D.E.A.D. (The A.L.I.V.E. Series Book 2)

by R. D. Brady

  “He attacked three of the special-ops guys who came after me. He could have left me and run. But he came back for me.” There was wonder in Norah’s voice.

  “I think he chose well,” Maeve said.

  Norah gave her a small smile before it disappeared from her face. “Guardian led me here, and I’m having a hard time believing you just happened to be in Dulce, New Mexico, given all the rumors about this place.”

  “It’s not a coincidence,” Greg said.

  “There’s someone here we need to get,” Chris said.

  “Who?”

  Maeve explained about Alvie and Agaren.

  Norah’s jaw dropped open. “You’re going to break into a mountain facility? With three aliens, two special-ops guys, two scientists, a tiny baby hacker”—she turned to Tilda—”and no offense, but a little old lady? Are you all nuts?”

  Tilda grumped. “I’m more than a little old lady.”

  “Like I said, no offense, but short of a small army, how the hell is that going to work?”

  “Well, you forgot one important key element,” Maeve said.

  “Oh? What’s that?”

  “One former D.E.A.D. agent.”

  Norah crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, well, silly me. Now it will be easy.”

  “Well, that’s not everybody we’re bringing,” Tilda said, just as Maeve heard the crunch of tires on gravel.

  “Who’s this?” Chris asked.

  “Reinforcements.” Tilda stood and headed for the cars.

  Norah watched the approaching cars through narrowed eyes. “I think I’ll go hang with the aliens, just in case.”

  “Yeah, I’ll help,” Greg said.

  Chris leaned down to Maeve, slipping keys into her hand and nodding toward the triplets. “Things go badly, you get our gang out of here.”

  “Including Greg?”

  “Only if you have to,” he deadpanned. But despite his attempt to lighten the situation, she could sense his concern. Maeve stared after Tilda, who stood calmly waiting to greet the five SUVs. She knew Tilda was used to keeping secrets, but she really needed to learn which info to keep to herself and which to share with the other members of her team.

  The SUVs pulled in and six people got out of each. The people headed straight for the back of the vans and began unpacking crates. One shook hands with Tilda and followed her back over to the fire. The African-American man was in his late forties or early fifties, with hair that was graying at the temples and a pear-shaped body. Chris swore quietly next to her.

  Before Maeve could ask, Tilda stopped in front of them. “Dr. Leander, I’d like you to meet Jasper Jenkins, one of my people.”

  Jasper smiled at Maeve and extended his hand. “It is a true pleasure to meet you, Dr. Leander. What you’ve done with Alvie is nothing short of a miracle. And getting Alvie and the triplets out of 51, I don’t know if anyone could have done any better.”

  “Uh, thanks?” Maeve accepted his handshake.

  Jasper grinned at Chris. “Good to see you again, Chris.”

  “You know him?” Maeve asked.

  “Apparently not,” Chris said, even as he extended his hand. “The Jasper I met could barely figure out which end of a gun to fire with.”

  Jasper winced. “Yeah, sorry about that. When Tilda sent me to keep an eye on you, we thought it was best if I appeared non-threatening, just a bumbling military bureaucrat.”

  Maeve looked between the two of them. Chris’s recertification had occurred on a military base. There were dozens going through the process. Tilda had somehow arranged for Jasper to be one of them, which meant the woman had resources and lots of reach. Maeve glared at Tilda. “Who exactly are you?”

  “I will be happy to explain that all to you once we get this place shut down.”

  Maeve crossed her arms over her chest. “But why are you so interested in it? This goes beyond Guardian pushing you to— Actually, why would she contact you at all? I mean, myself, Chris, Norah, even Greg have direct contact to critical individuals in this fight. Who do you have?”

  Tilda’s eyes went cold for just a moment before they cleared. It happened so quickly Maeve wasn’t even sure she had seen it. “I have a dog in this fight, too. And I have been part of this fight decades longer than you. You want to question my fealty, go ahead. But I don’t need you for this, Dr. Leander. You need me.” Tilda spun on her heel and headed for the SUVs.

