A One-Sided Interrogation: a Psi-Kicks Story by GF Willmetts.

Trouble spots tended never to look like trouble when she arrived, Sara Seeker surveyed the scene. Like a lot of Psionics, she disliked parties as much as visiting cities. The farsighters had pin-pointed some activity here and multiple instances of Psionics. As all the Stable were accountable, it meant some that weren’t which placed it in her territory. Were members of the Peregrine Project in the UK? She’d been back a week and hadn’t contacted Randolph yet. She hadn’t so much wiped his memory, that would need one of the other Psionics practiced mind like Cary Doiver and it was a tricky process. All she could do, with a share from Sheena Ramone, was spike the memories of their last encounter. It would mean an eye-to-eye contact to open him up and place different triggers.

Sara manoeuvred herself around the guests, picking up the odd glass to appear like she was drinking and putting it down untouched. Alcohol and psionics didn’t mix. She had time to pick out a suitable dark trouser suit and a rimmed hat to blend in. She scanned and felt Libertine Rush on the balcony looking down. If she had to jump bodies, her own would be safe and away from any action. This was also the kind of place that Polly Kettle would thrive in. She had reached out but it would be half an hour before she arrived if needed. Some job in Birmingham, Polly said. Mary Travers was in Scotland, checking on her pet dragon but also on her way if needed. There was another ping in her head. Sheena Ramone was near the party but on the perimeter. None of them liked getting this close to each other when the share took place. She could certainly spike people easier, enhanced by Sheena’s booster rooster. The farsighters had said multiple instances of Psionics. Maybe it was only themselves. Choosing a variety was difficult, especially with so many out of the country. They had set up protocols earlier, keeping network spaking to the minimum just in case the Project had someone listening in.

There were a lot of dignitaries here for a presentation. Who was going to be the target lost to psionic presence. Surely, they couldn’t be using that party in America as their template. Sara turned to study who was security. Another set not drinking but not packing guns but tasers and looking around. She didn’t need to do that to focus on their floor co-ordinator. As she walked towards him, she scanned his signature and picked out one of security cards from her bag.

‘Mr. Fresher?’

The dark-haired man looked cooly at her.

Sara opened her purse and let him see her card. It had sufficient rank to make him pay attention. Special Branch. She wouldn’t be using their 10 security clearance unless there was a need to. A clearance higher than even the PM would be out of place here.

‘You’re here for what?’

‘Information about an assassination. It seems unlikely in a crowded place like this but keep VIPs away from the windows. No sense any of them getting seen by a sniper.’

‘You have people here or this is a social visit, chief-inspector?’

‘They’re here and outside.’

‘Armed?’

‘Yes. So don’t upset them.’

The man raised his sleeve. Talked briefly into a microphone. Sara watched the neural flow as various people around the party looked around and specifically at her. He flipped a switch and read Sara’s card number and someone replied it was valid.

‘Can’t be too sure, chief-inspector.’

‘You have a good memory.’

He nodded. ‘You have to in this business. Cards can be faked.’

‘I leave those at home. Now which of these VIPs are likely to be a target? I see British and foreign here. Who’s likely to have upset someone?’

‘We’re here to deter.’

‘No arms.’

‘That would get us in trouble. Just tasers. So what are your people packing?’

‘That’s classified.’

‘You’re unarmed.’

‘Be grateful you don’t see what we use. We don’t want any wild shooting in here. Your guests might not like it.’

Or remember, Sara reminded herself slipping a spike in his mind. He would know something but not exactly what.

She looked around. This was almost like her time in America, except the party was outside. That was only a dry run. This one upped the stakes. Fewer places to run. Of course, all memories of her and the Baroness being there was suppressed so there was no reason not to do it again. So what was the Project going to do? Prove they could stop a pair of assassins? She scanned again. Measuring neural flow. No spikes. Calm people at least only as excitable as a social party would make them. Likely to only get excitable when they had guns in their hands. Not likely. Target and assassins. Calm bastards. There has to be something else going on. Prove their Psionics can kill. So why stop them? Tar all Psionics with the same brush. The UN wouldn’t trust the Stable’s restraint.

