Gave them both hugs, then hugged Costello. “Thanks for coming.”
“Well, I figured you could probably use another person for support.” Costello had entered the room with a typical politician’s smile on his face, and he’d kept it on while I was hugging everyone. But, as he looked around the room, the smile faded and his eyes narrowed. “Kitty—what’s going on? And don’t tell me nothing. This isn’t a group prepping you to swan into an important all-world dinner. This is a commando team getting ready to strike.”
“Wow. Tony, you’re good. First off, we’re all thankful you’re a cool guy and were coming to help because, right now, only you and King Raheem are safe.” Tossed on the Recap Girl cape and brought Costello up to speed as fast as possible. “So, we have to save everyone but in a way that Cliff doesn’t realize that we’re doing it.”
“I like the idea of the commando raid while a dust storm of that magnitude is going on,” Costello said. “But I don’t like the idea of you being in that team.”
“Neither does anyone else,” Buchanan said.
“Other than my mother. Who, as of right now, gets the deciding vote.”
Costello chuckled. “True enough. So, what can I do to help?”
“You’re going to be our cover. I want you and King Raheem, along with everyone else who isn’t going on the raid, to stay here. You’re going to be communicating with Jeff. First, I’ll want you to send him a text right now, telling him that you’ve done exactly what you first intended—you decided to surprise me and come help King Raheem escort me, so that I’d have you by my side to tell me who to smile at and who to be imperious with, both for leaders from your region and for those that you know from outside of your region, as well.”
“Got it. Then what?”
“Then, you’re going to be the one to say that I spilled stuff all over myself because I’m nervous, so I’m having to change clothes, and, therefore, jewelry and shoes, and fixing my hair.”
“Will Jeff believe that?”
Half the room snorted. “Oh, he’ll believe it,” Vance said. “It’s a common occurrence.”
“I’ll hurt you later, Vance. Then, you’ll be the one who tells them the truth, and potentially gets them evacuated.”
“You’re sure gates won’t work to get everyone out?” Costello asked.
“I’m sure that if we try one everyone in that restaurant is going to die.”
Costello didn’t look convinced.
“This is her skill,” Siler said. “This is why she and all the others are still alive. It’s why Jeff survived long enough to make it to the White House. She knows how the psycho megalomaniacs think.”
Now Costello looked a little horrified. Yeah, Other Me had represented the classy side. Hadn’t known I had a classy side, but apparently if I was married to Chuckie it came out. Something to ponder at another time, once we were all alive and Cliff was not.
“It’s a gift and a curse. I’m not a psycho, though, so there’s that.”
Costello shook himself. “You know, I want to argue this. And then I remember what happened when this madman tried to kill half the world. I saw you on that motorcycle and I saw Jeff lean out of a helicopter to grab you—you both were far more natural doing that than doing any political thing I’ve seen. I can believe it. And I know you both came out of Centaurion Division, meaning you’re both military trained.”
“Exactly. So, I need to change, and so does anyone else who’s on Team Commando. Camilla and Malcolm: other than Abigail and Mahin, who are musts, you choose the team. Remember that, per Serene, Walter, and William, once we go over and start the haboob, we can’t leave, and no one else can come in, so choose wisely.”
Buchanan looked at Camilla and shrugged. “Don’t put too much effort into it. She’ll just add or subtract whoever she does or doesn’t want anyway.”
Camilla barked a laugh. “Or, as we call it, routine.”
CHAPTER 70
TROTTED INTO MY ROOM. Considered things and opened the closet. Sure enough, there were clothes hanging up, and they weren’t for any woman in this country. Apparently Algar had chosen to “hang up” the important clothes out of the Rolling Arsenal. Had no complaints.
Pulled on the black jeans, black on black, lightweight long-sleeved Aerosmith t-shirt, black socks, and black shoes waiting for me. The shoes weren’t my usual Converse, but appeared to be both flexible and non-sliding. Chose not to complain. The black on black shirt was reminiscent—Algar had equipped all of us with our favorite band shirts in black on black for the raid on Gaultier’s underground cloning lab.
My throat felt tight. “I hope you just think this is cool, as opposed to you warning me that we’re going to lose someone we love while doing this.” There was no reply, but I hadn’t really expected one.
Did a fast count in my head of who was in my suite while I dressed. Realized that we were missing people. Checked the rolling bag—it no longer had any changes of clothing in it, but instead was loaded with Raid The Tall Tower things. Decided it had better come along with us.
Put my purse over my head, dragged the bag out of the room, and looked around again. “Um, where the heck are Len and Kyle?”
Those out and ready all looked around. “I thought they were here,” Tim said. “Weren’t they with us when we went to the meeting room for your multimedia presentation?”
“They were, but I can’t remember seeing them since we left my suite.” Ran through what I could remember of the room and the chaos and what I’d noted while I was essentially on stage. Couldn’t recall if I’d seen the boys or not.
“I don’t remember them coming into the room,” Gower said slowly. “Not that I was paying a lot of attention.”
“No one was,” Reader said, sounding worried and pissed. “So, what’s happened to them?”
Thought about it. “Adriana.” Got the room’s attention, including those of the gals who were coming out after having changed. Every one of them was in black jeans and a black on black long-sleeved t-shirt. Algar liked to stick to a theme. “Adriana is used to working with the boys. If she needed backup of some kind, she would know I’d be too busy.”
“Why didn’t she contact me or Malcolm?” Camilla asked, sounding pissed.
“You want my honest assessment?”
“Yes,” Buchanan said. “We do.”
“She doesn’t trust Camilla.”
This earned me a lot of shocked looks. But Tim nodded. “Camilla’s been a double, triple, and quadruple agent when she’s had to be. I can see why that might be something Adriana wouldn’t trust.”
“Um, yes, but that’s not exactly what I mean. Adriana knows Camilla’s on our side.” Did not know how to say this without hurting Camilla’s feelings.