Recap: Kevin Henderson has gone on a trip to Las Vegas with his dog, Sandy, and her boyfriend, Courage the Cowardly Dog.   They meet up with three of the secret agents from "Return of the Hendersons", who are now hotel employees at the Luxor.  Kevin, Courage, and Sandy end up across the street at the Wild Kard Hotel and Casino, which is owned and operated by Armadillo Rex, Dark Sonic, and Card Trick the rabbit.  The last agent, Chris Gammon, is working at the front desk.  Kevin and the dogs meet Card Trick and hotel tenant Tortured Artist with mixed opinions.  Tortured Artist, Kevin, and the dogs soon attend a rock concert put on by a man named Joe Nathan and his five dogs.  Kevin is invited backstage and Courage and Sandy meet the band members.     

A few other things to keep in mind…everyone except Dark Sonic, Card Trick, and Cindy (Rex's psychiatrist from chapter 2, who's been staying in a different hotel room) is unaware that Rex is actually the one running the hotel, and they don't know he's there.  Chris, remember, never actually saw who he was talking to when he got the job.  Psycho, from the band, is not only friends with Courage now, but is an online buddy of Rex, even though they've never actually seen each other.  Only Gina and RX have seen Dark Sonic, and Gina actually knows him, because she has been threatened by him online constantly.  Psycho intends to find out from Gina why she is acting so distressed lately.  Rex is in Las Vegas to film his "show" and, more importantly, to get rid of Courage, but Dark Sonic wants to get his hands on four dark emeralds so he can transform into his true form.  However, Dark Sonic doesn't know where in Vegas they are and needs someone with a pure heart to decipher the riddles that reveal their locations. 

I hope this clears everything up so far.  On with the story!

"My Kind of Interrogation" (edited version)

At around 2:00 that morning, the door to Psycho's room slowly opened.  Psycho stepped out into the lonely hallway.  The other doors were the only things that could be seen against the plain-colored walls.  Of course, since Psycho's pale white eyes left him completely color-blind, it didn't matter to him. 

Wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, Psycho silently crept down the hall towards Gina's room.  He just couldn't wait until tomorrow to ask Gina what was wrong with her. 

Psycho began thinking, "In the morning, Joe would probably ask me if I asked her, and then I'd say no, and then Joe will get all angry and yell at me and…" 

He shook his head.  Joe wouldn't actually yell at him.  He'd just whine and tell him to talk to Gina before lunchtime.  However, Psycho was a very impatient canine.  If something needed to be done, it was not going to be put off until tomorrow, no matter how late it was.

Psycho walked past RX's room.  He wondered if the youngest member of the band was having another of those nightmares he'd been complaining about recently.  Psycho never paid much attention; something about a "big, black guy with blood red eyes".  Psycho made a mental note to ask RX about it, even though he knew he'd forget about it in the morning.

Nothing could be heard in Daisy's room, but when Psycho crept past Humphrey's room, he heard some giggles and some creaking sounds coming from inside.  Psycho shook his head and smirked.  "I guess Humphrey found some groupies after all."

Psycho finally came up to Gina's room.  Beyond it, the last door belonged to Joe.  Psycho reached into his shorts pocket and took out a hotel card.  He ran the card through and opened the door.

Fluorescent lights from outside were the only light sources to be seen in the dark hotel room.  The lush, king-sized bed, the flat-screen TV, and the clothes drawers were all bathed in a dim light (these are hotel suites, remember.)  The kitchenette remained untouched and the pictures on the wall provided multiple light reflections.  Gina was nowhere to be seen.  Psycho was confused for a moment, but then he heard the shower running inside the bathroom.  Psycho quirked an eyebrow as he walked up to the door.  As "friendly" as he and Gina were, he had never actually been in a bathroom with her before.

Gulping, Psycho knocked lightly on the door, wondering if Gina would hear him.  "Gina?" he asked.

"Who's there?" answered Gina from inside.

"It's me, Psycho."

There was a pause.  "The door's open," said Gina.

Psycho opened the door with a sigh.  He instantly wondered how he was going to ask Gina what was bothering her.  Immediately, Psycho was hit by a bright bathroom light.  Psycho closed the door behind him as he surveyed the large mirror, marble sinks, porcelain toilet, and the pile of clothes on the floor.  Psycho began salivating as his eyes darted towards the shower.  The textured glass shower door revealed the purple blur of Gina facing the shower faucet.  Oddly enough, there was no steam or temperature increase in the room.  Gina liked showering herself with cool water, like a natural waterfall.

"Psy?" asked Gina suddenly.  "Could you be a dear and help me get washed?"

Psycho's initial shock was soon replaced by a smile.  "C'mon, Gina, you know it's been months since the last time I did that."

"I know," said Gina in a suggestive tone.

Psycho's tail began wagging ecstatically as he walked towards the shower door.  "This is my kind of interrogation," he thought to himself.  

Psycho grabbed the shower door handle, pulled the door open, and peeked inside.  Gina stood with her back to Psycho as the shower water rained down on her.  As if in a trance, Psycho wandered into the shower (boxers and all) and closed the door behind him.

Gina glanced over her left shoulder.  "Could you get that white bottle over there, Psy?"

