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Russell stiffened "What did it say?"

Rajiv shrugged "I don’t read Chinese"

Russell pulled back the jacket on his right wrist "Did it look like this?"

Abigail shone her flashlight on it

"Yes!" Rajiv said "That’s it"

JL sucked in a breath "Itto Master Han"

Russell yanked his sleeve down "I don’t belong to the bastard"

"How did you get the tattoo?" Howard asked

"How the hell would I know?" Russell growled "I woke up in a damned cave, Undead with a tattoo on my arm But if these people are his slaves, then it means I’m close"

"That’s why you were so quick to volunteer?" Gregori asked "You’re searching for Master Han?"

"Why shouldn’t I?" Russell snapped "The bastard destroyed ori said, "but our first priority here is keeping Abigail safe"

"Who is this Master Han?" she asked

"A chiang-shih," Rajiv answered

"A vampire," JL clarified "We’ve run into hi sounded in the distance

"What the hell is that?" Howard gruori pointed "Past those fields"

The gong sounded again

"Look!" Rajiv pointed at the village

One light after another flared till the whole village ell lit

Abigail gulped

The villagers were awake

Chapter Twenty-five

Gregori reached over to turn off Abigail’s flashlight "We should get the hell out of here," he whispered, although like the others, he didn’t move He was too daers poured into thetorches They stood there silently, their faces without expression Even the children were still and e time with Roman’s kids that this was not normal

"Could be some sort of mass mind control," JLsounded

The villagers turned en ht of their torches illuminated blank faces and robotic movements

"I see this on television," Rajiv whispered "Zo to eat us"

"You sure?" Rajiv asked "They not eating food in village"

Abigail winced "That’s true"

"Let’s see where they’re going" JL ori held on to Abigail to help her h he had a secondary rip on her arerous, he wanted to be able to teleport her away in an instant

The villagers ca to the east side of the field, half to the west They set their torches into poles that lined the field on each side

The field was vast, row after row of knee-high leafy green plants The villagers -the rows The adults pulled knives froathered up the leaves and dropped them into baskets that were located every ten yards

"They’re slave labor," Abigail whispered "This is terrible"

"What’s Master Han doing with those leaves?" Russell asked

Gregori leaned close to Abigail "Is it the Deail answered "Can we get closer?"

"I’ll see" JL moved down the hill and stopped behind a pile of rocks He took a rock the size of a cantaloupe and rolled it into the field

No reaction The villagers went about their work Those close to the rock si froail whispered "They’re so intent on their work, they don’t notice anything unless it interferes with their mission"

"I could cut you sorowled

"They all cutting leaves," Rajiv said "They will think I one of theori said, "but be careful"

Rajiv moved quietly down the hill and joined JL behind the pile of rocks He leaned close to whisper in JL’s ear, and JL nodded

The villagers never looked in their direction, just kept working

Rajiv eased out from behind the rocks, then walked quickly toward the field He turned into the first row, pulled his knife froers looked at him

He dumped a handful of leaves into the nearest basket, then went back to work He cut off a branch of leaves and slipped it under his shirt

"Shit," Gregori whispered

"What?" Abigail asked

He pointed at twothe roard the north end of the field where Rajiv orking They reached the end of the field and turned to watch the villagers

Rajiv glanced over his shoulder at the ori whispered

"Don’t you dare" Abigail pulled her arers slipped their knives back into their belts and turned south They moved quietly down the rows The men picked up the baskets and carried theuards shouted at hiain

He dropped his leaves in the basket, then picked it up and walked down the row like the other villagers

JL glanced back at the rest of the team on the crest of the hill He pointed at a thicket of trees to the south and ail back to base camp, but he knew she’d be furious if he decided what she wasn’t allowed to do, so he teleported her to the spot JL had pointed to Russell materialized with Howard

They were now at the south end of the field, and froe brass circle was sitting on a red lacquered table There were three guards there, and they were busy filling wooden cups with a dark liquid and setting theers approached and due brass bin Each one was handed a cup They drank, then turned and went back to work