If you missed the last episode, you can find it [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/221163911/0/0]here[/url], or if you need to find a previous episode, you can find them all in the [url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/220441594/0/0]Master Post[/url]. Please give a bump, upvote, or leave comment if you enjoy this and any other chapter! *** Nobody really sleeps in Slumberland – at least not willingly. More graffiti lines the walls leading to the rental rooms, hearts and other symbols punctuating the ancient characters in every available space. My boots grate against the thin, sticky residue of the weekly cleaning crew’s mop water on the floor, and I have to quickly pull Kenedi up as he stoops down to examine it. “Don’t touch anything,” I tell him seriously. “There’s nothing here that can harm me, I can’t – “ “Not you, dummy,” I hiss. “But you could bring something back.” Kenedi looks at the hand he reached toward the floor with as a sudden look of comprehension comes across his face. He shakes his hand agitatedly, as though trying to fling invisible germs off. “Come on, not much longer, the room’s up ahead.” I make my way toward it, Kenedi falling in behind me as he hoists his bag over his shoulder. I step cautiously, quieting my footsteps as best I can as we approach Room 135. Pulling my hand cannon out and thumbing the hammer back quietly, I run the operation through my mind again: [i]The thief’s inside, and so’s the Crystal Orchid. Watch fire, don’t damage the Orchid, find out how he got into Hedon House.[/i] I think back over the last bit as I hold my head close to the door, listening to the silence within for sounds of movement. [i]We need to know how he got in.[/i] I nod to Kenedi, who clutches his bag and watches me curiously – spinning around, I slam my foot into the door and launch it into the room with a thundering crash and charge in quickly, hand cannon aiming into the darkness – Screams greet me as I enter, Fallen, human and Awoken women shrieking and bolting from the bed, grabbing whatever cloth they can put their hands on to cover themselves. I pay them no mind as I push past them toward the bed, aiming my gun at the dazed man lying on the bed. His eyes are unfocused, drifting, a placid smile on his face as he soars through his own internal fantasies, oblivious to the commotion. I jerk my finger to the women, motioning for them to leave, and as they scurry outside, they pass Kenedi, who watches them clinically, noting their varied species, before turning to consider our suspect with me. “I have never come across any accounts of successful cross-species breeding,” Kenedi says, quickly looking back toward the door before eying the man again. “Though were he to attempt such –“ “Don’t,” I warn Kenedi quickly. “I really don’t want to hear any details.” I turn my attention back to the man, running Rafe’s intel back. [i]His name is Garam Set. Rafe reported the theft occurred due to inhalation of spoiled ether.[/i] I snap my fingers in front of the man’s face quickly, but he just keeps staring ahead blankly, a thousand miles away… I slap him quickly to summon him back to reality. “Wake up!” I growl, slapping him again. His eyes roll around in his head as he starts giggling. I draw back my hand to slap him again, but Kenedi stops me. “May I?” he asked, producing a small bottle of liquid from his bag. Shrugging, I watch as he uncorks the bottle and holds it under Garam’s nose. Garam immediately bolts up, sniffling and coughing as he wipes his hand across his nose agitatedly. “Whatchee, I don’ – “ I grab him by the hair and drag him out of bed as he screams and struggles. “OI! I gotcher coin, lemme finda – “ “We’re not here for payment, filth,” I hiss to him in the semi-darkness as I hurl him to the ground. “You have something that doesn’t belong to you.” “Whatchee, ain’t got – “ I punch Garam, hard, breaking his nose. Blood pours out as he howls, clutching his face. “Ain’t got, ain’t got!” is all he can get out. “Check the room,” I order to Kenedi, who scans it quickly as I bear down on Garam again. “Now,” I tell him menacingly. “You’re going to tell me how you got into and out of Hedon House without being detected.” “Whatchee on about?!” he screams, panicking. “Ain’t neva even benta ‘Edon ‘ouse!” I seize his hand, yanking it away from his face – holding his index finger up to him in my hands, I mutter, “Every time you lie, this happens.” I snap his finger. He shrieks. “Now how’d you get in? “NEVA BEN! NEVA BEN!” he screams pitifully. A couple walks in front of the open door, peering inside curiously, reacting with horror as they see me. “You mind?! Private conversation!!” I bark to