  Jasper ran a hand through his hair, blowing out a breath. “Look, you guys have been thrown in the deep end here. I get that. But Tilda, she has been in this fight forever. She’s one of the good guys. And honestly, isn’t anyone better than Martin Drummond?”

  Maeve had to admit that was true.

  “Look, let’s get them out. Then we can all sit down, cards on the table, okay?” Jasper asked.

  Maeve looked at Chris, who nodded back at her. “It’s not like we have another army we can call up to help out.”

  Jasper grinned. “It’s grudging, but I’ll take it.”

  And Maeve couldn’t help it. She smiled.

  “Look, all joking aside, this is a big moment for all of us. We’ve been trying to pin down Martin and his project for years. All of us take this seriously. And we know it’s personal for you both. We won’t let you down. Now, I’m going to organize my guys. Team meeting in five?”

  Chris nodded before Jasper headed for the SUV. Chris reached over and took Maeve’s hand. “What do you think?”

  “I think he’s right and you’re right. We don’t have a choice. But I would feel better if we knew what exactly Tilda’s role in all of this was.”

  “After. Right now, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is getting Alvie back.”

  Maeve leaned into Chris. “But then what, Chris? How are we going to keep him safe?”

  Chris didn’t say anything, and Maeve hadn’t expected him to. Maeve sighed.

  Right. One major problem at a time.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

  The people who accompanied Jasper had brought a small arsenal with them. While Maeve knew the odds were low of them all escaping unharmed, the addition of eighteen heavily armed commandos to the group did make her feel better.

  Tilda approached Maeve and Chris. “I just want to apologize to you two. For me, keeping secrets has been a way of life for more decades than I’d like to admit. Believe it or not, I am just as personally attached to this situation as you are. I can’t tell you more than that. But I do promise that I know, in some ways more than you, how important Alvie’s survival is.”

  More than us? Maeve opened her mouth to question Tilda about her odd statement, but Chris cut her off. “Bileris?”

  Maeve’s gaze shot to the man walking toward them—his face was one she recognized. “Agent Bileris?”

  The Secret Service agent smiled. “Maeve, I keep telling you to call me Mike.”

  Maeve stared at him, struggling to figure out how the hell he was standing here. “Whose side are you on?”

  “I’m on the side of doing the right thing.”

  Tilda nodded at him. “I put Mike in place years ago to be our eyes and ears inside the executive branch. When you fell into the lap of the executive branch, it was fortuitous.”

  Chris’s voice was incredulous. “Fortuitous? That’s the best you can do? Who the hell are you, lady? You put a guy in the White House and another in the middle of a military complex. That takes power and connections. So I repeat, who exactly are you?”

  “You two know some of the government’s secrets about at involvement with E.T.s. I assure you, what you know is not even the tip of the iceberg. And this is one very large iceberg. But time is of the essence now.” Tilda looked at Maeve, her gaze full of compassion. “Martin is not known for his slow-moving approach or his empathy. Forgive me for being blunt, but Alvie will not be being treated kindly. The sooner we can get him out, the better. Or we can wait until we have had a long, drawn-out conversation about the other space program. It’s your choice.”


  Maeve knew she was being manipulated, but Tilda’s words conjured up images that stole Maeve’s breath.

  Chris grasped her hand, nodding at Tilda. “Alvie is the priority. But as soon as he’s safe, we talk.”

  “Agreed. Now let’s discuss how we’re getting him out. Penny has an idea.” Tilda headed toward the front porch where everyone had gathered. Bileris winced and gave them a helpless shrug before following her. Her men parted as she made her way to the front of the group. It was obvious her people respected and trusted her.

  But can I?

  “You okay?” Chris asked.

  “No,” she said, pulling her gaze from Tilda to look at Chris. “But I will be once we get Alvie back.”

  Chris took her hand. “Then let’s go get him back.” He led her toward the group.

  Maeve followed him, but her mind chose to focus on a phrase that Tilda may have accidentally used, although the more Maeve thought about it, the more she thought its use was intentional. Tilda was warning them or maybe giving them a preview of the revelations to come.

