by Gini Koch
“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, Serene won’t be in the danger Christopher was before you cleared out good ol’ granddad and brought the ozone shield down on Alpha Four.”
“Okay. I can see most of this. James is a great leader and focused on protecting the new Pontifex in all sorts of ways. Tim’s shown super ability to cover the Airborne role of thinking like the psychos. And Serene has those nifty and expanded imageering powers. I’m clear on all that. But who’s going to do Recruitment? Paul can’t, ACE shouldn’t, and besides, Recruitment also functions as protection for the Pontifex.”
White coughed. “You.”
“I thought I was supposed to be the diplomat’s wife? I’m getting confused here.”
“You’re supposed to be the diplomat.” Jeff didn’t sound like he was joking.
“Jeff, really. What is my role? I’m tired, and the torpedoes are anxious.”
“You and Jeffrey both will need to function in a diplomatic capacity. You, however, have hired better and faster than anyone else. You’ve identified talent and brought it on when we needed it. You’ve trained operatives to the point where they can assume leadership positions. In addition to Tim and James, I believe we will be moving Lorraine and Claudia into positions of Captains, to fill the slots James and Tim’s promotions will leave open. As such, we need you to move to the head of Recruitment. This will force you to spend time with Paul, James, Tim, and Serene as well as the rest of your former team. I do hope you can handle it.”
“Sarcasm is such an ugly trait in a former Pontifex. Fine, but you’re helping me with it. I think we work well as a team.”
“Yes, got it, you’re attached to my uncle at the hip now and refuse to let go. He’ll be living in the same building. I draw the line at our bedroom.”
“He’s so possessive. It’s sweet, though.” I heard a baby crying, screaming, really, and my breasts started to leak. “I hope that’s Jamie.” Ran to the entry door to see Tito escorting my mother and screaming baby in. I grabbed Jamie and cuddled her. She was still crying but a little less. “Mommy’s here, Jamie-Kat.”
“She refused the bottle,” Mom said with a sigh. “I think she knew things were fine and wanted you.”
White led me into a room off the master bedroom. “Nursery.”
“Wow, there’s everything here, isn’t there?”
“Including an isolation chamber.”
I felt my throat get tight. “Oh. Good.”
White opened the nursery door opposite the one we’d come in through. Jeff stroked my back. “They’re not that bad, baby.”
“This one in particular.” White ushered us inside.
“Wow.” Instead of one of the horrific Coffins of the Damned that I was used to, this room looked remarkably like a nice, well appointed, very cozy hospital room. “There are three beds.”
“We don’t know what the mutation will do to you,” White said softly. “However, this room is equipped for any and all talent-related issues and is also, I’m sure, far less frightening to be within.”
“You can say that again. So, did the Colemans have an empathic family member or something?”
White coughed. “No. Theresa, however, was empathic and had a son and nephew who were quite strong in their talents. This used to be her quarters, before . . .”
“Ah.” I looked up at Jeff. “You sure you’re okay coming back here to live?”
He nodded. “I was happy here. And Uncle Richard’s right—this room isn’t a frightening place to be, at any age. I’d much rather have Jamie in isolation here, when it’s necessary, than pretty much anywhere else.”
I decided that making the comparison between this isolation chamber and the ones I was used to seeing Jeff in was probably a bad idea. I looked around the room some more. “That’s good. And I’m pretty sure I could be in here with Jamie, if necessary, and not freak out.” I looked at White. “You’re sure this is the right decision?”
White kissed my forehead. “Yes. I’ll leave your little family alone and speak with your mother about our new world order.”
We went back into the nursery. Jeff escorted White out, shutting the door firmly behind him, then helped me out of my shirt and into the lounger. Jamie started eating as if she hadn’t had food for days. He squatted down next to us and stroked her head. “I wasn’t sure I’d ever see you or her again.”
I ran my hand through his hair. “I know. When I heard them hurting you . . .” I stopped and swallowed. “You okay doing this, though?”
He nodded. “Yeah, I am. Richard’s right—our original purpose on this world has been handled. We need to adapt or we’ll be exterminated or turned into what you, your mother, and Reynolds are trying to protect us from.”
