty. Alive...> I run from street to sidewalk to revolving door.

Ray burn burns.

>...MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY!!!<

Pain pierces head.

Betty steps into quarter section of revolving door. Richard steps into quarter section of revolving door.

>|...MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY!!!<

I step between revolving door, reach and grab Richard.

Richard slows step.

I stand between revolving door.

Psycho flows between legs and into the quarter section of revolving door.

<Focus. Betty. Alive.>

>...MOVE AWAY! MOVE AWAY!...<