Chapter 6
"Alright, Miss Ong.", the tall Goetian said. "I'm all ears."
Chay raised a curious eyebrow. "But you don't have-"
Stella's eyes narrowed.
Chay threw up her hands. "Alright, not important.", she said as she slowly walked over to the ruined wall. "But look closely at the hole here."
Stella made her own slow, plodding way next to Chay. "How can I not? It's large enough to drive an industrial lorry through."
"You're using a metaphor, but you're actually on the right track."
Chay bent down on one knee and pointed at a jagged, wet corner of hole. "You've done renovations on this house before, yes?"
"Hmph, once or twice.", Stella answered. "Or a dozen...hundred times. Your point being?"
"So that means you've also had the utilities re-routed as well.", Chay remarked. She pointed out what appeared to be a few stray pipes sticking out of the drywall. "These are bone dry, meaning you've had the water re-routed. I'm also going to make a guess that the same is true of the electricity."
Stella shrugged her shoulders. "I wouldn't know. Only the architect and the contractors know, and I rely on the servants for that kind of thing."
-Because of course you do.
"Your Highness, did the alarm for this vault go off during the break-in?"
"Of course not! Why do you think I'm so bloody pissed in the first place?!"
Chay nodded as she got up from the floor. "Well, that's the first mystery solved." She pointed to the loose wires in the hole. "At some point during your renovations, the electricity for this room was re-routed somewhere else. Clearly not all of it, as the vault door and its code lock still function, but whatever alarm functions involving the periphery are basically dead."
Stella's feathers briefly stood on end.
"...Well, then. I suppose I have some Imps to fire."
She reached up and smoothed back her feathers. She eyed the gathered Imp servants around her, all of them looking around nervously.
"From a cannon, that is. Now please, do go on."
Chay rolled her eyes. "As you wish, your Highness."
She walked over to the hole and eyed one of the jagged corners. "To get to the point, I can already identify at least one key trait of our suspect, other than the obvious. From the evidence we can tell that they are obviously quite strong, and used little if any machinery or tools to break through...outside of the most crude implements, of course."
Chay reached into her pocket and pulled out a stained handkerchief, one that had yellowed with age and use. She spat into the cloth and rubbed it along the jagged corner. She pulled it back to eye the result.
"I knew it."
Chay walked over to Stella and Via and showed them the now freshly stained handkerchief. "Here's you best clue about who we're dealing with.
Via looked at the cloth. "Is that...blood?"
"Yes, red blood.", Chay answered. "You know what that means, yes?"
Stella's eyes narrowed. "I don't think I like where this is going, Miss Ong."
"I can imagine.", Chay answered. "Tell me, Your Highness, have you hired any Sinners recently?"
Fyewackett let the marijuana smoke fill his lungs.
He was going to need a light buzz for what he was about to do. He might have been good at it, but it wasn't like he enjoyed it.
He saluted the sentries at the HQ facade. Sack-and-sugar met him at the garage door, pushing it up with her single arm. "Comrade, it's good to see you again."
"Better circumstances, at least.", Fye answered as he walked in. "Lu said you guys were still deep in the outreach work."
"Indeed." she said as she pushed the button for the HQ's secret entrance. "We're running a skeleton crew here at base. The majority of our number are currently involved in defensive and charitable efforts."
The two Imps made their way through the cramped hallways and disheveled shelters that made up the Pentagram City ILF branch's HQ, brushing shoulders with the rare Imp who was manning the fort. Most simply gave a simple, exhausted wave; the days before an Extermination were always the most hectic.
"And our prisoners?", Fye asked.
"Still under guard, of course.", Sack replied as she pushed open the large bolted door. "Pardon the smell, comrade."
Fye was immediately hit with a sickening mixture of chemicals and waste, only barely masked with cheap air freshener. The aged, tiled floor gave off a dull yellow from the fluorescent lights. Puddles of what he hoped were stagnant water pooled in the corners. A rusted drain collected the stray drops that crept towards the center of the room.
And in the middle of it all was the bleeding, sneering personage of Danny-boy, with his meaty limbs strapped to a dentist-s chair with reinforced leather. His lumpy, ill-fitting body showed signs of recently healed wounds and abuse, with bruises along his face and scars along his fingers and wrists. His eyelids looked raggedy and torn.
"Still nothing?", Fye asked.
"Not a word.", Sack replied. "He can endure a shit-ton, I'll give him that. Whether that's military training or just brain-washing, I have no idea."
"And the other one?", Fye queried.
"She's in another room.", Sack answered. "Down the hall. Smaller and more tightly controlled than this one."
Fye took the cigarette out of his mouth and dropped in on the floor, crushing it out with his hoof.
"Leave us.", he stated.
Sack-and-sugar nodded and walked out of the room, closing and locking the door behind her. It was now just Fye and Danny-boy, with the hum of the fluorescent lights the only sound in the room.
"Well well...we finally meet face to face.", he said as she casually strolled up to the Sinner. "You still conscious there, lumpy?"
