Camp Alien (5 page)

I
COULD TELL THAT
everyone in the room wanted to be freaking out. But since I was on a call they were all listening to, the humans managed to act like the A-Cs and keep quiet. Didn't expect this to last.

Decided to do everyone a favor. “Gustav, hang on, I'm going to put you on speakerphone. You're now live to the room.” Well, to the part of the room that might not have been listening in already. Antoinette would now get to hear everything, lucky her. “So, let me ask you this—are you sure?”

“Yes, sadly, I am. Thomas was here, I went to check on something he'd ordered. When I came back, he was gone, as were all the prisoners and the helicarrier.”

“Where's Stephanie?” Wondered if she was trading up or not.

“With me.”

Interesting. “Did she see anything?”

“Ah, no. She wasn't . . . here when it happened.”

“You mean this happened when Stephanie and I were on TV last week, don't you?” In other words, at the end of Operation Epidemic, when we were revealing Cliff to be the Mastermind to the world news organizations.

“Yes,” he admitted.

“Dude, why did you wait so long to contact us?”

“Ah . . . you were busy?” He sounded like he knew this was as lame said aloud as he feared.

“And just how did you think you were going to bluff us into giving you the Invisible Commandos back when you don't, in fact, have anyone we actually want?”

He sighed. “I was hoping to have them back by the time
you agreed to do whatever deal you were going to agree to do.”

Buchanan was talking quietly to Jeff and Chuckie, since they no longer had to listen to my conversation via Chuckie's phone. Wasn't so fully focused on my Standard Opening Gambit Call that I couldn't pick up words here and there. Buchanan felt that, with what Wruck had given him, they actually had Drax and Stephanie surrounded and he wanted the go order.

“Yeah, that's not exactly working out for you. Guys, before you do whatever it is you want to do, I think we need to ask Lillian if this is in character for Kendrick.”

“It's not,” she said firmly. “He's not your friend, but he's not an idiot, either. No one could come to the U.S. government right now offering invisible tech and not immediately be assumed to be responsible for the terrorist attack on Rail Force One.”

“And no one's come forward,” Fritz Hochberg said. He was the current Secretary of Defense, though he, like so many others, felt that he'd failed at his job completely over the past couple of weeks. “We have had absolutely no chatter about anyone having Drax Industrial tech, an invisible helicarrier in particular.”

“Nor have we received any offers of hostage exchange,” Horn added. “None of the Agencies have heard any word about our captured people.”

“Oh, so it's the old enemy of my enemy is my enemy thing again.”

“Isn't that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, Madam First Lady?” Drax asked, sounding confused again.

“Depends on what you're used to, Gustav. Look, I'm being hella nice here. What, exactly, now that most of your cards are on the table, do you actually want?”

“I wanted to become the main armaments dealer to the United States and her allies,” he said, sounding frustrated. “I have tech that you all can use.”

“You mean you brought tech from another world that works here and are trying to pass it off. Gotcha.”

“No, this is my tech.”

“Dude, I don't even have to see your face to be able to tell that you're lying. Again, this is me exercising more patience than any other person in the room. One last
chance—what is it that you want, what you really, really want?” Now I wanted to hear the Spice Girls. Well, that wasn't going to be happening during White House briefings, so I'd have to belay any musical enjoyment for a while.

Drax was silent again while I heard Jeff agree that, should Drax not give me the answer I was looking for, whatever it was, Buchanan could give the go order.

“To work with you to get my tech and your people back.”

“Gosh, was that so hard? I guess male Vata are as big on protecting their dignity as male humans and A-Cs.”

“I'm not . . . oh, fine, yes. I'm from another planet. Does that change anything?”

“It makes me a lot more interested in meeting you.” And clearly it changed things for Jeff, Chuckie, and Buchanan, since Jeff nodded and Buchanan trotted out of the room, Wruck going with him.

“That's a good thing?”

“Oh, yes. Gustav?”

“Yes?”

“What you do next will determine the next many things that will happen to you. I'd strongly recommend that you think long and hard about your reactions.”

“My reactions to—” He stopped speaking. There was a lot of noise in the background. Was pretty sure I heard a woman making a fuss in the background.

Looked over to Jeff. “I wasn't done.”

He shrugged. “I'd like to have that meeting, baby. Face-to-face.”

The sounds of struggle and capture were still going on. “I want to actually verify where Thomas Kendrick is, and if he's still a human or not.”

Chuckie nodded. “Ahead of you.” He grinned. “My first act as the Director.”

Tito and some of our scientists at the Dulce Science Center had created the Organic Validation Sensor, or OVS, which looked like the wands security folks used at airports to do the closer body checks, only with a lot more blinking lights. We had a lot of these now, and most Field teams carried small ones with them because androids had been an unwilling part of our lives for far too long now.

