Page 55 of 'Til All the Seas Run Dry

“That’s not fair, Callum.”

“I think it is perfectly fair. But I have a condition, and if you dinnae agree, the deal is dead.”

“Let me guess. I have to be a silent partner. Isn’t that what they call it?”

Callum snorted. “Hardly. Nay. I would like to pay us a capped salary that is tied by percentage to the lowest paid employee, who would still make a generous living wage. And I want to use the profits to fund donating additional product to human medical facilities for emergency situations.”

Nat gave him an appraising look. “So the vampires purchasing would fund the aid for humans?”

“Aye.”

Nat was quiet for a minute. Callum didn’t mind quiet. He quite liked it. Especially when he was thinking. And right now, his mind was absolutely electric with possibility. His biometric devices were lifesavers, but with this, he had the chance to impact more lives than ever before. Tosavemore lives than ever before. Not just by diverting vampire feeding away from humans, but also saving humans from car accidents and surgeries gone awry and any number of other tragedies that could befall the human body that needed blood to fix. There would be no more global blood shortages, no need to ration and triage it.

“I love it,” Nat said, and Callum grinned.

“I am glad,” he replied, extending his hand. Nat took it and shook vigorously.

“Cheers, partner. When do we get started?”

Callum laughed. Nat’s enthusiasm was infectious, and truth be told, he was glad to have a new project, something to sink his teeth into.

“Let me make some calls. We need to find a researcher who is working on this and vet them. We need to find a manufacturing location that is easily disguised. We need to figure out a name and a logo and packaging. Distribution.”

Nat cut in before he could say anything else. “I know someone who can help us with the logo and packaging.”

Callum raised an eyebrow expectantly.

“Niamh’s family had a whiskey distillery. It was two hundred years ago, but I can’t imagine the basic principles have changed that much. And she does these amazing ink block prints. Carves them herself.”

“I didnae ken she came from such a background.”

“Yeah. Kilbaron.”

“Niamh is a Kilbaron? I always kept Kilbaron Whiskey stocked in my homes for guests. Well, until the 1860s, anyway. They changed the recipe after that, and I’m told it was never so good as before.”

A wistful look passed across Nat’s face. “That sounds about right. That’s when it all went to shit.”

“There is a story there.”

“Yeah, there is. But it’s not really mine to tell.”

Callum knew all about such stories.

“Well, then. Shall we?” he asked, climbing off the rock and holding a hand out for Nat, who took it, pulling himself up. They began walking, which became a run, which became the blur of movement that brought them quickly from one place to the other, racing through the dark forest and back to the A-frame cabin where Nat’s truck was parked.

Nat reached into his pocket and took out his keys, manually unlocking the old truck.

“So you’ll let me know when you hear something about the researcher?”

“Aye,” Callum said, clapping a hand on Nat’s shoulder. “I’ll be in touch as soon as I have a lead. Perhaps next week we can get together to work on a business plan.”

Nat beamed, bouncing on his heels. “Yes. Name the night, and I’ll be sure I’m covered at work.”

Callum smiled. “Be safe, Nat.”

“You too,” Nat said with a salute before folding his lanky body into the truck and driving away.

Callum walked into the cabin and locked the door behind him, resting his back against it for a moment. Robbie was nowhere to be seen, but he heard the muffled sound of his voice from behind the bedroom door.