“You going to manage to stop treating Chuckie like the enemy?”
Jeff grinned. “I’ll do my best.” He sighed. “It was interesting to hear what Cooper and his gang were saying to and about Reynolds. They hate him for all the reasons you love him. I think it’s smarter for me to work with the man you respect and love, not against him, since without him, I don’t know that you would have ever wanted me.”
I pulled his head to me and kissed him. “Jeff, I love you for you, not because you’re a supercool alien sex god, though, you know, that’s a major contributing factor. But I’m happy you’re going to have the jealousy chat with Chuckie and stop being a total jerk to him.”
“I didn’t say that.” Jeff laughed. “He doesn’t get the jealousy chat yet. Soon, I think, but not yet.”
“Whatever. Just stop being mean to him.”
“He likes it, to a certain extent. I don’t know that he and I will ever feel comfortable being buddies. But I’ll give him what he’s deserved from me all this time—my respect and cooperation.”
“That’s good enough for me, and probably for him, too.”
Time to change torpedoes. Did the switch. Jeff perched on the armrest and watched us. “I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of seeing this. My wife and baby.” He stroked my hair. “You’re the most amazing woman in the galaxy, you know.”
I leaned my head back against him. “I’m just me, Jeff.”
He bent down and kissed me. “That’s what I said.”
CHAPTER 70
WE FINISHED FEEDING JAMIE, did the diaper check. Fortunately she didn’t need a change because we had nothing here. It was kind of strange—there was nothing in the rooms that would indicate anyone had been living in the Embassy.
Jeff kept Jamie on his shoulder and his other arm around me. It was such a relief to be together and feel normal for a few minutes.
We joined the others, well, most of the others, in the living room of this penthouse. Christopher and Amy were conspicuously absent as I looked around the room.
Caught Reader’s eye and he grinned. “You did tell us to leave them alone if they started to go for it.”
“I’ll be sure to use the stairs,” Tito said with a laugh.
“Are you going to be our in-house medical?”
“Yeah, Richard seems to think it would be a good idea.” He shook his head. “Can’t believe how fast my life’s changed since running into you guys.”
“I know exactly how you feel.” Looked around the room again. “Where’re Kevin, Brian, and Tim?”
“Back at Dulce. Alicia and her family are there and getting the indoctrination into our world. Brian was worried about Serene. And Denise was getting a little anxious about her husband, especially after the whole mind-control thing.” Reader stretched. “Man, I’m tired. When the heck did we last sleep?”
“I have no idea. All the running back and forth to Paris has my internal clock on the fritz.” I heard my phone ringing. “Where’s my purse?”
Reader handed it to me. “We know not to let it get lost, girlfriend.”
Dug my phone out. “Hi, Dad, what’s up?”
“Kitten, could you all hurry up and get back to the Science Center?”
“Is everything okay?” I started to give the �
��hurry up” signals and all the guys stood. Other than Reader, who just grinned.
“Yes, yes. You’re just going to be late.”
“Late for what?” I saw Reader’s expression. “Oh, no, really? Right now?”
“Yes, right now. Hurry, I don’t want you to miss your Uncle Mort.”
“Okay, Dad, we’ll be right there.” We hung up. “I see it’s time for the baby shower.” I could tell I hadn’t said this with the right kind of excitement by the way my mother rolled her eyes.
“Induction ceremony,” Jeff corrected.
“Big ol’ shower with everyone invited,” I countercor-rected.
“Some girls are excited to have a shower,” Michael said with a laugh.
“Oh, I love showers. Think they’re the best things in the world.” Jeff coughed. “But we’re going to a big party where everyone’s going to stare at me, and I’m going to have to squeal like I just won the lottery over every single item. Including the ones where I have no idea of what it’s supposed to do or be, or the ones I would rather die than use, or the ones that are ugly—”
Jeff put his hand over my mouth. “Baby . . . bassinet.”
“Let’s go to the shower!”
