Camp Alien (60 page)

“Jerry, what's our status for people still aboveground?”

“There are several groups along the perimeter, all hugging the fences, and all moving toward the main entrance, meaning they're heading for the helipad where we landed. Cannot confirm anyone's identity via visual, though.”

We were back by Aspen, and it was time to wonder if I needed to have Christopher, Siler, and Wruck force Jeff into the underground. The Original Samarapus was there, still trying to spear anyone it could. And it had people to spear, since this was where Leah, Jakob, and Oren were.

They were doing damage, but it was so big and there were only three of them. It was miraculous that they weren't hurt. Watched them all leap, dodge, jump, and roll away from the various tentacles. Okay, it was skill. But all it was going to take was one mistake.

“We need to get them.”

Christopher let go of us, ran off at his Flash level, and grabbed the three of them, depositing them with the rest of us. “Get underground,” Jeff said as Christopher brought Jakob over to join Oren and Leah, all of them looking dazed
from the speed. “That's an order. We need you alive to verify that the android wasn't something we created.”

Grabbed Leah's hand and ran her to the service porch. “There are stairs under here. Supposedly.” Not that I saw any.

“There,” Oren said, as he joined us and pointed to something that Jakob pulled up. Sure enough, what looked like a floor was a trapdoor with stairs leading down.

“Be safe and guard my kids. And my parents. If, you know . . .”

“We know,” Leah said. Then they all hugged me quickly and ran down. Closed the door. “Jerry, I think it's time. Let's test my plan on Samarapus, Senior, shall we?”

“With pleasure, Commander. Please run if one's falling toward you guys—they will go off in five seconds.”

Sure enough, bombs started falling from above like giant, nasty hail. Started counting to five. And, happily, Samarapus, Senior saw them.

It grabbed them out of the air in its tentacles and shoved them up under itself, where its mouth was.

“Four one thousand. Five.”

Jerry had been quite accurate. And results were immediate.

T
HE SAMARAPUS'
body started doing that thing where it looks like the giant monster who's swallowed the explosives is blowing up inside first. Presumably because that's exactly what was happening.

“Time to go,” Jeff said. Christopher nodded and hit the hyperspeed button. The Samarapus exploded as we ran off, spraying parts all over the place. We just missed getting splattered.

“Boy, is the pool going to need cleaning.”

“That's the least of our worries,” Jeff said. He pointed. More bombs were dropping, and the helicarrier was also firing at the Samarapusses and the Fem-Bots.

“Get underground, Commander,” Jerry said.

Looked back. “Ah, can't. There's blown up Samarapus, Senior all over the place and it looks dangerous.”

“Head for the helipad, then. We'll pick up all aboveground personnel when we're done with the bombing.”

“Will do. Christopher, get us to the helipad.”

We zoomed there, avoiding a couple of Samarapus the Thirds I told Jerry about. The rest of those aboveground had headed here, too, as Jerry had said. Most of them were A-Cs, including Daniel, Joshua, Marcus and Lucas, but thankfully Len, Kyle, Adriana, Joe, Randy, and our Amazon Family Fighters were there, too.

“Need to check out this area to see if we have any stragglers,” I said to Jeff.

He nodded. “Christopher, keep everyone here, but get them out to the main gate if needed. We're going to do recon.”

Christopher nodded and started getting everyone into
formation in case they had to run away or run onto the helicarrier.

There was a newer, sturdy-looking building here, as well as a parking lot where most of our cars were. “Well, we can drive out if we have to.”

“Only if they left the keys.”

We searched the building quickly—and it was a basketball court, go me for the accurate guess earlier—but found no one. We got to the far side of it to be rewarded by actually finding the rest of the people we were looking for. Lizzie, White, Abigail, Mahin, Brian, and TCC were in a circle with their backs to each other. None of them looked hurt, but none had weapons, either. Would have been relieved, only they weren't alone.

They weren't surrounded by Fem-Bots or Samarapusses. They were surrounded by androids. Naked ones, but still, androids. The androids all looked like Thomas Kendrick, sort of, but without boy parts, which was so very familiar. And they all had guns and they were aimed at the people in the inner circle.

The Kendroid was here as well, as was the Crystal Maurer android. He looked at me. “I'm glad you're finally here.”

“Why am I not surprised? How'd you get in? Climb the fences?”

“No,” Crystal said. “We killed the guards at the main entrance.” Noted that all the androids appeared to have bullet holes in them. Wasn't stopping them, but then the guards had probably been thrown seeing human-sized Ken Dolls coming at them.