“If you do it without a warrant, that will cause some issues,” Culver shared.

Chuckie shook his head. “It's non-invasive, and, frankly, he won't know it's happening.”

“Using the old ‘manipulate the gasses' ploy?” I asked Jeff quietly.

“Yep. Sometimes it's effective. And yes, I realize it leaves us open. Right now, I'll worry about impeachment later.”

“Stop acting like that's a good option,” Chuckie said.

Jeff shrugged. “That will depend on who I choose as Vice President, won't it?”

“Kitty,” Wruck said via Drax's phone, “we have Drax and Stephanie in custody. Would you like them brought to the White House or somewhere more secure?”

“Oh, I'd say we're pretty secure here, so let's bring them in. I'm assuming everyone's checked them for bombs and such?”

“Yes, they've been thoroughly searched.”

“Excellent. Why did you go on the raid?”

He chuckled. “Because I know how to deal with Vata. And Benjamin knows how to deal with Stephanie.”

“Oh, it's a party. Great, hopefully he's coming back with you.”

“Yes, we'll be to you shortly.” He hung up.

Chuckie's phone beeped and he grunted. “Interesting. Lillian, I believe we're going to need your help.”

“Thomas objected to being violated?” she asked, sarcasm knob heading toward eleven.

“No, actually, as we said, he had no idea he was scanned. He's eighty-nine percent organic, meaning he's a human. However, that means we need to have him come here willingly. I'd like to ask you to ask him to join us.”

“Now?” She had her phone out.

“Yes, since Drax is on the way here.”

“Which I'm sure you don't want me to mention.”

“Exactly. If he's willing to come, though, please tell him that we have a security team standing by to escort him. For his safety, of course.”

“Of course.” She stood up and stepped away. Chose not to get up and try to hear what she was saying. Culver had more than proved she was on our side. Kendrick, on the other hand, had not.

However, I still had my Megalomaniac Girl cape on. “What do you think the odds are that the person who stole
Drax's helicarrier wasn't actually Kendrick but an android version of him working for the New Crazy Eights?”

“You're sticking with that moniker?” Chuckie asked.

“Yeah, there are—with the five remaining Original Crazy Eights, the LaRue and Reid clones, and Cliff—eight of them. At least, I hope it's only eight.”

“Better than the Unmagnificent Seven Plus Their Leader, so I'll live with it. And yes, to answer your question, I think there's a strong likelihood.”

“I think it's a fifty-fifty shot,” Culver said, coming back into the room. “I know for a fact that Thomas is interested in integrating Drax Industrial's tech into Titan Security.”

“Integrating normally means a corporate merger, buyout, or contracts,” Reader said. “Not blatant theft.”

Culver nodded. “Thomas is bold, but if what Drax described really happened, I'd have a hard time understanding his motivation. If it was to rescue captured people and return them to the U.S. and American Centaurion governments—and thereby become a hero and garner favorite vendor status—he should have done the rescue and return days ago.”

“Stealing a helicarrier, five Navy supersonic jets, five Navy pilots, and a host of U.S. and Centaurion security personnel at the same time doesn't say subtle, either. That's a baroque supervillain move. I realize the dude was in the military, but heads of major corporations rarely decide to go all Rambo and handle these kinds of things alone.”

Chuckie nodded. “Hence why we want him to come visit the White House. Lillian?”

“He's amenable. And sounded rather thrilled. He asked me if I'd negotiated a new contract for Titan with all of you. I gave him a vague reply, but that seemed a good mindset for him to have.”

“That doesn't sound like someone who's just taken off with my team,” Tim said. “That sounds like a normal person reaction.”

“We'll find out soon enough,” Jeff said. “They should all be back here soon.”

“Why isn't the security team back already?” I asked. They'd clearly been taking gates—which we'd already had installed all over the White House—and should have been back almost immediately after the raid.

“They're triple-checking the prisoners,” Chuckie replied. “And going over Drax's compound and such before bringing terrorists back to hang out with the remaining living members of America's leadership.”

“Wow, dude, no need to get touchy. I was just asking.”

“While we wait,” McMillan said, presumably to prevent Chuckie and me from snapping at each other, “let's get back to important things, Mister President. You need to pick your Vice President, and you need to pick him or her now.”

J
EFF NODDED.
“You're right, Don.” He looked down the table. “Gideon?”

This earned a lot of shocked looks from pretty much everyone at the long table other than the Planetary Council. Cleary was the current governor of Florida and had started out as our enemy because he'd been working for the Mastermind. Only he hadn't known that Cliff Goodman actually was the Mastermind, and, politics being what it was, Cleary had become our ally over the course of the last few Operations. Had to hand it to Cliff—he'd really brought people together, one way or the other.

