Page 57 of Sinner's Salvation

This is a bad idea.

Anna tilted her head to one side and smiled.

Baz turned back to the Chinese, shaking his head. “Where the fuck are we going to put everyone?” he asked.

“Yvgeny has more than one hotel,” Nika said.

“They looked like a bunch of tourists to me,” Brian said to no one in particular.

But of course, the Chinese vampires couldn’t see him, and straightened up. They looked even more wary than before.

Anna waved Brian around the corner.

He stepped forward until he was visible to everyone, and waved. “Hello.”

“This is Brian Stettler,” Anna said. “He’s Yvgeny’s assistant, and an FBI agent.”

The Chinese vampires stared at him as if he were a bomb about to go off.

Brian blinked, then put his hands up. “Whoa, please don’t panic. I’m on your side.” He paused for a moment, then muttered, “I can’t believe I just said that.”

Baz had been watching the Chinese. “How did you get into this tunnel system?”

“We have known about it since it was built,” Jie said. She gestured at one of the vampires standing behind her. “Ho was in the work crew.”

“I found the improvements made to secure the doors very effective,” Ho said.

“How effective can they be if they didn’t keep you out? Baz asked.

The vampire bowed. “I have made a study of such things.”

One of the other vampires put a hand to his ear. “Where should the tour groups go? The police are becoming irritated with them.”

“How many people are there in yourtour groups?”

“Sixty-seven,” Jie replied.

Baz thought about it for a moment. “Have them come to the main hotel. Let’s keep up the mirage of them really being tourists from China. We’ll have them gather in one of the ballrooms, and give them an insider’s guide to New York talk.”

Jie nodded and spoke into a lapel microphone in rapid Mandarin.

“Let’s get to the hotel,” Baz said, gesturing at their Chinese guests to turn around and precede them.

They did so slowly, glancing back every few seconds. When Evan came around the corner, bringing up the rear. The Chinese all paused for a moment.

“You have the support of the military, too?” Ho asked.

“Just him,” Anna said.

Evan nodded in agreement. “I understand what you are,” he said to the Chinese. “I will end you permanently if you do anything to threaten the Breznik Family.”

Anna stared at him in shock. Making threats like that was a fast way to getting killed. She’d have to talk to him about approaching other vampires with a healthy sense of self-preservation.

Baz just laughed. “Yeah, yeah, tough guy. Let’s go.”

Everyone began walking again.

As tense as they’d been before meeting the Chinese, everyone was even more tense now. The Chinese kept glancing back, checking to see if anyone had moved from their original position in the line as they walked.

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