“It’s possible
the other clients can wait a few days.” The last thing I wanted was more
involvement with Area Government and it’s personnel.
“Understood.
Anything else?”
“You
know it’s six hundred dollars a day, right? Or I can bill hourly at a
hundred dollars an hour if you prefer, but it’ll probably end up costing you
more.”
He
nodded. “I’m aware of the price of your services,” Bain said. “It’s
acceptable.”
“How
long will the ambassador be in town?”
“Three
days, perhaps four. There’s no set timetable that I’m aware of.”
“One
more thing,” I said. “Brenner. He’s good, but not good enough to investigate
cases on his own yet. So I’d be losing business by not being able to service
our vampire clientele. Unless you expect me to spend the day guarding
Heymann and then train Brenner after dark.”
Bain
didn’t say anything for a moment, and I thought maybe I had him. I should
have realized that Phillip Bain was never ‘had’.
“All
right,” he said. “Area Three Government will pay for both your services and
Brenner’s. You can use him as you see fit in this assignment, or he can cool
his heels. That’s your choice.” He centered the contract in front of him and
lifted his pen. “Twelve hundred dollars per day for the duration of the
assignment?”
“Plus
expenses.”
Bain
shook his head. “You won’t have any expenses, Mr. Welles. If you require
support or logistics, we’ll provide it.” He stared at the contract. “Do you
require a retainer?”
I
could have said yes, but what was the point. This was a done deal. No matter
what I said, Bain would have an answer. “That’s okay. I’m sure area
government is good for it. You can pay on completion.” I paused. “And staff
time?”
He
just stared at me silently.
“Okay,
twelve hundred a day, flat rate. No extras.”
Bain
nodded. “Done.” He filled in the spaces on the contract and scrawled his
name at the bottom, then pushed it across the desk. “Everything correct, Mr.
Welles?”
I
scanned the contract and nodded.
He
pulled the contract back. “I’ll have a copy made for our files and someone
will deliver the original to your office tomorrow morning.” Bain picked up
the phone on his desk and tapped in two numbers. “Would you come in,
please.”
“So
how is this going to work?”
“You’ll
coordinate through Security Command,” he said. Behind me, the door opened. I
looked over my shoulder. Tiffany Takeda stepped into the room and closed the
door. “Miss Takeda is Security Command for this operation.”
“Mr.
Welles,” she said with a small smile and a slight bow of her
head.
“Miss
Takeda,” I replied, matching her bowed head.
Tiffany
Takeda. California beach bunny turned vampire. And recently, having
discovered her Japanese roots, turned American quasi-samurai. I’d worked
closely with her during the investigation into Joshua’s murder. She’d been
both helpful and ruthless. And she’d stuck a sword into the back of a
vampire that was getting ready to cut me up and have a sip.
“Miss
Takeda will have overall command of the operation, and will personally
supervise the Security Force during nighttime hours. You will have command
autonomy, within reason of course, during daylight hours, and will supervise
the Security Force while the sun is up.”
Bain
opened a desk drawer, took out a cell phone, and put it on the desk between
us. “For the duration of the assignment.”
I
picked up the phone. It wasn’t the latest model, of course. Imports dried up
around the time the war began. But it had a touchscreen and some icons on
the home page. And it was a huge step up from the ten-year old phone that
Bain had let me use when I was investigating Joshua’s murder.
Cell
phones are few and far between these days. The Vees had outlawed their use
by civilians after the war. Security, they said. It’s easier to
the other clients can wait a few days.” The last thing I wanted was more
involvement with Area Government and it’s personnel.
“Understood.
Anything else?”
“You
know it’s six hundred dollars a day, right? Or I can bill hourly at a
hundred dollars an hour if you prefer, but it’ll probably end up costing you
more.”
He
nodded. “I’m aware of the price of your services,” Bain said. “It’s
acceptable.”
“How
long will the ambassador be in town?”
“Three
days, perhaps four. There’s no set timetable that I’m aware of.”
“One
more thing,” I said. “Brenner. He’s good, but not good enough to investigate
cases on his own yet. So I’d be losing business by not being able to service
our vampire clientele. Unless you expect me to spend the day guarding
Heymann and then train Brenner after dark.”
Bain
didn’t say anything for a moment, and I thought maybe I had him. I should
have realized that Phillip Bain was never ‘had’.
“All
right,” he said. “Area Three Government will pay for both your services and
Brenner’s. You can use him as you see fit in this assignment, or he can cool
his heels. That’s your choice.” He centered the contract in front of him and
lifted his pen. “Twelve hundred dollars per day for the duration of the
assignment?”
“Plus
expenses.”
Bain
shook his head. “You won’t have any expenses, Mr. Welles. If you require
support or logistics, we’ll provide it.” He stared at the contract. “Do you
require a retainer?”
I
could have said yes, but what was the point. This was a done deal. No matter
what I said, Bain would have an answer. “That’s okay. I’m sure area
government is good for it. You can pay on completion.” I paused. “And staff
time?”
He
just stared at me silently.
“Okay,
twelve hundred a day, flat rate. No extras.”
Bain
nodded. “Done.” He filled in the spaces on the contract and scrawled his
name at the bottom, then pushed it across the desk. “Everything correct, Mr.
Welles?”
I
scanned the contract and nodded.
He
pulled the contract back. “I’ll have a copy made for our files and someone
will deliver the original to your office tomorrow morning.” Bain picked up
the phone on his desk and tapped in two numbers. “Would you come in,
please.”
“So
how is this going to work?”
“You’ll
coordinate through Security Command,” he said. Behind me, the door opened. I
looked over my shoulder. Tiffany Takeda stepped into the room and closed the
door. “Miss Takeda is Security Command for this operation.”
“Mr.
Welles,” she said with a small smile and a slight bow of her
head.
“Miss
Takeda,” I replied, matching her bowed head.
Tiffany
Takeda. California beach bunny turned vampire. And recently, having
discovered her Japanese roots, turned American quasi-samurai. I’d worked
closely with her during the investigation into Joshua’s murder. She’d been
both helpful and ruthless. And she’d stuck a sword into the back of a
vampire that was getting ready to cut me up and have a sip.
“Miss
Takeda will have overall command of the operation, and will personally
supervise the Security Force during nighttime hours. You will have command
autonomy, within reason of course, during daylight hours, and will supervise
the Security Force while the sun is up.”
Bain
opened a desk drawer, took out a cell phone, and put it on the desk between
us. “For the duration of the assignment.”
I
picked up the phone. It wasn’t the latest model, of course. Imports dried up
around the time the war began. But it had a touchscreen and some icons on
the home page. And it was a huge step up from the ten-year old phone that
Bain had let me use when I was investigating Joshua’s murder.
Cell
phones are few and far between these days. The Vees had outlawed their use
by civilians after the war. Security, they said. It’s easier to
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