The Answer to the Question

Chapter 3: The Secret Inn

“Where the hell is this place?!” Ban was getting frustrated. Early evening was just around the corner and time was getting away from them. “We passed BFE six miles back! Is this place so secret that even the location is a secret?!”

Ban glanced over at Ginji who was studying the map that’d come in the information packet for the job.

“You sure you’re reading that right?” he asked.

“Yes, Ban-chan. We just haven’t gotten there yet.” Ginji almost wished Ban would go back to not speaking to him again. The Jagan Master was becoming more irritated by the minute.

After they’d left the Honky Tonk, the two had gone to a car rental and gotten a cheap little bucket to run around in. It wasn’t Lady Bug, but it’d have to do. Speaking of Ban’s beloved car, after getting the rental, they’d gone back to the car garage and placed a hefty chunk of their job advance as the deposit to get repairs under way. The mechanic had just shaken his head and taken the money wordlessly.

“Don’t forget to go to the temple and do some serious praying!!” he’d called after them. “Pulling an all-nighter would be a good START!”

Finally they’d stopped by a clothing store and at Ban’s insistence, gotten Ginji a new pair of shorts and a shirt.

“Goddamn I’m tired of looking at the crack of your ass every time you turn around!” Ban had yelled after Ginji made a grab for his falling shorts for the hundredth time. He’d thrown some money at his partner and told him to go buy some clothes. Ginji had gotten out of the car miserably; holding his shorts in place.

“And for God’s sake AND mine, buy something with drawstring!” he’d called after him, remembering the hot button missiles that’d almost taken his life early that morning during Ginji’s “stress relief session.”

Ginji walked into the store, not seeing a small smile play on Ban’s lips while he eyed the crack of his partner’s ass appreciatively as it walked away from him.

The lying bastard wasn’t tired of seeing asscrack at all…he was just horny!

And so it was the two now found themselves speeding along what Ban had come to think of as the ‘Country Road to Ruin’ looking for a love hotel, a box of T.o.E.s and a knife-wielding psychopath.

“There, Ban, there! Turn there!” Ginji yelled suddenly.

Ban screwed up his eyes. He didn’t see anything resembling a road.

“Where?”

“Right there! Turn right, NOW!”

Ban made a sudden hard right and found himself just making a narrow gravel path. He looked around. No sign, no markers, no nothing.

“How the hell did you know to turn there?”

Ginji pointed to the directions. “It says to turn right by the rock.”

“What rock?!”

“There was a little rock just in front of the driveway. It’s the only rock I’ve seen since we turned off the main highway, so I figured that was it.”

Ban stomped the floor in frustration. “What the fuck kind of place is this?! No sign, no marker, no nothing, just a goddamn rock?! You WAIT til I see Hevn!” He grit his teeth and drove on.

They followed the gravel for a few minutes until it gave way to pavement. The pavement wound leisurely for a few minutes before becoming straight and lined with beautiful cherry trees on both sides. The driveway emptied into a small parking lot that was nearly deserted save two cars parked on the far side.

The large inn was a serene looking one story structure that had both Japanese and foreign architectural elements mixed to lend a unique, eclectic quality to the place.

The boys got out and noted how quiet it was. Ban took in the empty parking lot and for the first time was glad they hadn’t driven Lady Bug. With no other place to park and the mostly open driveway, Lady Bug would have stood out unmistakably and alerted anyone who knew them to their presence at the inn. Without their loveable car, the Get Backers suddenly had the element of surprise on their side and with the bad feeling he had about the whole situation increasing by the second, Ban figured they’d need all the advantages they could get for this particular job.

The two walked into the inn through a small foyer past a sign displaying the hotel’s daily restaurant specials of tempura and teriyaki. Both their mouths watered as they walked through the second set of foyer doors and into the lobby proper. The sushi they’d eaten earlier hadn’t gone around twice. Of course, with them, food never did.