Not taking his eyes off Gina, Psycho reached up and grabbed the bottle of body wash that was standing on a ledge next to his head.  He put some in his paws and shakily began rubbing Gina's shoulders.  The cool water rained down on Psycho's arms as he started massaging Gina's shoulders.  Gina sighed contentedly.

Quickly, Psycho closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he tried his hardest to calm himself down.  He needed to stay focused if he was going to ask Gina anything.

"You're up pretty late, aren't you?" asked Psycho above the sound of the shower.

"Yeah," answered Gina.  "I just wanted to get showered and everything before morning."

"You must really be tired."

"Very.  Good thing I took a nap today."

Psycho chuckled.  He took a small step forward and rested his muzzle on Gina's right shoulder.  "There's something I've been meaning to ask you."

"Really?" asked Gina.  She lifted up her wet right arm and lightly scratched the side of Psycho's head.  "What is it?  'Why am I wearing boxers?'"

"Very funny," muttered Psycho.  "Yeah, see, I talked to Joe and he's been worrying about you.  You haven't been yourself lately and…aw, no, not the sweet spot!"

Gina began frantically scratching the area behind Psycho's ear, causing Psycho's leg to begin kicking involuntarily.  After a few seconds, Gina stopped and Psycho tried to regain his concentration.

"Thanks," he murmured lazily.  "Um, anyway, as I was saying, you've been acting kind of distant lately."

"Distant?"

"Well, I meant you've been acting a little worried, like you're concerned about something.  I kinda hate being left out in the rain."

"Don't we all," joked Gina.  She sighed.  "I dunno, it's just…you know that guy who's been sending us those weird e-mails?"

Psycho lifted his head off of Gina's shoulder and stood up straight.  "You mean the weirdo guy who keeps telling us about ultimate evil, demonic things, and crap like that?"

"Mm-hmm."  Gina gave Psycho a brief description of the guy.  "He calls himself Dark Sonic and…"

"Wait a minute," said Psycho.  He put a paw to his head as he took a step back.  "My buddy Rex knows that guy!  He talks about him all the time.  THAT'S the guy who been harassing us on the computer?!"

"Yes."  Gina still stood with her back to Psycho as she lowered her head.  "Oh, Psy, I'm sorry I never told you earlier.  Dark Sonic said he would take me back to my first owners if I said anything."  Gina sounded as if she would break down at any moment.

Psycho stepped forward and placed his paws on Gina's hips.  He kissed her neck and said, "Hey.  Don't worry, Gina.  It's okay.  I'm sure he didn't mean it."

"Well, that'll change once you actually take a look at the guy."

Psycho paused.  "Yeah…so, what happened?  How did you know the guy would be here in Vegas?"

"Well," admitted Gina, "before we left to go on tour, he…sent me an instant message on my computer."

Psycho tried to keep from growling.  "What did the bastard say?"

"He said that he was bored and wanted to talk to me in Vegas.  Psycho, before the show started, I saw him scaring RX out in the hall."

"You mean he's here in the hotel?"

"Yeah, I told him to cut it out, and Dark Sonic told me that if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't be playing here."

"What'd he do, change our schedule or something?"

"I dunno, but then he told me not to get in his way.  I wasn't scared of him, Psycho.  I'm only scared of what he could do to us."

Psycho gulped after hearing the story.  He whispered in Gina's ear, "I'm not gonna let him do anything to you, okay?"

Gina nodded.  A few seconds went by.

"Is RX okay?" Psycho asked.

"He was a little shaken, but he got through the concert, didn't he?"

"Yeah," laughed Psycho.  "At least now we know what caused those nightmares of his.  I mean, you never know what that dog is thinking."

Psycho poured some more body wash into his paws and lathered the rest of Gina's backside.

"Just don't tell Joe," said Gina.  "Not yet.  It's probably best if we wait until we're all out of Vegas."

"We only have one more performance in Vegas," said Psycho, working on Gina's tail.

"I know.  The sooner we get out of this hotel the better, and once we're out of this city, we'll tell Joe about it."

"But what if he asks about it in the morning?"

Gina sighed.  "We'll just tell him that I'm 'over it', and I feel better.  I'd hate to tell him that, but it's…"

"…for his own protection?" finished Psycho.

"I just don't want Joe worrying about me.  He's got enough on his plate already."

"Yeah," said Psycho with a grin, "as if we've never lied to Joe before."  To emphasize his point, he whacked Gina in the rear.  "Bad dogs, we are."

Gina looked over her shoulder at Psycho and said, "You promise you won't let anything happen to me?"

Psycho smiled.  "C'mon, you know you're capable of taking care of yourself, but if you're serious, I guess I have no choice.  Besides, it's gonna take a lot more than a 'red-eyed, black-skinned, copyright-violating demon thing' to get me shaken up."  

Gina finally turned around and faced Psycho.

"I rest my case," said Psycho as he stared at Gina's body.  He was about to make another comment when he suddenly realized he was still wearing his boxers!  After muttering to himself sheepishly, he managed to remove his boxers and toss them out the shower door.  Gina meandered over to Psycho, slowly wrapped her arms around his neck, and embraced him.  On reflex, Psycho reached out, grabbed the shower handle, and turned it to the left.  The two dogs temporarily pushed aside all knowledge of their conversation as the now warm water rained down on them.