by Gini Koch
“Speaking of which, where do we actually start digging?” Big George asked. “A direction, any direction, would be helpful.”
Armstrong cleared his throat. “Gaultier Enterprises would be where I’d recommend. As well as determining the whereabouts of Esteban Cantu and Colonel Hamlin.”
“Titan Enterprises, too, along with anything related to Antony Marling.” I gave them the spelling. “And the Pentagon. Search anything related to Madeline Cartwright. Oh, and lest we forget, anything related to Ronald Yates.”
“Most of those people are dead,” Stryker pointed out.
“Yeah. ’Cause all those dead people pissed me off, tried to kill people I love, and also tried to take over the world.”
Hacker International turned as one, Ravi included, hell, Omega Red included, and stared at me. “Kitty, are you saying you killed all of them?” Stryker asked carefully.
“I killed Yates. Christopher actually killed Gaultier. Adriana killed Cartwright. And Marling killed himself.”
“Oh. So, you’ve only killed one bad guy?” Henry asked nervously.
“No, I’ve killed more. Leventhal Reid and Howard Taft, for example. Well, really, Jeff killed Reid.” I considered. “I think I’m losing count.” Hacker International all looked mildly terrified. “So, um, get to work.” They flung themselves back to their tasks at hand.
“Found Esteban Cantu through GPS in his cell phone,” Omega Red said shortly. “He’s in his home. Same with Colonel Marvin Hamlin. He’s in his residence.”
“Bet you fifty bucks their phones are home but they aren’t.”
“We don’t have surveillance in their residences,” Omega Red shared. “So I have no way of knowing.”
“I can’t ask for an A-C field team to investigate; they’re all deployed.”
“Search for
alternate signatures,” Franklin said. “I’ll send people to both locations.”
He made the call while I tried not to fret, drum my fingers, or tap my foot. Human speeds really lacked a certain something when time was of the essence.
“Yuri, track Hamlin from Friday. That’s the day he disappeared.”
“I saw Esteban this morning,” Armstrong said.
“Track Cantu from today, then.”
“Oh, yes, no problem,” Omega Red said under his breath.
“I heard that, and good.” A thought occurred. I sent a text to Lorraine. She replied quickly in the affirmatived. I went to Omega Red. “Yuri, put the addresses up on screen.” He did as requested. I sent them to Lorraine. “Colonel, tell your people to expect some Alpha Centaurion agents to be joining them. They’ll probably be at the locations, searching, by the time your teams arrive.”
“I thought all Field teams were deployed.”
I shrugged. “They are. But in times of war, we let the gals help out.”
“Do you mean what I suspect you mean, Missus Martini?”
“You know it, Mister White. Lorraine and Claudia just promoted some of the younger female A-Cs who want to expand past math, science, and medicine into the exciting world of action, danger, and romance. Welcome to the future.”
Yi
CHAPTER 78
“THEY WON’T HAVE MUCH TRAINING,” White said. He sounded worried.
“Ah, that’s where you’re wrong. Apparently Lorraine and Claudia have been approached by a good number of gals who want to expand their horizons. They’ve been training them.”
“Do James and Tim know about this?”
I coughed. Not if I knew my girls. I’d trained them to do whatever and beg forgiveness later. Hey, it’d been working for us so far. “Oh, I’m sure they’ll be great with it. I mean, look at Jennifer here! She’s an active imageer, blazing the trail for her sisters in butt kicking. So to speak.”
Of course, now we both had to look at her. Jennifer didn’t seem ready for action right now. She was comfortably settled on Ravi’s desk and appeared to be staying there. However, I’d seen her earlier in the day, so I chose to remain optimistic.
“Ah, yes. I’m completely reassured.” White’s sarcasm knob was firmly at eleven.
Henry cursed quietly. “Kitty, you’re not going to like this,” he said, saving me from any more uncomfortable explanations.
“I haven’t liked much this weekend, Henry, so what’s next on my Anti Hit Parade?”
