Page 89 of Night's Reckoning
“Only when you were overtired.”
“Don’t ever use your amnis on me again.”
“I won’t.”
Liar.
Ben stubbed out his cigarette and looked at her from the corner of his eye. “I called your father to tell him Zhang was taking a cut of the artifacts.”
“How interesting.” She seemed unconcerned.
“Andrew got back to me tonight. Zhang says that if you are unconcerned with the portion Cheng is taking, he is also unconcerned. He trusts your judgment.”
“Good.”
“So I guess I made myself look like an ass.”
“No, you didn’t.” Tenzin sat next to him. “Zhang now knows that your professional integrity is more important than your loyalty to me. Well done. Very strategic.”
“That’s not why I did it.”
“Which will impress him even more.”
Ben looked at her. Looked away. “Does he know I’m quitting?”
“I didn’t tell him what you told me, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“I’m not going to change my mind, Tenzin.”
“I believe you think that.”
“Unbelievable.”
She turned to face him. “You keep saying that word. Cheng is unbelievable. I am unbelievable. Why do you find us so unbelievable lately? Are you angry at us? Or at yourself for being one of us?”
“I am not one of you.”
“In everything but biology,” Tenzin said, “you are.”
Ben rose and picked up the pack of cigarettes. “When are they going to find her body?”
“Just after daybreak.”
He shook his head. “I’m going to bed.”
“Sleep well, Benjamin.”
“I stopped doing that about three years ago.” He put another cigarette between his lips. “Just another bad habit I picked up hanging around the monsters.”
23
Meili was found just after sunrise, the crew lifting a shout when they spotted her. Ben forced himself to walk up to the aft deck to watch Cheng’s human crew lower a small vessel in the water so they could retrieve the wreck of Meili’s body. He forced himself to watch as her friends and colleagues cried out in horror. He forced himself to see the shark bites that covered the evidence of vampire trauma.
He forced himself to watch it all and never forget who Meili had been and why she had died. She’d died because a vampire had been cruel and vicious. Her body had been wrecked to cover the evidence of their crime.
There was no diving or recovery that day. Professor Chou was forced to call the girl’s parents and share the heartbreaking news. Meili must have fallen overboard and been unable to signal or shout for help in the night. It was tragic and she would be missed.
Meili’s parents were stoic. Professor Chou was wrecked.
