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Behind her, in the shadows of an evidence van, stood Sloan Rosen He atching etup were for the press, and probably critiquingas I’d known Jodi Like her, he worked with the oo squad as part of NOPD’s SCD--Special Cri tats and prison tats fro a co the price the Crips had put on his head He was married and had kids, and so he needed the job and the benefits and the retiree that preceded Hurricane Katrina and the city’s financial woes

He nodded to the side and lifted a finger I gave him a half nod and turned the bike over to Herbert, who pushed it into the shadows as I met Jodi at the tent Thunder ru resonance that was as

Jodi ran her eyes from the toes of hed It wasn’t a rinned back "No one knoho our suspect is," she said "Facial recog has turned up zip so far Tell one through nahead, the one he entered this country under was Joseph Santana Leo is calling the governor and the ue-vaiven a contract by Leo to hunt Santana, which will provide hiainst Santana’s pals when I cut out his heart How about your end?"

"Not bad," she said "The governor’s contract is being faxed to your office now, the fee to be paid by a local man whose son is inside the bar, on the floor, the result of a hungry fanghead; one of the drained ones" Her face fell, showing for a er of the populace, while at the sa to be professional, cool, calm, and able to protect and serve

Carefully, so as not to rock the precarious e, I said, "Just to clarify, Yellowrock Securities doesn’t take orders froency I’ll be working under contract to the Mithran Council, but under the direct cohtened as if she was about to disagree and I rushed ahead "But I will keep you, personally, in the loop We provide each other intel and backup as needed Agreed?"

So to make me pinkie swear in front of the press, are you?" she asked

"No You’re not gonna ht arm and pulled ed not to hiss in pain and, with rip free as alked Jodi didn’t notice onna have to talk? My heart rate sped

In a mild state of panic, I climbed the creaky stairs to stand to the side, behind Jodi and the new mayor, with Eli next to me A suited man stood on the other side of theFBI or PsyLED, his expression suggesting that he was too good to rub shoulders with the locals He didn’t even glance at Eli andhiuy to hear The cop turned, finally deigning to look us over, taking in the weapons we carried "Piss his pants if he head in a dark alley," Eli finished, louder

IThe suited cop flushed darkly

"You are evil," I whispered to Eli

"You just figuring that out, babe?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of New Orleans," the mayor started I listened with only half an ear, hts of the crowd, and theirYada yada, blah blah blah, a strea you safe," uy stepped up and proovern up the locals in any way they needed, the moment they were asked to participate A newsy type shouted, "Why aren’t you helping now?"

The cop turned, looked directly at me, and said, "The city of New Orleans has decided it would rather put their trust in armed bounty hunters"--whichpoop on the sidewalk--"than in the resources of Troop B of the Office of State Police"

"Jane Yellowrock?" a ood is the lover of the Master of the City in a hunt for fangheads?" The crowd rureement and the state cop smiled at me, s ducky I broke out in a hot sweat and, after a space of uncolier, I figured out how to lift a foot and push it forward, walking slowly to the podiulance of hidden a the cop My partner and his big mouth

I was taller than the suited cop, and I reached forward, adjusting the her so I wouldn’t have to bend over Only as I worked with the ht and the need to adjust the world tothe crowd Predators in the wild knew that size was no indicator of doer than Leo Pellissier and Joseph Santana, and they ay bigger predators than I was But the huured I had their attention, I cleared my throat and said, softly, into the mic, "I’m Jane Yellowrock I came to this city to track and kill the vampire who took down an entire unit of cops where they stood You’ve seen it on YouTube, uploaded by someone in the Pellissier household, the way I took that killer down The look of his teeth--not a regular vampire at all"

"Sabertooth vampire," someone from the middle of the crowd yelled

"That mutant, insane vampire, whatever he as not a Mithran You’ve heard theht some nods and felt the ca Myother, so unknown