“I have the news feeds running. Senator Armstrong has been listed as missing by his limo driver. ‘Hasn’t been seen since he entered the American Centaurion Embassy’ is a direct line from this article.”
“Doesn’t one have to be missing for forty-eight hours before the authorities panic?” Armstrong asked.
“Regular people, yes,” Henry said. “Public figures who disappear before public meetings in mysterious ways, however, get press.”
“I was at the One World Festival,” Armstrong said.
“For too brief a time,” Khalid said. “You spent that time assisting us.”
“Yes, and I think he was seen,” Henry replied. “However, that’s not necessarily good news, either. There’s another article that’s insinuating the senator was kidnapped along with the Bahraini Ambassadress. And another asking if the senator did the kidnapping of the Ambassadress.”
“What are the reactions?” Franklin asked.
“Not good. Sending them to the guest terminal.” Henry pointed to a space that was relatively clean, if you didn’t mind that there were stacks of books and file folders around the terminal and in the guest chair.
Oliver and the Middle Eastern Contingent went to have a look. Well, Oliver and Mona went to look. The Middle Eastern Muscle spent their time moving things so that Mona, at least, could sit down.
“There is more talk of war,” Mona said. She sounded on the verge of tears.
“Ugly talk,” Oliver added. “The kind that can cause buttons to be pushed down.”
“Well, that’s not good.”
“Your way with the understatement remains intact, I see, Missus Martini.”
“Rick, honey, I’m going to have to hurt you.”
“Kitty!” Ravi shouted, sparing us from more news updates, fretting, and sarcasm. “I’ve communicated with the scientists who are reverse engineering the android. We’ve been able to identify and isolate a homing signal. It was tricky, because the signal was within the self-destruct mechanism, but we’ve got it.”
“Ravi found it,” Jennifer added proudly. I refrained from humming U2’s “Two Hearts Beat as One” but only because I didn’t want to have to explain myself or give White the opening for another Sarcasm Zinger. I wondered if Jennifer was going to share the news of Hacker International with the rest of the Dazzlers or keep them all for herself.
“Ravi, you continue to rock above all other reverse engineers who have come before, exist now, or shall come in the future.” Good news, any good news, was such a pleasant shock, I wanted to kiss Ravi. But figured I’d let Jennifer handle that.
“Thanks, Kitty. Always nice to be appreciated. I’ve sent the information to everyone here, as well as to Dulce. They’re tracking as well.” He cleared his throat. “When this is over, I’d like to visit. If it’s okay.”
“I’ll show you around,” Jennifer said quickly.
“Let’s survive to see next week before anyone plans any tours,” Franklin said. “Gentlemen, let’s get to work. Everyone’s depending on you.”
As Hacker International focused on their new information, William came over to me. “I’ve checked in with Walter. He says they’re all clear at the Embassy. He’s activated the shields, so if we head there, we need to let him know, because the shield can cause an issue with the gate.”
“Wait, what? Our Embassy has a shield on it? Seriously?”
William laughed. “It’s not standard. It was discovered while you were in Florida. The assumption is that the former Diplomatic Corps installed it as part of their overall plan to destroy us. It’s been checked out and tested. Perfectly safe, very effective. Which
we should be happy about, because also according to Walter someone’s been trying to get in. Moving too fast to see.”
“Clarence wants into the tunnels.”
“I’ll call Walter and tell him you’re pretty sure it’s Valentino. What do you want him to do?”
“Sit tight and not let him in. I don’t know that we can catch him, but the only ones who’ll have a shot are Jeff and Christopher.”
William nodded and stepped away to make his next call. It occurred to me that if telecommunications went down, not only would we not have anything to work with here in Hacker Central, but I wouldn’t be able to call the person I was fairly sure could point us in the right direction.
I followed William’s suit, stepped away from the group, and dialed. Got the “all circuits are busy” message. Tried several more times. Same thing. Sent a text. It bounced back. Several times. I felt cut off and more than a little stressed.
