Alien in Chief

by Gini Koch

  “Maybe. Cleary could be right, but Reynolds could be as well. But Stephanie never showed any of those skills in the time I spent with her.”

  “She’s had time to practice.”

  “True enough, which is why your ‘uncles’ are on the roofs. I’ll tell them your feelings are hurt that they didn’t come by for hugs.”

  “Please do, but try not to sound totally sarcastic like you do right now—I don’t want you to hurt their feelings. So, are you seriously planning just having Lizzie walk down from the roof with me and get introduced as the Junior Member of the Assassination Squad, or did you have a smoother plan?”

  “I think it will be a lot better if no one sees her go into the Embassy.”

  “Fantastic.” Was about to ask how he thought no one could spot her on our roof, then remembered that where we were standing pretty much blocked us from view, particularly since we were the tallest building within normal eyesight, and no one was going to be able to spot us from the streets. “Are the rest of the staff and residents allowed to know she’s here, or am I supposed to hide her like she’s E.T. and only let Denise and the kids know?”

  “I’d prefer Plan B but reality says that you’ll have to let everyone know she’s here. I’m sure your crew can roll with it.”

  “Yeah, me too. So, if it’s not Stephanie, who is our Huntress?”

  He gave me a slow smile. “That’s what I’m here to find out.”

  “In other words, you guys have your suspicions but you’re not sure. Let me just say that if it’s that murderous bitch Annette Dier, kill her with extreme prejudice.” Dier, like other prisoners from various lethal actions against us, was being held in the same place and in the same way that Dear Sam was. Didn’t mean she wasn’t out, though. Just might mean that no one knew she was out.

  Siler nodded. “We don’t believe she’s escaped, but that’s an avenue we’re pursuing.”

  “Works for me. And keep me apprised.”

  “Always. At least, as you need to know.”

  “Blah, blah, blah. I’d like to know before I need to know.”

  He laughed. “I’ll mention it to your ‘uncles’.”

  Siler and Lizzie had a very normal father and daughter goodbye, wherein he told her to be good and she whined about how she could go with him really, and he said no and told her that he wanted her to behave and make him proud, and then they hugged. Lizzie didn’t want to let go, but Siler gently extracted himself, kissed her forehead, then disappeared.

  She stared forlornly where he’d been.

  “He’s probably still standing here,” I pointed out. He could be standing right in front of us—his blending talent meant we wouldn’t know.

  She shook her head. “No, he’s already gone. I can tell.”

  Decided to trust her on it. “Okay, well, ready to go down and meet everyone else?”

  “I guess.”

  “Where’s your stuff?”

  “I travel light.” She had the messenger bag and that was it, and the bag didn’t look packed to the gills. She might be the junior member of Team Assassination, but there was no teenaged girl on Earth who willingly traveled this light for a stay of indeterminate but likely extended time.

  “Huh, yeah. So . . . before I take you downstairs, I want the truth.”

  “We told you the truth.” She was looking right at me, and did look truthful. However, not only had I been trained by Mom, but I’d been a teenager and I’d known how to look totally innocent when I was lying like a wet rug, too.

  “Not all of it.” I locked eyes with her. “Who the hell did you piss off? To the point that your father had to swoop in and grab you with, literally, just the clothes on your back?”

  Had to hand it to her, she gave it the old college try in terms of outstaring me. And she was good. But, she wasn’t Mom or Chuckie good and, as expected, I won.

  Lizzie dropped her eyes and mumbled something.

  “Sorry, missed that. Try again. With actual volume and coherency.”

  She heaved a sigh and looked up at me. “The kids of the American ambassadors to about half of Europe and the Middle East. And their friends, who are all kids of people who run giant multinational corporations or are legit princes and princesses.”

  “Huh. How many did you take on?”

  “About half of the Junior Skulls. So, like, ten of them.”