The otherwise empty lobby was tastefully decorated with plush, overstuffed antique furniture sets framed by cherry wood accents. The furniture was complimented with an array of lush plants and greenery as well as paintings, sculptures and other expensive-looking works of art from different eras. It all came together to give a quiet, elegant atmosphere to the place—an atmosphere far from the seedy, tawdry, two-yen ho images conjured up by the idea of a love hotel with a name like the Secret Inn. No, much to the delight of many of its repeat clientele, the Secret Inn turned out to be a place where one could happily fornicate in style!

Ban and Ginji passed a large gilded mirror situated over a cherry credenza across from the reception desk where a pretty young woman with an angelic, heart-shaped face framed by long, straight, shiny brown hair sat at the registry. She looked up and smiled.

“Welcome to the Secret Inn,” she said pleasantly. “We keep your secret in. If they found out about it, it wasn’t from us!”

Ban hit the charm button. It was a very small button.

“Well, hello little lady. The name’s Ban Midou and we have a reservation for two?” He pushed up his glasses and leaned over the counter giving her his best Big Daddy Ban, Stud Muffin smile.

Behind him, Ginji twitched a little.

The girl giggled and looked through the registry book. “Yes, here you are. You’re in the ‘Wake Up, We’re Not Here to Sleep Suite,’ she said, gazing past Ban at Ginji and smiling knowingly. She slid a key across the counter at him. “This hotel is shaped like a large open rectangle with a courtyard in the middle. Your suite is just down the east hall. To your right is the west hall and the doors to the gardens and hot springs. The lobby where you are now connects both east and west halls and provides a passage from one to the other. Sign here please and feel free to use an alias instead of your real name. Most of our customers do that to remain…incognito.”

Ban’s smile fell a bit as he scrolled through the aliases already in the book. Filled with monikers like Swingus Dickus, The Happy Humper, and The Rump Ranger Rides Again, it was enough to make a sane, normal man start to doubt his place in the universe. Ban followed the dubious list all the way down to the first blank line under his assigned suite. Even the suite name made him choke a bit. “Wait a second! We’re in the what?”

“The ‘Wake Up, We’re Not Here to Sleep Suite,’” she repeated. “That IS the suite you wanted, right?”

The name of their room and all the perverted delights it implied sunk in, making Ban grit his teeth. “Hevn!” he hissed.

“I’m sure you’ll think it IS heaven! It’s a very nice room,” the girl said, pleased. “Enjoy your stay and if you need anything, please give us a ring.”

“Well actually,” Ban said all smiles again, “I’m wondering if you could tell me about some guests you have staying here? My partner and I are supposed to be meeting up with some friends of ours and…”

She cut him off. “I’m sorry Sir, but the Secret Inn has a strict policy against divulging client information. If you and your PARTNER are meeting friends here, then you should call them to find out which suite they’re booked in.” She smiled pleasantly.

“If there’s anything ELSE, you need, please give us a ring.” her voice clearly stated that was her final answer.

Ban took the key and frowned. “Thanks, Miko.”

The girl looked up. “Oh, I’m not Miko. My name’s Ayumi. Miko went to check on something and will be back in a few minutes. Do you need her?”

“No,” Ban replied, scoping out the lobby subtly. “I was just told that she was the innkeeper here.”

“Oh, she is,” replied Ayumi cheerfully. “She’s the best! If you need anything…” again her eyes slid around to Ginji, “…anything at all, she can get it for you.”

Ban finally got it. “The two of us…we’re not…”

Ayumi cut him off again. “Uh-huh, of course not. Enjoy your stay.” She smiled and went back to her paperwork.

“Come on, Ginji.” Ban shoved past his friend, not seeing the faint hurt in his eyes.

The two walked down the east hall and past several suite doors, which were all on their right, opposite floor-to-ceiling windows that let in an abundance of the rich, late afternoon sunlight and overlooked the parking lot. Each door had a gold metal nameplate announcing the name of the suite.

“Hope You Packed a Lunch Suite.”

