Alien in Chief

by Gini Koch

“You’re one of those he considers a god, Bri. Yes, he’ll go with you.” Operation Civil War had been nothing if not interesting, after all. “If anyone asks why you’re going to Alfred and Lucinda’s, just explain that you can’t go to your normal home options, so are going to stay with the nearest relatives.”

  We wouldn’t even need to clear that with Jeff’s parents—it was what they’d expect any or all of us to do, so if they were questioned by Cliff, the answers they’d give would match what we needed.

  “Will do, Kitty. Do you want us to stay in their house?”

  “Not if you can leave safely. Get out with TCC as soon as you think it’s reasonable to assume you’d leave, then stay gone.”

  “Should we be visible or go into hiding?”

  “Good question. I’d say stay hidden if you can. We have enemies everywhere and possibly local Cuban assassins out there, too.”

  “Beginning to be sorry I volunteered.” He grinned. “Don’t worry, Kitty, I’ll take care of myself and TCC, too.”

  Brian effectively activated, we headed back again. By the time we finally returned to where the others were, people were already being divided up, with the White House group waiting for their floater gate. Apparently my presence hadn’t been missed, though. Felt the love.

  Happily, Oliver was in the White House group already, so I wasn’t going to have to figure out how to demand he be with me. While he could sneak out with the girls, wanted to have him with me at the White House, for a variety of reasons.

  However, Oliver and the other men I wanted on Sneak Out Duty hadn’t been advised, though, thankfully, they were all still in the room. So, we split up, with me going to talk to Cliff about whether or not it was safe to let food and such come in and out from Dulce.

  “They’re on lockdown, too,” Cliff said after I’d dragged him off to a corner so we wouldn’t be overheard.

  “Yes, but I think they’re on lockdown in the same way NASA Base is.”

  “So, not fully contaminated?” Cliff verified.

  “As far as I know. I could be wrong, but that was my impression.”

  “Who’d you talk to?” he asked casually. But I recognized a probing question when the Mastermind phrased it.

  “Just heard it when we were in the medical bay. Like I said, I could be wrong.”

  “Well, hopefully you’re not. But if that’s the case, I don’t think you want anything going back and forth from Dulce to any other areas, just in case. No reason to increase the risk.”

  “And Guantanamo?”

  “That’s harder.” He grimaced. “Your uncle’s there, isn’t he?”

  Chose not to ask him how he knew that. “Yeah, he is. Cliff, I feel like I’m at risk for losing my entire family.”

  “Well, your kids are safe, right?”

  “As far as we know, yes. I don’t think they’ve been exposed.”

  He looked very serious. “Kitty, I promise—if something happens to you and Jeff, I’ll take care of your kids.”

  Shocker. The Mastermind was going to take my exceptional children if my husband and I died. On the Surprising Scale from one to ten, this rated about a negative two. Chose not to mention that my father was with my children in relative safety—why give the Mastermind more incentive?

  Instead I gave him as tremulous and grateful a smile as I could. “Thanks, Cliff. That really makes me feel better.”

  Didn’t point out that he was apparently quite confident about surviving, but I did find his lack of attention to detail interesting. Either he was trying to lull us into some weird form of security, or he was just so damned confident that he was at the endgame and about to win it all that he just wasn’t bothering to sweat the small stuff.

  Wondered if he knew that we all knew he was the Mastermind, or if it was only Chuckie who Cliff felt was on to him. Prayed to all the various Powers That Be that Cliff was only aware that Chuckie knew. It wasn’t a big advantage, but a sliver was better than nothing.

  I’d stalled all I could so we went back to the rest of the crowd. Cliff headed off to talk to Chuckie, probably to try to trigger a mood swing or a migraine. Chuckie was doing really well, all things considered. Which might mean many things, but the likeliest was that we were in an active situation that was requiring a great deal of mental focus from him and he just wasn’t allowing himself to falter.

  Per our visit to the medical area, Rohini and Bettini were staying at NASA Base to continue to work on autopsies and such. But the rest of the Planetary Council was coming to the White House. Justice Quinn was coming, too.

