Camp Alien

by Gini Koch

  White took one of the hats from her. “Let us help you,” he said gently, as he went to Joe and gathered the wires up, twirled them together in a way that looked like it wouldn’t tangle, then slipped the hat onto Joe’s head. Adriana did the same for Randy. They looked kind of dorky in a cute way, but the wires were definitely hidden.

  “What was Stephanie doing with knit caps?” I asked as the guys seemed to get themselves under control and started to put their pants on. White and Adriana helped them with the wires around their knees and they didn’t object.

  Adriana shrugged. “It gets cold here, and you think she’s been here a good while.”

  “Good point. Did she have any long-sleeved men’s shirts lying around?”

  “Not that I saw.” She cleared her throat. “I did find women’s clothing, though. I believe you should take a look at it—it didn’t appear to be clothing for Stephanie.”

  “I’ll do that in a bit.”

  Joe shook his leg a little and a wire slipped out from under his pant leg. “This isn’t going to work.”

  “I know!” Lizzie ran off.

  “That kid reminds me a lot of you,” Joe said quietly.

  “In good ways,” Randy added loyally.

  “I’m sure. She’s been through a lot. More than you guys, really.”

  “If she’s been adopted by who you say, she’s been through a ton.” Joe sighed. “I don’t feel like myself.”

  “Because of real reasons or because you’re freaked out?”

  “Probably freaked out,” Randy said with a grin. “You know how much of a scaredy-cat Joe is.”

  Joe grinned. “Yeah, just like you, farm boy.”

  Lizzie returned with four elastic elbow braces and four knee braces. “The chick running this place likes to be prepared, I’ll say that. These were with the first aid stuff. She’s totes set up for a siege of epic proportions.”

  “Whatever works.”

  White and Adriana again helped the guys get their wires tucked safely and the elbow braces on. “Kind of restrictive,” Joe said, flexing his arms.

  “But not too bad,” Randy added as he took his pants off and started to redo the wires around his legs. “We’ll be fine.” He cleared his throat. “Thanks, kid.”

  Joe nodded as he followed suit. “Yeah. Appreciate the help. And the ass-kicking. Normally Kitty’s the one doing that.”

  “She likes you guys a lot more than I do. Though, to be fair, I don’t really know you. Jerry’s funnier, though.”

  “He always charms the ladies,” Joe said with a sigh.

  “But we’re the ones who are married to the hottest women around.” Randy grinned. “Present company excepted.”

  “Nice to see you two feeling more normal. I hate to ask this, but did anyone find their shoes and socks?”

  “Socks yes,” Adriana replied as Joe and Randy waved their socks at me. “Shoes, on the other hand, no.”

  “God, we’ve got more shoes to pick from than at a DSW outlet,” Lizzie said. Accurately.

  “I just don’t think we want the guys in some dead person’s ancient shoes. Plus, finding their sizes isn’t as easy as just walking out and picking a pair of shoes at random.”

  Lizzie shot me a look that said I was getting older than was good for me rapidly. She trotted off again.

  “Should you be letting a kid wander around her by herself?” Joe asked. “Even a kid as competent as Lizzie seems to be?”

  “Pick your battles and all that.”

  Lizzie came back, holding two pairs of shoes. “These were by the tree near the entrance to this Cave of Wonders.”

  “I love her, I really do.” Took the shoes from Lizzie and stared at them. “Um, guys? I think these are actually your shoes. They look like government issue for officers.” They also didn’t look like they were part of Forest Haven’s Shoe Department. These shoes were used and well cared for, not filthy and filled with despair.

  Handed a pair to each of them. Sure enough, the flyboys took one look at the shoes, traded, and put the shoes on. “Definitely mine,” Randy said.

  “Mine, too. Thanks for finding them,” Joe said to Lizzie.

  She shrugged. “Wasn’t hard. They were just sitting there.”

  Managed not to mention that there had been no shoes near the entrance when we’d first come down here. Managed also not to look around for helpful ghosts. Might never sleep again, and would definitely need to go with an entourage the next time I needed to buy shoes, but I was damned if I was going to point out how freaking spooky this was.

