Alien in the House

Chapter 56



IT TOOK LESS TIME to catch Chuckie up than anyone else so far, in part because he didn’t interrupt me with questions, and in other part because I was so emotionally freaked out I was talking at close to hyperspeed.

“I’m not sure if I can buy the murder mystery theory,” he said as we pulled into the garage behind Tim’s limo. “At least not based on this last incident.”

“Raul is out there.”

“So, apparently, is the Dingo. Nice of you to be protecting him.” Chuckie’s sarcasm knob was at eleven. Twelve loomed on the horizon.

“He’s protecting me, and I believe that.”

“Maybe. But one or both of you would be dead if not for your Peregrine. They may be animals, but they’re more trustworthy than any human. Particularly assassins. And men who may or may not be a missing and presumed dead traitor.”

“Presumed traitor. If we really met the human, living Colonel Hamlin, he’s not the traitor.”

“You think. We have Buchanan in the infirmary, and that tells me that Hamlin wasn’t our friend.”

“You’re just mad because you were on the suspects list.”

Chuckie snorted as we got out of the car and he motioned the other guys to go on ahead. “Kitty, if you hadn’t had me on the suspects list I’d say you were an idiot. Of course I should have been there. Your mother, too. I agree with every reason you all had for taking us off the list, just as I can understand why Cliff’s still on it. But unless you’re looking at all possibilities, you can’t hope to find the truth.”

“Your feelings aren’t hurt?”

He shrugged. “A little. But only because I know I’m not the Mastermind, if there really is one.”

“There could be,” Jeff said as we started slowly for the stairs.

“I’m a lot more worried about emotional blockers and overlays that our scanners can’t find,” Chuckie said. “To me, that’s the biggest issue we have.”

“Just means we need to learn to counter it,” Jeff said.

“No,” Chuckie said patiently. “It means that someone understands your strengths. And your weaknesses. And if they can block the empaths, then it’s only a matter of time before they can block the imageers. And if you have no empathic or imageering skills, then what, exactly, do you think the A-Cs bring to the table in terms of their usefulness to the United States in particular and the world in general?”

I looked at Jeff’s chest. The bruise was already starting to fade. “They’re strong, fast, smart, hard to kill soldiers. And if you give them Surcenthumain, they’re even better.”

“There are other options,” Jeff said. “We do them already. Math, science, space, medicine.”

“The majority of people doing your brainwork are women,” Chuckie said. “Kitty’s being realistic. You need to be, too.”

“Why is it always the War Division?” I asked nobody in particular.

“Because we’re all warlike,” Vance said. Hadn’t realized he was waiting for us. We stopped walking. “The others went on upstairs already. But I just wanted to ask if you believe my theory now. Maybe with the C.I.A.’s help we can stop whatever’s going on.”

Chuckie rubbed the back of his neck. “No. I mean, I don’t. Kitty does. But I don’t disbelieve it, either. We don’t have enough proof, of anything yet.”

“Okay, so, Vance isn’t wrong about a lot of representatives being dead. Why hasn’t that popped to you, of all people, in some way? I’d expect the Conspiracy King to be taking an interest.”

Chuckie heaved a sigh. “Really? Fine. We had a huge interstellar invasion, and since I’m the head of the E-T Division, I’m on the line for anything related to that. We’ve had every A-C on the planet outed—guess who’s in charge of everything relating to that? Right, me. I’m trying to get married and have world governments involved in those plans, complicating them in the extreme.”

“Okay, I know you’ve been really busy, but this is your ‘thing.’ I’m just surprised you’re not even sort of aware.”

Chuckie rolled his eyes. “I realize this is coming as a shock to you, but I don’t have time or interest in anything that isn’t relating to aliens right now. You want to ask someone at the F.B.I. why they’re not paying attention? Go for it, it’s their bailiwick. Let me be around to hear what they say, though.”

“Fine, fine, calm down, Secret Agent Man. Not meaning to diss the skills.”

“Whatever. Basically, Vance could be right, but since I haven’t seen any of his evidence, and, from what you said, neither have you, I can’t make a determination.”

“Then let’s go visit Hacker International.”

“We can’t,” Vance reminded me. “Jeff has to be sworn in.”

There was a clatter of feet on the stairs before anyone could remark on my ability to forget something that big. Len came down, looking stressed. “Kitty, you need to get up here, right away.” He turned and ran back up.

“Okay, that was different.” I started forward.

Chuckie held me back. “Me first.” He drew his gun and started up. I went after him.

Jeff held me back. “No. You come after me.” He followed Chuckie.

Looked at Vance. He shrugged. “I’m great with you going ahead of me.”

“Hiding behind the girl?”

“Protecting your rear.” Vance added a leer in case I’d missed the double entendre.

“Don’t let Jeff hear you say that, particularly in the way you just said it.”

“I’m a lot of things, Kitty, but as stupid as I appear actually isn’t one of them.”

“Vance, this actually could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”