them, slamming the door in their faces. “Nas,” Kenedi says from across the room. I turn to him, and he holds out an old, dusty box, pulling it out from under Garam’s clothes. He opens it, and the intricate facets of the Crystal Orchid catch what little light remains and reflects it dazzlingly back. “Well now,” I smile, looking back to Garam. “Got part of what we came for. Now how’d you get into Hedon House?” “Neva ben! Ain’t benta ‘Edon ‘ouse!!!” “Too bad this proves you’re lying,” I say, pointing to the Crystal Orchid. “Now TELL ME!!!” “If I may,” Kenedi interjects once again, tucking the Crystal Orchid into his bag and stepping forward. “I may have a more persuasive argument to make.” “Not the time – “ “Nas,” Kenedi says seriously. “Give me just a moment with him.” Shrugging finally, I step aside so that Kenedi may approach Garam. “Hello,” he says calmly to Garam as he kneels down to look at the frightened, bleeding man. “I know you don’t know me, but my friend and I aren’t going to leave until we know how you got into Hedon House. Delaying your answers does you no favors.” Garam whimpers pitifully, unable to come up with anything. Kenedi casually removes his bag from his shoulder, flips it open, and pulls out several small, thin metal picks as Garam stares, terrified. “Lock picks,” he tells Garam, holding them up to show him. “Did you use lock picks?” Garam shakes his head as Kenedi continues to look at the lock picks. “Wonderful inventions. With just the right amount of pressure and movement, you can get into anywhere. Whether that’s someplace like Hedon House, or….” Kenedi suddenly seizes Garam’s hand, pulls his thumb aside, and jams one of his lock picks under Garam’s nail. He lets out an inhuman shriek of agony, gasping and struggling against Kenedi, who dispassionately keeps holding his hand firm. “See? Just opens right up.” I’m in shock as I watch Kenedi – [i]Where in the hell has this guy been the whole time?[/i] Kenedi doesn’t meet my eyes, though, simply pulls another of Garam’s fingers up and works another lock pick under his pinky nail – Garam screams louder, and I wonder what the neighbors are thinking is going on in here. “Any ideas yet on how you infiltrated Hedon House?” Kenedi asks Garam again. “AIN’T DONIT! AIN’T NEVA BEN!!!!” Garam howls, trying to pull his hand away with all his might – Kenedi merely watches him clinically, holding fast to his hand, as he works another lock pick under Garam’s nail – “You’re running out of nails. We’ll have to start on the other hand next, then feet after. Twenty nails for twenty questions, and you haven’t even answered one yet.” [i]Where in the hell has this guy been?![/i] I think again, incredulously, barely daring to believe my eyes. And then a shot echoes around the room, and Garam falls dead, a red flower blooming in the middle of his forehead. I wheel around quickly, hand cannon aiming as I drop to my knees, eyes searching, searching – Kenedi drops Garam, wiping his hands on his bag. “Down!” I hiss to him, pulling him to join me on the floor. “I thought we weren’t supposed to touch the floor…” “Better than a bullet!” I whisper, eyes still searching in the sudden silence. Finally, I spy a small hole in the wall, leading to the next room – I rush quickly to the door, slipping through and hugging the wall as I move toward the room next door – kicking in that door, too, I sweep the room quickly, searching – But the room’s empty, only a telltale hole in the wall showing there was someone there – I look around more, and find another hole in the opposite wall. [i]The hell?[/i] I repeat my intrusion in the next room, finding it also empty. [i]The shot went through multiple walls without any sight of the target…how did they make the shot without….[/i] A shiver runs down my metal spine. [i]The shooter didn’t care if they hit us or not.[/i] Kenedi joins me suddenly, looking quizzically at the holes, calculating the trajectories in his head. “That’s impossible…” he begins, voice filling with wonder. I suddenly feel very exposed. “Let’s go,” I mutter to him, looking around. “The thief might not have been the only target….” Kenedi nods and collects his bag from the other room, carefully replacing it so as not to damage the precious cargo inside – as he emerges, I see him wiping blood off his lock picks before storing them safely back in his bag. “Where’d you learn to do that, by the way?” I ask casually, even as my eyes endlessly rove every inch I can see of Slumberland. “Something I know that you don’t,” Kenedi says cooly. “How is that possible?” I look at him incredulously, and I could swear I see him smiling. Even with everything that’s going on, I still can’t help but laugh.