  “You want me to look at the clothes?” Lizzie asked Adriana. “If you think they weren’t for Stephanie, I have a guess whose they are.”

  “We’ll both go,” I said firmly. I was still the one in charge.

  Lizzie shrugged but we both trailed after Adriana. “This is the room where I found Joe and Randy’s clothes,” Adriana said when we reached yet another glass room. It was far away from where the guys had been and blocked by one of the tree trunks.

  There were what I thought of as Washington Wife Clothes hanging neatly on a rolling rack. “Oh yeah, I think they’re even Crystal Maurer’s size.”

  “I think she was wearing something that looked just like this, only in a different color,” Lizzie added. “So, that proves she’s an android, right?”

  “Well, no, but it ratchets the likelihood up to at least ninety percent.”

  “What do we do with these clothes?” Lizzie asked.

  “The same thing we’re doing with most of what’s here—nothing.”

  Adriana nodded. “We will need to have personnel come back and raid this facility, but for right now, what matters isn’t this. I just wanted you to see it.” She cleared her throat. “I also want you to see something else.”

  She led us to the far side of the room, an area blocked from sight of the rooms Joe and Randy were in. There were a wide variety of rooms here that looked just like the ones the flyboys were in, complete with two beds, computer light boards, and what definitely appeared to be android innards on one of the beds in each room.

  The other beds held photographs of the intended androids. Me, Jeff, Christopher, White, Gower, Reader, and Tim were all nicely represented.

  “So, the little Abigail got from the androids was right—Stephanie has definite plans for who she wants to destroy and control.”

  “She’s one wacked out bitch, isn’t she?” Lizzie asked.

  “She is.”

  “I don’t know that you want the others to see this,” Adriana said. “I don’t think Joe and Randy will be able to emotionally handle it right now.”

  “I’m sure you’re right. Lizzie, is your phone working to take pictures?”

  “Yeah, gotcha.” She pulled her phone out and took a few snaps of each of the rooms. “You’re going to need to show these to Jeff to make him accept that Stephanie isn’t a good person, right?”

  “Got it in one.”

  Creep Out Time and Picture Time both over, we headed back and rejoined the men. White looked like he’d just finished a short counseling session. Considering the circumstances, he probably had. But the guys looked a little better, so the time and effort hadn’t been wasted.

  “Now that we’re all ready to go, I wonder if we should take the computer boards with us,” White said, looking worried. “If there are foreign objects in the boys, it might be best to have all the data.”

  “We need to bring supplies more. Besides, unless we can figure out how to make a phone work around here, we aren’t taking much.”

  “We can come back if needed,” Adriana said. “Stephanie is incarcerated, so she won’t be returning any time soon.”

  “As long as we find the Kendroid, I agree with Adriana.” Looked at the flyboys. “But that decision’s up to you two.”

  “I don�
�t want to cart that thing around,” Joe said. “It looks heavy and it’s not made for carrying.”

  “I’m lazier than Joe, so I agree we leave them here and take our chances.”

  “Super. Let’s hope that decision goes better than most we make. Let’s get back to the others.”

  Lizzie took some pictures of the computer boards while Adriana put her stuff back into her backpack and the rest of us gathered more water, more food bars, and more first aid supplies.

  White pulled me aside as we gathered stuff. “I feel it again.”

  “Feel what?”

  “That I should be remembering something about this place. It came on when we saw those glass chambers, and it’s stronger here.”

  “Maybe you’re thinking of the underground lab at Gaultier.” We headed back with our cases of water.

  He shook his head. “I felt nothing like this there. It feels almost like déjà vu, but it’s not because you aren’t in the memory. That much I know. I don’t believe anyone here is in the memory.”

  “So, it’s a memory from before I joined up?”

  “No. I believe it’s a memory from Alpha Four.”

