"After further evidence, the woman found deceased in the sewer of downtown Seattle was one of the missing women," the newsman announced. His voice was hard to hear over Dieter's whistling. "If anyone has seen or heard anything, please call the nu-" he said, but Dieter clicked off the television.

I glanced from the black screen to his dull expression. "Why?" I asked.

"I have veen informed that a hostess at a restaurant near Vike's Market knows vhere Roy is," he said, throwing a jacket at me.

As we drove down a dark alley not meant for cars, Dieter parked his piece of shit and leaned over me, opening the door.

"Vsk for Diaz. Ve should be able to point us in the vight direction." Dieter motioned for me to get out fast.

"Why can't you go in and ask?" I replied, not leaving.

He waved his arms in the air, frustrated with me. "Because he vill run if he sees me."

I rolled my eyes, jumping out into the musky air. The mist floated around the street lamp while the light lit up the narrow path below. I pulled my hood over my head, entering a back alley restaurant.

An older man sitting in the waiting area coughed while I could smell the cigarette smoke from his jacket. His eyes scanned me as I waited for the staff to greet me with a fake smile.

A tiny girl with a pad of paper quickly walked up. "One?" she asked, thinking I needed a table.

"No," I responded. "I'm here, looking for Diaz."

Her face sunk, annoyed with me. "We told Diaz that no more of his girlfriends allowed here anymore."

"I'm not his girlfriend." I removed my hood, brushing my hair back with my fingers.

She eyed me. "I don't care what you call yourself. Diaz's girls from the Red Room, banned here."

I scrunched my face together. "What the fuck?" I blurted out. "I'm not one of his hookers."

The older man laughed hard, to the point of choking up a cough. I glanced at him as he held his chest, then looked back at the troll hostess.

"I'll be right back," she said with a huff.

She rushed away into the dark restaurant while I leaned against the counter, tapping my finger on the glass top. As I thought she wasn't getting Diaz for me, a short man walked up with a poker face.

"You are looking for Diaz?" he asked.

"Are you him?" I questioned back, like a politician.

"Depends who ya with."

"Nobody, I'm looking for someone, and you know his whereabouts." I narrowed my eyes at him, stepping closer. "Royce Peterson."

Diaz licked his lips, scolding me. "And what do I get, giving his name to a pig?"

"Pig?" I glanced at the older man, gesturing at my body. "Do you think I look like the police?"

The smoker shrugged his shoulders while shaking his head. "Nope."

Diaz scuffed his feet. "Okay, I heard he has business at the Red Room tonight."

I smiled, turning to leave. "But," Diaz said, stopping me. "Not just the Red Room. You will need to ask for the special when you get there. I didn't tell you, got me?"

"Got it," I responded, dashing from him.

The rain poured as I paused before walking away from the front entrance. I glanced up around the canopy, letting drops splatter on my face.

"Rory?" a deep vibrating voice said from the dark.

I tightened my jacket around me, squinting at the shadow. A man in a black peacoat stepped into the light.

"Koa?" I questioned.

"What a coincidence," he responded, glancing at the restaurant door behind me. "You just finishing dinner?"

In a panic. "Oh no, I stopped here to get out of the rain for a second."

I knew this was not a coincidence to see seductive eyes twice in one day. He must be looking for the same douche bag I was. I knew the police would connect the dots one day, but I needed to get to Roy before they did.

Koa shined his perfect teeth at me. "So, Rory," he said smoothly. "I know that is not your name."

I bit my bottom lip, not responding to him.

"Rory Smit died nearly twenty years ago." He stepped closer to me.

I knew he would data-check the name I gave him. Rory Smit was my mother, but she was also a government nut, so I had zero paperwork connecting me to her. The only thing he would find on Scarlet Cline and Rory Smit would be in the adoptive papers, buried years ago.

I tucked my hair behind my ear, tilting my head with a smile. "Yes, Rory is technically my middle name, and I go by my step dad's last name," I lied.

He placed his hand above my shoulder on the brick wall, causing me to step back as he shielded me. "You know, being a detective, I can tell when someone is lying to me," he said with a smile. "But I will let this slide for now." He raised an eyebrow. "You can make it up to me tomorrow night."

"Oh, is that so?" I replied, feeling the tension between us.

"The little café around the corner." He pointed. "Six O'clock."

Koa pushed off the wall, stepping in reverse from me. He smirked my way, entering the restaurant I was just in.

I ran back to Dieter's car, soaking my tennis shoes. Jumping into the vehicle, I shivered from the chilly rain. "He's at a place called the Red Room," I said to Dieter, hoping he would know where that was.

"Vuck, okay," he responded, pulling the car onto the street.

The Red Room was a club for the unfaithful men wanting to put their hands on the asses of women, hoping to pay for their next meal. Long legs spread over the front door, giving the effect of walking into a front bottom. The door automatically opened while the bouncer stood with his arms crossed.

