Chapter 19

The rest of the evening was largely uneventful.

After the evening meal, Chay had decided to retire to her room for the evening, attempting to compartmentalize all of the information in her head.

...Well, that and trying to sweat out the chilis. Coi had decided to let Crol make his famous kimchi stew (to help relieve everyone's stress, he claimed). It had been quite delicious, but the guests who weren't used to the spice level struggled a bit.

"Christ, Bones! How can you stand it? This shit is hot enough to strip the paint off of the walls!"

"I'm Cambodian, Angel. It's genetic."

That had been bravado, of course, and she was still feeling the tingling in her mouth for hours afterwards.

Well, at least it would keep her focused.

But first, to unwind a little…

Chay was laying on her bed, stripped down to her shirt and shorts, with her finger swiping through nature videos on Voxtube.

"...The Zuggtmoy, being part mammal and part fungi, is not just one of the most destructive species in the Wilds, but also one of the fastest to spread…"

The screen showed an odd, knee-high creature that resembled something between a mushroom and wooden doll. It scrolled through various images of the Zuggtmoy, coming in several different colors from purple to orange to yellow, with a fuzzy cap that also came in several colors (blue, green, blue-green).

"...Not only is it carnivorous, digesting its food in a way similar to the Venus Flytrap(not to be confused with the Carnivorous Vine), but it also profligates through the expulsion of spores, of which are not only potent but also highly infectious, as seen with our unfortunate Imp friend here…"

The camera pans to an image of a half-eaten Imp corpse, covered in writhing little mushrooms growing from its mortified flesh.

"...Indeed, were it not for its natural predator, the Qlippoth, the Zuggtmoy problem would be far more widespread. But as can be seen here-"

Chay scrolled away, bored.

...And honestly, that was kind of a new sensation for her. She wasn't in any danger at the moment, nor was she burying herself in work (in order to forget the fact that she was in danger at the moment).

Her head fell back onto her pillow.

-Alright, time to think…

So, what exactly did she know at the moment?

Well, she had two cases she was working on simultaneously. Nothing new for her. She'd done more than that before.

Now, were these two cases connected?

...Well, she wasn't really sure. Some instinct inside of her was telling her that they were connected, but that instinct had also been proven wrong before. Trying to find connections where none existed was the mark of a paranoiac, not a PI. So for now, discard that idea.

So let's focus on the moon rock first, since that was where she had the least amount of information currently.

She knew where it had been located (Stella's vault). She also knew where it had been broken into (because the hole in the wall was glaringly obvious). She also knew that the security had been inoperative when the break-in happened.

On top of all of that, she knew that the culprit had been a Sinner (due to the red blood stain). Stella had also implied that she suspected one of her former security personnel was responsible (one with a 'plebian' accent).

So...combining all of this info, who stood out in her mind?

...Sawney Bean.

He fit the bill. He was definitely crazy strong, as well as crazy enough to attempt such a break-in, and was big enough that any minor scratch could be ignored (explaining the blood stain). And he had that Scottish brogue of his...so yeah, checked all boxes as far as she could see.

But she was still working on only a handful of information so far. Again: running the risk of making connections that weren't actually there.

Plus, considering that he apparently busted through a cliff-face, he needed an accomplice to help him escape. Bean had commented on 'contract work' the last time she'd seen him, so perhaps he'd been hired by another party...but who?

Well, that'd probably be on the agenda going forward, but this was also the least time-sensitive case of the two.

Which led her to…

-Where the fuck is Ella?

Again: what did she know?

She had some leads. She knew that Ella had, more than likely, been picked up by one of those meat trucks that Danny-boy and Paizana employed. Speaking of which: Danny-boy himself had specifically given her Vox's name. That meant that Vox was involved in some way.

So what did she know about Vox in so far as the case was concerned? Vox had been behind the prototype for those shards: the ones that had managed to turn so many innocent Imps into creeches (yeah, Cherri had picked the perfect name for those things). She also knew that the prototype had been stolen…

….By Sawney Bean. That's what he'd meant by 'contract work' in the first place. And he'd given it to Hippo of Cris...who then gave it to Danny-by.

And Sawney knew what had happened to Ella.

So what did that mean?

-The shards and Ella are definitely related somehow.

Holy shit, these two cases might actually be related after all. If she could just confirm that Sawney was responsible for stealing the moon rock...

-But how am I going to do that?

That left her with Wackford, all the way in Imp City, a little over 24 hours until the Extermination.

Well, nothing to do about that right now. She'd just have to talk with Baxter in the morning like she'd planned.

knock knock

"Yeah?", she called.

"It's me.", Shakie answered from the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

Chay turned off her phone. "Yeah, sure."

The door opened softly, with Shakie walking into the room. She looked restless.

"Just wanted to check in on you.", she said. "What with Extermination getting closer and everything…"

"I've been through dozens of them already.", Chay answered with a shrug.

Shakie sat down on the bed next to her. "Yeah, but you're not in Imp City for this one, so…"

"Don't worry about me.", Chay replied. "But...thanks for asking. How's everybody else?"