  Jeff wanted Alfred and Lucinda to come to the White House with us. Lucinda agreed, in no small part because Elaine really needed someone good with comforting around her, which both Mom and I were not. Elaine was clinging to Lucinda when she wasn’t actively doing something and it was clear she was one breath away from losing it. Could not blame her, at all.

  But Alfred felt that he needed to stay at NASA Base for a variety of reasons, it was his job and home turf being the most compelling. Couldn’t argue really—I’d seen what the Alfred in Bizarro World had created. Frankly, the best hope we had for a cure could easily come from Alfred.

  “I can always just take a gate from one quarantined facility to the others if I need to,” he pointed out as Jeff tried to convince his father to come to the White House with us one last time.

  “I think you’ll be more comfortable with us,” Jeff said stubbornly. “I could make it a Presidential order.”

  Alfred grinned. “I know you want to show off your new house, son.” He hugged Jeff tightly. “I’m so proud of you,” he said quietly. “But I’m going to do more good here.”

  “I don’t want to show off,” Jeff mumbled. “I just want to know my parents are safe.”

  “Jeff, your dad’s right. Elaine really needs Lucinda right now, but we need to let your dad do as much of his job as he can. He’s got everyone here and then some to protect him—he’ll be fine.”

  Alfred hugged me now. “That’s my little First Lady.”

  “One day I might even get used to you calling me that. But I doubt it.”

  CHAPTER 71

  A FLOATER GATE shimmered into view. However, the way we were going to go through it was very different from the past.

  Jeff’s Secret Service detail was going through with him. I was not, however. In fact, I was held back. By Buchanan.

  “We need to chat, Missus Executive Chief,” he said quietly, while we waited for the Former First Lady, Lucinda, and all of Elaine’s Secret Service detail to go through.

  “Not now or here, Malcolm.”

  “No, but the moment we’re in the White House.” Chuckie, Mom, and the Planetary Council went through now.

  Len and Kyle joined us, as well as my Secret Service detail. They all, like Buchanan, were clearly sick. “I’m worried about all of you.”

  “Ditto,” Buchanan said. He took my arm and the rest of my security detail surrounded me.

  “Cozy. I’m not walking through the White House like this, you know.”

  “We’ll talk.” Buchanan seemed quietly pissed, and I didn’t think it was because he and the others were on the Potentially Dying Soon List.

  Literally everyone else other than me and my detail were sent through, thankfully Cliff included, before Buchanan let my detail walk me to the gate.

  “Why do I get the honor of going last?”

  “I want us keeping an eye on you. Everyone will be waiting for us now. As opposed to you getting in the White House and wandering off immediately.”

  Crap. Buchanan was not cooperating. Not that he knew what he needed to cooperate on. Meaning I was going to have to tell him. Somehow. And ensure he’d let me leave. Somehow.

  The girls all noted this, but there wasn’t anything they could do, so they waved and headed back to medical, hopefully t
o put their escape plan into action.

  Buchanan put his arm firmly around me and then we all stepped through. Nauseating as always, but not for too long. We landed in the White House, or at least I assumed that’s where we were, since I was pretty sure we were in the Diplomatic Reception Room. And Buchanan was right—everyone was there waiting for us.

  Jeff shot Buchanan a jealous glare. Always flattering, though under the circumstances being jealous of the guy trying to stop me from saving the day wasn’t the right emotion. Buchanan let go of me, I didn’t throw up, Jeff stopped glaring. Winning all around.

  “Now that everyone’s here,” Cliff said, “let’s take an inventory of who else is in this complex and who isn’t, so that we can give that to Wes when he joins us.”

  “I think people need to rest, though.” Everyone looked at me. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but it’s been a long day for most of us, no one’s had dinner, and getting some sleep would be nice, too. It’s evening, let’s recall.”

  “I’ll get the staff preparing food,” Elaine said.

