Cloud Invasion (10 page)

He really didn't understand that Ilya wasn't Russian by birth, either. He should have done his homework. Now, he was getting the boot. We didn't need that sort of discord in the Program. We'd seen enough of that with Becker's intimidation tactics against me.

Marcus didn't say anything else during the rest of the meal, but he finished his food.

The schmuck.

"I think August is angry enough to strangle that boy," Laci said as she helped me clean the kitchen after dinner.

"Rafe is angry enough to strangle him," I said. "How are you doing, otherwise?" I asked. "You can go back to Seattle in a few days, I think, once they give the all clear."

"You know, I might only go back on weekends," she smiled. "I like getting my husband home every night. He says he'll spend as many weekends there as he can, so we can eat out and sightsee."

"That sounds like a great idea," I said.

"Need help?" Rafe and James were back after sending the others out the door.

"It's just about done. Besides, you cooked. We can clean," I said. "Sit down. Want some wine or something? I'm thinking about a drink."

"I'll have wine," Rafe agreed.

We offered a glass to Laci, but she wanted to follow Auggie back to their suite. I was fine with that. I needed some private time with Ilya. James took the hint and wandered toward his bedroom.

"Marcus is an idiot," I said, massaging the back of Ilya's neck. "First he picked on me, then he decided to show his ignorance." My fingers feathered through Ilya's hair. I could tell he had a headache, and the muscles were tight in his neck and shoulders.

"Let's go to bed," Ilya sighed. "I know a way to take my mind off this."

"Sounds good," I said.

* * *

The following morning, we woke to pounding on our outside door. James beat us to the door, flinging it open to find Auggie standing outside.

"Marcus managed to escape last night," he said. "I've got a search party out, but we have no idea where he is."

Chapter 7

Corinne

"He may be in Vancouver," I said. "If it's his intention to find the enemy, he may have better luck looking there."

"They'll take what he knows and get rid of him," Matt pointed out. "If he finds them in the first place."

"Well, I think we've already seen that Marcus doesn't bother with thinking things through," Auggie huffed.

"I don't think it's a matter of him finding them, I think it'll be them tailing him until he's caught," I said.

"Fucking fool," Rafe muttered.

"He doesn't know a great deal-they may know what he does already," Leo said.

"He knows more than they do about Corinne," Rafe said. "We don't need that. We have to find the fucker first. If he places her in danger," he clenched his fists as his face darkened with anger.

"You think he's in Vancouver?" Auggie turned to me.

"I wasn't sure you were listening, but yes, I think he may be there. It's just a train ride from here; the Mary clone was staying there, plus, you said his passport and a few other things were missing."

"How the hell did he get past the guards?" Rafe demanded.

"He told them he wanted some fresh air."

"They let him out?"

"Nobody told them not to." Auggie looked sheepish.

"I want to go after the fucker." Rafe was pissed.

"How the hell did he get to Seattle?" Leo asked.

"A car was stolen down the mountain-the owner left it unlocked. It was gone this morning. The police found it near the wharf, out of gas."

"So he walked from there to the train station, probably." So far, I hadn't used much of my talent to search for the missing Marcus. I was afraid of what I might do if I did.

"Opal and Nick are on their way back," Matt said. "We can send them after Marcus."

"I want Maye on it, too."

"I refuse to stay here," Rafe hissed. "He may put all of us in danger."

"Fine. Take Cori and see what you can do," Auggie waved a hand in dismissal. "When I tell the President about this defection, what she yells won't be pretty."

"I think he may have contacted Merle Askins," I said.

"Because he thinks that's being a loyal American, no doubt," Auggie blew out a breath. "He knows DB was removed and his general location. He knows where Farrell went. He knows too damn much," Auggie was about to have a meltdown.

"He knows Corinne is even more dangerous than she was before," Matt observed. "That means that Merle Askins probably knows, too-if Marcus contacted him, as Corinne believes."

"Then there's no way to get them to forget what they already know," Leo said.

"I still have eyes on Askins and the Joint Chiefs," Auggie said.

"We're leaving," I announced. Rafe and I disappeared.

* * *

The crisp chill of a Vancouver morning greeted us as we landed outside a nice hotel near the wharf. A cruise ship was docked nearby; passengers were departing after their cruise from Alaska.