The Sinner answered with an angry grunt.
"I'll take that as a yes."
Fye walked over to a nearby utility table. It was the kind used by hospitals to hold sterilized surgical equipment, moved by wheels.
Of course, there was no 'sterilization' down here. That was for the Sloth Ring...and the less greedy medical professionals up here in the Pride Ring.
The Imp looked over the table's contents: pliers, bolt cutters, finger nail removers. There was a car battery on the lower tier, with a pair of jumper cables hooked up to it. He could also see what appeared to be teeth and finger tips splayed in a nearby tray...all of which would have regenerated on the Sinner's body by now.
Crude, but effective. On Hellborn, at least...and some Sinners. But a hardened individual like Danny-boy could probably withstand this kind of torture if trained properly.
Fortunately, he came prepared.
"Well then, Danny-boy, I'd go over how all of this is supposed to work, what with you being in control, the pain stops when you want it, blah blah blah. But let's be honest: you pretty much wrote the book on this shit, so that'd just be teaching the professor, wouldn't it?"
The Sinner grunted again, mumbling something under his breath.
"Oh, what's that, Danny-boy?", Fye said, cupping his hand around his ear. "I didn't quite hear that."
"I said my name is Mandus.", the Sinner growled at him.
"Oh really?", Fye said. It had occurred to him that, up to this point, he hadn't known who the Sinner's name actually was. The only reason he'd been calling him 'Danny-boy' was because that was what Chay had called him.
"...Naw, I'm gonna call you Danny-boy.",
Fye reached into his jacket and pulled out a small pouch, placing it on the table.
"Now then...need to get some gloves. I'm going to need them for what you're about to go through."
He bent down to inspect the lower shelf, moving some spare tools around before finding an opened box of latex gloves.
"Aw...here we go…".
He pulled a fresh pair from the box and slowly slipped them over his hands. They were a little tight, but they still fit.
"You know, in a weird way, I have to thank you, Danny-boy…", Fye said as the gloves snapped to his wrist. "I've read extensively on your work in the human world. Your techniques are still taught over there."
He opened up the pouch and began carefully thumbing through its contents.
"Tell me something I don't know.", Mandus responded with a sneer. "I'm proud of what I built. Why else do you think His Highness in Yellow chose me to be his instrument?"
"So you say, Danny-boy.", the Imp answered. "But among your teachings I remember the most, it's this: Always know your subject's resistance. A premature death means failure by the technician."
Fye pulled out something shiney and shimmering from the pouch. It was a needle, about as thin as a syringe. It was capped at the end by what appeared to be a piece of bamboo, like a pin used for acupuncture.
"But here's the thing, Danny-boy.", Fye said. "We're not in the human world. Life and death do not work on the same principles here. Down here, a Sinner like you is extremely durable, as you've no doubt experienced over the last few weeks."
Fye walked up to Mandus and placed a hand on his meaty arm. "Of course, there is one exception. Blessed materials, like this pin."
The Imp slowly pressed the pin into Mandus's bicep. The flesh began to sizzle.
"You want some Brie?", Charlie asked.
Lester looked up at the Princess from his bed, the usual cheerful smile on her face. She was holding a plate of the white cheese, freshly cut.
"Coi purchased a fresh batch from the market this morning. He thought you might want some."
Lester eyed the plate and plucked a small piece. He gingerly put it in his mouth.
"It is quite enjoyable.", he said over the mouthful.
She set the plate down next to him. "You've been looking a little down lately, you know. I was...concerned."
The rat Sinner sighed. "I am aware of this.", he replied. "My mind is filled with thoughts for my sister."
"And so are Chay's, Lester.", Charlie responded. "Even right now, as she's going over that new case with Via, I bet she's still thinking about Ella. About where she could be."
Charlie kneeled down to look at Lester's eyes. "She hasn't given up, Lenny. I promise."
Lester's eyes furtively moved from Chay to the bed and back again.
"Can I give you a hug, Lenny?", Charlie asked. "Would that be okay with you?"
Lester nodded.
Charlie wrapped his arms softly around the small Sinner, hugging him to her chest. "There we go.", she said. "I'm glad you trust me enough to do this, Lenny. I know it's not easy for you."
Lester didn't respond. The lump in his throat made it difficult to speak.
"Now then, I'll leave you with your snack.", Charlie said as she let go. "Just ring Niffty if you need anything…"
The Princess softly walked out of Lester's room, closing the door behind her.
Hmmm...ring…
It occurred to him that it wouldn't hurt to phone Chay. She'd been gone for a couple of hours now. Perhaps he could assist her.
He reached over to the bedside table and picked up his phone. He cycled through the various apps.
Whistle
The hellphone's texting signal trilled. Maybe Chay was messaging him?
He cycled to the texting feature to see who was messaging him.
It wasn't any name he recognized. The text ID said 'SOL686'
His eyebrows raised curiously as he read the message.
'Lenny?', it said.
CHAPTER 6 END