she didn’t care.
McKenna, the Vee who’d given me the painkilling injection earlier, was waiting by the front
door. Beside him was a muscular Vee in a midnight-blue uniform, a pistol at his hip. He wore a
red beret with a small emblem on the front, a black metal hawk or raptor of some kind with ruby
eyes. It looked a lot like the bird on the disk Joshua had given me.
We stopped.
“This should do you till the swelling is gone and the bruising starts to fade,” McKenna said,
handing me a small box. “Three pills. Take one before you go to bed tonight, another ten hours
later, and another tomorrow night before you go to bed. That should get you through the worst
of the pain. If you’re still hurting after that, see a human doctor.”
“Thanks.” I stuck the pills in my pocket.
He nodded.
Takeda looked to the guy in the blue uniform and he opened the door for us. I followed her
out of the house.
Chapter Ten
Getting a look around as we stepped onto the graveled drive, I realized that ‘house’ wasn’t
quite the right term for Bain’s residence. Mansion, maybe, or estate would be more accurate.
The government took good care of their Deputy Area Governors.
A large black vehicle was waiting in the driveway, the engine running, headlights on. I
hadn’t seen one in a while, but it looked like one of the big Ford sport utility vehicles, an
Expedition or Excursion. It was a climb to get into the passenger seat.
A portfolio-style briefcase was on the seat. I picked it up and sat, closing the door as Takeda
propelled herself into the driver’s seat. She slammed her door and we were rolling, fast. I
buckled my seatbelt.
She looked at the briefcase in my lap. “Full police file on the Joshua Thomas murder.”
Nodding, I jiggled the portfolio. It seemed a little heavy to be just paperwork. I opened it.
There was, indeed, a slim file folder inside. There was also a pistol. I looked at Takeda.
“Glock 29, 10mm, ten round magazine,” she said, eyes on the road. “The police ballistics
lab has custody of your weapon for the moment, so it’s been temporarily replaced. That is the
correct model and caliber, yes?”
“Yeah, same as what I had.”
“We will recover your weapon and return it to you, if you wish, sir,” she said. “Or you may
keep that one.”
“This will be fine,” I said, closing the portfolio. “I’m not a gun buff. No personal
attachment to weapons. As long as they hit what I’m shooting at, I don’t care.”
“As you wish, sir,” she said, still watching the road.
“So, you were what . . . Major Takeda? Colonel Takeda?”
“Captain, sir,” she said.
“Army?”
She shook her head. “Air Force, sir.”
I nodded. “Have you worked for the Deputy Area Governor very long?”
“I’ve served under General Bain since before the war.”
“During the war as well, I guess.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Where was that, anyway?”
“I’m sorry, sir,” she said with a tight smile. “There are specific things that I’m not permitted
to discuss with you.”
“I understand,” I said. “Did you know Joshua Thomas too?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir, I served with Colonel Thomas.”
“You’re an investigator?”
“No, sir,” she said. “Force protection.”
“And that was at . . .”
“I’m sorry, sir. There are certain things . . .”
“Yeah, yeah,” I interrupted. “Certain things you can’t discuss.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Look, Miss Takeda, we’re not in the Air Force. You can back off on all the ‘sirs’. My
name is Charlie. Or Mr. Welles, if you prefer. Or nothing. Just not sir.”
She nodded. “My given name is Tiffany, though I would prefer you address me by my last
name,” she said.
“Understandable,” I said with a smile. “You don’t strike me as a Tiffany.” I paused. “So
what time is it anyway, Miss Takeda. The cops took my watch before they started beating the
crap out me.”
“Zero two fifty-three hours,”
McKenna, the Vee who’d given me the painkilling injection earlier, was waiting by the front
door. Beside him was a muscular Vee in a midnight-blue uniform, a pistol at his hip. He wore a
red beret with a small emblem on the front, a black metal hawk or raptor of some kind with ruby
eyes. It looked a lot like the bird on the disk Joshua had given me.
We stopped.
“This should do you till the swelling is gone and the bruising starts to fade,” McKenna said,
handing me a small box. “Three pills. Take one before you go to bed tonight, another ten hours
later, and another tomorrow night before you go to bed. That should get you through the worst
of the pain. If you’re still hurting after that, see a human doctor.”
“Thanks.” I stuck the pills in my pocket.
He nodded.
Takeda looked to the guy in the blue uniform and he opened the door for us. I followed her
out of the house.
Chapter Ten
Getting a look around as we stepped onto the graveled drive, I realized that ‘house’ wasn’t
quite the right term for Bain’s residence. Mansion, maybe, or estate would be more accurate.
The government took good care of their Deputy Area Governors.
A large black vehicle was waiting in the driveway, the engine running, headlights on. I
hadn’t seen one in a while, but it looked like one of the big Ford sport utility vehicles, an
Expedition or Excursion. It was a climb to get into the passenger seat.
A portfolio-style briefcase was on the seat. I picked it up and sat, closing the door as Takeda
propelled herself into the driver’s seat. She slammed her door and we were rolling, fast. I
buckled my seatbelt.
She looked at the briefcase in my lap. “Full police file on the Joshua Thomas murder.”
Nodding, I jiggled the portfolio. It seemed a little heavy to be just paperwork. I opened it.
There was, indeed, a slim file folder inside. There was also a pistol. I looked at Takeda.
“Glock 29, 10mm, ten round magazine,” she said, eyes on the road. “The police ballistics
lab has custody of your weapon for the moment, so it’s been temporarily replaced. That is the
correct model and caliber, yes?”
“Yeah, same as what I had.”
“We will recover your weapon and return it to you, if you wish, sir,” she said. “Or you may
keep that one.”
“This will be fine,” I said, closing the portfolio. “I’m not a gun buff. No personal
attachment to weapons. As long as they hit what I’m shooting at, I don’t care.”
“As you wish, sir,” she said, still watching the road.
“So, you were what . . . Major Takeda? Colonel Takeda?”
“Captain, sir,” she said.
“Army?”
She shook her head. “Air Force, sir.”
I nodded. “Have you worked for the Deputy Area Governor very long?”
“I’ve served under General Bain since before the war.”
“During the war as well, I guess.”
“Yes, sir,” she replied.
“Where was that, anyway?”
“I’m sorry, sir,” she said with a tight smile. “There are specific things that I’m not permitted
to discuss with you.”
“I understand,” I said. “Did you know Joshua Thomas too?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir, I served with Colonel Thomas.”
“You’re an investigator?”
“No, sir,” she said. “Force protection.”
“And that was at . . .”
“I’m sorry, sir. There are certain things . . .”
“Yeah, yeah,” I interrupted. “Certain things you can’t discuss.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Look, Miss Takeda, we’re not in the Air Force. You can back off on all the ‘sirs’. My
name is Charlie. Or Mr. Welles, if you prefer. Or nothing. Just not sir.”
She nodded. “My given name is Tiffany, though I would prefer you address me by my last
name,” she said.
“Understandable,” I said with a smile. “You don’t strike me as a Tiffany.” I paused. “So
what time is it anyway, Miss Takeda. The cops took my watch before they started beating the
crap out me.”
“Zero two fifty-three hours,”
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