  The ones about the U.S.’s other space program.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN

  Tilda stood on the porch of the farmhouse speaking with Jasper and Nadine. Tilda’s people stood speaking quietly with one another, a few feet away. The group was impressive looking. Each of the people Tilda had brought looked similar—not in coloring or height, but all had roped muscle arms, sharp cheekbones that suggested carbs were not a big part of their diet, and an almost coldness to their gaze. Which, being they were on Maeve’s side, gave her a sense of comfort.

  They spoke to the extent of Tilda’s resources and the possibility that the United States had a second space program. There’d been rumors of the possibility for decades. So was that what all of this was? Evidence of that program?

  Nadine slipped back into the house and now only one person stood out amongst the group of focused individuals. Greg, who sat on the ground in the front row in a bright yellow shirt, drawing something in the dirt. Chris headed for him and as they approached, she could make out what he’d drawn. It was E.T. using a phone to call home. Catching Maeve’s gaze, he quickly wiped it away with a sheepish shrug as he got to his feet.

  Maeve stepped next to him and whispered, “I liked it.”

  He smiled at her.

  Maeve checked that the triplets were far enough away that they wouldn’t overhear anything. They were playing near the barn with Iggy and Hope. Norah was with them and she continually scanned the area. And she wasn’t their only sentinel. Adam was there keeping watch as well. Maeve felt better seeing him there. She wasn’t sure why she trusted him, but she did.

  “Okay, now that we’re all here, let’s get started,” Tilda said, and all talking stopped. Tilda explained that Penny had somehow managed to dig up the blueprints for the facility. Maeve wasn’t sure how, but Penny said they were accurate. Maeve believed her. And while the blueprints were a good start, they only seemed to emphasize the impossibility of the task ahead of them.

  The entrance was through a cave at the base of the mountain that was of course, well guarded. The facility itself then consisted of eight levels built underground. Level One housed security and communications. Two, housing; Three, labs; Four, mind-control experiments; Five, alien housing; Six, genetic experiments; Seven, cryogenic storage, and Eight, an underground rail system. Level Six was the most likely location for Agaren and Alvie. But it was Level Seven that made Maeve swallow hard. The words immediately conjured up an image of Alvie frozen in death in a silver coffin.

  “Where did she find the plans?” Greg asked.

  Tilda shrugged. “Not sure. But there are some online sources that argue for the same layout. We should be open to the possibility, however, that changes have been made and be ready to adapt. Now, our people will take care of the security forces at the gate and Level One while Leander and Garrigan, along with a small detail, head to the lower levels. Other details will secure each floor. Jasper will explain that part of the mission.”

  Jasper then stood up and explained the facility’s security in detail. With each layer of security discussed, Maeve felt her hopes dwindling. The place was a fortress. Apparently Greg had the same thoughts. He raised his hand.

  Jasper smiled. “Yes, I believe the overanxious Ph.D. in the front row has a question.”

  “I am not overanxious,” Greg muttered, only loud enough for Maeve to hear. To the group, he said, “So how exactly are we going to do this? Not to doubt the Rambo-like skills of everybody here, but storming this particular mountain and fighting through what is no doubt dozens of security personnel seems a tad bit suicidal.”

  Tilda smiled. “It is. Which is why we are not going to do that.”

  “Okay,” Greg said. “So what are we doing?”

  “We are going to get all of them to leave,” Jasper said.

  Silence greeted his response.

  “And how exactly are we going to do that?” Mike asked, and Maeve felt better that it wasn’t just her and her people feeling confused.

  “Jasper?” Tilda asked.

  He nodded. “Dulce is like any other government facility—they have codes for everything. Codes for lockdown, codes for a breach. You name the problem, they have a code for it. Penny was able to get into their security system and she will set off Code 478.”

  Jasper paused.

  “Which is?” Chris asked.