“Who’s going to make sure Christopher and Amy are, uh, through?” Jerry asked. He clearly represented everyone else’s concern.
I sighed, opened my phone, and dialed. It rang and went to voicemail. Hung up, dialed again. Same thing. One more time, answered on the last ring. “WHAT?”
“Christopher! Great to get your attention. We’re all about to go back to Dulce. I hate to drag you two away from the study of etchings or betting on the submarine races or whatever it is you guys call it, but we’re all about to walk past wherever you are.”
“So? We’ll catch up to you later.”
“Uh, really, listen to me, I’ll talk slowly. We—and by we I mean me, Jeff, Jamie, my mother, your father, Tito, Jerry, Matt, Joe, Randy, Chip, Michael, and James—are about to file past you, slowly, and with a strong likelihood of comments and, perhaps, even recommendations or requests. There would be more of us in the parade, but Kevin, Brian, and Tim already left. I’d bet they walked by you, however. Be glad I had Chuckie take the gals home. Am I getting through?”
“Yeah, thanks for the warning.”
“How long do you two need to get dressed? Of course, by that, I don’t mean how much longer would you like, but how much longer do I stall before I merely take streaming video and ensure Jamie’s college fund?”
“I hate you.”
I heard Amy asking what was going on. “Tell Amy the eagle is landing.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No. Do it.” He did. I heard her shriek.
“Okay, uh, fine, the mood’s sort of spoiled now, thanks a lot. Who the hell is the eagle anyway?” I heard Amy shriek my mother’s name. “Oh. Come on, she was okay with you and Jeff doing it anywhere and everywhere.” I heard Amy scream that my mother was not okay with it.
Mom put her hand out and I gave her the phone. “Christopher. Yes, hello. We all—and by all, I mean including you and Amy who, let me mention, Sol and I think of as one of our ‘other’ daughters—are heading back for Jamie’s induction ceremony. You have one minute to put your damn pants on, or I’ll use your balls for target practice.” She hung up and handed the phone back to me.
“I’m glad Brian missed that. I don’t think that kind of nostalgia would be good for him.”
“I hate hearing about things like this,” Jeff muttered. “Be kind, don’t talk about Reynolds. Or my uncle.”
Mom smiled at him. “I never said those things to you, Jeff.”
“That Kitty ever heard, yeah.”
“Mom, you didn’t threaten Jeff, did you?”
She laughed. “What’s the good of being Mossad trained if you never use it? Let’s go. Amy, at least, will be presentable. She might have cleaned the room by the time we get there, too.”
“You are an evil woman.”
“And you take right after me.” Mom kissed my cheek, then strode off.
Reader ran and opened the door for her. “Going to escort Angela because I love watching her work, too.”
The flyboys looked at each other. There was a small stampede to catch up to Reader and Mom.
Tito shook his head. “Like they’ve never seen it?”
“My mother’s got . . . style.”
Michael laughed. “Yeah, trust me. I know when to hang back and play with the baby.” He was making goo-goo faces at Jamie. She seemed to like it. “See? She likes her Uncle Michael.”
“All the girls do, Michael.”
White went to the door. “Shall we? I’m hoping Angela has things under control so I don’t have to show displeasure or relief. Or offer tips.”
I snorted but managed to keep my mouth shut.
“I hate it when you lust after my uncle. Possibly more than when you lust after my father. Go back to lusting after Kevin, it was easier to take.”
“Wow, I have your permission to lust after Kevin? What next? I get to go to Australia with Chuckie?” Jeff tickled me and I squealed. Jamie made baby sounds, but she didn’t seem upset.
Got to the elevator. I gave it a closer look now that it looked like I’d be living here. It certainly had possibilities. Decided Jeff and I should test it right away. He moved his hand to stroke the back of my neck. “Love how you think.”
We stopped at the second level to pick up the rest of the team. I could hear them as we walked down the hall. “No, really, Angela, we were just talking.” Amy sounded panicked.
“Uh-huh. Brush your hair.” Mom sounded pissed. I knew she was laughing inside. “Christopher, tuck in your shirt. Do you really want your days-old niece to see you like this?”
