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“Who are you?” Rokai asked.

“Elspeth.”

“Elspeth?”

“That’s what I said. Who are we beating next. I’m really hoping it’s whoever has that female, because I think people who brutalize females deserve to die.”

“I kind of need him awake. If the person you saw was the female I’m searching for, only he knows where he took her.”

“Oh. Um, my bad. Sorry. But I know how I can fix this.”

“And that would be?”

“There’s a room out back, well actually, it’s between the buildings, to the side there. And the owner of this place lives there. I can’t imagine that he had time to take her anywhere else. And if I’m wrong and the guy was really a small Cruestaci guy, they probably took him there, too. Or maybe just dumped him in the alley.”

“I have questions, Elspeth. If you know they’re stealing females, and you hate it so much, why do you allow it to continue to happen?”

“I don’t. I know sometimes they roll the males that come in here, take what they want and dump them in some other part of the port, pretending they’ve never seen them before, but honestly, how stupid do you have to be to fall into that? So I figure if they’re that stupid, they deserve to get rolled. Females, though, off the table. Someone hurts them, I’m pissed.”

“Which is why you killed Eienir.”

“I didn’t kill Eienir.”

“Pretty sure you did.”

“This is all entertaining and all, but when can we leave?”

Rokai turned toward the male who spoke. “When I fucking say you can. If I don’t kill you.”

“You got your band. You got a lead on the female. What do you need us for?”

“A guarantee that you don’t bring any other bastards down here.”

“Like we’d do that. We don’t do that to our own kind.”

“You don’t even know who I am,” Rokai said.

“You’re Rokai ahl. I’m pretty sure that even if we don’t know you, most of us have heard of you,” Elspeth said.

“Alright. Fine. And what does that tell you?” Rokai demanded.

“That you’re a crazy, deadly, sonofabitch that it’s not a good idea to get on the other side of,” Elspeth said.

“Can I trust you to hold them all here until I get back?” Rokai asked her.

“No. I think if they’re not involved, they should get to go.”

Rokai thought about it for a moment, then he turned to them with a bright smile. “Who wants to leave, and who wants to stay for a while and drink for free?”

About three quarters of everyone in the place raised their hands. “Drink for free!”

“Great. Drink all you want, for free. If anyone tries to leave, stop them.”

Rokai grabbed the credit band off the bar top and shoved his way through the kitchen door.

“It’s this way,” Elspeth said, quickly bringing up the rear and darting ahead of him. “That door over there.” She opened the door and stuck her head outside, looking both directions before she stepped out and held the door open for Rokai, who followed with both blasters drawn.

“Think maybe you should put one of those away so you can grab somebody if you need to?”

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