“Keeping It On the Down Low Suite.”

“If R. Kelly Can Do It, Why Can’t I? Suite.”

“You Didn’t See Me, I Was Never Here and That’s Not My Real Name! Suite.”

Ban’s mouth dropped further and further. Ginji just looked confused.

When they’d almost reached the end of the hall, they passed two guests on their way out—two men who were obviously together. One, a tall blonde wearing mirrored sunglasses, had his bright, sun-colored hair piled high into a long ponytail. Alarmingly, the blonde was also armed with a big frickin’ gun unabashedly strapped to his side. His red-headed companion smiled and laughed softly at something, seemingly oblivious to his man’s open declaration of violence. They kept walking, ignoring Ban and Ginji as they passed.

*This place just keeps getting freakier and freakier,* Ban thought to himself. To their right, they passed a young woman who was hanging a new door sign on one of the suites.

Ban stopped short as he read the nameplate on the very next door.

“This is us.” He unlocked it and went in.

Ginji paused to read the suite name.

“Wake Up, We’re Not Here to Sleep Suite,” he read out loud. He turned to the woman standing at the door next to theirs.

“I don’t get it,” he said puzzled.

The woman looked over at him; her direct, unblinking gaze giving Ginji the willies. “I’m sure you’ll get it sooner or later,” she replied matter-of-factly.

“Hurry up and get in here Ginji, we got work to do!” Ban called out impatiently. Time was of the essence. They still had to figure out who and where the interceptor team was and how they were going to get the boxes and keep their lives intact at the same time. They had no time for socializing!

Ginji went in and was about to close the door when he heard the woman call him.

“Hey Goldilocks.”

Ginji poked his head back out the door. “Who me?” he asked.

The woman smiled, well, almost.

“I think you’ll get it sooner, rather than later.” Then she walked away.

Ginji went back into their room and closed the door behind him. What a weird chick!

“Does anything in that packet say which room the interceptors are booked in?” Ban looked around their own room. Despite the bargain basement Kabukicho whore-sounding name of the suite, it was actually very nice. A large, blackened wood sleigh bed was the centerpiece. It was covered in a beautiful sky-blue silk comforter with a tapestry design. Two comfortable looking yukata had been laid out on the bed. Matching wooden nightstands flanked the bed and were covered with dried flower arrangements. A storage trunk with cushions on top, making it also a place to sit, sat at the foot of the bed and a plush reading chair with upholstery matching the comforter sat off to one side next to a small table and an antique floor lamp. In a corner stood a large blackened wood armoire that held a tv and clothing storage space.

Ginji went over the information. “No. Only that the exchange will be made sometime tonight after 9 pm.” Ginji pulled out another sheet of paper. “Listen to this, Ban. It says here that in the event the vial should be opened, to hold your breath and walk away from it. It says that we’re not supposed to inhale the fumes or get any on our skin. Do you think it’s dangerous?” Ginji started to worry. “Like radioactive dangerous?”

Ban glanced at his watch. Quarter to 7. “No. Even if you could put radioactive material into an ordinary container, which you can’t, I doubt anyone would go through the trouble of putting something like that in a pretty perfume bottle.” The thought of the pretty bottle brought up something that had been nagging him since they left the Honky Tonk.

“This whole thing stinks,” Ban said. “What client would hire us specifically to get something like THIS back for them and then know exactly what buttons to push to get us to do it?”

Ginji smiled. “If they really wanted to push our buttons, they’d have given us some sushi to go. I’m starving again.”

Ban’s stomach grumbled a warning. “Yeah, me too. Stay here Ginji, I’m gonna have a look around the lobby and maybe I can find us something to eat while I’m out there.”

Ban didn’t wait for an answer. As he left the room, he wondered if he could get any more information out of Miko than he had Ayumi. It was worth a shot he decided and headed back to the reception desk.

*** ***

“Did you enjoy your stay?” Miko took Blondie’s suite key. Beside him, Red blushed.

