Alien in the House

Chapter 37



“YOU’RE ALL HIGH.”

Jeff chuckled. “Hardly. You’re already fully versed in the job.”

Put my hand onto his forehead. “No fever. I expected a fever because you’re talking crazy talk and you know it. I’m not even through the Briefing Books of Boredom I got when I first started with Centaurion Division, and I’m having a worse time with the Diplomat’s NYC Phonebook. You can’t seriously think I can just waltz in and take over what you do. Can you?”

Jeff kissed my forehead. “I can and I do.”

“We’re doomed.” A happy thought occurred. “There’s probably some law or regulation that prevents me from being the ambassador while you’re a representative.”

“No, actually, and if there is, it’s being waived under the circumstances, just like so many other things.”

“What if people protest?” I asked hopefully.

“They won’t.”

“They’re protesting about everything right now.”

“So one more protest won’t make any difference.”

“What if I need to represent as the wife of the representative?”

“Then you’ll do it, as the representative’s wife who happens to be the ambassador.”

“I see nothing but headaches on the horizon.”

Jeff grinned. “I see opportunities to try to persuade Madame Ambassador to do things my way.” His voice was a purr, and I was instantly ready to discuss the ramifications of our new positions while trying out some old positions.

But before we could actually do anything, the door opened and Vance stepped onto the stairwell. “Jeff, they’re starting to worry that you’re sick or dying in the bathroom. Precedent has been set for that tonight.”

Jeff sighed and gave me a nice kiss, albeit a quick one. “Take someone, anyone, with you who can actually handle themselves in a fight. I’ll be monitoring you. If you go into the tunnel system, let me know before you go in.”

“I will do, on all of those.” Somehow.

Jeff kissed my forehead, then zipped off. I didn’t even see the door open or close.

“It’s still amazing to see that,” Vance said.

“See what?”

“Someone disappear in the blink of an eye.”

“Yeah. So, Vance, you have some theories to forward?”

“Yeah, I do. Do you really want to have this meeting here?”

“Actually, no.” I started down the stairs again.

“We’re going to the second floor so we can go over to the Embassy to talk?”

I was about to say yes as long as no one else was there when I heard voices that sounded like they were on the first floor. “No.” Went down the stairs faster.

“Hey, wait up!” Vance took the stairs two at a time. “You’re really fast.”

And I was also supposed to be a secret weapon. The world knew about the A-Cs, but it didn’t know that I’d become sort of half of one. “I was a sprinter and hurdler in school.”

“Ah, that’s why you’re in terrific shape.” Vance sounded appraising. I tended to forget he and Gadoire were actually bi until moments like this.

However, Vance’s sexual orientation was shoved aside by my having heard correctly. We did have people on the first floor. The group who’d gone to the medical center were all back. Sure they looked exhausted, but the game was afoot and I’d been point-blank told to bring some decent backup along.

“Hey, why’d you guys come to the Zoo instead of going to the Embassy?” I asked as we joined them. The whole lot of them. Good. I was going to be able to make Jeff happy and take someone other than just Vance along with me.

“James told us to,” Tim said. “He said there was important news we needed to get briefed on as soon as we were back.”

“Yes, there is. But I need you all working on something else.” This earned me suspicious looks all around. Always the way. “Okay, fine. I’ll just take Richard. The rest of you can troop upstairs.”

Got more suspicious looks. Well, from everyone other than White. He looked amused, but he also looked worried. Yeah, his only child was still missing. Couldn’t wait to tell him who else was gone.

“What are you up to, Kitty?” Tim asked, clearly speaking for Tito and the flyboys.

Lorraine and Claudia extracted themselves from Joe and Randy. Their dresses looked as bad as mine. I loved my girls.

“You know, our girl’s been through a lot tonight,” Lorraine said. “You boys go up and get debriefed. We’ll stay with Kitty and help her out.”

“Yeah, we’ll keep her out of trouble,” Claudia added.

Their mothers were at the back of the group, along with the rest of the Dazzlers who’d gone to the medical center. Melanie and Emily exchanged a look. “Kitty, do you need us, too?” Melanie asked.

“Hell yeah,” Vance said under his breath. “Bring the dudes, too.”

Had to weigh my options, and not only because I didn’t necessarily want to have Vance hitting on everyone with clear intent to score. Of course, the only way to avoid that would be to take no one else with us.

A smaller group would be more manageable. And that way we’d have Melanie and Emily to call for backup. “Nah, I should be good with Lorraine, Claudia, and Richard. But keep your phones handy.”

White gave Nurse Carter a kiss on her cheek. “Stay with the group.”

She nodded. “Be careful.”

All of Airborne were giving me looks that said I was keeping them out of the fun. This was true. Then again, I had no idea what fun we were going to be having, let alone how much Vance was going to be willing to say in front of White and the girls. “I’ll let Jeff and James give you the news themselves. Why spoil their big reveal?”

