You were going to wait until after I'd finished converting and had changed so much that my old life wouldn't be enough, but your doubts about me made us reach this point a little earlier than you had in mind. Who's coming at us and what's the setup?" "What made you ask that? 'Who's coming at us'?" With a shrug, Cade said, "Just figures, as I see it. You may only be assembling a team to help with natural disasters and work with cops and firemen, but I'd have to doubt that. If you were, you'd be shopping for cops and firemen; people with that kind of training, who'd know the limitations of the equipment and people involved. Instead, you drafted me." "Drafted you? Volunteerism isn't mandatory, you know." "How long would my conversion be a secret if I turn you down, ma'am? When would all the government agencies and anybody else who figured to hire a super-bodyguard or whatever stop knocking on my door?" "You think I'd tell anyone you'd been converted?" "John, maybe. Or maybe I'd slip up and do something super in public. Doesn't matter how the info gets out; it will. The combined might of an army might not be enough to take you down, but I'm not going to be quite that powerful, am I?" "Well, no, but..." "But I'm going to be powerful enough to make the authorities nervous as hell about having me around, right?" Meeting his gaze, Mandi nodded slightly. "Yes." "So unless I'm under someone's supervision -- someone stronger than me and whom they believe they can control, even if only because she wants their cooperation -- I may never have another damned day of peace or privacy. That's the way their little minds work." After a moment, Mandi asked, "You're pretty angry with me, aren't you, Ed?" He shook his head. "No. No point. In this case, done is done, right or wrong. How soon will you need me?" Mandi's gaze narrowed questioningly. "Don't you want to know a little more about what..." Cade began bagging their trash and said, "Sure. Let's check out the next restaurant. You can tell me all about it while we eat. Got a schedule to meet?" "Uh, well, sort of. The President offered me the use of an obsolete missile base and some money to fix it up." "Hm. Remote, mostly underground facilities. You're going to convert some women, too, aren't you?" Somewhat guardedly, Mandi asked, "Why do you ask?" Grinning at her, Cade said, "You're talking about converting a bunch of people, ma'am. It seems to me that I'll probably be too dangerous for unconverted women by Wednesday or so, and I'm thinking it would be nice if I had some variety, too." Standing up and pitching the fast food bag at a trashcan about thirty feet away, he added, "Besides, it just wouldn't be fair otherwise, would it? And you'll be spending federal money, so somebody'd sue you for discrimination in a heartbeat." Getting to her feet, Mandi said, "You can be pretty irritating at times, Cade.