  <<How close are you, Sheena?>>

  <<Just entering the room.>>

  <<Let’s see what they’re playing at. Stop the ammo only if its fired.>>

  <<Love the explosions.>>

  <<Contain the shrapnel. VIPs.>>

  <<You spoil all the fun.>>

  <<A need to preserve a passive image. Layers.>>

Got them! Sara turned to the male guard and spiked his mind enough to slow his reactions. Walking across the room were three people. The first she recognised as Randolph. People behind them were slowing down. The second was a smaller woman but the third’s walk was more aggressive walking was some sort of militia. Behind them, the people were stopping in mid-track. Just as if Lull did it she could observe this time. It was more obvious now once she saw it start. Her scan showed Sheena was moving behind the stationary people. She wanted direct line of sight for precision.

Now, who were they targeting? A man to the left and he wasn’t moving. Nor was his entourage. But then, no one was moving. She didn’t need to. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about the guards. Even Sheena had slowed as the three people seemed more determined at their target but unaffected by Randolph’s power. She scanned his signature. Why were they targeting an American or maybe the Arab next to him. Too much of a coincident.

‘You’ve done well, Randolph.’ The militia drew a pistol. ‘Do you want to complete the task?’

‘And you will put that gun down before your brains chase after my bullet.’ Courtney Adams placed her own pistol barrel against the militia’s head. ‘My colleagues aren’t keen on shooting and I’m service. I won’t repeat the request.’

‘Shriek!’

The small woman screamed but got caught short. Eyes glazed as the Baroness jumped from her into the militia.

‘Ahs gots ‘im, Court.’ Her voice came out of the militia. She handed the gun to the Blank. The militia held firmly by the Baroness’ possession.

‘You can’t touch us, Randolph.’ Sara came up to him. ‘Keep the party under control until we get to an ante room. No sense them remember you people. Then let them continue to party.’

Sara looked back at the frozen security head. This was all he needed to remember. Only the background music could be heard.

With the Baroness controlling the militia’s body, Sara pushed Randolph ahead which Courtney held the girl still eyes vacant from the Baroness’ jump.

  <<Sheena. See where their van was and immobilise its driver and see if anyone else is here. Please.>>

  <<Are you sure?>>

  <<I’m not sure if we over-estimated them. Don’t hurt them too much. They need to get out under their own power.>>

  <<This was too easy.>>

  <<That’s what worries me. Why kill two people on British soil? And at a party. It’s going to upset some country. Especially their own.>>

  <<Killing one of their own means to divert their blame.>>

  <<I have their signature. The second is an Arab diplomat.>>

In the ante-room, the militia was tied to a chair and a wad put in his mouth before the Baroness jumped back into the girl and she was tied similarly. Randolph just stood there, jaw-dropped but held by a simple spike.

‘Before you jump back, Lib, see what this girl does. She was told to scream.’ It had been decided to keep names to the minimum than use her title.

The girl’s eyes gleamed. ‘Ahs donts screams. Ahs nevers scareds’

‘It might not be psionic but something physical.’

‘Just make a noise, B’, Courtney Adams added as she tied the girl down to another chair. ‘I need to know if I need to gag her.’

‘Ahs wonts haves controls.’

‘Doesn’t matter.’

The girl took a deep breath but only Libertine’s voice had the scream. There was a deep rumble.

‘More like an earthquake. OK, gag and jump.’

Before Courtney had finished securing the gag, the Baroness strode into the room. ‘Shes dangerous.’

‘Your pal is awfully quiet, Sara’, Courtney said looking towards Randolph.

‘I spiked him solid. I want some answers from him first. Right, Major Fitzberg. Let’s get started.’

The militia glared at them.

‘We were told a long time ago we couldn’t operate in America and yet you blatantly come over here and attempt to assassinate someone on our turf. It seems who you killed was less important than disgracing us to our own government. Killing not only an Arab but an American diplomat as well.