Cleary looked the most shocked, but then he shook his head. “I can't accept, Jeff. For a variety of reasons.”

“Not the same party being only one of them,” McMillan said.

Cleary nodded. “Even if we wanted to try to be the first bipartisan administration in recent history, there are more reasons that I can't accept.” He looked at me. “You know why.”

I did. “You're tainted.”

Cleary nodded. “Exactly. No one—not you, not the people around this table, not the American people, and not the international community—will ever be able to be sure that I'm not still working for the Mastermind. If anything were to happen to you, Jeff, even if it was just a hangnail, suspicion would instantly fall on me.”

“Not necessarily,” Jeff said.

Reader shook his head. “Gideon's right, Jeff.”

“He's proven himself,” Jeff protested.

“He has, but that won't matter,” I said. “Public opinion is hard to control, and I can guarantee that our enemies will want to create as much havoc as they can. And this would give them an easy opening.”

“Exactly,” Cleary agreed. “Let's say that you give me whatever tests that make everyone here, all your key people, feel confident that I'm not a risk. There will still be nothing you can do to prevent the press from constantly asking if I'm just lying in wait. The speculation will increase to the point where I'll be accused of being the Mastermind, of having engineered Vince's death, just so that I could fool you into making me your Vice President.”

“It would be a good plan,” Chuckie said, eyes narrowed.

Cleary managed a chuckle. “Exactly. Mister Reynolds is, rightly, a suspicious man who would need about one shred of evidence to believe it, and he's now the Director of the CIA. I know what his first order will be if you appoint me, Jeff. I honestly don't want to turn my life into that kind of media circus, let alone live the rest of my life under the suspicion and scrutiny that all your people would
have
to have for me. Like Don, I can do more good for you by staying Governor, and it will also be far better for me, both personally and professionally.”

“You're just going to run against me next time out anyway,” Jeff said with a laugh.

Cleary shook his head. “No, Jeff. And not just because we've become friends. But by helping out Cliff Goodman, I've ensured that I can never be President—and I can also never be one heartbeat away from the office either.”

Jeff heaved a sigh. “Fine. I can tell that everyone agrees with you.” He ran his hand through his hair. “We have so many roles to fill.”

“That's what someone trying to kill all the leaders does to a country,” I said. “But you have plenty of good options, Jeff.”

“You can't make Kitty your VP,” Tim said with a grin. “Though I'm sure you want to.”

“And before you suggest Mortimer Katt,” McMillan said, before Jeff could confirm or deny my VP-ness, “you might as well appoint your wife because choosing her uncle isn't going to do you any political favors.”

“You're reading me too well, Don. Unfortunately, we have a lot of openings in the Joint Chiefs. I could move Mort there,” Jeff suggested hopefully.

“He's not of high enough rank, even though he was just promoted to Lieutenant General,” Mom said. “Unfortunately. And neither are any of the military personnel you're used to working with, Jeff.”

Serene cleared her throat. “Ah, Jeff? You've just appointed a Chief of Staff and the Director of the CIA. Why don't you take a few moments and have a private discussion with them? And Kitty.” She sounded sweet but I could tell she was using her troubadour talent, because all the heads around the table nodded and no one argued that I didn't need to be a part of this little meeting.

“That's a good idea,” Jeff said, sounding relieved. He stood and so did Chuckie, Raj, and I.

“Why don't we have Alpha Team along, too?” I suggested, as I slung my purse over my shoulder. White House meeting or not, First Lady or not, by now I'd learned to keep Ol' Trusty with me all the time. “And Richard. They're the people you're the most used to working with.”

Jeff nodded. “Fine. Everyone else relax. Antoinette, is food going to be ready soon?”

“Yes, Mister President. In fact, Chef says that it should be ready to be served in five minutes.”

“Good. Why don't you escort our guests to whatever dining room we'll be using?”

“What about Thomas?” Culver asked.

“In light of the fact that Kitty's theory is likely to be correct,” Chuckie said, “have him and his escorts taken to the dining room, too.”

White house staff I didn't know by name yet appeared out of nowhere and, as Antoinette led the way, helped usher everyone out.

“This is a gigantic room that, despite our trusting everyone and all that, could be bugged. Let's go elsewhere.” Considered where. “How about the Rose Garden?”

“Works for me.” Jeff took my hand, Raj grabbed Chuckie's, Serene took hold of Tim, Gower grabbed Reader, and we headed off, White, Lorraine, and Claudia following. We were in the pretty garden in less than a second. “Now, why do you want to do this so secretly?”

Looked at Serene. “Because I think some of us already have ideas of who you should put where and why.”

She smiled. “We do. Jeff, in the downtime we've had, Imageering has done thorough background checks on all of your current cabinet members and those who might be under consideration for posts.”

