Alien in Chief (40 page)

CHAPTER 77

“S
O, CAMILLA'S
in deep with Drax? How the hell is that when he's come out of nowhere?”

“She's not in with Drax.”

Tim nudged me. “She's in with Titan.”

“I thought she'd been going in deep at Gaultier.”

“She did,” Reader said. “But Chuck said something a couple of years ago about moving her around. I think, based on what Buchanan here is and isn't saying, that he moved her to Titan.”

“Super. So, we'll assume that she's somehow magically going to know what we need her to do?”

Buchanan shrugged. “You told her what was going on, including about the Invisible Commandos and the flyboys being captured.” He checked his burner phone. “She has the princesses with her and they're going after Drax's helicarrier.”

“I don't even want to know at this point.”

“Good, because we can't tell you.”

“Can't or won't?”

“Take your pick. Anyway, reassign the others, would you?”

Shot him a glare I hoped was channeling Christopher, then sent a group text to Lorraine, Claudia, Mahin, and Abigail. Wherever Drax was, it was likely Stephanie was, too.
Told Abigail and Mahin to do their best to connect up with Camilla via the princesses and to stay in touch with Brian, since he and TCC would need to meet up with them once they had Stephanie corralled, while I reassigned Lorraine and Claudia to Whitmore. To their great credit, none of the girls complained about this. Too much.

“The girls have been in touch with Serene, so they have a floater gate waiting to take them wherever they need to go. Dulce has floaters ready to go for us, too.”

“We won't need one,” Buchanan said. Oliver nodded.

“Nice to know Hammie's still sticking close to home and you're going to show him that you're not revealing his hiding place to anyone else. Okay, you two head off. Contact Serene if you need or want a gate. We'll see you at the Romanian Embassy, and if not, we'll try to let you know where we are.”

“Be careful.” Buchanan looked worried. “You know they're going to kill you if they can.”

“Malcolm, we killed these guys in Bizarro World. I'll be fine.” He didn't look convinced, but he nodded, then he and Oliver turned to go. “Oh, one last thing, just in case?” They both turned back. “Love you guys.”

They both smiled. “We'll all be back,” Oliver said. “Never fear.” Then he and Buchanan walked off down the street.

“Hurray for team efficiency and fond farewells,” Reader said. “Where are we going, Kitty? Orlando is a big town. And if you say Disney World I'm taking you back to the White House.”

Considered this for a moment, in no small part because Reader was right. But it also occurred to me that there might be a simple way to find out where Siler was—by asking him.

“Hang on.” Sent a text to Siler, since I actually had a number for him thanks to Lizzie. Didn't try to code it, just said that I needed to know where he was.

Got a reply very quickly.
Go to the roof.

Can't. Have to come to you.

Got a return text with an address. Sure enough, it was in Florida.

“Okay, we have a location and we're going in hot.”

“You suspect a trap?” White asked.

“Very much so. Siler hasn't responded to Lizzie's coded messages, but he was Johnny on the Spot with the reply to me for where he was. They expect us to come to him, so that's where we're going.”

Reader called Serene, gave her the location, then asked for the gate to deposit us nearby but not at the location. “It's nice to see that others have learned from our experience, Missus Martini.”

“Warms the heart, doesn't it, Mister White?”

“James and I are going to vomit all over both of you if you're not careful,” Tim said.

“Megalomaniac Lad, you wound me. I kept the best with me.”

Tim grinned. “That's better.”

Looked at the texts again. “Mister White?”

“Yes?”

“It's likely that Siler knows what's going on, right?”

“Even captured I'd assume the news of the President's death, as well as the Secretary of State and Speaker of the House, has reached them.”

“Their captors are probably cheering about it,” Tim added.

“Yeah . . . so, why would they tell me to go to the roof?”

“No idea,” Reader said. “Because he was trying to give you a clue? I mean, I assume that it's not Siler who's replied to your texts, since he didn't respond to his daughter.”

“Right. Lizzie was sending coded messages, so it would be easy to pretend they were nothing. I sent a very straightforward ‘it's me and I need you now' message . . .”

“What are you thinking that we're not?” White asked.

“The Dingo always tells me to go to the roof of the Embassy if I need him. Siler does, now, too.”

“So you think it's really Siler answering?” Reader didn't sound convinced.