“The icky naked ones are really rudimentary,” Lizzie called. “Like have to be told what to do rudimentary.”

“I can tell them to shoot you,” Crystal said nastily. She was a very believable android.

“But you won't,” I said. “Because your boss isn't here and I'm pretty sure she doesn't want any of these people dead until she's around to watch.”

Crystal shrugged. “Oh, we won't have to wait long.”

Heard a sound that wasn't bombs bursting in air or, rather, in Samarapusses. It was a sound I recognized—a Harley was motoring up. Sure enough, Stephanie—in her full black leather Huntress gear, including crossbow—rode up.

She parked the bike and smirked at us. “Hi, Uncle Jeff.” She took the crossbow off of her back and aimed it right at him.

“Stephanie, what are you doing?” he asked, rather kindly, all things considered.

“I'm ruining your life. Like you ruined mine.”

“They didn't do that,” TCC said.

Stephanie looked at him. “I know my mother wants to believe you're really my father. I'd like to believe it, too. So, if you are, leave those people and come to me.”

TCC cocked his head at her. “What will you do to them if I leave them and go to you?”

“What I'm going to do if you stay with them. Have my soldiers shoot them.”

“Why would you kill any of us?” TCC asked. “These are all good people. You're a good person. You weren't raised like this.”

A look of disgust came over her face. “You're not my father. My father, my real father, raised me to hate them. And I do.” So much for the hope that TCC would sway her. Maybe if we'd kept her incarcerated and had had the time to devote to her rehabilitation. But we hadn't, and we didn't.

Meaning it was time to do what I did best. “Feeling's totally mutual, Steph. Of course, you're saying that the man who covered you with his own body when Cliff was trying to have us all shot isn't your father. Interesting viewpoint. But, you're probably distracted by all the weird fake man-flesh around. You know, I had no idea you had such a crush on Thomas Kendrick.”

Her head snapped toward me. “Don't call me that.”

Never failed to amaze me, how the majority of A-Cs reacted to nicknames. “Right. So, Thomas turned you down or what, Steph?”

“He was convenient.”

“Right.” Looked at the Kendroid. “You know she made you because she can't have him, right?” Really hoped that Jerry had the real Kendrick listening in, in case he could add something helpful.

The Kendroid looked at Stephanie and I could see uncertainty in his expression. “She loves me.”

“No, she doesn't,” Abigail said. “I think she loves Thomas Kendrick, though, lucky him.”

“She definitely does,” Mahin added.

“What would you know about it?” Stephanie asked.

“Women can always tell,” Mahin said dismissively.

“Kitty,” Jerry said softly while Abigail and Mahin continued to play on the Kendroid's fears and occupy Stephanie's attention, “we're almost done, and I think we've gotten all of the superbeings and robots, too. We're already back to invisible. All aboveground personnel seem to be at the helipad. We're going to try to land and get the others on board. I'll let you know when to grab the hostages and run.”

“You know,” I said conversationally, “these androids aren't all that well made. Well, Crystal and TK there are, but the Naked Ken Dolls, not so much. A really good shot through the head and the middle takes them out. You clearly weren't trying very hard when you made them.”

“I had to work fast,” Stephanie said to me. Mahin and Abigail continued baiting the Kendroid. “For some reason.”

“It'll be tight,” Jerry said. “We're worried about hitting you guys or the hostages. And it's harder to fire accurately the way you're all grouped when we're on the ground, and we're going to be on the ground shortly. And this is me showing how serious the situation is that I'm not making a comment about how Stephanie clearly didn't get enough Barbies when she was growing up.”

“Always the way and I so know what you mean. Meaning you have a secondary lab somewhere nearby, Steph, that's all. Is that where Trevor is?” It was hard having two simultaneous conversations, but I was the girl for the job.

Stephanie stared at me, in shock as near as I could tell. The Kendroid turned away from the girls and stared, too. As did Crystal Maurer.

Saw Lizzie disappear. Then White. Then Brian. Abigail, Mahin, and TCC disappeared at the same time. Meaning Siler had either come looking for us or been advised that we were here, had slipped through the Naked Ken Doll Line, and grabbed everyone. If he was blending, then, as with hyperspeed, anyone with contact would also blend. But that was a lot of people to get out of danger, since he had to sneak them through the androids. So he'd probably need a couple of seconds of stalling time.

“Who?” Stephanie asked, trying to sound cavalier and failing.