  Jasper grinned. “Glad you asked. It’s a biological release. As soon as people hear that code, they will be running for the exits. Protocol requires them to be at least two miles from the facility. So we simply hide outside, wait until everyone zips by us, and then head in.”

  “They’ll all go?” Greg asked.

  “No. But there will be only a few security guards left behind. We can handle them. And Penny is also going to disable the phones and cameras so they can’t see us or warn one another.”

  “That’s actually pretty good,” Greg said.

  “Thanks.”

  Chris frowned. “Wait. How long will that buy us?”

  “About twenty minutes,” Jasper said.

  “I take it back. That’s not good at all,” Greg muttered.

  “It is a small window,” Jasper conceded. “But if we move quickly, we should be all right.”

  “But,” Tilda cut in, her voice serious, “no one should underestimate this threat. Drummond is not someone who will go down easy. He undeniably has backup security in place. It could be technological or even biological.”

  “The alien attacks,” Greg whispered.

  Tilda responded as if he was talking to the group. “Yes. Martin has always been interested in defensive weapons. He has made no secret of the fact that he wants to create soldiers that can fight for us in the event of an alien attack. Dr. Schorn knows this better than anyone here. We should be prepared that he has something along those lines in the mountain.”

  “Always wanted to fight me some aliens,” someone behind Maeve said, and a few others laughed.

  “If Penny can shut down the cameras, can’t we also take a sneak peek at what he’s got in there?” Chris asked.

  Jasper shook his head. “Only to a limited extent. She’s apparently made forays in before but kept them to thirty seconds to not be noticed. Any longer than that and she’ll be noticed. So if we sneak a look first, we’ll tip them off. But she can let us know if she sees anything when we’re inside. And she will be able to verify the location of our targets once we breach.”

  “I guess that’s better than nothing,” Maeve said.

  “Not by much,” Greg muttered.

  This time, Tilda pretended she hadn’t heard him. “We watch each other’s backs. We get our targets out. If all goes well, we’ll be in and out in twenty minutes. Now, we’re heading out in one hour. Penny will take down the system as soon as we’re in place, so everyone, make sure you are ready to go. The first group leaves in fifteen.”

  If all goes well … Tilda’
s words echoed through Maeve’s mind, along with a sense of foreboding. When had anything gone well before?

  Greg let out a breath. “Well, I think I’m going to go throw up, and then I’ll be ready to storm the mountain.”

  Maeve laughed. “Good. I’ll probably do the same.”

  He gave her shoulder a squeeze and walked away. Maeve watched him throw a stick for Hope on the way to the barn. He was a good guy. And Maeve would do a lot to protect him. Just like Penny would do a lot to protect Agaren. And Maeve knew she owed the Gray.

  She looked toward where the mountain stood, seeing no hint of the insanity underneath it. And Alvie was locked up in the middle of it with that bastard Martin.

  Hold on, Alvie. I’m coming.

  CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT

  Norah took the Heckler and Koch MP5 apart and then put it back together in the kitchen of the farmhouse. The familiarity of the routine calmed her. She’d used an MP5 in Afghanistan. This one was a little heavier, but still familiar. Nervousness trickled through Norah and she shoved it aside, knowing being a little nervous was good. It kept you aware. A lack of nervousness led to complacency, which meant death.

  A group of twelve had already left to secure their hiding spots outside the base. They’d make sure the spot was safe before the rest followed them. Penny was going to offer them camera coverage to get into position. The rest were getting the gear together and loading the trucks. Norah figured she had maybe ten minutes.

  Chris stopped next to her, watching as she slid the fifteen-round magazine into place. “So who’d you serve with?”

  “Marines, two tours.”

  “You sure you’re up for this? You will be going against American citizens.”

  “Yeah, well, they are part of another group of American citizens that tried to kill me. So yeah, I’m good.”

  “Seriously, Norah, you don’t have to be part of this fight.”

  She sighed, placing the MP5 on the table and wiping her hands. “Yeah, I do. This guy Drummond, he’s not representative of the America I signed up to protect. And Iggy, the triplets—they don’t deserve to be killed or locked up in cages.”