Christian moved my hands away and examined my wound. “It’s a straight walk.”
Niko set his swords on the floor and knelt beside me. “Is she all right?”
I smiled reluctantly. “’Tis but a flesh wound.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
I flicked a glance at the sword and shuddered. “How many did you kill?”
“None,” he said on a breath. “But they’ll be hurting for a while until someone heals them. I presume there’s a lot of blood on my sword.”
“Yep.” I grimaced when Christian lifted my shirt to get a better look. “You should clean them.”
“I will. Is the building safe?”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see. “We got the woman. Pablo’s dead, and Viktor’s upstairs. How’s everything down below?”
“It was pandemonium for a short while, but we had help rounding them into the pit.”
“What about the Shifters? Is someone looking after them?”
He put his hand on my shoulder. “Rest easy, Raven. Your work here is done.”
I’d lost track of the time since capturing Audrey, but it had been at least twenty minutes. Niko and Christian briefly argued over who would heal me, but I insisted that Niko’s nonaddictive Healer magic was a far better choice under the circumstances. Christian’s blood came with too many distractions. Since the cut on Wyatt’s neck was superficial, Niko didn’t bother healing him. Wyatt didn’t mind. It would only provide him another tall tale to tell at the dinner table. While Niko went on an errand and Christian guarded Audrey, I followed Wyatt into the room where we’d first found him.
From my seat on the table, I watched him typing on the computer. “What are you doing?”
“Erasing everything.”
“What?”
“Viktor’s orders. I couldn’t risk it earlier because of the little guy. Usually we turn over evidence, but there’s a lot of sensitive stuff in here that we can’t trust with the Regulators. I copied everything, and that’s what we’ll show our contact before destroying it. They’ve got more than enough witnesses down below, and I’m sure plenty of them will sing for leniency.”
I swung my gaze up to the monitors on the wall and watched Keystone and a few unfamiliar faces secure the prisoners.
Wyatt cleared his throat. “There’s a shower on this floor, just so you know.”
I stood up on the table. “What’s the matter, Gravewalker? Scared of a little blood?” I jumped down. “It’s too bad we don’t have video of you cowering in the corner.”
“I wasn’t cowering. I had a chair, and she had a sword.”
I frowned at Pablo’s headless corpse. “Why did she kill him?”
“Seems the little guy was in on the whole thing. He’s a snitch.”
I jerked my head back. “Pablo?”
Wyatt scooted back and locked his fingers behind his head. “Oswald. That’s the name his ghost girlfriend gave me.”
I warily looked around. “Is he still here?”
“Nope. He went into the light or wherever they go. Took the blonde with him.”
“Is the light heaven?”
“How should I know? I don’t see that part. When they go, they just go. I’ve heard about a light, and sometimes they talk to someone I can’t see. I’m not supposed to see it, and I don’t want to see it.”
“Why not?”
He looked down at his hard nipples and frowned, probably thinking about his favorite Pac-Man shirt. “What I’d really like to know is who sent me the blueprints to this place at the last minute. It couldn’t have been the headless horseman. He was too busy with you at the time.”
“Why hasn’t Viktor come down from the lobby?”
“Christian busted the steel shutters, so Viktor’s guarding the entrance until the Regulators show up. See?” Wyatt switched on a camera in the main room. Viktor’s wolf was sitting very still, facing front. “I hope Niko finds Viktor’s clothes before everyone shows up. Otherwise that’ll be an awkward introduction when he shifts back.”
Chatter drew my attention to the hall. Two formidable men swaggered toward Christian. One had a shaved head, broad shoulders, and piercing blue eyes. The other was a tall Chitah with reddish-blond hair. Both had what looked like gold wedding bands on their fingers, which wasn’t something you saw in the Breed world.
“Everything under control?” Blue Eyes asked.
Christian stood with his hands clasped. “Aye.”
The two men looked at us and then at Pablo’s corpse.
“Who are they?” I asked quietly.
Wyatt unhooked a cable from the two computers. “That’s HALO. They were our emergency backup. You can always tell by the rings they wear.”
“Since when are we asking other organizations for help?”