“Wow, you're as terrible at lying as the rest of your clan. Trevor the Tinkerer. The man who really likes you because you're so much like your great-grandfather.”

“Thomas says that Stephanie seemed shy around him,” Jerry whispered to me.

Her jaw dropped. “How . . . ? How do you—”

Loved it when my Megalomaniac Girl theories were proved to be true. The Crazy was always right. Go team.

“Know about him? You'd be amazed at what we know.” Looked at the Kendroid. “Like, I know that androids can overcome the programming.” Looked back to Stephanie. “Like, I know that you were actually really crushing hard on Thomas Kendrick, so much so that you couldn't bring yourself to actually approach him. So you made a copy. And you liked that so well, you made a ton of other copies.”

Stephanie and the Kendroid were focused on me. But I hadn't held Crystal's attention, and she turned to look at the hostages. Who were not there. She opened her mouth.

“Now,” I said calmly, as I knocked Jeff down to the ground and covered him.

Laser fire came from what seemed like nowhere, and it sliced the Naked Ken Dolls up fast and efficiently. “Boy, Lizzie wasn't kidding, those things were really badly made. Thank God.”

Siler appeared behind Stephanie and got her in a hold that looked well practiced and efficient.

The two fully functioning androids hadn't been hit, though, and they both attacked Siler, pulling him off of Stephanie while she tried to shoot Jeff.

Fortunately, Jeff rolled us out of the way. As we scrambled to our feet and headed for the skirmish, someone else slammed into the group. Lizzie.

“Get away from my dad, you freaks!” She kicked the Kendroid in the nuts and he went down, just like a real man would.

Had no idea how she'd gotten out of the helicarrier, but it was time for me and Jeff to get in there. “I'll take Crystal, you take—” Well, I was going to tell him to take Stephanie, but she'd managed to turn to attack Lizzie. Who roundhouse kicked the crossbow out of Stephanie's hands.

It flew into the air. Jeff jumped and caught it. He turned it on the Kendroid. Who put his hands up.

Meanwhile, remembered that I had a gun and that I hated Crystal Maurer's guts. Started shooting as she ran toward me, using the rapid-fire techniques my mother had taught me for use with my Glock. Happily, they worked with Drax's guns, too.

Ten in the head, ten in the torso, strafing fire to the knees. She went down.

Siler was trying to get into the girl fight, but he had no way of doing so, because Stephanie and Lizzie were really going at it.

Stephanie had A-C speed and strength, but Lizzie had been trained by the Assassination League and she was seriously pissed. They were doing martial arts moves so fast I almost couldn't see it. Wondered if Lizzie was part A-C somehow, or if Siler had slipped her an enhancement, but figured that if Chuckie could move that fast, so could Lizzie.

However, even the best human was at a disadvantage against an A-C. Stephanie sent Lizzie flying through the air. Jeff and Siler both started for her, but she landed in Thomas Kendrick's arms. He put her down. “Get into the ship,” he said nicely. “You, too,” he said to Siler. Who looked at me. I nodded. I wanted Lizzie safe, and that wasn't going to happen if Siler wasn't holding onto her.

Kendrick didn't step any closer. “Stephanie, is this really the way you want to tell someone that you like them?”

She stared at him. “I . . .” For a moment, she didn't look vicious, triumphant, haughty, supercilious, or anything else like that. She looked like a young woman who was looking at what she wanted but could never have.

“Do we shoot her?” Jerry asked. “Camilla's on board with us, by the way, and she really wants us to.”

Stephanie spun and ran off at hyperspeed, leaving her motorcycle, her crossbow, her family, her crush, and the android she'd made to love her behind her.

Looked at Jeff. Who was watching his niece with one of the saddest expressions I'd ever seen him have. “No,” I said quietly. “No kill order. Let her go. Tell Camilla we'll find her. I promise.”

Looked at Kendrick. He looked sad, too. “When I first met her, I thought she was beautiful but too young for me. And I never gave her another thought in that way.” He shook his head. “What a waste.”

Jeff gasped and grabbed me. “The android's going to explode.”

Looked at Crystal's body. “Not that I can tell.”

“Not that one.” Jeff turned me toward the Kendroid. “
That
one.”

Sure enough, the Kendroid was jerking and blinking in a way that indicated the self-destruct was about to go off. “You can fight it!”

He looked at me and shook his head. “I don't want to. You're right. I'm not real.” He looked at Kendrick. “He is. He's who she wants.”

“But you're who she has.”

Jeff tried to drag me away, but I pulled out of his hold and stepped closer.