“I think his captors told him I was texting and insisted he give them a reply I'd believe.”

“Why use the obvious code, then?” Tim asked. “That's both telling our enemies where Siler and the others expect you to go and also useless.”

“Or it's a code you're not catching,” Reader said.

“Or he said it was a countersign so you'd know it was he who was calling,” White suggested.

“Unless James was right the first time and it's neither useless nor code nor a countersign.” Called Lizzie.

“Kitty, I still haven't heard from my dad.”

“I think I have, and I need you to do something for me.”

“Sure.”

“Great. Tell Walter that you have to go to the roof, with my permission. I want him to ensure that you can actually walk on the roof while still keeping the Embassy complex shielded, or if he can't, that he's watching to turn the shields off and on again fast.”

“Okay. Why am I going to the roof?”

“Take a strong flashlight with you and search every inch of the roof. You're looking for your father's notebook or something similar. Maybe even a flash drive. Something that can store data. The Secret Service already searched the roof, so whatever's up there is well hidden.”

She was quiet for a few moments. “You think Mister Dash hid my father's notebook on the Embassy roof?” It was interesting—when she wasn't talking about her real parents, she called Siler her father. But the moment we were talking about her parents he became Mr. Dash. Couldn't argue—whatever got her through the horror was okay with me. Especially now.

“Yeah, I do.”

“Why?”

“Because he has an interesting sense of humor, and he'd consider our roof one of the safest places in the world.”

“He did tell me that he was putting me in the safest place he could think of.”

“There you go. We need you to be Quick Girl with this, by the way, because unshielded means tremendously vulnerable and if the information is indeed on our roof, you need to get it to my dad and start deciphering it beyond fast.”

“Will do, Kitty.” She sounded far more alert and efficient—less teenager and more superhero sidekick. Clearly being Quick Girl gave her confidence. Again, couldn't argue—being Megalomaniac Girl certainly helped me.

“Be sure to look absolutely anywhere and everywhere on the roof. You know Mister Dash—think about where he'd hide something and search there first. Figure he anticipated someone looking for this, so try to think like he would have. Whatever you find, take it to my dad immediately. I'll check in with you when I can.”

“You got, it Commander.” Yep, she was definitely more official and ready for action as Quick Girl. “Quick Girl out and on the case.”

“So, if we know where the notebook is, why are we going to Florida?” Reader asked as I hung up.

“Because we don't know for sure that I'm right and our allies are captured and probably being tortured and we don't leave our people behind.”

Tim chuckled. “Nice to know you'll move heaven and earth for anyone on your side, Kitty.”

“It's what we do,” White said. “All of us, even if you two want to pretend you don't want to go.”

“I don't want to go,” Reader said. “We didn't weapon up before we left, meaning all we have is whatever bullets Tim and I have loaded and whatever's in Kitty's purse.”

“Hey, my purse tends to come through.”

“Because you put everything you find into it, girlfriend.” Reader flashed me the cover boy grin. “Not that I'm complaining.”

“Could have fooled me, James.”

As the floater gate shimmered into view, Reader grabbed my hand and Tim's, White took my free hand. Then we walked through, me truly doing my best not to throw up. I hadn't had food or rest in far too long and my stomach was tired of running on empty.

Which turned out okay, considering where we landed.

CHAPTER 78

W
ELL, WE LANDED
in a bathroom, of course. Because even when the fate of the world was at stake, aliens were weird. However, when we stepped out, after verifying that no one was around or looking in our direction, it turned out we were in a Wendy's.

“Awesome.” Went to the counter and ordered a chocolate Frosty.

“Is now really the time?” Reader asked.

“I'm starving, so yeah, it is.” Got my Frosty and started spooning it into my mouth as fast as possible, though at human speed.

People were in here, talking about the President's death and worrying that there was a disease out there. Heard the word “Ebola” more than a few times. But no one was running crazed through the streets. Yet. However it felt like that was imminent and just one thing would set off the powder keg.

“Interesting,” White said, looking at his phone while I scarfed.

“What is?” I asked between mouthfuls.

“We appear to be at the closest fast food restaurant to the Amtrak station. We're also quite close to the Orlando Regional Medical Center.”

“Being near where we'd have disembarked makes sense.
Are you saying that we're heading to the medical center?”

