Alexei Voronin was there too, to meet Paul and Nima. He had access to the reports. Bald, creased eyes, wiry build. He'd been Soviet-era KGB officer, taken after perestroika. A useful pawn among the Eternal and one of the rare ones made for his abilities rather than his beauty or amusement value. His sire was one of the great Ladies among the Eternal, the Lady Klotho. She used Voronin as an advisor, which was unusual. Most Eternal preferred older vampires as their advisors, but Lady Klotho made talented mortals into her entourage, and they provided insight into the modern world. He was one of several, but his presence meant that she was interested.

Their meeting was in a motel in Dukewater. The room was nondescript, but there was a computer and printouts all around. There were no thralls.

"It's good to see that you brought her, Paul," his English accented. "Because this is highly unusual. The killing methods...well, look at them. There are bullets, but also blunt force trauma and a sign of bladed weaponry in use. Most unusually, there is no useful surveillance footage."

His fingers were steepled, he was sitting with the chair facing backwards, straddling it. But he watched Nima as he asked the next question, "You are an interesting case, you come from the hunter community. Tell me about this community. I want to know anything you might have not told us before. Are any of them blood-drinkers? Do you know of any vaults of Eternal blood being stored?" Thralls, he thought, it could be thralls.

"They were gut-shot, the forensic report says that. Hunter trick, as you know. But that doesn't account for how the force that was used. Giorgio's leg was broken and then he was beaten to death. Someone put a blade through Richard's skull. There are inconsistencies. Have you ever heard rumors of vampires turning hunters into thralls?" That was the other thought, that one of the Eternal was betraying them. He watched both of the others intently. Paul was older, but Alexei's patron was ancient and had a terrible reputation. She wanted answers.

[@vanq]