Free Baltic Gambit: A Novel of the Vampire Earth by E.E. Knight

the hand.
    Duvalier was shocked at the physical contact. It felt as unnatural from Lambert as a blow job scene in one of those Jane Austen naturals that Val secretly read.
    “What we’re about to discuss is classified at the highest level. So, usual discretion.”
    “I’ve never had trouble keeping secrets. I bet I’m better than you at it.”
    Colonel Lambert gave her a look that was at once both friendly and a glare. “Don’t be so sure.”
    “But back to my way to kill three Reapers with one stake. There’s an all-freehold conference to take place in a couple months. I can’t tell you where—nobody’s told me that yet, even—other than that it’s on the other side of the Atlantic, in one of the Baltic League freeholds. Kentucky, as the newest freehold east of the Mississippi, is invited to attend, of course. The problem is the Kentucky delegation doesn’t have the ability to travel thousands of miles across the ocean, so they asked if they could travel with Southern Command’s group.Southern Command and the Ozark Free Republic agreed, which I find curious because we’ve always been the proverbial redheaded (beg your pardon) stepchild. There’s to be one delegate per freehold, and the delegate is allowed to bring up to two assistants and two security guards for travel. I intend to have you and Valentine as the security. Think you could convince him to join you? The trip won’t be easy, but it shouldn’t be dangerous beyond the typical risks of long-distance travel. Might be a pleasant change of scenery.”
    She sighed. As if she had any leverage over Val. But she could offer some insight. “He won’t accept. He’s convinced the Georgia Control is going to hit us with everything they have, and soon.”
    “Well, the Georgia Control seems to have gone quiet. In fact, it’s been the most peaceful summer worldwide in the history of the Resistance. What do you think of that?”
    “Maybe the Kurians are having a conference, too, to figure out what to do with us. Why a security detail?”
    “It’s a long trip. Southern Command has made arrangements through the Resistance network for transport up to Halifax. You’ll take a boat over.”
    “Arrangements—Halifax? That’s way at the eastern tip of Canada, right? Just getting there would be the farthest I’ve ever been, anywhere.”
    “You’ll still have a long way to go after that. That’s why I like you and Valentine for the job. Hopefully you’ll spend most of your time sleeping in transport. The conference itself has its own security, so once you’re there you should—should—be able to relax.”
    “You’ve no idea where it is?”
    “It’s certainly going to be one of the north-shore Baltic leaguestates. Norway, Sweden, or Finland, probably toward the north. Kurians shy away from cold climates.”
    “Except in summer, and it’ll be summer by the time we get there, I’ll bet.”
    “Maybe you’ll see the midnight sun. That would interfere with the Kurians, too. They’d lose all kinds of distance on their Reapers.”
    “They don’t need Reapers to kill a bunch of people. They have Grogs, a big bomb, commandos… .”
    “They’ve never managed to hit a conference before. Anyway, that note indicates that the agent or agents is just going to gather information. That’s probably more useful to them than killing a bunch of overfed delegates.”
    She was almost looking forward to it. Of course, the last time she’d been promised a long, easy trip, she’d wound up sweltering on the Gulf Coast posing as Valentine’s wife, and had returned home in the middle of Solon’s takeover of the old Ozark Free Territory. Valentine had been briefed with her and received the same assurances. He wouldn’t care to hear them again. “One problem, though. Valentine. He’d never agree to go. So unless you give Ahn-Kha and me orders to tie him up, stick him in a diplomatic bag, and label it ‘Kentucky Delegation,’ your security detail won’t have