"IDs," he said with dead eyes.

"Quatsch!" Dieter yelled in German.

I eyed Dieter, stepping closer to the bouncer. "Sorry, but we do not have them with us."

"No IDs. You can not enter," the man responded, not taking his eyes off Dieter.

"Well, I'm not very good at taking no for an answer," I said, punching the man in the throat.

His eyes bugged out as he held his neck, coughing. "Bitch," his voice barely said.

I grabbed his hair, making him face me. "What did you say?"

"B-" He barely let it slip from his mouth before I slammed his face into the brick wall.

The bouncer fell to the ground as I stepped over him, entering the strip club. I glanced around as smoke clouded the area. A girl with a tray of drinks walked by us while I grabbed her arm.

"I am looking for the special," I said to her as her eyes narrowed from under the red mask she was sporting.

"Follow the pink arrow," she replied, walking away.

Dieter tapped my shoulder, then pointed across the club. In the dark corner, a neon pink arrow flashed every few seconds. We crossed the club, ended up staring at a black door.

I slowly opened the door, trailing my way down the stairs. Dieter kept in my shadow, bumping into my back from how close he was. Voices echoed from the basement, but one voice stood out.

"Put her on the bed," Roy said, causing me to rush around the corner to see a young girl pushed onto a dirty mattress. Her eyes balled up with tears, but her body fell to the bed like she had no more fight in her. There were three men, but no sign of Roy.

A tall man glanced our way. "Who the fuck are you?" he asked.

I cracked my neck, balling my fists with anger. "You will never find out," I said, charging toward the man.

Tackling the man to the ground was not my brightest idea, given I didn't know how to fight. But my body was a force. There was no stopping me when I had zero weaknesses. A savage zombie with only one thing on my mind. To kill Roy.

"Get off me, bitch!" the man yelled as I growled while grabbing his head.

The other men laughed at him until they heard the snap from his neck breaking. A gasp escaped a tiny man's mouth as he glanced at Dieter.

"Did she kill him?" his voice said in a high pitch.

Dieter shrugged his shoulders, leaning against the wall. "Vhere is Roy?" he asked as the men scrambled.

Their heads bounced around while their eyes popped out of their heads. The tiny man's hands trembled as I stood above the dead man's body. Another young girl ran across the room to the other, hugging each other while crying.

"We don't know. We are just paying for a show," the other man said.

"What is she?" a deep voice from a room asked before a tall man walked out. "How much?" He eyed Dieter.

Dieter glanced at me, then back at the man. The guy held out his hand, but Dieter did not take it.

"Renzo Martinez," he said, pulling his hand away and lighting a cigar. "Owner of the club, and I prefer to buy her from you. A fiend beautifully possessed this creature."

Dieter raised an eyebrow and leaned to peek around Renzo at the girl's crying. His eyes rolled before he glanced at me. "Vill them all," he said.

I smiled from ear to ear, letting the demon in me out. The taller man pulled a gun out and shot quickly at me. The bullet stuck into my arm, fueling my anger. His face screamed with fear as he let another bullet fly. This one sunk into my chest, but I did not slow down. There was no pain.

"Fuck!" the man yelled. "Demonio!"

He screamed as I jumped onto his shoulders, sending him to the ground. My thumbs jabbed into his eye sockets as I glanced at the girls.

"Did he touch you?" I asked them, prompting them to cry out in fear. I pushed down harder, feeling his eyes bulge around my thumbs. His scream caused a girl to tremble, but she nodded her head yes, giving me the green light.

A loud crash had me glancing to see Dieter kicking Renzo in the chest. His head hit a table, knocking him out cold. Dieter's eyes glanced my way before kicking a knife on the ground toward me. I gripped the blade, pressing it into the man's chest without a second thought.

Another gunshot went off, feeling the pressure on my back. I pulled the knife out, chasing after the next pedophile. The tiny man screamed, running toward the stairs, but Dieter grabbed him, swinging him to the ground.

Dieter's shirt ripped from the collar to the hem as the man pried for his life. His shirt brushed around his peck muscles underneath as he stuck a gun on the pocket man's forehead and pulled the trigger. A drop of sweat shined, dancing down his tight torso. Well, fuck me and everyone in Seattle. Dieter might be slightly sexy, too.

Renzo coughed, coming back after his nap. "Bitch, you two will pay for this," he said, holding his chest.

Dieter strolled over to Renzo, stepping on his chest. "Vhere vs Voy?"

Renzo looked at me with a confused expression. "What?"

I rolled my eyes. "Where is Royce Peterson?"

The man laughed, shaking his head. "Roy Peterson," he said with a heavy accent. "Looks like you are too late." He raked his eyes at Dieter. "Who are you two?"

I ripped the gun from Dieter's hand. "Apple Red, asshole," I said, shooting Renzo in the head, watching him drop. 

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