Armstrong joined me. “You look upset.”
“Senator, I thought they could get calls in and out of the President’s bunker.”
“Only with special phones.” He gave me a rather fatherly look. “Trying to reach your mother?”
I nodded. “She’d know what to do. She undoubtedly knows who’s behind this or at least has suspects.”
“I’m one, I promise you.”
“Yeah, I know.” I sighed. “But at this point, better the enemy you know. Not that I’m calling you our enemy. At the moment. I mean, you’ve been helpful. And all that.”
He chuckled and patted my shoulder. “No offense taken. And chin up. Your mother’s counting on you to figure things out without her. And I must be honest—if anyone can make sense of what’s going on, it’s going to be you.”
“I suppose.”
“I’ll do my best to help. You mentioned a name I haven’t heard in a while. I believe we should have them looking for connections with Reid as well.”
“He’s been dead a long time.”
“Yes, but as you well know, influence can continue long after someone’s death.”
“True enough, and considering our visit from the Club Fifty-One contingent, it’s a good bet his influence and some cronies are still around.”
“Yes, and likely still following his game plan. I knew Reid, and a more anti-alien politician you’ll be hard-pressed to find.”
“No argument there. He must have funded or been funded by the Club of Crazed Evil Geniuses in some way, too, because Gaultier is the one who created Surcenthumain, but Reid and Taft were the ones who did the testing on Serene and Jeff.”
“I agree. And who knows how many others. I’m glad you see my point.”
“Did you like him?”
“Reid?” Armstrong shook his head. “Happily I’m a senator and he was a representative, and we were in different parties, so I didn’t have tgo socialize as much as might have been required otherwise.”
“You hang with Cantu.”
“I’ll take anything Esteban wants to do, including what I’m sure he’s doing right now, over Leventhal Reid and his ideas of a good time.”
I remembered how Reid had wanted to kill me, what he’d wanted to do to me, and how he planned to ensure I’d be conscious all the way through it. I shuddered involuntarily. Armstrong was right—no one had been more sick and twisted than Reid.
I took a deep breath and got myself back to the here and now. “Yo, Eddy! Add in searches for Leventhal Reid, Howard Taft who was not the late president, and Club Fifty-One. Oh, and special attention should be paid to France, particularly Paris, and Paraguay, particularly in the Chaco. In addition to the special attention Big George is supposedly already giving those areas.”
“You sure you don’t want a five-course meal and some entertainment while you’re at it?”
No sooner were the words out of Stryker’s mouth than I heard something. It was faint, and sounded far away. “Did anyone else hear that?”
Franklin’s phone rang before anyone replied. A quiet beeping noise started from somewhere inside the room. Stryker went to the sound and moved a variety of papers, pizza boxes and other things I chose not to identify.
“I heard it,” Buchanan said. “But I can’t place what it is.”
“I can,” Oren said. “It’s the sound of an explosion.” I looked around. The Middle Eastern Contingent had that “ready for fight or flight” look going.
Franklin hung up. He looked worried and a little sick to his stomach. “It’s a good thing you wanted everyone with us.”
“Why’s that?”
“Headquarters was just blown up. We’ve lost some airmen for certain. Base is going into full lockdown.” So Reader had been proven right within a few minutes—we were already taking casualties.
Everyone was quiet for a few seconds. The shock of an unprovoked attack will do that to you. “I’m so sorry,” I said finally.
Franklin shook his head. “We’re at war. They knew it. The rest of the population might not yet, but unless we keep on, our enemies win and my men died for nothing.”
Had to clear my throat, mostly because it was that or cry, and we didn’t have time for crying. “Do they know how the bomb was detonated?”
“No. One moment everything was fine. The next, the building went up. It wasn’t an airborne bomb.”
“We’re secure here,” Stryker said.
“For now.” White looked pensive.
“What is it, Mister White?”
“Why did anyone blow up Commander Franklin’s office? And why now?”
“Because we were there, it’s the only logical reason.”