‘You were expecting a normal interrogation when we don’t even need you to talk? If I really want to hurt you, I’d be controlling you like I am with Randolph here. All he can do is watch. Same with your girl Shriek here. Your people aren’t much higher than low-grade norms thinking they have powerful ESP.’

Sara paused and then Courtney whispered in her ear ands pointed at the camera facing the scene.

‘OK, Major, my colleague here says we should record this conversation so we both have copies in case you cry coercion to your superiors later. If you scream, you’ll be rendered senseless as we find somewhere a bit quieter. No sense drawing attention to the partygoers out there to your attempted assassination. No, two of them, although quite why you would want to kill one of your own when it could bring you trouble if it got back unless you thought he was a traitor.’

The militia just stared, making no effort to move his head. He was ignoring the gag in his mouth.

‘Of course, I could ask the same question of Miss Shriek here but she might scream and wake the burglar alarms.’

Sara paused again, to let it sink in. ‘You know you can’t swear. You treated the UK as enemy soil. Convince us we shouldn’t treat you and your team as prisoners of war and lock you up or send you home explaining how we caught you so easily and ruined your mission. We could also make you disappear into the witness protection programme.’

The militia kept staring. A vein on the side of his forehead was throbbing.

Sara ignored that. ‘Alternatively. Because we’ve kept you here, any of your people watching won’t know what’s happened and one of my colleagues spotting them will spike their memories so they can’t say anything. All we really want to know is why are you publicly assassinating one of your own and an Arab diplomat and the need to incriminate us. Under orders, jealousy or both. Just to under-mine us. You do realise we have a UN mandate to work. I’m giving you an opportunity to explain your mission.’

Sara paused again, to let it sink in. The militia just stared. The gag stayed firmly in place.

‘We are offering you a way out, y’know. We can hardly hide this Arab gentleman. He’d have to surface sooner or later. Missing VIPs are hard to miss. Better to say you failed because he wasn’t here. You can even say we were here because we were and expecting you.’

So many layers to strip down. This time she released his gag. The Baroness just continued to stare at him ready to jump. Courtney stood in the corner with the camera. The two people from the Project remained spiked.

‘Of course, it could also be seen as a means to see us working and see what you have to measure up to or even beat us to it and stop your own assassination attempt, except you got here faster than your other team.’

The militia still kept quiet.

‘Are you thirsty? You didn’t stop for a drink when you walked through the party. Quite how you missed the waiters unless Randolph stopped them. Your rushing probably got there too early. You were too impatient to get it done.’

More silence.

‘Of course, I’ve told you nothing you don’t know or been briefed on. You probably want to know what I could know, Major Henry William Harold Fitzberg. Age 37. Two divorces. Hope your exes didn’t take all your pay. You’re currently between girlfriends but I can give their names. No? Three terms of duty and a couple promotions before being recruited to the Project. Thought to be possible for gene-splicing but they thought you would be more useful as a normal leader. See, you don’t have to do verbal and I don’t even have to tweak your nipple to make you scream.’

  <<Shall I bring them in?>>

  <<Ready and waiting. Seems they were supposed to be doing the assassination but arrived late.>>

  <<Not used to the left-hand side of the road or London traffic.>>

A man and woman walked in ahead of Sheena.

‘Weapons on the table.’

Both guns and separate magazines were placed on the table. The woman placed a derringer next to them.

‘I can make them do a jig-a-jig.’

‘Perhaps them doing a tango as they leave.’

‘They’re just a wet squad. They don’t even have the whole plan. Just to take on those two targets.’

‘Do they know they were likely to be stopped committing this particular assassination?’

‘I can let them know.’

‘I don’t think the major here would be happy with that. They might want to shoot him instead if they knew they wanted a demonstration of what Psionics can do in action.’

The major’s face dropped.

Finally. A reaction. The actual layer of truth.