“Really?” Reader sounded surprised. “I didn't give you that order.”

“I know, James,” Serene said calmly. “You were busy. My team was already in place after helping Kitty to reveal Cliff as the Mastermind. I just had them focus on a wider net.”

Knew for a fact that she hadn't really used Imageering, but had used her A-C CIA team. Which I wholeheartedly approved of. “James, just take it as one for the win column and relax. Jeff, you appointed Raj as your Chief of Staff. These recommendations are part of his job.”

“Good point.” Jeff looked at Raj. “So, what do you recommend?”

Raj grinned. “I thought you'd never ask. Honestly, I was expecting to be the Press Secretary, so I don't have this as thought-out as I would have if I'd realized you were moving me here. However, I do have some suggestions. Charles, if you object to any of these, just speak up.”

Chuckie nodded. “Will do.”

“Fine. Let's start with the easy ones. Appoint Nathalie Gagnon-Brewer to Secretary of Transportation. That section was run by one of our biggest enemies and so needs someone who will be willing to ferret out all the bad seeds. These people helped murder her husband. She'll find them.”

“I can agree with that,” Jeff said.

“Next, put Colonel Marvin Hamlin in as the Secretary of Homeland Security.”

This earned some shocked looks from everyone other than Serene, me, and White. “I agree.” Now the shocked looks were turned toward me. “Look, the dude may be anti-alien, but he's got the goods, and it would be nice to have someone in that role who can't be fooled by the next Mastermind to come along.”

“He's been reinstated with full rank and honors,” White added. “And is being hailed as a hero by the entire military. If he were of high enough rank, he'd be the man to put into the Joint Chiefs.”

“He's not, though,” Raj said, “and we need him in this position. He can work his way up, and I believe he'll want to.”

“He's far less anti-alien than he was,” Serene added. “It's amazing how your feelings change when you see the face of the real enemy.”

“He's also up for Brigadier General,” Chuckie said. “Jeff, that decision will be yours.”

“You don't have to tell me twice, I'll approve it. But that means he won't be able to move into the Cabinet post.”

“True enough,” Raj said. “We'll circle back on Hamlin, then. The next one will be tricky. But, I believe I have a way around Angela's legitimate concerns. I suggest that you request that Mortimer Katt be made a four-star general.”

“That could work,” Reader said. “They're nominated by the President, after all.”

“It's a double jump in rank, though,” Claudia pointed out.

“In less than a week,” Lorraine added. “Will that be allowed?”

“We jumped our First Lady up several levels without question way back when,” White said with a smile. “I'm certain that Mortimer has the regard of his peers.”

“I'm just going to bet that Centaurion Division is a little looser than the Marine Corps.” Most of the guys snorted laughs. Ignored them. “But I'm with you, Richard—Uncle Mort being the uncle by marriage to the President is a reason that will probably fly in military circles.”

“Then that solves the issue of who the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs will be,” Raj went on. “Under the circumstances, I doubt anyone in the Marine Corps is going to argue with this. They'll see it as you having a strong relationship with the Corps, relative by marriage or not.”

“What about Hamlin?” Jeff asked. “Can we jump him enough to get him into the Joint Chiefs?”

“No,” Chuckie said flatly. “Frankly, I'd bet that, awards or not, he'll be willing to take Homeland Security.”

“That's not where he really belongs.” Got the group's attention, go me. “Look, if we're asking for what we want and hoping that no one's going to tell us no, then let's put the right people in place everywhere. And if we have to make him give up his military career—again, I might add—then let's give him what I know he wanted all along. Make him the Secretary of Defense.”

“Then what happens to Hochberg?” Jeff asked. “Fritzy's done a good job.”

“He has, however, he feels like he's failed,” Chuckie said. “And that's going to affect him.”

“He's trustworthy,” Raj went on. “In fact, out of most of the existing Cabinet members still alive, he's probably the most reliable. He was a four-star general in the Army. He's also shown no signs of working against Vince or you, and nothing links him to any anti-alien groups or interests, either.”

“So, why are we shoving him off, then?” Jeff sounded frustrated. “You're telling me that my best man needs to go because we have someone else we think we like better?”

“No,” Raj said, Troubadour Tones set to Soothe. “I'm saying that I want you to move your best man into another position.”

“What would a former military man be better at than Secretary of Defense?” Jeff asked.

Couldn't help it, the Inner Hyena took over. While everyone stared at me—Raj and Serene clearly trying not to laugh as well—got myself under control. “This from the man who used to be in charge of all of Centaurion Division's military? I know where Raj is going with this, and I agree that it makes sense.”

“What makes sense?” Jeff asked.

“Making Fritz Hochberg your Vice President.”