  “I’ll do that, dear,” Lucinda countered. “You just tell whoever to listen to me and I’ll handle the rest.” Elaine shot her a grateful look.

  “Shouldn’t Kitty do that now?” Cliff asked.

  “No,” I said quickly. “I don’t care that power has transferred. This is still Elaine’s home, and we’re all visiting at this time. Period.”

  “I agree. We’ll sleep in a guestroom,” Jeff told Elaine.

  “I think . . . I think after I get Lucinda set up, I’d like to go lie down, as opposed to eat, if that’s alright. Let me know if you need me. For anything.”

  Jeff nodded, then the Former First Lady’s entourage headed off.

  Jeff looked at Cliff. “From now on, and until this situation is resolved one way or the other, no one is to make Elaine feel as if she doesn’t belong here.” His Commander Voice was on High, and he radiated authority. “Anyone who does so will be sent back to NASA Base. Is that clear?”

  Cliff nodded. “Sorry, Jeff. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Now,” Jeff said, “let’s get the headcount done as fast as possible. I’d also like anyone who feels even remotely sick to head to White House Medical.”

  Looked at my security detail. “That’s every one of you, and don’t even try to lie. Jeff, I’m going to take all of my security folks down. If you need me that’s where I’ll be.”

  Mouths opened and I put up my hand. Mouths shut. Wow, that move had worked twice now. Maybe it was my new First Lady Power. I’d take it, however I was getting it.

  “Look, you’re all sick. I know all of you and I can tell. And, see, I’m going down to see what Doctor Morin has for cold and flu, so you’re all going to go down there with me. Mom, that includes you.”

  My mother gave me a look I was familiar with—her “you did not just try that with me” look. However, she didn’t argue, just shrugged and joined us.

  “You have no idea how to get to medical, do you, kitten?”

  “I like to follow your lead, Mom. So, um, lead on.”

  She rolled her eyes, but did as requested. “I’m wondering how long it’s going to take you to learn the layout here.”

  “Years would be my guess.”

  “Never would be mine,” Buchanan said.

  “Blah, blah, blah, I’m ignoring you in that new First Lady way of mine. I know exactly where we are. We’re in the Center Hall.”

  “It’s marked.” Kyle pointed to the tasteful sign I’d read.

  “You’re not my favorite anymore.”

  “So, why are we doing this?” Mom asked as we got away from the crowd and headed down the Center Hall toward the medical offices.

  “I want you guys to get some meds.”

  “Uh huh.” Mom made a sharp right, which even I knew wasn’t taking us to the medical offices. We trotted through another room and reached a stairway. Mom did some hand signal that I didn’t get but the others seemed to understand—all the Secret Service muted their devices.

  We were midway down the stairs when Mom stopped. “Okay, now, I want to know what you’re up to.”

  “Who says I’m up to anything?” Tried for the Unjustly Accused Look. The Innocent Look never flew for my mother.

  This look didn’t, either. “I’m your mother, for God’s sake. I can tell when you’re planning on doing something stupid.”

  “Thanks for that. And it’s not stupid.” Heaved a sigh. “Look, we’re pretty sure that the Mastermind knows that we know who he really is.”

  Mom’s eyes narrowed. “Who’s ‘we’?”

  “Me, Lorraine, Claudia, Mahin, and Abigail. Tito and Caroline, too. And, um, Brian.”

  Mom considered this. “Brian’s not in lockdown, so you’ve already sent him off to do something, I assume. Same with Adriana, who disappeared somewhere between you all arriving in Savannah and when you all joined us for the speeches and sudden deaths. My guess is she was inside NASA Base before she left—there was far more security on all of you at the train station than in there. Tito’s going to pretend the women are sick, put them into an enclosed room, and they’re going to leave NASA Base. Right?”

  “Um . . . right?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “And you think this is a wise course why?”

  “Because the Mastermind wants to kill my entire family, starting with my mother, and I don’t want to allow that. We have allies on the outside, and we need to find them, and fast. I think Siler may have hidden the notebook he took from Lizzie’s father. And if he has, we need it. It’s probably our only realistic hope for a vaccine, at least in time.”

