In a crowded club, a woman floats around the room, drink's trays balancing on both arms and hands, some women whistle at her while men cheer at her skills and she does a twirl and hands the drinks to the customers.

"You seen your boss?" A man walks up to her, and she sighs.

"You've got eyes Rotty, look for yourself," she brushes past him and drops a drink by a table, where two guns sit neatly in the hips of a colleague.

"Thank you, darlin'," he winks, and she grins, moving to pick up discarded glasses before making her way back behind the bar, a gunshot sounds behind her.

"Dahlia!" the bartender calls when she sways in "Customer down the end, think you can take him?" she nods, then wants to run back to Jesper when she sees a semi-regular with a dirty mouth sat at a stool.

"What do you want?"

"Are you on the menu?" Before Dahlia can respond, a cane slams down on the wooden flooring, startling the man. He looks to his right, jumps, and scurries off.

"Thank you," she gives Kaz a small smile and he nods, turning to overlook the club, Rotty approaches from the side.

"Early for action, innit, Kaz?"

"What do you want, Rotty?"

"Someone stole a DeKappel from a merch's private residence last night."

"Is that so?" he asks nonchalantly.

"It's a painting. A landscape of Ravka. The Fold. Oil on parchment."

"I know who DeKappel is," Dahlia snorts as she grabs a wet cloth, wiping down the bar.

"Well, he doesn't do nudes, so I never heard of him,"

"Get to it, Rotty,"

"Worth something like 10,000 kruge." he whispers, "The thief had to get past four roving guards, high fences, padlocked doors, and a security system designed by one of them Grisha witches."

"Fabrikator," Kaz corrects.

"Whatever. The point is, either it was a group effort or a ghost."

"Why does this concern me?"

"I've got a buyer lined up. Legit money. So, uh... if you hear a whisper..." Rotty clicks his tongue and Kaz leans in, a scowl on his face.

"Who can hear a whisper here?" he walks off and Rotty sighs, going up to the bar.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about a certain painting would ya Dahlia?"

"Either buy a drink, head to a table or leave," Dahlia explains, gesturing to the door with her head.

Sometime later, Kaz comes down the stairs to the club, Inej behind him, he orders a dreg to the door and tells the bartender for the night that he's on his own, gesturing for Dahlia to follow. Inej passes her a shawl, and once out of the building, Jesper is at their side.

"We have a job opportunity," Kaz explains.

"Is that why we're storming the streets or-" Dahlia grabs a ribbon from her wrist, tying her hair up.

"We need to find a way through the fold,"

"What?" her and Jesper echo.