"Why did you land us here, cabbage?" Rafe pulled me against him when I shivered-neither of us wore jackets.

"This is what I saw in the Mary clone's head-she was supposed to be here in Vancouver today-to get on a cruise ship. I think it's a way to get to Alaska without raising too much suspicion."

"She was already planning to go to Alaska?"

"Probably for reasons other than sightseeing. Alaska has a lot of open space, you know, and it borders Canada."

"You think the enemy may be in Canada?"

"It's possible. Those crazies who thought they were the four horsemen were holed up not far from here, remember? I just want Mary to lead us to her contact in this part of the world. Maybe we can get information that way. She really didn't know much-not even the name of her contact."

"Do you know who she was? Before she got the drug?"

"Something made her forget," I said. "She can't remember. She can't even remember that she was someone else. What kind of talent would that take?"

I looked up at Rafe's face-he was just as puzzled by this as I was.

He hadn't shaved, either, and wore just the beginnings of a new growth of whiskers. He looked quite good that way. "When are you going to tell Colonel Hunter that we'll be on the boat with Mary when she sails?" he asked.

"In a few minutes. It sails at four this afternoon, so we have clothes and bags to buy if we're going to be tourists."

* * *

"You're not going alone," Auggie thundered in our cell-phone conversation.

"Then who do you want to go with us?" I asked as calmly as I could. Yes, I wanted to tremble at his anger, but struggled to overcome it.

"Opal can go," I heard Matt Michaels in the background.

"I'll send Nick, Maye and Jeff," Auggie sounded defeated. "The idea is sound, I just want you to have backup in case it's needed. Matt and I can send someone else to search for Marcus."

"Then disguise the ones coming with us," I said. "I'll be there in an hour to pick them up. Make sure they have passports with them. I'll change them to reflect their disguises.

"Who the fuck can do that?" Leo asked.

"I the fuck can do that, Dr. Shaw," I said. "Stop worrying. I'll get us off the boat if anything goes wrong."

* * *

"How much did this cost?" Rafe asked as we sat on the balcony outside our cabin.

"You don't want to know," I said. "We're registered as Chuck and Wendy Scott, by the way." I held up my ship-issued ID card. "Here's yours," I handed the second one I held to him. "You have to have this to eat, drink and be merry on the boat."

"At least we have two sunlamps in the closet," he grumbled. Even in July, we'd be sailing through cloudy, misty days to reach our destination.

Maye and Opal shared a cabin on the deck below ours, while Nick shared his with Jeff, who'd been briefed by Auggie at the last minute.

All of us had watched as the Mary clone boarded the ship earlier, heading for her cabin at the back of the boat. Opal had already managed to place a discreet bug on the outside of Mary's cabin door-it would let us know whenever anyone went in or out. Opal had the bug connected to her phone, so she-and Matt at the facility-would have a visual. Matt Michaels had some very cool toys, looked like.

The thing was-we needed another bug inside her cabin. That was my job, although Rafe insisted on coming along. I discovered it was a good thing I'd shielded our presence when I transported us into the cabin in question-the bug she'd already installed would neither see nor hear us as we placed our own above her window.

"She has her own bug placed in the cabin, in case anyone comes snooping," I said, sliding into a seat at the main bar on level three. Located at the center of the ship, the bar was surrounded by rising balconies on every level up to the top of the ship.

"Want a drink?" Rafe asked, taking the seat next to mine.

"How about a mimosa?" I asked.

"Hand me your card."

I gave him my ship ID-they'd scan it before making my drink.

"MC's coming out of her cabin," Opal said softly.

"Probably headed this way," Maye said. "It's almost time for dinner."

Maye wasn't wrong. Five minutes later, our clone walked up to the bar and ordered a Manhattan.

Rafe barely glanced Mary's way before accepting our drinks from a bartender and heading back to our table.

Asked for rye whiskey in her drink. Our girl wants to take the edge off,
Rafe informed me.

I can see that
, I responded. Rafe and I watched as Mary gulped her drink quickly and asked for another.

"I wonder if she was an alcoholic before," Opal said softly.

"Might make sense," Nick nodded.

