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The elevator spat reen carpet I plodded through it past the door marked 158 to the end of the hallway to the door under the EXIT sign and opened it Stairs Unfortunately in good repair The door opened from the inside of the hallway, but it didn’t lock No way to jam it

The hallas T shaped with only one exit, which h the elevator shaft or up the stairs

I went up to 158 and knocked

The door shot open Gina Castor’s dark eyes glared atoff her shoulder She held a black duffel in one hand and her sword in the other "What took you so long?"

"Hello to you, too"

She pushed pasther "He’s all yours"

I caught the door before it clicked shut "Where is the client?"

"Chained to the bed" They headed to the elevator

"Why?"

Castor flashed her teeth at ure it out"

The elevator’s door slid open, they ducked in, and athe door open like an idiot Peachy

I stepped inside and shut the door A faint spark of h the metal box of the card-reader lock I touched it The lock was a shaic crashed against the invisible wall of the spell and ground to a halt An expensive ward, too Good Made my job a hair easier

I slid the dead bolt shut and turned I stood in a huge living rooh to containthe wall oneverything froe sat behind the bar White, crilass furniture, and beyond it all an enor the vista of the ruined city, a deep darkness, lit here and there by the pale blue of fey lanterns

I stayed away from theand trailed the wall, punctuated by three doors The first opened into a laboratory: fla row upon row of equipraph, but the rest was beyond e rooe platfor lay on the bed, hidden under black sheets

"Saiman?"

No answer

Why lass, and beyond the glass, very far below, stretched a very hard parking lot, bathed in the glow of feylanterns

God, fifteen floors was high

I pulled my saber from the back sheath and padded across the floor to the bed

The body under the sheets didn’t move

Step

Another step

In ed at lass shards to plunge far below Fatigue was ed the sheet with ently

A htly tanned, his face neither handsoly, his features well-shaped and pleasant Perfectly average His shoulders were nude - he was probably down to his underwear or naked under the sheet

"Saiman?" I asked softly

The man’s eyelids trembled Dark eyes stared atsiren went off in my head I took a small step back and saw the outline of several chains under the sheet You’ve got to be kidding me They didn’t just chain him to the bed, they wrapped him up like a Christ," the "

"You’re uard, I presume"

I nodded "Call ive reet a beautiful woman, but I’m afraid I’m indisposed at thean industrial-size steel chain "I can see that"

"Perhaps I could i uez and Castor chain you?" And where the hell did they find a chain of this size?

A slight smile touched his lips "I’d prefer not to answer that question"

"Then we’re in trouble Clients get restrained when they interfere with the bodyguards’ ability to keep them safe Since you won’t tell me why the previous teareider "I see your point"

"Does this hten me?"

"I’m afraid not"

I nodded "I see Well then, I’ll clear the rest of the apartment, and then I’ll come back and we’ll talk some more"

"Do you prefer brunets or blonds?"

"What?"

The sheet shivered