Valkyrie and Vendetta walked out of the Sanctuary in silence. Vendetta picked up a pass from Tipstaff on the way and they emerged into the afternoon sunlight. Valkyrie became suddenly aware of how hungry she was at that moment but she didn't say anything.

There were a few clouds chasing each other across the sky, the warm breeze blew through her dark hair and the air was filled with the sounds of the others planning and the few cars that drove through the almost empty streets of Roarhaven. Vendetta stood beside her, completely and unnaturally still. Her long, black coat was open to reveal a tight black shirt. The vampire's hands were in the pockets and her own long, black hair was being blown away from her face.

"So," Valkyrie said. "I'm thinking we'll start uptown and work down from there. It seems like a lot of criminals are there and we should be able to find something."

"No." Vendetta didn't look at her as she spoke. "You won't find much there. We'll go downtown. I know a place."

She moved off and Valkyrie followed with a frown. "Oh. Okay then. I guess I'll call a cab."

Valkyrie pulled out her phone but before she could call anyone, Vendetta once again spoke. "We don't need a cab."

Before Valkyrie could ask, they reached a lean, black motorbike that looked a lot like Tanith's. Except it was a vampire who was driving this one instead of a Remnant-possessed Tanith. Vendetta took out a helmet and threw it to Valkyrie while putting on her own.

The vampire climbed into the drivers' seat and looked at her. "Well? Haven't you ridden on a motorbike before?"

Valkyrie blinked then jammed the helmet on her head. "Of course."

"Good."

Vendetta waited until Valkyrie was on behind her before starting the engine. Valkyrie wrapped her arms around the older woman's waist and prepared for the usual, fast, movement that came with motorbike riding.

They pulled out so suddenly, Valkyrie nearly fell off and they shot off down the street. The entire trip Valkyrie would have been screaming if she hadn't been so terrified. If Tanith was crazy, Vendetta belonged in an isolation cell in an insane asylum. The vampire paid absolutely any attention to traffic laws. She passed on double lines, was going about twenty miles over the speed limit and took turns right before they crashed. She cut across traffic, ignoring stoplights or signs of any kind. Valkyrie could barely even register the honking of horns and all she concentrated on was gripping Vendetta and not flying off the bike.

Finally, they stopped. Valkyrie realized she had her head buried in Vendetta's back with her eyes screwed shut. Her arms were holding Vendetta so tightly they were white and numb.

Vendetta pulled off her helmet and turned to Valkyrie. "If I wasn't a vampire, I would have passed out from the lack of oxygen. You can let go now."

Valkyrie slowly let go and fumbled with her helmet. When she finally got it off, Vendetta took it and put both away. She nodded to the building across the street. "That's the place. Whatever you do, keep your head down and don't make eye contact. If people find out I brought one of the Sanctuary's prime detectives here they would hunt me down and cut me into tiny, little pieces. So don't let anyone know who you are and don't make conversation. If someone approaches and tries to do just that let me know."

Without another word, Vendetta turned and walked across the street. Valkyrie, finally getting over the ride, frowned, but hurried after her new partner. The building's entrance was an old, rusted door. Loud, obviously drunk, voices could be heard from inside.

"So who are we meeting?" Valkyrie asked Vendetta once she got to her side.

Vendetta looked at her. "There is a sorcerer who is notorious for supplying other criminals with certain devises used mainly in abduction. He may be tight-lipped and so we might have to use some types of….. interrogation techniques."

Valkyrie raised an eyebrow at that, suddenly fearing what she meant by interrogation techniques. Vendetta turned, opened the door that moaned loudly in complaint and they entered the building.

The first thing that hit Valkyrie was the air. It was thick and heavy, filled with the smell of alcohol, cigarette smoke and bad breath. The tables were all occupied by creepy looking individuals, many missing teeth. They were all drinking, playing cards or trying to pick up women.

One man in particular, with a ratty, grease stained beard, looked Valkyrie up and down then smiled, showing off his lack of front teeth and said "What's a pretty girl like you doing in a joint like this?"

Valkyrie moved closer to Vendetta. They moved through the crowd and came to a table in the back. A man sat alone, holding an old wine glass in his hands. When he saw them, he smiled.

"Ah, new customers eh? What can I put you down for? Twenty cases of chloroform? A few magic proof hand-cuffs taken from the Sanctuary itself? What'll it be?"

Vendetta sat down in the chair across from him. Valkyrie remained standing behind her, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Information." Vendetta kept her voice low, so quiet, Valkyrie had to strain to hear.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? What kind of information?"

"Who have you sold merchandise to in the last week?" Valkyrie asked.

Vendetta's eyes flickered to her then returned to the man.

The man scratched the stubble on his jaw, observing them. "A vampire and what? A necromancer? Is that what that fancy ring of yours is for?" He gestured to the ring on Valkyrie's finger.

Valkyrie looked at him and didn't respond.

"The information," Vendetta said again. "I'm only going to ask once more nicely, after that, I have other ways of making you talk."

The man paled slightly. "Who are you two?"

Vendetta moved so quickly, Valkyrie jumped in surprise. The vampire grabbed the man by the upper arm and drug him into the room behind him. Valkyrie hurried after, getting in and shutting the door just in time to see Vendetta slam the man into the wall so hard he cried out.

"We asked once nicely," Vendetta's eyes smoldered, no human motions recognizable in them. She leaned in so that she was only an inch from his face. "Now I get to have some fun."

Before Valkyrie could ask what she meant by that, Vendetta had broken the man's arm and had him pinned to the floor. He squirmed in pain, trying not to scream. Valkyrie started to feel sick. She hated torture.

The vampire showed no mercy as she flung him across the room. He landed on his bad arm, making him howl in pain. He rolled, clutching his arm to his chest. Vendetta blurred and then she was there, kicking him over to free his arm.

She stepped on it and he screamed, writhing on the floor.

"Now," Vendetta hissed. "Are you ready to talk?"

The man managed a small nod.

"Then talk." She let up her foot enough so that he could speak.

The man, gasping in pain, dug into his pocket with his good hand. He pulled out a crumpled piece of paper and gave it to Vendetta. "That's…." he gasped out. "My entire list….. of orders, payments….. and customers…. in the last week. Is…. that all?"

Vendetta's eyes skimmed over the paper, flickered back to the man, than she gave it to Valkyrie and straightened up.

Valkyrie followed the vampire back out of the room, feeling like she was going to throw up. They left the building and entered onto the streets once again. She spun to Vendetta. "What was that?"

Vendetta looked at her. "What was what?"

"What you did back there, to that man. You didn't have to hurt him."

"Well that's how I work," Vendetta glared at Valkyrie. "You're too soft. You aren't a hardened criminal like I am. This is the way I've learned and I'm not going to change my ways just so that I don't get in trouble with the Sanctuary. We got what we wanted now we can go and put it with the other information the others have collected so let's go."

Before Valkyrie could say anything else, the vampire stalked off back to her motor bike, leaving Valkyrie alone. Valkyrie looked at the paper and managed to decipher from the harsh writing about two dozen different names, orders, and payment. Valkyrie smiled. Even though she hated how they got it, it looks like they finally got a lead.

Okay, so I was thinking and I decided to do a little poll here. Even though I have already made up my mind, I want to see what you guys think. Should Ray-Roy and Vendetta hook up or not? Please tell me your answers in a PM or a review and I will say the results in a later chapter.

Thanks so much to everyone once again! You guys are awesome! :)