  Was going to say more but the others were back with their supplies as well, and getting out of here was more important than White’s memory concern. I insisted that all of us drink a bottle of water each, and I made Joe and Randy drink a second one each as well while Lizzie went off to search for something to use to carry the stuff in. She scrounged a sturdy box and we put all the supplies in it. The box needed two to carry it, so Joe and Randy took a side each.

  “You sure you two should be carrying anything?”

  They both shrugged. “I feel okay,” Joe said. “The disorientation from waking up here was bad, but now I feel normal.”

  “Me, too,” Randy said. “Well, as normal as we ever get.”

  We headed off at a walk since the flyboys had that box of stuff. I was prepared for the trapdoor to be locked, locking us in here, but it was open. White closed it after us and put the tarp back, then we continued on.

  Giving credence to Lizzie’s theory, and unlike the other hostages we’d found, now that they were up and dressed, Joe and Randy didn’t seem to be having any ill effects. Tried not to worry about them. Failed. Utterly.

  However, I had other people to worry about more. Camilla, Rahmi, and Rhee were most likely in the invisible helicarrier. Conveniently, I was about ninety-nine percent sure I knew where it was. Unfortunately, I was about one percent sure that I could get into said helicarrier undetected.

  Meaning I was going to have to request entry. Oh well, supposedly I had a way with diplomacy.

  CHAPTER 66

  ONCE WE WERE out of the building I insisted that White use hyperspeed to get the supplies to the others. He agreed, took the box, and took off. The rest of us took off our evidence gloves and I had the others link up and we headed after him. Well, with one small detour.

  I ran us around the entire gigantic complex, pointing out the buildings where we had and hadn’t found people, and had Adriana do the same. I also showed the guys where the Presumed Detention Center was. We stopped by one of the buildings nearest to the other facility, but one we hadn’t searched.

  “You two are in uniform and you’re in better shape than the other flyboys. If worse comes to worst, you two may have to try to get help for us from whoever’s in here.”

  Joe’s eyes were narrowed. “Mahin said we’re close to the NSA?”

  “Yeah, she did. Not close enough to be able to get everyone there safely, though. At least, I don’t think.” I had no idea where NSA headquarters was from here, and I also had no idea who there was friendly toward us or not. Sure, I was the FLOTUS now, but that didn’t mean anything. In my experience, it was just going to make me a better bargaining chip.

  “You thinking it’s an NSA facility?” Randy asked him.

  “I think it’s possible. And if that’s the case, then I think it’s a good thing you guys didn’t go there trying to get help.”

  “Thank Lizzie. She’s the one who thought it would be easy to get in but hard to get out.”

  She tried not to preen, but she couldn’t hide that she was pleased with the praise. “My dad’s advice.”

  “He’s a smart man,” Randy said. “Joe’s right, we need to steer clear unless it’s our last option. We’ll be treated as enemies, not people to help. And while that will stop the moment they know who we really are, the wife of the Vice President shouldn’t be making unplanned visits to an NSA holding facility.”

  “Oh. Um. Right. You guys didn’t get the last update. Um . . . I’m not the wife of the Vice President anymore.”

  Both guys stared at me. “What the hell happened to you and Jeff in a week?” Joe asked, sounding shocked to his core.

  “Is Jeff dead?” Randy asked, sounding horrified.

  “Oh, no. Others are, but not Jeff. Stop panicking, Jeff and I are still married.” Barring him divorcing me for not calling him, which was not my fault. Gave the guys their CliffsNotes version of the past many days’ events.

  “You’re the First Lady now?” Joe didn’t sound like he believed it. Yeah, I didn’t really believe it, either.

  “Believe it,” Lizzie said. “And she hates the job, but the house is nice. So far. I miss the Embassy, though. It’s a lot cozier.”

  “I’ve never thought of the American Centaurion Embassy as cozy,” Randy said. “So I can only imagine how you’re doing, Kitty.” He hugged me. “Thanks for coming to save us.”

  Joe hugged me, too. “What Randy said. A lot.”

