Sitting comfortably in his new suite, Zax took a bite from his apple as he watched the footage. It was boring work, but he could trust no one with this.

He had moved to a different hotel, closer to the center. It did not have better security, but he cared little for that. There would be no need for any once he was done with these people.

There had to be more than one, that much was obvious. No one powerful enough to pull something like this would have dirtied their hands doing it themselves. He would have to pull on the threads to unravel them all. It might take time, but he had plenty.

The holographic display showed the hall between the elevator and his old suite. For the most part, it was a still image... but every once in a while, someone would appear and Zax would watch like a hawk. But they always went through one of the other doors. Servants or guards.

He’d had to pay an ungodly amount to get the footage, but it would be worth it. And the original was destroyed now, he’d made sure of it. He didn’t want the questors breathing down his back. Better give them a dead end.

This was personal.

He heard the elevator door slide open, and another silhouette walked through the hall. Without hesitation, it headed straight for his door.

Zax paused the feed and stared at the man’s back for a moment. He took another bite from the apple before setting it down. While he chewed, he stood and let the footage play. It was clearly a man, though he couldn’t see his face from this angle. He walked around the image as the crook brought out a keycard and pressed it against the locking panel. The light went green, and the device clicked open.

The man went into the room and closed the door behind him.

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He was tall, with sunken cheeks and small eyes that darted about, as if he feared getting caught. He knelt and went to work.

Zax rewound the footage to the spot where the face was most visible and paused it again.

He stared at it for a long time.

Then, casually, he tapped on his wristpad to make copies of the image. He sent it out to his contacts, offering a generous reward for any who could identify the man.

He walked to the table where he had set down the apple and slipped out a miniaturized device from a small compartment on his wristpad. It grew in his hand and he placed it on top of the discarded fruit.

Cleaners ate at matter until it disintegrated. They were normally large and expensive. A portable version like his cost even more, but that meant nothing to Zax.

The apple blurred and vanished. It simply ceased to exist, as if it had never existed at all.

“Zax!” called a voice from the bedroom. “Are you done yet? It’s getting cold here.”

He grunted as he placed the cleaner back inside the compartment and walked to the other room.

Zintra lay in his bed, naked.

“You took your damn time,” she said with reproach.

“Things need to happen in a certain order,” he said softly as he slid under the sheets. “I had to get that off my mind.”

She pressed her head against his chest. “You got what you wanted?” He nodded as he slid an arm around her. “I’m still mad at you, you know!”

“I didn’t realize you were mad.”

“You should have come to my place. You didn’t need to rent another room.”

“And risk running into your partner? That would have been awkward.”

She snorted. “He’s my partner in work only. I don’t share my bed with him.”

“Why do you even need him?” He asked as he ran his fingers through her hair. “The business has been in your family for generations. Not his.”

“He helped me out of an unpleasant situation a few years ago—”

“Like I did this time?”

She made a face. “It was different. Less scary. Financial stuff. I’ve known him for a long time, Zax. Despite his flaws, he has a good heart. He was there for me when I needed him.”

“So you sold him shares?”

“It was the only way to save the business.” She sat up and looked at him hesitantly. “I never asked you, but how did you get those crooks off our backs?”

He looked away to stare at the wall.

“I have my ways,” he muttered.