And I can't just stand here, not when Maxim could be just a few doors away.
Victor catches my eye and gives me a subtle shake of his head. The keep cool, don't move look.
I look away, acting as if I didn't notice. A German diplomat approaches Victor, pulling him into another conversation, and Victor's attention shifts entirely. He's cornered now, and I take my chance.
Victor looks at me, and I wink and walk away, leaving him to fend for himself.
I blend into the crowd and no one notices. They're too busy being pompous and arguing about how far the stick goes up their asses to care.
I slip into a restricted hallway, the noise of the grand hall fading behind me. The air here is cooler, and it's much quieter. My hand instinctively moves to my gun, fingers brushing the grip beneath my jacket.
The hallway is lined with dark wood paneling and old oil paintings of men who probably committed worse crimes than I ever will. Chandeliers hang overhead, leading the way forward.
I move quickly, trying to keep my footsteps silent.
At the end of the hallway, a staircase leads up. I take the stairs two at a time, my pulse quickening with every step.
When I get to the top, I realize this is just the residential wing. These stairs must be the ones the servants and staff take.
A long corridor stretches in both directions, lined with heavy oak doors. Besides our room down the way, each one could be hiding something or someone.
So, I start trying them.
The first door is unlocked. I push it open and find an empty suite. It doesn't look like it's being used.
I shut the door and move to the next door. Locked.
The third door, another empty room. Suitcases are resting in the corner.
The fourth. Locked.
I keep moving, my frustration building with every failed attempt that leads to nothing.
I stop at another heavy oak door with a bright brass handle. I jiggle it.
Locked as well.
I press my ear to the wood and listen. It's silent at first, but then.
A faint thud.
Someone is in there.
I want to know who. I'm ready to kick the door in and find out, but I stop myself.
Victor's voice echoes in my head, what he told me this morning. We can't blow our cover. Not until we have what we need.
I force myself to step back and keep moving down the hall. I try another door, and then another. I'm getting nowhere.
Just as I'm about to get to the end and run out of doors, I turn the handle and it opens.
But this one doesn't reveal a room.
It opens to a narrow hallway lined with red velvet walls. The fabric is old looking and faded, but after staring at it, you can tell it was made to look that way.
I pull my gun out and hold it low at my side.
The hallway stretches ahead, dimly lit by fancy wall sconces that cast long shadows across the floor. I follow it, my breathing steady, my senses sharp.