  Ten was impressive. Lizzie didn’t look like she had a scratch on her. Meaning she was either exaggerating or really good. Considered who’d adopted her and who else were likely training her on her school vacations and chose to assume really good.

  “Is that what they call themselves or what you call them?”

  “It’s what the rest of us call them. But, yeah, I started it.”

  I put my arm around her shoulders. “Lizzie? I believe this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

  “You’re not mad at me?” She sounded surprised.

  “If you’d been the bully, heck yeah, I’d be mad. But I’m never going to be mad at someone who protects the underdogs and those weaker than they are.”

  “Mister Dash is worried about them contacting you to complain about me being here. That’s why he wants you to sneak me in.”

  “Well, I’ll do what he wants because he could have other reasons. But they can feel free to complain to me about you. But they won’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “I treat bullies the same way you do and always have.”

  She grinned. “Yeah? He said you were cool.”

  “Yeah? I’m going to bet cash money that wasn’t the word he used.”

  CHAPTER 15

  PROVING THAT WE as a group rolled with the weird punches naturally by now, no one was even remotely fazed that Lizzie was here, let alone had come in via the roof.

  Denise was happy to have the extra help, Walter was apologetic for not knowing that Team Assassination had doctored the cameras to hide their arrivals, our Secret Service agents gave me their standard Why Do You Go Anywhere Without Us, Do You Hate Us? lecture, and Jeff merely muttered that we apparently needed to put a welcome mat up there, and that was it.

  My Secret Service detail did search Lizzie and her messenger bag while they sent another part of our detail up onto the roof to search there. Nothing dangerous was found on Lizzie or the roof, but the agents seemed so happy to be doing something that I decided not to argue with them.

  When we reached Pierre, our Embassy Majordomo and the Most Competent Man in the World, however, the casual attitude about Lizzie being here was over. Because Pierre took in the same things I had and made the leap that Lizzie was here without anything she might actually consider hers. Including a change of underwear.

  “Our brave young lady needs her personal things,” he said once he’d gotten the full story, or at least as much of it as I was willing to give him with the Secret Service standing there. They’d all proven they were trustworthy, but why mention that we had more assassins in town? That tended to make them twitchy. “May I send either the Operations Team or some agents to retrieve?”

  “Operations Team, please and thank you.” I’d prefer to have Algar snapping his fingers and making whatever so than risk sending any of our people into a trap or a situation they weren’t prepared for.

  “Excellent. Now, once that’s taken care of, I’ll get you settled into your room in the Ambassador’s suite.”

  “Excuse me?” Lizzie and I coughed out in unison.

  Pierre gave us both an arch look. “Where else would we be housing her? She’s underage and therefore needs a guardian. While I could ask the Lewises, the Gaultier-Whites, or the Coleman-Weismans if they were willing, it seems to me that our brave Mister Siler put her into your care, Ambassador. Meaning she should be staying in your suite.”

  Ran through all the other options. All the single ma
les were out, of course—not that any of them would do anything inappropriate with an underage girl, but still, I knew without asking that Siler didn’t want his daughter sleeping in a room with a strange man.

  Other than my Secret Service detail, which had women on it so that I didn’t have to risk going to the bathroom by myself in public places, we didn’t have a lot of single gals on staff anymore.

  And after we’d gotten back from Operation Civil War, Abigail Gower had asked Mahin Sherazi to room with her. Mahin had been excited to have the bonding time, and the two of them had gotten close, which was great for both of them. They went to clubs and on double dates all the time, and why ask them to stop actually having a little fun in order to essentially babysit?

  There were Rahmi and Rhee. She’d be incredibly safe with them, but having to take care of her could potentially throw them, because I had no idea how anyone on Beta Twelve treated teenagers. Plus they had other things going on that were getting the majority of their focus.

  No, of the four families housing in the Embassy, Pierre was right—it made the most sense to have Lizzie with me and Jeff.

