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“No. I’ll just shoot them. If I think they need to be grabbed, that’s what I have you for.”

“Works for me,” Elspeth said.

They walked around to the side alley and when Elspeth stood by the stairs, Rokai thought she was setting him up.

“There are no stairs.”

“I’m looking down them.”

“You’re lying.”

“I’m not! Watch,” she said, going down three or four stairs so Rokai could see the opening on the ground level that disguised the steps.

“Ah, okay. You’re not lying.” Rokai hurried down the steps to stand by the side of the door so Elspeth could try to get them to open the door.

“Hey! Open the door!”

There was no answer.

“I know you’re in there old man! Eienir is laid out upstairs. He might be dead! You need to come see before everybody in there drinks all you have and leaves!”

“Alright, don’t say I didn’t try to warn you. I’m going to get a drink myself before I move on to the next filthiest place I can find.”

The tumblers on the locks on the door could be heard turning as the person inside unlocked them. After almost a minute and a half of unlocking locks, the door finally opened, just a hair.

“Hi. Remember me? Elspeth? Anyway, I think Eienir is dead. You should come check.”

The door swung open. “What the hell killed him?” the male asked.

Rokai, who’d slipped one blaster into his waistband reached out and grabbed the male by the throat. “She did.”

The male gurgled and tried unsuccessfully to pry Rokai’s hand off his throat.

“No, I’m not letting go. We’re coming in for a visit. It’s going to be a fun visit,” he said, shoving the old male back through his door. He heard the door close and glanced quickly over his shoulder to see that Elspeth had followed and closed the door behind them.

“Where is the Cruestaci female?”

The male tried to speak, but no air meant no voice.

“He has no air,” Elspeth said.

Rokai released the male’s throat, but grasped his hair with one hand, while pressing his blaster against the male’s forehead. “Where is the Cruestaci female?”

“I haven’t seen one,” the male rasped out.

A blaster fired, startling Rokai. “What the hell?” he shouted over the old male screeching and yelling.

“He’s lying,” Elspeth said with a shrug.

Rokai looked down at the tattered remains of the old male’s foot, then up at Elspeth.

“You had that all along?”

“Yep.”

“Didn’t even try once to use it.”

“Nope. It gets boring around here. If Rokai ahl is creating havoc, figured I’d join in and see where it leads. Then I found out you’re looking for your woman, and she might be stolen. I’m helping.”

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