“So either they thought we were still there, or they’re trying to figure out where we are and blow us up,” Buchanan said.
“Or it’s where the main gate is for this air base.” As I said it I knew I was right. “They don’t want us able to get out of here quickly.”
“But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t trying to figure out where we’ve gone and blow that up, too,” White said. “I lean toward both you and Mister Buchanan being correct in this situation.”
“Who’s ‘they’?” Mona asked.
“My bet is that Andrews has some Club Fifty-One Faithful working
here. They’re really good at covering all the pawn moves, and this kind of destruction is their go-to move. I’d bet the order was to start blowing things up once Mister White and I arrived.”
“You’re sure this is about you?” Franklin asked.
“I’m certain,” Oliver answered for me. “Whoever’s behind this has been anticipating what Missus Martini would do. That she would come here was a given, if you recall our earlier discussion.”
I heard another sound. This one was closer. I felt a small tremor. Bruno woke up, looked around, and came over to me, squawking quietly.
“We need to get out of here, pronto. Eddy, do you have everything backed up?”
“Yes, but we need this equipment, not to mention the network, to do whatever you want us to do.”
“Will, tell Walter we’re going to be coming, hopefully through Chuckie’s secret gate, and we need to get everything in this room into the Ballroom at the Embassy, and we need to do it fast.” William pulled out his phone and started talking. “And tell him we’re going to need the top folks who handle the Imageering set up onsite, too.”
Harlie, Poofikins, and a number of other Poofs appeared out of nowhere. They were large, in charge, and growling. I was clear on what they were trying to tell us, even without Bruno screaming at the top of his bird lungs. We were out of time.
Abigail grabbed Naomi’s hand. “Incoming!”
Yi
CHAPTER 79
A PROTECTIVE BUBBLE WENT AROUND ALL OF US, around the entire contents of the room, really. It was similar to the ones I’d seen ACE create when we were in the middle of Operation Drug Addict in Florida. Similar also to the one I’d created with ACE’s help during Operation Confusion to dissipate the gaseous form of Surcenthumain. Only much bigger.
The room shook, and the electrical went haywire. The room started to shake as if we were in California during a major quake. Most of us started to lose our balance. Like so many events of my life, it had the potential to be a funny memory in about fifty years.
“Everyone out!” Franklin shouted.
We turned, but the wall with the door sort of collapsed and in a way that indicated it was going to take more than a couple of shoves to get through. We were a long way underground, and I had a feeling someone was going for the idea of burying all of us alive. And there was no time to calibrate—let alone get everyone through —the gate.
Naomi grabbed me, and I felt an electric surge. “Kitty, get us out of here!”
Me? I wasn’t a Wonder Twin. Then again, getting out of here sounded fabulous. I considered all of our options. Went with the sane idea for once. “American Centaurion Embassy, second floor, ballroom.”
I’d done this time warp before, during Operation Invasion, when ACE had sent us to Alpha Four and back. But no one else with me had.
The bubble surrounding us shifted, taking all its contents along. It felt like I always imagined a time warp would. First the airbase, then the parts of D.C. between Andrews and our Embassy flashed by as we went past or through them, depending.
I saw a lot of freaked out looking expressions. Even Omega Red looked freaked, and I knew he couldn’t see us all fly through everything like the fastest form of hyperspeed available. Even White looked freaked, and that had to be some kind of red-letter moment.
Thankfully, since we weren’t changing solar systems, the trip was brief. There we were, safe and sound in the ballroom. “Everyone okay?” I asked as I checked Bruno and the Poofs, who were back to small.
Everyone proclaimed themselves to be in once piece, even Ravi, who was a little freaked seeing as he hadn’t been sure if his head was going to explode or not. Senator Armstrong had his arm around Mona, who clearly was wondering why she’d gotten out of bed this morning, but otherwise, our folks looked a damned sight better than we would have if the Gower girls weren’t amazing. And if Chuckie hadn’t spent a lot of time training them.