  Plus Pierre was being extremely formal—he only called me Ambassador when we had people around he felt needed to have my status impressed upon them, or if he felt I wasn’t acting up to that status. Meaning he potentially had other reasons for this plan.

  Decided he was usually right, and nodded. “That makes sense, Pierre, thank you. Our suite is gigantic, Lizzie, so don’t worry about us cramping your style.”

  The soundproofing was fantastic in the Embassy, so I wasn’t terribly concerned about my waking her up when Jeff and I had sexy times. Plus, we were going to be on the train and in Florida for most of her stay anyway.

  Interestingly, once I’d agreed to this, Lizzie seemed to relax. And Pierre clearly approved because he flashed his gracious smile at me then shooed me out of the kitchen. But not before giving me one of Jeff’s mother’s brownies which, because they were the best brownies in all the galaxy, I’d sort of passed an embassy law that we had to have on hand 24/7.

  I left Lizzie ruining her appetite for dinner by happily scarfing brownies and drinking milk while Pierre gave instructions to the refrigerator, which was how we dealt with the Operations Team. That no one found this odd was proof, if I’d ever needed it, that Algar worked in mysterious and powerful ways. It also confirmed that he liked his little jokes just like the rest of us.

  Was going to head upstairs when our doorbell rang. “I’ve got it,” I called to Pierre and anyone else who might be listening. Went to the door and opened it up, to see the last person I’d expected.

  Cliff Goodman.

  CHAPTER 16

  FORTUNATELY, my being shocked wasn’t out of character—most people, Cliff included, called ahead to let us know they were coming. “Cliff! Are you okay?”

  “Yes, sorry I’m dropping in like this, but I’ve been trying to reach Chuck and he hasn’t picked up.”

  Chuckie never took Cliff’s calls unless he felt emotionally able to play pretend, and this week he hadn’t been. “Yeah, he’s been having a lot of migraines recently. I mean, he’s fine, but that’s probably why. He’s napping right now, for example.”

  “He’s had to do that a lot this past year and a half.” He looked sad. As if he wasn’t the one who’d set things up to begin with. Then again, he probably was sad, since Chuckie’s mind hadn’t been destroyed.

  “Yeah. It’s been sucky, but we’re getting him through it.”

  “Are you okay?” Cliff sounded totally concerned about my welfare. “I saw what happened to you and Lillian. That was awful.”

  “Yeah, it was weird, too. Lillian and I were trying to do a rare girl’s lunch out. Guess that won’t be happening again for ages now.”

  Cliff looked around. “Ah, can I come in?”

  “Oh!” I did not want him inside. It was Sunday, so no one was at work, and therefore Chuckie was here. He was also wide awake and totally unprepared for this visit. And Cliff seeing him awake would be the epitome of not good. “Well, actually, I was just getting ready to go out. That’s why I got the door.”

  “Without your purse?”

  Crap. This man knew me well. I shrugged. “Yeah.” I dropped my voice. “Jeff’s been like a mother hen since that attack and I’m going a little stir crazy. I was only going to go across the street and visit the Romanian Embassy. But if I have my purse on me, then everyone would know I was planning to leave.”

  “Ah, gotcha.” He seemed to be thinking. “Well, if you want, I can go with you. That way, you’re not alone and you have someone to protect you.”

  “Sure, that sounds great.” It didn’t, but I was now committed to this course. Fortunately, I’d learned to play poker young, because I was now riding on the bluff.

  I stepped out and closed the door quietly behind me.

  Cliff offered me his arm. “Across the street, then?”

  Took his arm as if he was really our buddy and someone who wanted to protect me. “Nah. Since you’re here, I don’t have to go. They aren’t expecting me, I just figured it was a safe place to sneak to that Jeff couldn’t bawl me out too much for visiting.”

  Cliff laughed. “Gotcha. So, a walk, sit at the park in Sheridan Circle, hit up the Teetotaler, what’s your pleasure?”

