Page 95 of Sinner's Sacrifice
“They’re killing each other.” Brian stood suddenly, pacing away then back again. “And you want me to keep my mouth shut? What happens when there’s collateral damage? Innocent people getting caught in the crossfire?”
“It’s already happened,” Sam said in a cold tone. “Sex workers have been disappearing off the street for a long time. We caught one serial killer, but he was only killing some of his victims. Others he sold to buyers from out of the country.” She raised one eyebrow. “You should know that. Weren’t you briefed?”
“I was, but...” He paced away and back again. “I was ordered to focus on the Breznik company financials and leave everything else to another group.”
“What group?” Nika asked.
“They said I didn’t need to know.”
“So, someone thought it was a good idea to send a baby agent in to snoop in what they suspect is an international crime operation?” Nika asked, her tone a drawl that said quite clearly she didn’t believe it.
“I was told my age and background would make others overlook me.”
“Yvgeny knew before you ever walked into his office that you were FBI.”
“Yes, but he had a bunch of reasons to hire me, anyway.”
“What reasons?”
“I was young. I’d helped to turn my mom’s online business into a success, and I had the situational awareness to spot trouble.”
Nika studied him, then glanced at the screen, at the people who were still arguing over who would get who. “Baz’s mother sent you down here with us,” Nika said to no one in particular. “To protect you.”
Brian shrugged. “Yeah, I guess.”
“How nice of her. There’s just one problem.”
“What’s that?”
“That woman doesn’t do nice.”
When Nika didn’t say anything else, Brian prodded her. “And?”
“And I think you’re in deeper shit than you know. I think we all are.”
“What does that mean?” Sam asked. Frustration turning her voice shrill. “And please don’t give me a bullshit answer.”
Nika met her gaze and held it. She pointed at the screen showing Yvgeny’s apartment. “Look at them. Look at all of them. Most of them were injured in some way, right? Can you see their injuries now?”
Sam and Brian bent close to the screen and looked at every person on it. Yvgeny, who’d been hit on the back of the head was on his feet and arguing with his aunt. She’d been cut on the shoulder. There was blood on her clothing as evidence, but her movements betrayed no pain or discomfort.
Every single person who’d been cut, slashed, or clubbed looked perfectly healthy. Only their bloody clothing hinted at what their wounds might have been.
Yvgeny had done something to the one guy’s wrist. Something that gave him a bloody mustache.
“Vampires are a myth,” she said hoarsely.
Nika sighed. “That’s what I thought too.”
“No. No, there has to be another explanation,” Brian said, shaking his head.
“They’re strong,” Sam said, ticking off her fingers. “They’re fast, they heal at a miraculous rate, and I’ve never seen Yvgeny eat anything. He drinks coffee sometimes...but he never finishes it.”
“It’s not possible,” Brian said. “They’re fiction.”
“There aren’t very many of them,” Nika said. “How you become one is difficult and only a tiny percentage of people on the planet have the right genes for it to work. Even then, the success rate is low. So low they haven’t sanctioned any new transitions for a couple of decades.”
“They don’t age?”