“Because that’s your typical move?” Jerry asked.

“And here you used to be my favorite.”

The guys all chuckled and some of the Dazzlers started up the stairs, and the rest of the team clustered around the stairwell to follow suit. As my smaller team gathered together, Tito came over, too. “You taking this civilian along?” he asked without preamble.

“Yes.”

Tito nodded and pulled something out of his medical bag. “Take this,” he said, handing a pill to Vance. “You’ll thank me later.”

“What is it?” Vance asked suspiciously. “Someone was poisoned earlier tonight.”

“Not by me. It’s a medicine you’ll appreciate.” Meaning it was Tito’s specialized Hyperspeed Dramamine pill. Chuckie, Reader, Tim, and the flyboys now took this every day, too, because every human who worked with A-Cs appreciated being able to go fast without having to barf their guts out afterward.

“Take it,” I told him. It would be nice to be able go to hyperspeed without worrying about Vance’s physical reaction to it.

“Kitty takes one every day,” Tito said reassuringly as I nodded cheerfully.

This was a flat-out lie, but I appreciated it, because Tito had just covered the fact that I wouldn’t be bothered by hyperspeeding. He’d also reminded me to ensure I had a hold of one of the A-Cs if we needed to run.

Vance grumbled, but he took the pill as requested.

Good doctorly duty done, Tito followed the others up the stairs.

“So, what’s going on?” Lorraine asked.

“Lots. More than lots. We have people dead, people missing, new assignments, political maneuvering, and more. It’s been a great day. But first, let me mention to my man, Vance, here, that whatever you wanted to tell me you can tell Richard, Lorraine, and Claudia as well.”

He looked uncertain. Well, he looked like he wanted to suggest a five-some immediately, but right after that he looked uncertain.

“Before we get into whatever the next stage of our fun and frolic is going to be, Missus Martini, could you share with us what the ‘big reveal’ is?”

“Oh, yes, yes I can.” Considered how to broach the night’s position changes and decided straightforward was the way to go. “Jeff’s been appointed to fill the Congressional seat that was just vacated by Eugene’s murder of Santiago, and I’m now the sole Chief of Mission.”

Claudia and Lorraine both laughed. Loudly. “No, seriously, Kitty, what’s going on?” Claudia asked.

“Sadly, exactly what I said. Along with our usual myriad deadly schemes focused against us.”

“There’s a bigger scheme that I don’t think anyone’s noticed yet, other than me,” Vance said. “But Kitty’s not joking. The President made the request, as did the governor of New Mexico. The move is effective tonight.”

Lorraine and Claudia gaped at us. “You cannot be serious,” Lorraine said finally.

“I’d assume they’re very serious, young ladies,” White said. “I can’t think of a better choice than Jeffrey, to be honest.”

“Richard, would you like to take over as Chief of Mission?”

“Absolutely not. I’m retired from public service. However, your friend here had something to tell us. It’s nice to see you again, young man. During our first meeting you ran away.”

“We were being shot at,” Vance said flatly.

“True enough,” White said pleasantly. “You ran away screaming, as I recall. Difficult to say a proper good-bye when that happens.”

“Yeah, yeah, and then the next time I saw you was at the President’s Ball where you shared that you and the rest of your mission were sleeping with Kitty. I get it, we’re not exactly ‘close.’” Vance looked at me. “Do I have to spend the rest of the night saying I’m sorry or what?”

“No, you’re good to go. But we need to do double duty. Amy and Caroline have disappeared. Richard, I think they saw my uncle.”

“Ah. That could be awkward,” he said. I saw the realization of who we were talking about light in the girls’ eyes. I loved working with Dazzlers.

“Yes. So we’re going to be looking for them while Vance tells us about whatever connections he’s made that have him worried.”

“Very worried,” Vance added.

“Where do you want to start looking?” Claudia asked.

“The last place Jeff wants me to go.”

“Tunnels,” both girls said in unison.

“Got it in one. I have to let him know when we go down there.”

White looked at Vance. “I strongly suggest we take an alternate route.”

“I know there are tunnels, deep, ancient ones, running underground,” Vance said. “They were created by aliens, and not you guys. They were visible to Earth equipment for a short while and then they went back to being impenetrable. There’s an entrance under your Embassy, as well as by the Lincoln Memorial.”

We all stared at him. “Wow,” I said when I’d recovered enough to speak. “Vance, you know a hell of a lot more than I’d have suspected.”

He grimaced. “Look, it’s an act, okay? You show you’re too smart around here, you don’t make a lot of friends.” I could count Chuckie’s friends that weren’t from Alpha Four on one hand, so Vance had an excellent point. “I read the World Weekly News. I know what goes on. So you don’t need to put a bag over my head or blindfold me. Let’s just get going, because I really want to tell you what I think’s going on.”

“Why so?” White asked.

Vance shrugged. “Because you’re probably the only ones who can stop it.”