Alien vs. Alien

by Gini Koch

  -Martini from the rest of the team causes faster degeneration of effectiveness.’”

  “Who wrote that report?” Buchanan asked.

  Stryker shook his head. “It’s been added to, by a variety of operatives, all of whom are using code names. It’ll take time to decipher and use resources we have focused elsewhere.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. You’ve used up all our servers and focus, Kitty, including the ones your folks added. If you want me to put resources here, you have to choose what other vital search or program you want stopped.”

  “Who added that information doesn’t matter,” Christopher said. “It proves why they spent so much effort getting Kitty away from the rest of us.”

  “I think they’re selling your team short,” Franklin said.

  “Depends on who put that information in.” I looked at Armstrong. “Senator, you and I discussed Leventhal Reid only a little while ago. I’m sure you were aware of what went down during Operation Drug Addict.”

  “Yes. Honestly, if my briefings have been even remotely accurate, this assessment is correct.”

  “Only if it presumes our personnel remain stagnant, and that’s not the case. I point to what the gals are doing in the Dome as Exhibit A.”

  “Kitty, more activity in the tunnels,” Big George said, as the picture on the big screen flashed from the map of New Mexico to the murky tunnel interior.

  Sure enough, there was activity. Of a sort.

  Yi

  CHAPTER 87

  “I SEE WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE humanlike shapes,” I said finally. “Christopher, can you get anything?”

  “Not really,” he admitted. “I can’t confirm we’re looking at humans or A-Cs.”

  “Mimi, Abby, anything?”

  “No,” Naomi said. “Like with Christopher, I can’t really feel them or see their minds.”

  “Me either,” Abigail added. “Could be people, could be androids, could be something else.”

  “Moving camera closer,” Big George said. It didn’t help much. The shapes were still indistinct.

  “Do we have extra lighting or something down there?”

  No sooner were those words out of my mouth than there was a flash of something that could have been an A-C moving at the fast hyperspeed, could have been a gun firing, or could have been something else. The screen went dark.

  “Either they can hear us, read our minds, or they spotted the camera,” Franklin said. “Regardless, this likely moves them into enemy camp.”

  “If they’re hostiles, then they might know where Jeff and Chuckie are. That means we need to capture them, sooner as opposed to later. Will, can you get me and Richard into the tunnels via our new floater gate, or should we use the Jolly Green Giant’s tunnel downstairs?”

  “The elevator will be safer, Chief,” Walter answered for his brother. “I can coordinate the shield to let you through.”

  “I’d prefer military personnel to go,” Franklin said.

  “Well, Colonel, under the current circumstances, that would mean you. Or Hacker International, here. And I think you need to stay here, and I know without asking that Hacker International has no intention of leaving their assigned posts. Besides, Mister White and I kick butt on a regular basis.”

  “True enough. You do have precedent on your side. Of course, in my experience, you sometimes need the full might of the U.S. military to help you.”

  “Everyone’s a critic. Let’s focus on the positive side, shall we?”

  Bruno warbled.

  “No, Bruno, my bird. You’re staying here to ensure that someone’s in charge of our animal kingdom.”

  Bruno wasn’t happy, but, with a bird grumble, he acquiesced.

  “I’m going, too,” Christopher stated with authority.

  “No, you’re not,” I said with more authority, as in, I channeled Mom. “Right now, you’re King Alexander’s closest relative on Earth. You’re not going anywhere. We need you alive, well, and able to figure out how the hell to let Alexander and Councilor Leonidas know that we need their help.”

  “She’s right,” Colonel Franklin said. “And while I don’t want to have to pull rank, since you seem touchy about that, I have to insist you stay here.”

  Christopher’s mouth opened, to argue no doubt, but White put his hand up. “Son, they’re right. Stay here. If we need you, you’ll know.”

  “How?” Christopher shot Patented Glare #1 at us. “None of us can read into those tunnels.”

  Omega Red cleared his throat. “You could go old school.”

  “Come again?”

  He held out his hand. There were two Bluetooth earpieces sitting on his palm. “I realize you’re all used to using your special powers and holding your phones to your ears, but, as The Matrix has shown us, earpieces work really well, too.”

  “Yuri, welcome to the Land of Sarcasm. I’m not even gonna ask how you ‘saw’ The Matrix.”

  “There’s a specialized program we created—”

  “Yuri! I pointedly said I wasn’t going to ask. Are these tuned to our frequency, whatever that frequency may be? frequeny b

  “They’re tuned to the system,” Henry said as White and I put the earpieces on.

  “Can’t stop the signal. Okay, so we’ll keep you updated and vice versa, right?”

  “Yes,” Big George confirmed. “We’ll be monitoring you.”

  “Kitty, I mention this as a favor and as someone who’s known you a long time,” Stryker said. “Please remember that we’ll be able to hear everything, even things you mutter under your breath.”

  “You don’t know me,” I muttered under my breath.

  “Yes, I do,” Stryker said.

  “I could have been there and back in this time,” Christopher snapped. He had a point.

  “Fine, fine, we’re going. Ready, Mister White?”

  “Willing and eager as well, Missus Martini.” White took my hand, and we headed down to the basement.

  Since discovering the hidden elevator and all the other fun things the former Diplomatic Corps had installed way back when, we’d removed all the basement clutter they’d had strewn around to disguise said elevator and such. We’d also uncloaked the switch that turned the elevator on. This only helped the humans, but said humans appreciated it.

  I appreciated that we could quickly hit the button and head down the three stories to the start of the Tunnels of Murky Doom without tripping over boxes. “Walt, we’re in the elevator.”

  “Go ahead, Chief, you’re cleared. Advise when leaving and I’ll close that shield back up.”

  “Is the entire Embassy unshielded?” I asked as White hit the down button.

  “No, Chief. I put this section under its own shielding once you were all back. Even if someone were to breach the tunnel and make it into the elevator, they couldn’t come into the Embassy.”

  “Excellent, Walt, you rock above all others.” The elevator wasn’t the fastest in the world, but that gave me time to test out our equipment. “So, how many people besides Walter can hear me?”

  “Everyone,” Stryker said in my ear. “We have the two of you on speaker.”

  “Nice. Who’s going to talk us through the tunnels?” The sounds of arguing came through clearly. While we waited, I rummaged around in my purse and pulled out my Glock. “I’m ready. Whenever, you know, someone’s going to agree to tell us which ways to turn and all that.”

  “I will,” Christopher said finally. “Since none of the humans are going to actually be able to see the two of you on camera.”

  “You won’t see us, either. The cameras can’t catch hyperspeed.”

  “No kidding. I can judge where you’ll be when.”

  I looked at White. “You think he’ll really be able to?”

  “I can hear you,” Christopher snarled.

  “Oh, I’m sure Christopher is more than u