"I'd be lying if I said everybody wasn't a little on edge.", said Shakie. "How about the Imp trio...or should I say quartet?"

"Fye and Viola are fine.", Chay said. "Lucius is working on a massive coronary, but that's nothing new for him. As for Gish, I haven't seen her since this afternoon, but she tends to disappear like that for long stretches of time."

"Hmm, that's good…"

They both laid there on the bed, staring up at the ceiling fan.

"….So, is there anything special happening tomorrow?", Chay asked. "Anything I should know about?"

"Nothing major, really.", Shakie answered. "Charlie's gonna give this big speech in the morning, then she's gonna throw the doors open so that everybody can have a free afternoon. Then there's supposed to be a security briefing at 7 PM, and then we go into lockdown at 11..."

Chay looked over at her. "That's...actually pretty major."

"Mhmm", Shakie said lazily. "A little. But I'm trying not to overthink it…"

She held out one of her hands, covered in fur.

"Did I ever tell you that I hated cats, Chay?"

Chay sat up. "Seriously? You and Husk have that in common."

"Well...not quite. He simply disliked them. I, on the other hand, was allergic to them."

Shakie let out a sigh. "Then I ended up getting bit by one while I was turning tricks on the Sunset Strip, and I ended up contracting rabies. Couldn't go to the free clinic because they turned away junkies so…"

She rested her hand on her chest. "All I'll say is: Hydrophobia is a real bitch, especially when you're collapsed in an alley in West Hollywood."

Chay looked back up at the ceiling. "Wow...Shakie, I don't know what to-"

"Snnnrrrrrrr..."

She looked over to see the felinoid-Sinner fast asleep, gently snoring into Chay's pillow.

-Well, she is a cat…


Up in the penthouse suite, the Imps had long since resigned themselves to sleep...with the additional help of alcohol, that is (at least for Lucius).

The only one still up was Fyewackett, nervously scrolling through his hellphone as his thoughts swirled through his brain.

He didn't want to admit it openly, but Danny-boy had really rattled him. There was something so deeply disturbing about him, even by Sinner standards.

And the names he kept uttering over and over: Hastur, Nyarlathotep, the King in Yellow, the Golden Emperor...

...Nihil...

For some reason, that last one was what got under his skin the worst. It was like some vague traumatic memory, with every whisper feeling like a crawl up his spine.

Then there was how he completely embarrass himself in front of Carmine. For Satan's sake, why did he have to be so fucking awkward around women?! When he was a teenager, he got dragged into so many beds he lost count, and yet somehow he still became a blushing, stuttering mess around girls like…

Fuck, but she was hot though. Tall, pretty, and those legs...

Bzzzt

His text messaging box popped up on his screen.

:| You up? -Sallie |:

It was Sallie-May!

He immediately texted her back in the affirmative.

:| Turn on your Facetime. -Sallie|:

.What's she planning?

Fyewackett scrolled through his apps until he found the one for video discussion and pressed it. He pulled the covers over his head so he could get more privacy.

The phone's screen winked over to the video feed.

"Hey there, handsome. Miss me?"

Sallie May's gorgeous face was looking at him through the screen, smiling at him with that coquettish grin that he found absolutely irresistible.

"...Yeah, I did. I missed you.", he replied.

"Heh, yeah. I kinda missed you to. Sorry I haven't had a chance ta' talk with ya. Mah sister and her prissy husband are here with us for the Extermination and it's been a pain tryin' to keep the ranch operatin' with them here…"

"It's fine. I figured you'd have a lot on your plate to get prepared."

"Yeah, well...they're all asleep right now. So I'm all by my lonesome . All mah girlfriends are far away..."

"Y-yeah?"

"Mhmm. So I'm here in mah room...and I got to thinkin' about ya. About that cute face of yers…"

"Really?"

"Mhmm. Started thinking about those birthin' hips you got. About that round behind of yours…"

He could feel himself growing hard. He reached down and slowly pulled down his shorts.

"I bet you missed this, didn't ya?"

He watched as she carefully placed the phone down and slowly walked back.

She was completely nude, with her glistening red skin and tight breasts fully exposed.

She was also visibly erect.

His breath began to quicken as he reached down between his legs.


"Fuck, my mouth is still tinglin'…"

Angel Dust took a long draw from his cigarette and slowly blew it out, leaving a light pink cloud in the air above him.

"And it didn't seem to effect you at all. How the fuck do you do it, Husk?"

He looked down at the feline-Sinner, who was lying with his face buried in Angel's chest fluff. Angel's fingers lightly scratched between his ears, receiving a gentle purr in return.

"Built up a tolerance, I guess.", Husk said groggily. "You live long enough in Bangkok and you get used to the hot stuff."

Angel snickered.

"Heh, ya' said 'cock'."

Husk rolled his eyes. "Fucking juvenile."

Angel couldn't help but chuckle. Picking at Husk was always a good time (for him, at least).

"Hey Angel...lemme ask you something…"

Husk turned over onto his back, lying the back of his head on Angel's chest.