“No. We appear to be heading into the industrial area on the opposite side of the main street next to the train station. To a metal recycling plant to be specific.”

“That bodes.”

“As if this entire situation doesn't?” Reader shook his head, took my empty Frosty cup, and threw it away. He returned to our table. “Are you ready to rock and roll now?”

“Now that I won't faint from hunger at an inopportune time, yes I am.”

“I'm willing to wait for Kitty to get a burger and fries, if need be,” Tim said.

Reader rolled his eyes. “I swear you guys weren't this much work when Jeff and Christopher were in charge.”

“Sure we were, you were just on our side then, boss man.”

“True enough. Let's get back into our old mode, then, girlfriend, and kick it like it's hot.”

“You really are so gangsta, James.”

We headed out of the Wendy's and walked down the street. “Huh,” White said, again looking at his phone.

“What now, Mister White?”

He held his phone so we could all watch Cliff Goodman and Wesley Green giving a joint statement to the press. Clearly they'd done this when we were all at NASA Base because I recognized the location and the people in the background.

Green was saying that we potentially had an epidemic on our hands. Cliff was reassuring that, if so, FEMA would step in to support the CDC.

“Why is that only running now?” Tim asked. “They did that a while ago now.”

“This is on a loop,” White said. “Wait for it.”

Sure enough, we got a reporter sharing that they had newer information now. We saw Cliff again, clearly inside
the White House, though this time none of our people were around though clearly some press were, press we hadn't brought over with us from NASA Base. He was confirming an epidemic and listing the names of the dead—which included names of people I didn't know but assumed worked in the White House or with those who'd been infected first. This was a move that would absolutely cause panic, which was, I was sure, the goal.

Cliff then urged the populace to go to FEMA emergency units that were being set up in most major cities to get vaccinated for flu and bubonic plague. “We don't know if the vaccines will work on this Alien Flu, but we can but hope and try to save as many as we can.”

“Oh. My dear God. Cliff's lit the match. He's got the disease all set and ready to go, doesn't he?”

“Lit the match?” Reader asked.

“The current situation is commonly referred to as a powder keg, James,” White answered for me.

“Oh. Should have caught that.”

“We're all tense, James.” I was certainly tense now.

“Alien Flu?” Tim asked angrily. “Since when?”

“That's who he wants to blame it on, us or the Planetary Council or both.”

“I'd say both,” White said.

“That would be my bet,” Reader agreed, voice tight.

“Jeff must have tried to get his blood. That would explain him stepping things up.”

“Or this is just the next step in his timeline,” Reader said. “And based on this video it looks like he has both the President's approval and that the President is nowhere around, too. It's perfect. Tell the people to panic, blame aliens, get them to your facilities, give them the plague, tell them that the symptoms are just a reaction to the vaccine, let them infect everyone who didn't come to see you.”

“And then let them all die.” Tim's voice shook. “Why is he going to kill everyone if he plans to survive?”

“It won't kill everyone,” White said. “No disease is a hundred percent effective. Those who survive will be too lost to argue with the changes in leadership. The republic will go down.”

“And the Nation of Cliff will go up. And when it does, any aliens left alive will be hunted and killed, blamed for this plague. And then, anyone who's accused of being an alien, or an alien supporter is killed, too. Or rounded up into death camps.”

“Yes,” White said quietly. “This does sound much like the beginning of World War Two.”

“Then let's do what the U.S. did in that war, get into that metal recycling factory, and get our allies out. By the way—I no longer care about Cliff's kill switch plans, or even where the clones of Reid and LaRue are. Or if he has a million clones waiting. I want him, the Original Cliff, dead before this is over.”

“I'm with you, girlfriend, but what we want and what we get aren't always the same things.”

Pulled my phone out and called Serene. “You're on speaker and have you seen the news?” I asked before she even said hello.

“Yes, I have. I don't trust those vaccines, Kitty.”

“Neither do we. And Cliff has us all under quarantine, doesn't he?”

“He does.”

“Well, we've risked more for less. I need you to send teams to wherever FEMA's setting up. They need to grab those vaccines and bring them to Dulce for analysis. Then we need to supply something safer for them to inject into all the unsuspecting citizenry.”

She was quiet for a few moments.

