Alien in Chief (36 page)

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 to 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

T
HE 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.

“Good points, both,” Mom said. “We'll think about it. Gabe, we were given a lot of fluids and home remedy cures when we reached NASA Base and most of us who were just infected felt better. We'll find out what we got and ensure that everyone on staff gets the same.”

With that she ushered us out. “Why don't you want people outside?” I asked her quietly, as Len made a call to Tito to get the exact list of what he'd given everyone.

“Because those of you leaving will have a harder time not being spotted. I think Christopher needs to get sick, too.”

“I think if he does the Mastermind will be too suspicious.”

“And the others you're having get sick he won't suspect?”

Sighed. “I guess. We need to roll Mission: Deathbed soon, Mom.”

“Love your choice of names.”

“Thanks. Keep Christopher here in reserve. The fastest man alive can afford to wait, and he's probably the only one able to keep Jeff under control if needed, too.”

“Cut the chatter,” Evalyne said softly. “It's show time.”
Sure enough, Cliff was coming out of the Diplomatic Reception Room.

“There you all are. Are you okay?”

“We went to medical,” I said, sounding as tired as possible. “They're all really sick, which sucks, because I'm starting to feel crappy, and all of my detail already feels crappy.”

“You look okay,” he said encouragingly.

“I don't feel okay. I don't want to do First Lady stuff. I don't even want to eat anymore. I just want to take a nap.”

“Kitty, stop whining,” Mom said, sounding annoyed and tired, too. Had no idea if we were fooling Cliff or not, but we were certainly giving it the old Pueblo Caliente Try.

“Well,” Cliff put his arm around my shoulders, “let's get you through what we can and then you can rest, okay?”

“I guess.”

He hugged me a little tighter. “Kitty, you need to be prepared, though.”

“For what?”

“Ariel . . . he . . .”

Stopped walking and looked up at Cliff. “He what?”

“He just succumbed. He looked like he was doing better and then . . .” Cliff shook his head. “Then he just keeled over while he was talking to Jeff.”

“What?” Realized tears were running down my face.

“I'm sorry,” Cliff said. “Some of the A-Cs took him down to the bowling alley.”

“The bowling alley? What the literal hell?”

“We don't want to risk extra contamination. The bowling alley is far enough away from the main residence area and it's a place we can cool down without affecting everyone else.”

“You're expecting to put more bodies in there, aren't you?” Mom asked, managing not to sound accusatory.

Cliff nodded. “I think we are.” He reached out and took Mom's hand. “We have word that the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Central Intelligence
Agency have also passed.” He cleared his throat. “And three White House staff, cleaning crew, have died as well.”

“Doctor Morin and his staff didn't say anything about that.”

“They aren't notified yet. The cleaning staff were found by the A-Cs when they were returning from putting Ariel's body in the bowling alley. The cleaning crew's bodies are there, now, too.”

“I don't think we want to bring in anyone to remove them,” Mom said, as she gently removed her hand from Cliff's.

Cliff nodded. “I agree, Angela. I think the risk is too great.”

“What's the word on everyone else that we think was infected?” Didn't even try to hide the apprehension in my voice.

“Not good. Everyone who was in the meeting where we think original infection happened, other than me, Jeff, and Angela, are all extremely ill. Anyone who they interacted with on a regular, close basis also appears ill. And, frankly, everyone here is starting to show the initial signs.” He put the back of his hand onto my forehead. “You feel hot, for example. And from what little we know, this starts like a cold or the flu, so with a fever.”

“Fantastic. Any word on what the cause is?”

“Nothing from our people at NASA Base.” Cliff dropped his voice. “Kitty, you have to accept the possibility that this was caused by the Planetary Council. There are two of them still at NASA Base supposedly working to identify what's causing this epidemic. But they could just as easily be blocking Tito and the others from finding the truth or a vaccine.”

I had to play along, because so many things depended upon it. So I nodded slowly. “You may be right. I'm not saying that you are, Cliff, so don't think that I've agreed. But I agree that we need to consider the possibility.”

“Good. That's all I want, you open to whatever possibilities we might have.” He smiled at me. “After all, you're the go-to girl for solving these kinds of problems.”

Snorted. “Right. I'm not the go-to girl for anything like this. This is a disease that we can't differentiate from cold or flu until it's too late. And even if we think we have an idea of what it is, we have no vaccine for it. I'm totally out of my element here, Cliff, so don't be counting on me for much other than trying not to panic.”

He hugged me again. He was hugely into that right now for some reason. Wondered if he was spreading the disease through touch, rather than through the air.

“It'll all work out, Kitty. Now, let's get you back to your husband. He's a little . . . agitated about everything.”