A Rational Exchange

“I imagine your distaste for this organization has not changed much with your transformation into homo sapien, Shade. This book quite clearly states that you’re human and unable to be re-infected, but I wasn’t inclined to following ancient religious texts before this whole fiasco began anyways. I will require a tissue sample but could do without the risk of potential problems from drinking your blood. The much larger question concerning your now mortal frame is why I should not kill you,” Iago lectures. That panic feeling is slowly creeping back. My cards are suddenly all over the floor and I’m still repeating that mantra from my Grandfather. Stay alive, think of something to say. Stay alive. “Because I never meant you any harm?” I weakly reply. Sunshine gives a snort but Iago merely raises that eyebrow again. “You walked into our facility uninvited and unprovoked with a gun that clearly somehow hurts vampires. We saw you coming a mile away and still refrained from shooting you. For all we know, you had gone the proverbial ‘postal’ on us,” Sunshine says. “Unprovoked? You were tailing me! I had a goddamn vampire staring in my window and driving an Enlightenment Cadillac. I just wanted to see what was up!” I shout back. It’s there for just a second, but Iago is surprised at this bit of information. “I assure you, none of our agents even knew you were alive, much less where you lived,” Iago replies. He looked down at the copy and flips to another section, then another. “It is possible you simply confused it with a normal Black Cadillac,” Sunshine said. “And it’s possible you should go work on your tan,” I mutter. “Gentleman! There is no need for such an irrational exchange. Some of the vehicles leave our control for extended periods of time. It could’ve been stolen by the Guild of Nod or these so-called Paladins of the Light and used as a decoy,” Iago says, “In response to your original question, we received this copy of the book from Dingo. He expressly said that it work as well as the original. He is also using one of our Cadillacs.”