He listened for a moment, then said, “Human. Use the picture we
have on file for his Private Investigator license.” More silence. “I don’t know. Whatever we
issue our highest-level operatives. Full cooperation, civilian and governmental, penalty of death,
whatever it says. You know the details better than I. Everything over my signature” He nodded.
“That will be fine. Thank you.”
Hanging up the phone, he said, “Your credentials will be ready tomorrow evening. They’ll
be delivered to you.”
“Sounds like the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card,” I said softly.
Bain laughed harshly. “One look at them and the governor of this state would be falling all
over herself to give you anything you asked for. Including her cold body, if that’s what you
required.” He smiled thinly. “Of course, when the case is over, I’ll be taking the cell phone and ID back.”
“Of course.”
He was studying me again. “When you were in Camp Delta-5, I understand you were
offered the change by one of our recruiters.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I wasn’t interested.”
“Why not?”
I was silent for a moment. “I’m comfortable with who and what I am.”
“A glib answer,” he said. “One you’ve obviously used whenever the question came up.”
I chuckled uncomfortably. “Let’s just leave it at that. I don’t want to offend you.”
Bain’s eyes were hard. “By all means, offend me.” It wasn’t a request.
“You want it straight?” I asked. “Okay. I saw what Vees were like, what they did without a
second thought. I don’t want any part of it. I don’t want to live off the blood of human beings. I
don’t want to participate in the kind of casual brutality I saw during the war and in the camp.
Had they offered me the choice between being turned or death, I would have chosen death. And
to be honest, nothing I’ve seen since has changed my mind.”
He continued to study me, then nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Now I’ve got a question for you,” I said. “And I’d appreciate a straight answer.”
“That depends on the question,” Bain said. “Ask.”
“Did Joshua turn voluntarily?”
Bain was silent for a moment, then said, “Did I ask him before I changed him? No. Did he
have a choice in the matter? No. As I said, he was under my command during the war. After I
was changed, I was told what needed to be done, and left to make it happen. I required Joshua’s
assistance to be successful. I called him into my office, had him subdued, and did what needed
to be done. There was nothing voluntary about his change.”
“Thanks for your honesty,” I said.
He nodded slowly and picked up the white phone. “Send in Takeda.” He hung up the phone
and stood, extending his hand across the desk. “Good luck, Mr. Welles.”
As I shook his hand, I heard the door behind me open. “Takeda reporting, sir,” a woman
said.
Bain released my hand. “Miss Takeda will be your liaison with my staff,” he said. “If you
need anything, she will . . . expedite your request. I think you’ll find that she’s very efficient.”
I turned around. Miss Takeda, as her name indicated, was Japanese, with short black hair,
wearing a loose black jacket and a plain white blouse. Her black pants were loose, but tightly
cuffed at the ankles. I also saw a bulge under her left arm. Right about where a heavy-caliber
pistol in a shoulder holster would be.
She stared at me, her smooth, oval face blank. “Mr. Welles,” she said, stepping to one side
and pointing at the door.
I glanced over my shoulder at Bain. He was lighting another cigar, his eyes on the open file
folder in front of him. I’d been dismissed.
With a shrug, I walked past Takeda and she followed me into the hall, closing the door
behind us. “If you’ll follow me, sir,” she said.
It was something of a struggle to keep up with her. She was moving at a good clip, and my
legs were stiff from sitting with Bain. Takeda didn’t seem to notice. Or
have on file for his Private Investigator license.” More silence. “I don’t know. Whatever we
issue our highest-level operatives. Full cooperation, civilian and governmental, penalty of death,
whatever it says. You know the details better than I. Everything over my signature” He nodded.
“That will be fine. Thank you.”
Hanging up the phone, he said, “Your credentials will be ready tomorrow evening. They’ll
be delivered to you.”
“Sounds like the ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card,” I said softly.
Bain laughed harshly. “One look at them and the governor of this state would be falling all
over herself to give you anything you asked for. Including her cold body, if that’s what you
required.” He smiled thinly. “Of course, when the case is over, I’ll be taking the cell phone and ID back.”
“Of course.”
He was studying me again. “When you were in Camp Delta-5, I understand you were
offered the change by one of our recruiters.”
I nodded. “Yeah. I wasn’t interested.”
“Why not?”
I was silent for a moment. “I’m comfortable with who and what I am.”
“A glib answer,” he said. “One you’ve obviously used whenever the question came up.”
I chuckled uncomfortably. “Let’s just leave it at that. I don’t want to offend you.”
Bain’s eyes were hard. “By all means, offend me.” It wasn’t a request.
“You want it straight?” I asked. “Okay. I saw what Vees were like, what they did without a
second thought. I don’t want any part of it. I don’t want to live off the blood of human beings. I
don’t want to participate in the kind of casual brutality I saw during the war and in the camp.
Had they offered me the choice between being turned or death, I would have chosen death. And
to be honest, nothing I’ve seen since has changed my mind.”
He continued to study me, then nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Now I’ve got a question for you,” I said. “And I’d appreciate a straight answer.”
“That depends on the question,” Bain said. “Ask.”
“Did Joshua turn voluntarily?”
Bain was silent for a moment, then said, “Did I ask him before I changed him? No. Did he
have a choice in the matter? No. As I said, he was under my command during the war. After I
was changed, I was told what needed to be done, and left to make it happen. I required Joshua’s
assistance to be successful. I called him into my office, had him subdued, and did what needed
to be done. There was nothing voluntary about his change.”
“Thanks for your honesty,” I said.
He nodded slowly and picked up the white phone. “Send in Takeda.” He hung up the phone
and stood, extending his hand across the desk. “Good luck, Mr. Welles.”
As I shook his hand, I heard the door behind me open. “Takeda reporting, sir,” a woman
said.
Bain released my hand. “Miss Takeda will be your liaison with my staff,” he said. “If you
need anything, she will . . . expedite your request. I think you’ll find that she’s very efficient.”
I turned around. Miss Takeda, as her name indicated, was Japanese, with short black hair,
wearing a loose black jacket and a plain white blouse. Her black pants were loose, but tightly
cuffed at the ankles. I also saw a bulge under her left arm. Right about where a heavy-caliber
pistol in a shoulder holster would be.
She stared at me, her smooth, oval face blank. “Mr. Welles,” she said, stepping to one side
and pointing at the door.
I glanced over my shoulder at Bain. He was lighting another cigar, his eyes on the open file
folder in front of him. I’d been dismissed.
With a shrug, I walked past Takeda and she followed me into the hall, closing the door
behind us. “If you’ll follow me, sir,” she said.
It was something of a struggle to keep up with her. She was moving at a good clip, and my
legs were stiff from sitting with Bain. Takeda didn’t seem to notice. Or
Similar Books