After downing a third drink, Mary left the bar. We waited a moment before rising and going after her. The buffet on level six was her destination. Maye rode up the elevator with her, after mentally sending the floor Mary punched before the doors closed.

Windows surrounded the buffet dining room, allowing us to watch as Western Canada slid past the ship. At least the buffet had prepared something for vegetarians-after a fashion. Mostly it was Indian and Asian selections, but I wasn't choosy when it came to food while following a target.

Mary sat by herself at a window table; we chose a larger one near the center.

"Have you ever been on a cruise before?" Opal asked me.

"No. My husband was terrified of boats and deep water, for some reason."

"I'm not," Rafe breathed against my cheek.

Does deep water turn you on?
I asked.

You turn me on. I just have to look at you
, he said.
I can swim
, he added.

Honey, most days, I want to crawl all over you,
I responded.

I want you to.

I will
. I smiled.

Finish your food. I doubt our clone is going anywhere for the next two days
.

I doubted it, too. Our first stop wasn't scheduled until then-at Ketchikan.

"Says here we can see eagles in Ketchikan on one of the tours," Opal opened a brochure. "Bears, too, if we're lucky." She grinned over the top of the unfolded brochure. I wanted to laugh-she'd grown up with both those things. Opal was far older than most people could ever guess.

* * *

Notes-Colonel Hunter

"This is from the bug Corinne placed in the Mary clone's cabin," Matt set a tablet on my desk. I found myself gazing at a live transmission of her empty cabin. "Opal says this one is drinking and eating at the moment."

"So no word on Marcus," I sighed. "If Corinne didn't think it important to follow this one, I'd have asked her to stay in Vancouver to help track Marcus."

"You could have left Nick behind," Matt said.

"No, I don't want any of them out alone. If Merle and his bunch are after them, it'll be harder to take all of them on at once."

"True. I see your point."

"I still want Marcus-he can do damage to us. I've notified Farrell, so he'll watch for anyone else who's looking for DB. So far, he says he can't get radar on him."

"Then it's likely the enemy hasn't found him either. What about the other survivors that escaped the facility in Nevada? Any word?"

"Nothing. But that only means we're fighting against those who've hidden them for their own purposes."

"We still have no real idea what they're capable of doing," Matt said. "The team in Nevada only kept them alive and happy-or as happy as they could."

"While Askins received regular updates on them and we got nothing." I was still so pissed about that it gave me headaches.

"Madam President had no reason to be suspicious," Matt drummed fingers on his chair arms. "We don't know exactly what Askins and the others have planned, either; we just have well-founded hunches."

"I'm concerned about the possible connection with the Russians," I countered. "We know Baikov has likely handed out faulty advice to the President. How do we know one of his clones isn't there now, doing the same thing?"

"We don't know that for sure, but I have people on it."

"Trustworthy people?"

"The best I have in the area."

"Good. Will you keep me informed?"

"Yes."

* * *

Corinne

"She made two calls." Ilya turned my phone around so I could see the text sent by James. "He said the audio wasn't working because she had her hair dryer on. We have no idea what she said."

Somebody at the facility was keeping a constant eye on Mary while she was in her cabin. She hadn't found the bug, but took precautions anyway. Now, we were no farther along than we were before.

Ilya and I had only been awake for a few minutes; I could tell he wanted breakfast. Instead, we were dealing with the Mary clone and her indecipherable phone calls. "Stop worrying about her for the moment," I took the phone from his hand. "Let's go to breakfast. James will let us know if she leaves her cabin."

"Thank you," Ilya leaned over to kiss me before sliding off his side of the bed. Fifteen minutes later, we were on an elevator, traveling to deck six and the buffet. I went straight for the poached eggs and toast-Rafe loaded up on bacon and sausage with his eggs.

That's where Maye and Opal found us ten minutes later, sitting at a table near the port side windows, drinking coffee, eating and talking.

"Here's the latest," I pulled up the text from James and passed the phone across the table to Opal and Maye.

"So we still don't know anything," Maye sighed and handed the phone back.

"We know she's in contact with somebody," Rafe said. "We merely don't know what she said."

"We get to Ketchikan tomorrow. I wonder if she'll get off the boat," Opal said.

"We have something," Nick set his plate down at one end of the table, while Jeff took the chair at the other end.