“Absolutely!” Blondie took off his sunglasses showing off two intense blue eyes. “I’m sure you’ll be seeing us again…real soon!” Red blushed again and began looking at everything and anything except Miko.

“Perhaps I can interest you in our ‘Frequent Liars Club?’ It entitles you to suite discounts and other VIP privileges.” She handed Blondie a brochure.

Red looked over his man’s shoulder and read what some of the “VIP” privileges were. He blushed furiously.

“Uh…let’s go, K.” K, aka Blondie, (Miko always referred to her guests by their attributes rather than any name they gave her) looked at Hiro, aka Red, and saw his discomfort. Personally he didn’t see anything wrong with what they were offering. In fact, privileges four through seven looked damn good! He was getting hard just reading about them.

“Uhh, maybe next time,” he said to Miko. He waited for Red to begin walking away, then set his glasses down quietly and held out his hand.

“Two,” he whispered.

Miko smiled, well, almost, and handed him two applications. Blondie took them with a grin and rushed to catch up with his man, carefully keeping the applications hidden behind him.

Miko glanced down at the counter. He’d left his sunglasses. She started to call after him but they were already gone.

She placed the glasses in a large bin behind the counter that held bunny ears, handcuffs, unopened edible panties, paddles, dentures, duct tape, golf balls, a set of Legos, bottles of maple syrup, six cans of peas, a small bundle of hay and numerous other curious artifacts left behind by guests.

“He’ll be back,” she said to herself and was about to go back to reading her book when Spiky walked up to the desk.

Ban turned up the charm again and ran a hand through the spikes of his hair.

“And you must be Miko!” He smiled like the good-looking hunk o’ man he knew he was.

She didn’t smile back. “Yes, I am,” she stated matter-of-factly. “May I help you?”

Ban pushed on his glasses and began calculating the best way to approach her. She gazed back directly; her bored eyes never blinking.

“Well, I was told that you could get just about anything a guest needed,” he started carefully.

“Yes.”

This one isn’t much on long talk, Ban thought. “Well, I was just wondering…”

Miko cut him off with a quickness. “The Secret Inn has a strict policy against divulging client information.”

Ban arched a brow in annoyed surprise. *Damn that Ayumi, she must’ve told her I’d been asking earlier!* He tried to play it off. “Actually, I was wondering about food. Where’s the restaurant located?” He couldn’t help the disappointment that crept into his voice.

Miko didn’t blink. “Down the west hall. It’s open until 9 pm and room service is available 24 hours. Is there anything else?” She opened her book signaling that she didn’t think there would be.

“I guess not.” Ban was ticked—he hadn’t gotten a single thing he needed. “You’ve been real helpful,” he added sarcastically.

“I get that a lot,” she said not looking up from her book.

Ban turned to head to the restaurant when two thuggish-looking men walked into the lobby. One was short and stumpy with about five days worth of stubble dotting his face in ugly clumps that looked like back-of-the-fridge mold. The other was tall, horribly thin and had a vacant look to his eyes as if making it past the fifth grade had been more than a struggle, it had been an adventure. They were both of a disagreeable sort with muggish faces that only a mother or a parole officer could love.

“He ain’t getting here til 9,” the stumpy ringleader was saying. “I think we should just check in and lay low til then.”

“But I’m starving!” his gaunt companion whined. He hefted a blue duffel bag over his shoulder and checked his watch. “It’s only 7:30. We got time to eat before he gets here.”

“You and your stomach,” the first mug sneered. “Fine, but we take the food back to our room and eat there, got it?”

“You don’t gotta speak to me like that!” the second mug said, hurt. “You treat me like a criminal!”

“You ARE a criminal! Now shut yer fucking mouth.” He turned to Miko.

“We got a reservation for a room?”

Ban’s ears pricked up when he heard mention of the 9 o’clock rendezvous. He stood nonchalantly and pretended to read one of the magazines laid out on the credenza across from the reception desk. From his post behind them, Ban discreetly watched the reflected action of the two mugs checking in, in the gilded mirror above the table.