  Mom sighed. “I appreciate you not wanting me to die, kitten, I do. But you’re exposed, too, now. And if it’s a deadly plague, then you and the others being out means we’re spreading it, not containing it.”

  “Mom, I can tell what he’s doing. He’s taken the freaking vaccine. So he’s going to wait us all out, until we all drop dead. Then he’s going to take over the government and rule forever.”

  “He is a Sith Lord,” Len said.

  “Len is again my favorite. Look, I get that everyone with me right now wants to protect me. But I’m telling you that I need to protect all of you. You’re all sick and infected. Frankly, the biggest risk I’ve had with this disease so far is being in a confined space with all of you.”

  “Kitty’s right,” Evalyne said. “And, speaking as a person, not as the head of the new First Lady’s protection detail, I’d like to live. And experience says that Kitty knows what she’s doing.”

  “Sort of,” Buchanan said.

  “Join Kyle in my no longer favorite group, Malcolm.”

  “Angela, realize that Kitty’s not planning to leave the White House alone,” he went on as if I hadn’t spoken. “If I were a betting man, I’d be watching Reader, Crawford, White Senior, and Oliver right now.”

  “Jeez, how did you guess?”

  “I saw Lorraine, Claudia, Abigail, and Mahin talking to them while you were distracting the Mastermind. As in, I was doing my job, Missus Executive Chief.”

  Turned back to the highest ranker here. “Mom, the Mastermind has enacted a doomsday plan he plans to live through. He told me he’s going to get my children when we’re all dead. Nicely, of course, but still, is that the legacy we want? That your grandchildren were murdered or warped to the teachings of our biggest enemy and a freaking lunatic of the highest order?”

  Mom was quiet for a long moment. “No, kitten, that’s not what we want.” She sighed. “What do you need?”

  “Your permission to leave, with the guys Malcolm named. And all of you guys providing the cover we’ll need to keep the Mastermind and others believing we’re still in this complex. I have to get out—I need to get to people who can help us who also will only trust me.”

 
She sighed. “Agreed.”

  Looked at Buchanan. “But I’d like to change one small aspect of my plan.”

  CHAPTER 72

  THE BIGGEST ISSUE about my and the others’ leaving was keeping Cliff in the dark about us being gone. The second biggest was getting Jeff, Chuckie, and Christopher on board in a way that wouldn’t raise suspicion.

  So, all of us went where I’d planned to go originally anyway, the medical offices. To find Dr. Gabriel Morin and his staff all sick as dogs.

  As reassuring as it was to discover that Morin hadn’t passed on going on the train because he was in on it with the Mastermind, finding the medical staff sick was definitely not good.

  Mom explained the quarantine and what had happened to the President. The medical staff was so ill they hadn’t heard the news. So they were all crying as well as being sick.

  “We were tending to him every day,” Morin said, sounding as if he felt this was all his fault, as opposed to why he and the staff were all ill. “We’d think he’d gotten better and then he would relapse. But it didn’t seem life-threatening.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Mom said. “But all of you need to be and remain under observation.”

  “Most White House staff are ill,” Phoebe said quietly. Mom had allowed the Secret Service to go off Silent Running Mode once we left the stairway. “Just received confirmation from the A-Cs who did the headcount. Manfred says that they’re all in different stages, but most have been sick for about five days.”

  Meaning we had less than three days to find the cure and save everyone’s lives. “We need to keep anyone who isn’t sniffling or sneezing yet out of an incubation-like setting.”

  “How?” Morin asked.

  “Camping on the lawn?” This earned me a lot of derisive looks. “I realize that doesn’t sound fun but May is a pleasant month, weather-wise, and this disease loves small, enclosed spaces for incubation. Plus air filtration systems would mean that the air can and probably is moving the disease back and around through the complex.”

  “If it can travel airborne, then us being outside means we’re sending it out to the world,” Morin pointed out.