Page 78 of Broken Wolf

“Which is how he was sneaking around Chicago, darting in and out for whatever, and we didn’t notice an outsider was here,” I accepted. But this changed everything. “We’ve got video in there, right?”

“Yeah, we have the hotel’s cameras, Chief,” the agent in charge of the tech van assured me.

I glanced around at the humans I had with me and focused on one of the newer agents. She would work perfectly. I went over to her and didn’t even bother trying to give her a smile or assure her.

She wasn’t going to like this.

“You’re going in,” I told her.

Her eyes went bug wide. “Me?”

“Yes, we want to try and get as much as we can, and we don’t have audio. We want more of the people there—we’re going to try, okay? If you get blown or tossed, it happens, and we’re there in seconds.” I waited for her to nod and realize this was really happening. “You’re going to go with a few of the other humans and take over their security office.

“Tell them nothing important, but basically we have a situation, and if they try to warn anyone, we’re outside ready to add them to the arrest. Make it clear you’re in charge because you are. You can do this.” I saw in her eyes she didn’t think she could. “If Greg Camara is a vamp, he’s going to catch you in the lie.”

“Then I’m dead and—”

“You’re not dead when he’s a baby vamp,” I promised her. “Your training is stellar. Plus, this guy has been smart. If he thinks he’s blown, he’ll run. The ancients and I can move fast, and we got you.” I moved my hand on her shoulder. “We got you. You bail if you think it’s a problem and we’ll swoop in. This is just extra icing to make the cake.”

“And it’ll get you some damn good experience for your resume,” the SAiC added, not seeing a reason to deny it.

I nodded as well. “So you’re going to be a worker there trying to sneak in. It’s invite-only, but when he or his guys say anything, you hint you caught onto what the thing is and it can’t hurt for you to listen a few minutes. He will hear your heart. You would be nervous in that situation if you were a worker. That covers you.”

“And keep the lie vague,” Sander said. “Say that you’re in that position and your boss won’t mind you listening in. He’ll assume the lie is your boss won’t mind. Of course, your boss won’t like it. Hell, he’ll probably enjoy that and think you’ve got a chance to bail on that place and make him money. And you won’t be a problem knowing what they’re doing there.”

“Right. Say less. If anything, bitch about the job that is stuff we all bitch about the FBI,” I added. “You’re tired. Your boss asks you things she shouldn’t. Don’t say the hotel as you say it. Say your job. It’s not a lie then. It’s all about framing. It’s why we circle back again and again when we interrogate.”

“Okay, I can do this,” she whispered.

“You can, but if not, the world will not end and we’ve still got them. That should chill you some. It’s not all on you. We just want that extra sweet icing for the AG.” I smiled when she nodded. “Now, keep your phone in your hand so they don’t see you recording or taking pictures.”

“Right, I can’t wear a wire around supes,” she muttered.

“No, but you’re going to take my phone in on a call with Sera,” Sander said. “It will be on mute and just in your pocket, so we need a vest or outfit where she could hide it. She wouldn’t have her purse on her at work.”

“Chief, the hotel staff who are not maids are wearing black suits,” the tech called over. “White shirts just like you guys do.”

Except what she was wearing now was an outfit for breaching since she wasn’t supposed to be sneaking in with us… And I was dressed to go in as someone else we were going to scoop up and use the magical lip gloss to change my appearance.

“I’m seriously a good friend,” Sander said as he went over to one of my security SUVs. “I picked up our huge dry cleaning order after lunch. You’ve got two suits like that in here. One is a skirt I think.”

“That still works,” the tech told us.

I checked out the agent. “We’re the same size but yeah, do the skirt. You’re gorgeous, and that distracts pompous men. Leave another button open too.” I shrugged. I used to wear very little on my undercover assignments all of the time.

Good memories.

We got everything set, and I was glad Sander recommended his phone because he had maybe the smallest phone available. He hated the bulk of most smartphones, so he went for the thinnest and smallest option as his choice always.

“I can see it in the jacket pocket with her breasts,” I argued when they tried it there.

“Put a notebook in there, and if they check her for that and find it, they’ll let it go,” someone suggested.

I nodded that it was a good one and then had her put it in her back pocket since the jacket would cover. “Don’t take a seat and stay near the door like you’d need to sneak away if your boss calls you. When we raid, be the guy’s friend and try and sneak him out of there and bring him right to the ancients so we don’t have problems.” I slipped her a small taser just to be safe.

“I paid attention and saw how these don’t work on supes, Chief,” she mumbled, giving me a curious look.

“This vamp is so new he’s still mostly human. I promise, that matters a lot. I make the point of how it doesn’t work on shifters and makes the situation worse or tickles ancients. I swear to you that what I sensed was this guy is a vamp maybe a few years. That’s like preteen you versus even teenage you and we’re all adults.”

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