Mug One recoiled in horror when he heard the name of their room. “A Hole In One?! What kind of name is that for a suite?” he asked Miko disgustedly. “People are gonna think we’re a coupla fags, faggin’ it out in there!”

Miko didn’t blink. “We have the ‘Pussy Is a Place I Like to Call Home Suite’ available. Would that be more to your liking?”

The man snatched the key off the counter. “Forget it! You’re a real help, Sweetheart!” He dragged his partner off down the east hall.

“I get that a lot,” Miko stated behind him. She went back to her book.

Ban mentally noted which of the Mugs was the leader, the second Mug’s obvious stupidity and the Mugs’ distinct distaste for man love and wondered if he could use any of his observations about them to his advantage somehow. Ban thought it over while he quietly stuck around by the credenza and waited for the Mugs to come back.

*** ***

Back inside their suite, Ginji, checking out their digs, opened the closet and gasped. There on the shelf was a large basket full of items that made the Lightning Emperor blush from the bottom of his balls to the tip of the hairs on his head. He pulled the basket out and sat down with it on the bed.

Packages containing new dildos and vibrators, strung beads and hamster wheels stared out at him. HAMSTER WHEELS?! There were all sorts of things in there that Ginji had no idea at all what they were. Odd looking flesh-colored implements bent at curious angles, condoms, a sewing kit, handcuffs, small metal balls that jingled softly when you shook them, batteries and many, many bottles of lube. He picked one up and read the name.

“MoodSwing Lube…for when you’re in the mood and need to swing…”

*Man!* thought Ginji. *When Hevn said “love hotel” she meant it!* Ginji’s mind reeled at the contents of the basket. He picked up the metal balls and twirled them in his hand, listening to the pleasant chimes they softly played.

Without even trying, images of Ban using some of the basket items on him came running. Ginji closed his eyes and let the fantasy in his head have full reign. Ban bending him over and massaging him, stroking him, kissing him, telling him that he loved him while he did all sorts of things with the…whatever that crooked thing with the knob on the end of it was. Ginji got hot just thinking about it.

After a few moments of bashful lust, Ginji slowly opened his eyes. He shook his head to rid himself of those embarrassing, sweaty thoughts of happy fornication and sighed heavily. It was all just wishful thinking. Ginji knew Ban only thought of him as a friend and a business partner and the knowledge that he was harboring feelings for a man that would never be returned made Ginji more than a little sad—it made him ache with loneliness. Ginji didn’t know how or when it’d happened; he only knew that it had. Somehow, he’d fallen for Ban. And when he realized that his feelings had gradually grown from admiration and friendship to something that felt a lot like love, Ginji had been terrified Ban would find out and that would be the end of their partnership. After spending countless sleepless nights fearing a future without his friend, his family and his fantasy lover all rolled up into one, Ginji resolved to never tell anyone how he really felt. He’d remained in quiet love with Ban ever since; never once betraying his feelings.

Until recently, that is. Torn between his growing emotions and faced with daily life of always being with Ban, but never BEING with Ban, Ginji had hit a point where the hopelessness of the situation was starting to eat away at him. In spite of his resolution to never act on his feelings, Ginji found covert ways to linger near Ban whenever they were together or to immerse himself in his fantasies whenever he was alone. But even then, the bliss and fulfillment he found in being subtle with his love was not enough. He wanted more. He *needed* more. And more was something Ginji was certain he’d never get from Ban.

Ginji shook away the morose thoughts that were creeping over him and looked at his watch; eager to give his mind something else to fret about. Ban had been gone for almost a half hour. Idly, he wondered what was keeping his partner.

Still twirling the metal balls, the ex-Volts leader got up and tried to decide if he should look for Ban after being told to stay put.

After only a moment’s hesitation, Ginji shoved the balls into his pocket moved toward the door.