  “Well, we were kidnapped, in that sense. I was happy to get the double, though, and rescue everyone. Which, by the way, we are not done with. Mission: Save the Rescue Team needs to roll, and roll soon.”

  “Yeah.” Randy looked around and shuddered. “I can’t believe Stephanie stashed everyone here.”

  “You know about Forest Haven? Are you taking the same course with my dad that Mahin is?”

  “No, I watch Ghost Hunters, and this is one of the most haunted places they’ve ever been. Joe, you and Lorraine watched that episode with us.”

  Joe nodded. “Yeah, the people on that show were spooked to the max. They felt this place was bad news.”

  “And they felt it was genuinely haunted,” Randy said firmly. “And by malevolent spirits as well as just trapped souls.”

  “Told you,” Lizzie said smugly.

  “What’s with the shoes? Did they say?” I sincerely hoped they’d said.

  Both guys shook their heads. “It’s just how it is here,” Randy said. “Some of them think the ghosts pile the shoes up because they can’t leave.”

  “No one knows,” Joe added. “No one’s supposed to come here, but you know how people are—this place sees a lot of ghost-hunting and thrill-seeking activity. Some people who come to investigate move the shoes. The shoes are always moved back when they aren’t looking.”

  “Officially creeped out, thanks so much. But, that begs a question—if the Ghost Hunters were here, and other people come here all the time, why hasn’t anyone spotted us and come over to ask what we’re doing here?”

  “My guess is that they,” Joe jerked his head toward the presumed NSA site, “just ignore anyone here. It’s usually going to be ghost hunters, teenagers, or the homeless. As long as they don’t jump the fence, who cares what they’re doing here?”

  “Adriana used a rocket launcher,” Lizzie pointed out. “She used it a lot.”

  Joe shrugged. “If they’re well-soundproofed, they might not have heard it.”

  “Or they heard it and didn’t care,” Randy said.

  “Or they don’t care about what happens here, even if a bomb drops,” Lizzie suggested.

  “Which makes them even more suspicious. Or lax in their security since anyone over here could be
here spying on whatever’s going on in this facility, though.”

  “Yeah, so let’s get moving,” Randy said. “Why give them a reason to check us out? Besides, the sooner we leave Forest Haven the better.”

  We linked up again and this time I took us back to the others. The flyboys had quite the reunion, and the rest of us ignored whatever manly tears were going on. Jerry, Hughes, and Walker were freaked out and furious about what had been done to Joe and Randy, but White kept the situation under control by reminding them that whatever was going on with Camilla and the princesses was potentially worse. That was us—keeping things calm by pointing out how much worse they were probably going to get.

  I insisted that everyone here have water and food bars if they hadn’t already and made those who had drink and eat more. Abigail and Mahin were already doing first aid on those who needed it, and Lizzie and Adriana started helping out. Despite the dire situations everyone had been in, a little water, food, and TLC seemed to be going a long way.

  I’d been most worried about the two Field teams, but water and food had worked wonders for them and they were looking pretty close to what I considered normal for an A-C.

  Once the flyboys had finished their reunion and had more food and water at my direct order, Jerry pulled me aside. The other flyboys, Lizzie, White, and Adriana came along, too. We left Abigail and Mahin riding herd on the security personnel.

  “The P.T.C.U. folks can hot-wire the car,” Jerry said. “I’ve had them wait, though, so we don’t burn gas for nothing. But considering no one can make a call and, as near as we can tell, no one cares that you’ve been kidnapped, I think we might want them to go for it.”

  “I can agree with that, only we’re going to have to stuff that car full of people.”

  “It’s a limo, Kitty,” Hughes pointed out. “We can get a lot of people into it.”

  “And they don’t have to be comfy,” Walker added. “Refugees get to pack in tightly, whoever’s getting out of here in the car can pack in tightly, too.”

  “But we can’t get all the people into it. And, before anyone suggests it, I’m not going to be one of those heading off for safety, because I’m not leaving until I find the team I sent to rescue you guys, not to mention my Poofs and Peregrines.”