We walked into the ballroom. “Mom, really, they’re adults.” Amy was dressed and brushing her hair. Christopher was tucking his shirt in, fast. James and the flyboys were doubled over.
Amy sprinted over and grabbed my arm. “Kitty! Shower time! Great!”
“Oh, come on, Ames. You’re a big girl.”
“Yeah, uh, right.” She looked over her shoulder. “I was scared of making your mom mad when I didn’t know she was the head of antiterrorism.” She looked at the brush in her hand and gave it back to Mom. Mom snatched it in the “annoyed parent” way she’d perfected years ago.
“She’s also a crack shot,” Jeff offered. “Good thing Christopher got his pants on in time.”
“We were just talking!”
“Ames, really. Even Jamie’s not going to buy that one.”
“Why not?”
I coughed. “Well, your new Paris T-shirt is inside out, and your bra is, if I’m any judge, shoved into Christopher’s jeans pocket. Either that or he’s scary happy to see the rest of us. Christopher’s shirt is both inside out and on backwards. Proud of you both for getting your jeans back on, facing front and everything. You’re in his shoes, though. Either that or you really like your shoes bigger and he lives to scrunch his toes up.”
Amy blushed bright red. Jerry and Hughes were collapsed against each other they were laughing so hard.
Christopher shot patented Glare #5 at everyone. “You know, is a little privacy that hard to come by?”
“Most of us don’t do it in the middle of a huge ballroom. Sorry, but even Jeff and I have more self-control than that.”
“Yeah, and they’ll go for it pretty much anywhere,” Walker offered.
“We do not.”
All five of the flyboys looked at me. Jerry cleared his throat. “The elevator in Dulce, like every other ride, the women’s bathroom in the Paris Metro, the men’s bathroom in the Guadalajara airport, the Pontifex’s office, a maintenance closet in Saguaro International, conference table at C.I.A. headquarters, limo in Vegas, taxi in Montreal, cave in the Grand Canyon, top of the Empire State Building, and in every aircraft type we have at Area Fifty-One, though always safely on the ground.”
“You forgot that s
ide street in the French Quarter,” Walker said.
“And in the back of that rib joint in Saint Louis,” Randy said. “Food there was great, too.”
“Oh, and inside Big Ben,” Joe added. “Can’t forget that.
“Meat locker in Texas,” Hughes offered. “I get my steaks well done now.”
“Made me want mine rare, for some reason,” Jerry said with a wide grin.
“You forgot the head in the Russian whaling vessel.” Michael shook his head. “That was a fun vacation. I’m still making money from the pictures.”
“Locker room for the Arizona Diamondbacks,” Tito added. “A little further along during pregnancy than I’d have recommended, too. For the location, I mean.”
“It was a really good game. Geez, thanks for the listing, guys. I’d like to mention, again, that we were never in a huge ballroom.”
“We’ll give you time.” White shook his head. “The guest bathrooms are through that door and to the right. Perhaps you two could take another minute or so and put your clothes on correctly? Oh, and, I’m sorry, Miss Gaultier, but I believe these are yours.” He handed Amy a pair of lacy panties.
She grabbed them and ran for the bathroom.
“I think I’ll go help her.” I went to Christopher and pulled Amy’s bra out of his pants. It matched the panties. He shot patented Glared #3 at me. “I’ll find out if the Earth moved for her or if you need to get tips from Jeff or your dad.”
With that I ran at hyperspeed for the bathroom.
CHAPTER 71
“KITTY!” CHRISTOPHER WAS right behind me.
“Can’t come in the girls’ room when there’s two of us here!”
“I need my own shoes.”
I stopped running. “Oh. Okay. Give me Amy’s, I’ll get yours.”
“You did it in my dad’s office?” He handed me the shoes.
I coughed. “More than once.”
Christopher shook his head. “Unreal.” He shot me a worried look. “You don’t think she’ll be too embarrassed to come out, do you?”
“Oh, she’ll be fine. I’ll handle it.”
He nodded and stood there, looking really nervous. “I think she likes me.”