*** ***

A few minutes later the two mugs came back, still arguing. Ban stood at the credenza reading the latest copy of Super Cutie Honey Boy magazine with some random popstar named Suguru Fujisaki standing next to a keyboard on the front. He pushed up his glasses and listened as they asked about the restaurant.

“Let’s make this quick!” said Mug One. “Instead of ordering room service, we might as well go pick our food up and check some of this place out on the way. Better to have a good idea of where we can go and what we can do if shit decides to go wrong BEFORE shit decides to go wrong,” he reasoned. He turned away from the reception desk and started toward the west hall to the restaurant when he stopped abruptly. “And speaking of shit going wrong, you locked the room door didn’t you?” he asked with a snarl. There was a lot of accusation and something else that said ‘God help me, I’m working with a dumbass’ in his voice.

“Yes!” Mug Two replied pissily, “of course I did! You don’t gotta talk to me like that, y’know! You treat me like I’m stupid!”

“You ARE stupid!” Mug One replied nastily.

Mug Two’s voice dropped down to a whisper. “What difference does it make?” He gave his partner a knowing look and hoisted the duffel bag he was still carrying back on his shoulder.

“That don’t make a difference, Dumbass! You still need to lock the fucking door! You want us to come back to a coupla surprises waitin’ for us? God fucking hell, I need a new partner!” Mug One reversed direction and started back toward their room.

“Where’re you going?” asked Mug Two.

“To double check the door. You’d leave your dick on the bathroom floor if it wasn’t attached, so I know sure as hell you left the door unlocked!”

“I already told you…”

“Just stay here and wait!” Mug One turned to stomp back down the east hall. He glanced over at Ban who looked up at that very instant and stared back at him over the top of his glasses. Their eyes met and made full contact.

Suddenly Mug One was seized by an intense head rush and reeled back with a grunt.

“What’s wrong with you?” Mug Two actually looked worried.

“Nothin’. Mind yer fucking business!” he panted after the world stopped spinning.

Neither Ban nor Mug Two noticed Miko taking in the whole scene as she casually read her book at the desk.

*** ***

The Secret Inn was known far and wide for its respect for a customer’s privacy. Even so, that didn’t mean they left themselves open for trouble. While there were no cameras in the rooms, there were a squadron of them discreetly placed all over the inn, including the hallways, the parking lot, the central courtyard and the outer gardens and hot springs. Every now and again when a yahoo got in and wanted to start some shit, the camera system went a long way to helping Miko find them before they could find trouble.

She watched the small bank of monitors sitting behind the counter as Mug One went back to his room. She followed his progress from camera to camera until he stopped outside his suite door. He jiggled the doorknob. It was clearly locked. Miko saw him mouth a mighty curse on the soundless monitor, then take his key and UNLOCK THE DOOR! Mug One jiggled the knob again to make sure it was UN-locked, then walked back toward the lobby with a satisfied smirk on his face.

Miko frowned.

“Well?” Mug Two asked indignantly when his partner returned.

“Just as I thought—you’re a complete dumbass! The door was unlocked! No, don’t bother going back, I just locked it! Let’s hurry up and get some food before I come to my senses and beat the shit out of you!”

Miko discreetly watched Ban discreetly watching the two at the counter.

“Just a minute.”

Both Mug Two and Miko heard Ban say something softly. Mug One didn’t hear anything. He was too busy swaying off balance and trying to shake off the dizziness that’d just assaulted his head. Mug Two completely missed his partner coming out of his Jagan fog, opting to stare at Ban instead.

“That guy has been there an awful long time, don’t you think?” Mug Two asked Mug One. He pointed to Ban who was making an intense study of his magazine.

“Hmmm…” Mug One gazed at Ban thoughtfully. “You’re right.”

Ban held his breath. *Shit,* he thought to himself as his mind scrambled to find a way out of the ugly situation that was rapidly shaping up. He couldn’t use the Jagan on that guy again and he didn’t want to start anything until he had found the box. He could feel the two knuckle-draggers sizing him up.