  I appeared to consider this. “While I’d love to head for the Teetotaler, let’s just go for the park at the Circle. It’s close, so Jeff hopefully won’t be too mad if he catches us.” And I certainly planned for him to catch us, since I was doing my best to send carefully tuned emotions and thoughts to him.

  “Sounds good, and if you change your mind, it’s always easy to grab a cab.”

  “I like where your head’s at.” Time to talk to Cliff as if he wasn’t the Mastermind. And time to also see what he might let slip. He’d slipped before. Not a lot, but enough. “So, that weird assassin chick hasn’t tried for anyone else, has she? I haven’t heard it if she has.”

  “Assassins aren’t my thing anymore, unless they cause disaster-level damage, but since she appears to be hitting allies of American Centaurion’s, I’ve been extra careful.”

  Considered this, and what I’d say if this was a real ally of ours. “Maybe we shouldn’t be sitting outside in the park. I mean, I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

  I didn’t. Cliff knew where the Leventhal Reid and LaRue Demorte Gaultier clones were, and how many more of them were being created. He knew where everything planned against us was hidden and he knew what was being created to be tossed at us. We were all sure he had a doomsday plan or a kill switch that would cause the end of the world if he was killed out of hand. He was the Mastermind, and as much as I wanted him dead, I had to keep him alive.

  “Well, I’m sure I’m okay. I took a cab here, and we’re close to the Embassy.”

  “Yeah, but seriously, dude, I don’t want anything to happen to you. Jeff will be even madder if I’ve snuck out and gotten you hurt or worse.” I wanted to ask him if he’d heard from Stephanie, since he’d been dating her when she’d disappeared. But he’d been dating her on the down low, so my asking would give away that we knew about the relationship.

  “I guess.” Cliff put his free hand over mine and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I appreciate the concern, Kitty. I really do. If it’s making you nervous, we can go to the Teetotaler, to the Romanian Embassy, or just back to your Embassy if you’ll feel safer.”

  We were crossing the street to get to Sheridan Circle as he said this. And no sooner had the words left his mouth than I heard a sound I was becoming familiar with—the roar of a Harley going fast.

  CHAPTER 17

  I DIDN’T STOP TO THINK. I pulled my arm out from Cliff’s, then grabbed his hand. Took a look around and saw the Harley coming toward us. It wasn’t the same bike she’d been riding before, but it was big, fast, and loud, so wh
erever she was getting these bikes from was definitely working on a theme.

  “We need to run,” I told Cliff. I was about to take off when it dawned on me that if I did, I’d be going at hyperspeed. I couldn’t remember if Cliff knew I was enhanced—because it was hard to remember who knew what these days—but if he didn’t know, my taking us to hyperspeed would give away one of the only secret weapons we possessed.

  “Yeah.” He started running toward the park and dragging me with him. He wasn’t going slowly, and he wasn’t leaving me behind.

  Ran at human speeds and checked his expression. He looked freaked out. “The park isn’t going to give us much cover. We should go back to the Embassy.”

  “We can’t.”

  He was right. Huntress had come to a stop, between us and the Zoo. If we couldn’t make the Zoo—and without my using hyperspeed we couldn’t—we certainly couldn’t make the Embassy, any of them on the street, let alone our own.

  Cliff dragged us behind a tree. “We need a plan.”

  True enough. The Harley started going again. This might be a ruse to get me to use hyperspeed. Then again, Cliff had wanted to get inside the Embassy. Me going out with him couldn’t have been in his game plan, because normally Pierre or Rajnish Singh, our Public Relations Minister, answered the door. And Cliff hadn’t done anything I’d seen to send a message in the short time we’d been together, and I had been looking for it.

  He pulled me around the other side of the tree, meaning the arrow missed us and went into the tree’s trunk. I pulled him toward the street. He pulled me back and down. Just in time, as yet another arrow just missed us.

  “Kitty, seriously, she’s going around in a circle and is faster than we are. We need a plan. Up into the trees, you think?”