“What?” Reader asked.

“I'm just wondering . . . He knows our playbook, you guys. Isn't this exactly what we'd do? The chess move we'd
make? Maybe this is all a ruse to get us to have the killer drug in our possession, so that he can blame us for everything. He's already calling it the Alien Flu, after all.”

We all looked at each other. “Very possible,” White said. “We are reacting just as expected.”

“So, does that mean he thinks we're out, or that he thinks we're trying to circumvent from inside the White House?” Hoped he thought we were in, but didn't count on it.

Tim was texting. “Christopher says that he thinks Cliff believes we're all upstairs.”

Nice to have a tiny bit of luck go our way. “It's the order we'd give from inside or out, though. The question is—does he know that the rest of us know who he really is, or does he think it's only Chuckie's who's figured it out?”

“There's no way to be sure,” Reader said.

My brain nudged. Bizarro World Jamie had said “he knows” and she'd said that to me. Besides, it was always best to assume the worst. And him telling me and Jeff he was going to take our children was much more of a direct threat if he knew that we knew he was the Mastermind. Meaning he definitely knew and was just playing with his prey. Well, screw that. I was the cat in this game.

“Cliff knows we all know.”

“You sound pretty certain all of a sudden,” Tim said.

“I am because it makes the most sense and the time for wishful thinking is probably well past. So I think Serene's right—this is potentially a trap for us. At the same time, we can't allow him to infect God knows how many people.”

“We could remove the vaccines,” Serene said. “But if we're caught, it's the same thing as everyone finding us holding the death drug—it looks like we're trying to hurt everyone.”

“And you know we'll be caught,” Tim said. “Because that would be part of the overall plan.”

Was staring at my phone, so I saw the song alert flash
onto the screen. “Countdown to Armageddon” by Public Enemy. Nice to know Algar was sending me the extra pressure needed to either collapse or turn into a diamond.

Another song flashed. “Irresponsible Hate Anthem” by Marilyn Manson. Then the Public Enemy song flashed again. Then the Marilyn Manson one.

“What's up with your phone?” Tim asked. “Is it low on battery right now? Because that would just figure.”

“Don't know.” Stared at the songs flashing alternately. Algar wanted me to think, because we were running out of time.

“Is that one song the theme song for our favorite church?” Reader asked with a bitter laugh. “Because that would also make so much sense. Though in that case, Public Enemy should be the group recording ‘Irresponsible Hate Anthem.'”

“I love you, James. Serene, we need to figure out how to get a message to Club Fifty-One and the Church of Hate and Intolerance.”

“Uh, why in the world would we want to do that?”

“Well, we don't want to call them straight out. But we need to ensure that they firmly believe that everything going on in the various FEMA centers and wherever is all A-C run. And that the A-Cs created the vaccine.”

Didn't want to have to point blank ask her to assign her A-C C.I.A. team to this, but sincerely hoped she'd get my unspoken message. Pity none of us were psychic.

“Oh,” Serene said, sounding like a total dingbat. Which meant she'd figured out what I wanted and didn't want the guys to catch on. Maybe she was psychic after all. I was getting to the point where I sort of figured there was nothing Serene couldn't do. “I think I know exactly how to do that, Kitty. And . . . that's brilliant.”

“You're going to try to get our enemies to destroy the very thing they want to have happen?” Reader asked.

“That's the plan. They're just stupid enough to fall for it.”
Cliff wasn't, of course, but he wasn't who I hoped Serene's team would be contacting.

“Let's hope,” Serene said. “I'm going to get off. I'll contact you when I have news.”

“Don't call us, we'll call you, Serene. We're about to go hunting wabbits.”

“Gotcha.”

“Really?”

“Really. Raj has us all watching a lot of TV shows so we'll learn how you think.”

“Oh good. I think.”

“It's a compliment. Hang in there, Kitty. We'll get this rolling.”

“I know I can count on you, Serene. And, just in case, we love you.”

“We love you, too. But we're not saying goodbye forever, okay? Someone I really respect taught me to never give up and never surrender. And also that if we were going down, we were going down fighting. So, I'm planning to do what you taught me, and I suggest you do the same.”

We hung up and the men looked at me. “She has a point. So let's show these Cuban assassins just how we do things downtown, Dingo Style.”