have to make
do.”
“I
guess I will.”
“Exactly,”
he said. “But I didn’t have you brought here to listen to your complaints. I
have need of your personal services.”
“Okay,”
I said slowly. “What’s the problem?”
“Do
you watch the news, Mr. Welles?”
“Yes.
And I’m so old-fashioned that I read the newspaper too.”
“Then
you’ve undoubtedly seen that the former German ambassador, Konrad Heymann,
is in the United States on a fact-finding mission. If he is satisfied with
what he finds, it will hopefully be the first step to resume diplomatic
relations with Germany and perhaps other countries.”
“Yeah,
I heard that. Pretty exciting stuff, huh.”
“Pretty
important stuff, Mr. Welles. We are doing what we can to reestablish normal
relations with the rest of the world. The government in Washington is behind
it, as is the Governor General.”
“So
what do you need from me?”
Bain
was silent for a moment, then said, “It won’t be announced till morning, but
the ambassador is taking his fact-finding mission on the road, as it were.
Going beyond the confines of the United Nations in New York and the federal
government area in the District of Columbia. He’ll be arriving in your city
tomorrow evening.”
“Okay.
I’ll ask again, what do you need from me?”
“Executive
protection is one of the services your detective agency provides, if I’m not
mistaken.”
I
think my jaw dropped, just a little. “You want me to be the ambassador’s
bodyguard?”
“No,”
he said quickly. “The ambassador has a bodyguard with him as well as
an...advisor. But Area Three Government is coordinating overall security.
The subject of his safety while here in Area Three was brought up with Mr.
Heymann. He understands the need for security, and is willing to have
vampire personnel from the Security Force provide protection at night.” He
paused. “But during daylight hours, he wants a human unaffiliated with the
local area government to coordinate the security detail. An
outsider.”
“And
you’ve decided that’s me.” I wasn’t liking the way this was going, but since
I didn’t have any warning, I needed to buy some time to come up with a
reason why I couldn’t do it. Coordinating the ambassador’s security detail
didn’t sound like my kind of job.
“You
have the required skill set,” he said. “You know the city. You know the
police department and the Security Force. Your work on our previous
collaboration proved your abilities and your dogged nature. Who better, Mr.
Welles?”
“Mr.
Bain, Joshua’s murder was personal to me. To you too.” I paused. “I don’t
have a personal stake in this. And I have a business to run.”
“Exactly.
Which is why the Area Governor’s Office will hire you for this assignment.
This office will be your client, like any other, while Ambassador Heymann is
in town.”
That
pretty much backed me into a corner. I sat there in silence.
“Are
you doing so well that you don’t need another client, Mr.
Welles?”
“No,
sir.” I said quickly. “New clients are always welcome.”
“Good.”
He pulled a piece of paper from under his desk blotter. I recognized the logo at the
top.
“I
took the liberty of having one of my trainees take a copy of your standard
contract,” he said. “For our files.”
“I
do have other cases that I’m working,” I said. “This sounds like it might
take up a lot of my time, and I’d hate to leave my other clients
hanging.”
“If
you need help with existing cases, I will provide personnel to assist.
Trained, skilled investigators, from other areas if necessary.” He paused.
“This is an important, high profile assignment, Mr. Welles. I’ve been given
free reign by Governor General Austin to do whatever is necessary to bring
it a satisfactory conclusion.”
Another
door slammed in my face. “I’ll let you know on that,” I said.
do.”
“I
guess I will.”
“Exactly,”
he said. “But I didn’t have you brought here to listen to your complaints. I
have need of your personal services.”
“Okay,”
I said slowly. “What’s the problem?”
“Do
you watch the news, Mr. Welles?”
“Yes.
And I’m so old-fashioned that I read the newspaper too.”
“Then
you’ve undoubtedly seen that the former German ambassador, Konrad Heymann,
is in the United States on a fact-finding mission. If he is satisfied with
what he finds, it will hopefully be the first step to resume diplomatic
relations with Germany and perhaps other countries.”
“Yeah,
I heard that. Pretty exciting stuff, huh.”
“Pretty
important stuff, Mr. Welles. We are doing what we can to reestablish normal
relations with the rest of the world. The government in Washington is behind
it, as is the Governor General.”
“So
what do you need from me?”
Bain
was silent for a moment, then said, “It won’t be announced till morning, but
the ambassador is taking his fact-finding mission on the road, as it were.
Going beyond the confines of the United Nations in New York and the federal
government area in the District of Columbia. He’ll be arriving in your city
tomorrow evening.”
“Okay.
I’ll ask again, what do you need from me?”
“Executive
protection is one of the services your detective agency provides, if I’m not
mistaken.”
I
think my jaw dropped, just a little. “You want me to be the ambassador’s
bodyguard?”
“No,”
he said quickly. “The ambassador has a bodyguard with him as well as
an...advisor. But Area Three Government is coordinating overall security.
The subject of his safety while here in Area Three was brought up with Mr.
Heymann. He understands the need for security, and is willing to have
vampire personnel from the Security Force provide protection at night.” He
paused. “But during daylight hours, he wants a human unaffiliated with the
local area government to coordinate the security detail. An
outsider.”
“And
you’ve decided that’s me.” I wasn’t liking the way this was going, but since
I didn’t have any warning, I needed to buy some time to come up with a
reason why I couldn’t do it. Coordinating the ambassador’s security detail
didn’t sound like my kind of job.
“You
have the required skill set,” he said. “You know the city. You know the
police department and the Security Force. Your work on our previous
collaboration proved your abilities and your dogged nature. Who better, Mr.
Welles?”
“Mr.
Bain, Joshua’s murder was personal to me. To you too.” I paused. “I don’t
have a personal stake in this. And I have a business to run.”
“Exactly.
Which is why the Area Governor’s Office will hire you for this assignment.
This office will be your client, like any other, while Ambassador Heymann is
in town.”
That
pretty much backed me into a corner. I sat there in silence.
“Are
you doing so well that you don’t need another client, Mr.
Welles?”
“No,
sir.” I said quickly. “New clients are always welcome.”
“Good.”
He pulled a piece of paper from under his desk blotter. I recognized the logo at the
top.
“I
took the liberty of having one of my trainees take a copy of your standard
contract,” he said. “For our files.”
“I
do have other cases that I’m working,” I said. “This sounds like it might
take up a lot of my time, and I’d hate to leave my other clients
hanging.”
“If
you need help with existing cases, I will provide personnel to assist.
Trained, skilled investigators, from other areas if necessary.” He paused.
“This is an important, high profile assignment, Mr. Welles. I’ve been given
free reign by Governor General Austin to do whatever is necessary to bring
it a satisfactory conclusion.”
Another
door slammed in my face. “I’ll let you know on that,” I said.
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