“What do you think?” asked Mug Two.

Before Mug One could answer, Ban’s salvation appeared on its own—and it was wearing shorts! Ginji came around the corner. Spotting Ban at the credenza, he walked over.

Ban thanked every god he could name. “There you are!” he said loudly. “What took you so long?”

Ginji cocked his head. “Huh? You said—”

“To hurry up!” Ban finished for him. The Mugs were still watching. One of them was fondling his jacket pocket menacingly.

Ban saw it. Making an instant command decision to head off disaster, he grabbed Ginji by the vest collar, yanked the confused kid to him roughly and slid a hand up his partner’s chest.

“I missed you, Baby!” Ban pulled Ginji closer and without any kind of warning whatsoever, locked that poor boy into a kiss that snatched Ginji’s breath away! Caught off guard, Ginji gasped and opened his mouth. Ban jumped on the chance and slipped his tongue inside. He deep-tongued Ginji passionately, sliding his hands around Ginji’s back and up his neck to wind his fingers through the back of his partner’s hair. Ban used the fisted blonde hair to lock Ginji into place against him in case he decided to struggle…or fry him on the spot.

Death by electrocution was the LAST thing on Ginji’s mind! Not five minutes before, his over active imagination had pictured an almost identical scenario and now here it was, happening in the flesh! Fresh off his Ban-lust fantasies, Ginji immediately lost what little bit of control he had and kissed back.

Reeling from Ginji’s unexpected enthusiasm, Ban took advantage of it. Without breaking that breath-defying kiss, he pushed Ginji and backed him up hard against the wall causing the gilded mirror to jump. Then he thrust a knee between Ginji’s legs and inserted himself into position for a full-on grope session. Pulling one of Ginji’s legs up, Ban coaxed it to rest around his thigh so the two of them could get even closer. Then they continued to stand there against the wall, getting down, moaning and panting, hotly rubbing up against each other.

“OH MY FUCKING GOD!” Mug One yelled. “MY EYES!” Mug One was so mortified at being forced to witness all that hot man love on display, his strength gave out and he almost went down on one knee. Mug Two had mercy on his partner and pulled him down the west hall toward the restaurant and out of sight. But even that wasn’t enough. Minutes later, Mug One could still be heard screaming in man love agony from down the hall. “THE PAIN—IT BURRRNSS!!!”

Ban peeked an eye open and saw the Mugs had quickly vacated the premises. He broke the kiss and turned around, missing Ginji almost pass out behind him.

“They’re gone! Let’s go.” Not wasting another second, Ban pulled his partner back down the east hall, making Ginji stumble weakly along behind him.

Back at the counter, Miko’s eyes were glued to the monitors. The monitor screens, which had violently erupted into snow and static seconds before, just as abruptly flipped back to crystal clear. She watched Spiky stop at the Mugs’ room and open the unlocked door with ease. Then he went in and pulled Goldilocks in behind him.

Miko puzzled through the disturbing events she’d just witnessed. Immediately she pulled the lost items bin from behind the counter and found Blondie’s sunglasses.

Funny, she thought to herself. She hadn’t pegged either Spiky or Goldilocks for thieves and she was an excellent, almost supernaturally scary judge of character.

Miko didn’t know if they would work against whatever kind of whammy Spiky seemed to have going, but she put the glasses on and continued to watch the monitors for the east hall to see what else developed before she decided to intervene.

End Chapter 3: The Secret Inn.

*BFE: Bum Fuck Egypt—an expression used when you’re describing a place that’s way out in the middle of nobloodywhere.

Author’s Note: Miko the innkeeper is an original character of mine who first appeared in the Gravitation fic “Hiro Breaks It Down!” over on the Gravi board. The scene where K and Hiro meet Ban and Ginji in the hall originated at the end of that fic. Our Get Backer boys also have a cameo that coincides with this story. It was writing that fic that gave me the idea for this sequel.