‘We can make them forget that. I can even make this a distant memory if you ask. I doubt if your people would be able to break it. The thing with our abilities, Major, is we have more options than you norms have. We’re a scalpel than a sledgehammer. Do you really want to be left with them chasing after you with extreme prejudice. That would end your career permanently. We wouldn’t even have to do anything. All you have to do is give us some information we can record.’

‘Not with them here.’

Finally.

‘They won’t remember?’

‘Not with them here.’

‘I’ll take them back to their car, Sara, and send them on their way.’

‘Only way the major here has given all the details. Something we can show the norms if we need to.’

The major stalled.

‘If we have to. You haven’t learnt anything about physical evidence yet. Don’t forget, I’ll know if you’re lying. Tell us about the Peregrine Project or as much as they’ve shown you.’

oooooooooooooooooooooooo0ooooooooooooooooooooo

Later. The two American teams were gone. Sheena had spiked them to go to the airport in time for the next flight back to New York. The Baroness was watching the party from her vantage point. Fresher, the security team leader, continued his own and team’s surveillance. No change in their reaction. The party music in the background and the partygoers doing whatever partygoers do as Sara scanned.  The American and Arab diplomats oblivious to any incident. The real action was in the ante-room.

‘You have enough on tape, Court? Thoughts from an intelligence officer?’

‘Considering his rank, he wasn’t privy to much. They didn’t let him anywhere near the lab. Even Shriek and Randolph don’t know that much more. It also looks like they’ve been divided into units. They don’t know much about you Stable folk or sharing. You would have thought they’d been properly briefed unless they didn’t trust them even with knowledge of you Psionics. Probably to make them feel special. They could also be only a first team, getting better with every attempt.’

‘They might not know about the sharing or they haven’t been told about it.’

‘Faulty intelligence. If all they had was Steven Regal, we were careful not to show him too much when he visited.’

‘He didn’t know his stealth didn’t work on you all at first.’

‘Or you Blanks. We always thought our edge were you Blanks protecting our backs.’

‘You sure he wasn’t spliced? Physical effect Shriek is a new form.’

‘Or any accident. We scanned Regal. The only genuine American Psionic. A rare breed. Shreik is a different breed. Not from our gene pool.’

‘Auntie Badger would be the font of all knowledge. Aren’t they visiting Kataya’s grandfather?’

‘We have an open invite to visit. In many respects this is a win-win situation for them either way. One way, the wet team would have removed someone on their wants list. The other would be to show the other team could stop a hit on both or at least the American with him. I doubt if they would need to report Psionics to the media because who would believe that? The fact that neither happened is going to perplex them or make a stand elsewhere.

‘It also means that its now out of the lab but the splicing is imperfect. Randolph held the crowd but not as good as Lull, who would surely have just calmed them.’

‘As if we have enough problems with the Pattern out there. Do you think they’ll want to infiltrate them, Sara?’

‘An active unit. You bet. They can do a lot in there.’

‘Its just increasing the reasons to investigate. You didn’t release Randolph to talk before he left.’

‘I scanned him. He was just waiting to come over here,’ Sara paused. ‘The real threat was Miss Shreik. Notice how she just watched while we were doing the interrogation. We controlled her body but not all of her mind. We could really ignore this Project if Randolph is their most powerful example but they’re got physical Psionics so we have to see who’ve they’ve been splicing from.’

‘We do have a list of Psionics that are presumed missing. The same with the Vampiri. Do you think they got them as well.’

‘That is the real reason to find their lab and get any prisoners out.’

‘We ought to bring Chris in on this. A heavy lifter.’

‘Mary can open any door.’

‘But we’re also looking for prisoners. It could get nasty. Are you going to bring the Vampiri in on this. It would also explain where some of their number are.’

‘Maybe. But I also have something I can track now. We need to stop them getting too active and cause a real incident we can’t tie down.’

end

Psi-Kicks, Blanks

Sara Seeker, Libertine Rush, Sheena Ramone, Courtney Adams

Randolph, Shriek, Major Henry William Harold Fitzberg

© GF Willmetts 2026

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