monitor
calls going through the phone company central office than it is to monitor
cell phone calls. The only people with a cell phone these days worked for
area government. And I had no doubt that every call was logged, maybe even
monitored.
“I
believe the last time I gave you a phone, you complained, Mr. Welles,” Bain
said. “I hope this meets with your approval. It has...apps.”
“Yes,
sir,” I said. “At least people won’t laugh at me when I pull it out of my
pocket.”
“Miss
Takeda will provide you with a vehicle charger,” he said. “You’ll note the
icons on the home page. One is a direct-dial link to Miss Takeda’s cell
phone. The second is direct-dial to mine. The third is direct dial to the
Area Operations Center.” He paused. “She is your point of contact and
represents the Area Three Governor’s Office, your client. If you are unable
to contact her in an emergency situation, you can call me. If you need
something else, call the operations center.”
“Should
I be expecting emergency situations?”
“Miss
Takeda will give you a full briefing during your return to the city,” he
said. “She can answer your questions.”
Bain
stared at me silently for a moment, then said, “This assignment is
important, Mr. Welles. For our country, and for the future of the humans and
vampires in it.”
“I’ll
do my best.”
“I’m
sure you will,” he said. “Thank you for taking the
assignment.”
Chapter
Five
Takeda
was silent as she led me through the massive operations room and into a hall
at the end of the room opposite the raised platform. The black jacket she
wore over her white blouse and loose black pants only came to mid-thigh, not
quite long enough to cover the Japanese short sword she often carried in a
rig under her left arm. Apparently she leaves it at home when she’s in the
office.
“So
how have you been?” I asked as we walked through the long corridor, our
footsteps echoing on the concrete walls.
“I
have been well,” she said. “Busy.”
When
she didn’t say anything else, I said, “Yeah, I’ve been good myself. Thanks
for asking.”
She
smiled. “I have followed your progress with the trainees General Bain
provides. Training is time consuming.”
“Yes,
it is. Especially when you put all that time into training them, only to see
them yanked out and replaced before they can actually be useful.”
“General
Bain focuses exclusively on his own priorities,” she said. “It is a trait
that all of us must struggle with at times.”
I
glanced at her. “Even you?”
She
continued to stare straight ahead. “Yes, Mr. Welles, especially
me.”
We
reached the end of the hallway and she opened the door. Beyond the door was
a large underground parking lot, filled with black SUVs and Humvees, some of
the Humvees armored with machine guns mounted on the roof. Toward the back,
I could make out the hulking shapes of half a dozen eight-wheeled Stryker
armored fighting vehicles, a model favored by the Security Force. I’d seen
them in action the last time I worked with Takeda.
She
led me to a black Hummer H1, the commercial version of the Humvee. It looked
like it was right off the assembly line, though I knew the model and brand
had been discontinued long before the war. Maybe they’d put them back into
production.
As
we got into the car, I saw I’d been wrong about her leaving the sword at
home. It was mounted, in it’s sheath, in a bracket on the console between
the two front seats. I closed the door and quickly buckled my shoulder belt.
I’d ridden with Takeda before.
True
to form, she started the engine, threw it into gear, and floored it. I
leaned back in the seat.
They
must have heard us coming up the tunnel, because the gatehouse where I’d
left Sgt. Newell had the barrier up. I caught a quick look at Trooper
Martinez leaning against the rear wall of the building,
calls going through the phone company central office than it is to monitor
cell phone calls. The only people with a cell phone these days worked for
area government. And I had no doubt that every call was logged, maybe even
monitored.
“I
believe the last time I gave you a phone, you complained, Mr. Welles,” Bain
said. “I hope this meets with your approval. It has...apps.”
“Yes,
sir,” I said. “At least people won’t laugh at me when I pull it out of my
pocket.”
“Miss
Takeda will provide you with a vehicle charger,” he said. “You’ll note the
icons on the home page. One is a direct-dial link to Miss Takeda’s cell
phone. The second is direct-dial to mine. The third is direct dial to the
Area Operations Center.” He paused. “She is your point of contact and
represents the Area Three Governor’s Office, your client. If you are unable
to contact her in an emergency situation, you can call me. If you need
something else, call the operations center.”
“Should
I be expecting emergency situations?”
“Miss
Takeda will give you a full briefing during your return to the city,” he
said. “She can answer your questions.”
Bain
stared at me silently for a moment, then said, “This assignment is
important, Mr. Welles. For our country, and for the future of the humans and
vampires in it.”
“I’ll
do my best.”
“I’m
sure you will,” he said. “Thank you for taking the
assignment.”
Chapter
Five
Takeda
was silent as she led me through the massive operations room and into a hall
at the end of the room opposite the raised platform. The black jacket she
wore over her white blouse and loose black pants only came to mid-thigh, not
quite long enough to cover the Japanese short sword she often carried in a
rig under her left arm. Apparently she leaves it at home when she’s in the
office.
“So
how have you been?” I asked as we walked through the long corridor, our
footsteps echoing on the concrete walls.
“I
have been well,” she said. “Busy.”
When
she didn’t say anything else, I said, “Yeah, I’ve been good myself. Thanks
for asking.”
She
smiled. “I have followed your progress with the trainees General Bain
provides. Training is time consuming.”
“Yes,
it is. Especially when you put all that time into training them, only to see
them yanked out and replaced before they can actually be useful.”
“General
Bain focuses exclusively on his own priorities,” she said. “It is a trait
that all of us must struggle with at times.”
I
glanced at her. “Even you?”
She
continued to stare straight ahead. “Yes, Mr. Welles, especially
me.”
We
reached the end of the hallway and she opened the door. Beyond the door was
a large underground parking lot, filled with black SUVs and Humvees, some of
the Humvees armored with machine guns mounted on the roof. Toward the back,
I could make out the hulking shapes of half a dozen eight-wheeled Stryker
armored fighting vehicles, a model favored by the Security Force. I’d seen
them in action the last time I worked with Takeda.
She
led me to a black Hummer H1, the commercial version of the Humvee. It looked
like it was right off the assembly line, though I knew the model and brand
had been discontinued long before the war. Maybe they’d put them back into
production.
As
we got into the car, I saw I’d been wrong about her leaving the sword at
home. It was mounted, in it’s sheath, in a bracket on the console between
the two front seats. I closed the door and quickly buckled my shoulder belt.
I’d ridden with Takeda before.
True
to form, she started the engine, threw it into gear, and floored it. I
leaned back in the seat.
They
must have heard us coming up the tunnel, because the gatehouse where I’d
left Sgt. Newell had the barrier up. I caught a quick look at Trooper
Martinez leaning against the rear wall of the building,
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