"Yeah?", Angel answered, looking down at Husk's fuzzy face.

"I know you don't like me prying but...things going OK at work?"

Angel shook his head, laughing. "Awww, is daddy worryin' about little ol' me?" He reached down to scratch Husk's chin.

"I know you're built outta strong stuff, kid...(oooh, yeah, that's nice keep doin' that)...but concerns have been raised."

The spider-Sinner sighed, annoyed. "I'm Val's star attraction, baby. Ain't nothing gonna happen as long as I bring in the green, and the green is a-flowin'!"

"Really?", Husk asked back. "So how come I haven't seen you working lately?"

Angel raised an eyebrow. "You're imaginin' things."

"Well, everybody else went to work after lunch.", Husk said. "But there you were, drinking with Octavia at the bar with me. That's been the story for the last couple of weeks."

"Pfft, you worry too much."

Angel reached up and slicked back his hair. "I make the boss so much goddamn cash, he doesn't have to keep me in the studio all day..."

"Angel…"

"...Besides, Val knows ya gotta give the talent time off or else I don't look my best-"

"Anthony."

Angel's hand stopped moving.

"You know me better than that, Anthony. You know that that bullshit doesn't work on me…"

"Husker…"

"You don't have to do that shit around me, Anthony. I like the real you well enough."

Angel (Anthony) lowered his hands down to the mattress, lightly gripping the sheets in his fingers.

"...I don't know what's goin' on, Husk.", he said. His voice was noticeably deeper, having dropped an octave. "All I know is that Val stopped calling me into the studio every day. He's asked me to come in a couple of times, sure, but...for some reason, my schedule has really dropped off."

"So you really have no idea why?", Husk asked.

"No...I-I don't. And ya know what the weird thing is? Every time I see him in the studio now, when I'm there...he just gives me this look...like this look that I'm something he wants to get rid of but can't. It's just so fuckin' uncanny. He used to be so fuckin' obsessed with me, about controllin' me...and now he walks around me like I'm a fuckin' bomb made of glass."

"Hmmm."

"But on top of all of this...I'm actually kind of sad about it, and the fucked up thing is that I feel bad for feeling sad about it. That scumbag has been brutalizing me for decades and now, for once, he's untying the leash and I feel so…"

"Abandoned?"

"...Yeah. Yeah, I feel abandoned and…

Angel's voice started to grow distressed. Tears were forming in his eyes.

"Hey, kid…"

Husk reached up and gently stroked the spider-Sinner's cheek.

"It's alright. You don't have to hold back on me. Ain't nothin' in the world won't make me love you any less."

Angel reachedup and held Husk's hand to his face. "Husky, you're makin' me blush…"

"I like it when you blush. It's honest."

Angel sighed. "Yeah. Sorry that I keep fallin' back to the act and shit. I know it irritates ya."

"Now, I didn't say I hated it entirely. It might be an act, but there's some of the real you in there, right?"

"Oh?", Angel said with a grin.

"Yeah...why don't you call me daddy again."

Angel leaned down into Husk's ear. "Daddy..."

The two Sinners giggled as their lips met.


"...Not only is it carnivorous, digesting its food in a way similar to the Venus Flytrap (not to be confused with the Carnivorous Vine)…

Charlie's eyes sleepily watched the nature documentary on her phone, Vaggie snoring softly next to her.

The Princess was, to be honest, a little worried. They had survived the last Extermination. It had come at the cost of a full 24 hour battle that left them with exorbitant repair fees and painting a target on her back. She knew, with absolute certainty, that Adam was going to target this place again, and that he was more than likely going to bring some heavy firepower with him when he did. He'd managed to destroy an entire floor of the Hotel last time…

No, no...she shouldn't get all doomy like this. Dad had told her that it does little to obsess over the negative possibilities; it only assured failure. "Look on the bright side, not on the bad side!", he told her.

Besides, they were far better prepared than they were last time. For one thing, they had constructed an entire security infrastructure that would better protect the Hotel, and that wasn't just talking about Baxter's work: Carmine had reinforced the building's structure with Angelic steel, those Imps had combed over possible weak points and made recommendations (that they had followed through with)…

...And you have more guests now. Many of them quite capable of defending themselves…

...and also capable of dying...

Shit, there she went again. Stop it, Charlie! You're a big girl now!

She vigorously shook her head, hoping to shake the negativity out of her brain. She couldn't just give up now; she was planning a vacation! A camping trip for the Hotel! That's why she was watching these nature docs in the first place!

...Well, mostly.

"...Indeed, were it not for its natural predator, the Qlippoth, the Zuggtmoy problem would be far more widespread. But as can be seen here…"

Charlie watched as the little Zuggtmoy on the screen was fleeing from its lumbering, ravenous predator.

The Qlippoth slowly appeared on the screen…

...And that's when it finally hit Charlie. The answer to the big riddle.

She quickly grabbed her hellphone and dialed.

The other line picked up.

"Hey...dad? Yeah, sorry to wake you. You're still coming over tomorrow morning, right?"

CHAPTER 19 END