Cloud Rebel: R-D 3 (4 page)

"This-siphon-that you've attached to yourself to draw in sunlight?" If he hadn't been sitting beside me, and if he'd been human, he might have been tapping a toe, waiting for me to answer.

"Well, it's a way to get light at any time," I mumbled my excuse.

"That should only be used for emergencies," he scolded gently. "You should be filling yourself with sunlight whenever it is available, instead of a constant, crippled pull provided by a siphon. Besides, sunlamps made with Earth technology are very poor substitutes."

"Right." I sat up with his help, discovering that I lay naked on a bed inside a lavish hotel-one that bellied up to a beach in Oahu.

"Come, I will take you elsewhere, and I will assist you in pulling sunlight into your body."

"Can I have ice cream after that?"

"If you want it, yes."

"Do we have to be naked?"

"It helps if you are in your natural state, blue skin and all." The corners of his mouth twitched.

"Fine."

"I like this very much-all my studies of Earth will be put to the test," he smiled and folded space with me.

* * *

Ilya

At least nothing was broken when I woke on the floor in my hotel room. The mattress, sheets and pillows were strewn across the space, the chair and ottoman upside down against the window.

I appreciated the fact that I could straighten everything without having to pay for damages when I checked out. While I worked to put the room back to rights, I cursed the former President in as many languages as I knew.

"I'm leaving for the airport," I informed Colonel Hunter after buying coffee at a nearby shop and loading my bag into the rental.

"Good. Matt and I want a meeting with you when you get back."

"Tomorrow?"

"I have a ten o'clock with the Secretary of State, but Matt and I are available for lunch. We can eat and talk if you want."

"Of course."

"Any uh, unusual charges on your room, this time?"

"None, I'm pleased to say. Did Director Michaels say what his concerns are?"

"He may have intel on those warheads."

"I hope it's more reliable than last time."

"They were moved last time before we made it to the storage area. Finding something there is next to impossible without good information."

"Living informants are also an asset," I responded dryly.

"We do have a problem keeping them alive," he agreed. "I wish, well, we all know what I wish."

"I do." I stared at the wedding band I'd refused to remove from my hand. If I had my way, it would stay there as long as I lived.

"I'm hoping I can convince another person or two to join us-they may be working with us as liaisons of some sort-if I can convince them to do so."

"Who might that be?"

"The ones Opal said pulled your fat from the fire yesterday."

"Interesting choice of words, Colonel. I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

Corinne

"Thank you for bringing me here." Val stood behind me as I paid my respects to Nick and Maye at Arlington National Cemetery. We'd gone to Australia first, to feed, and then he'd brought me here after I'd asked him to do so. That's when I got Auggie's call.

"Can you and uh-Valegar come to a lunch meeting tomorrow? Matt, Opal and I will be there. We'd like to talk to you."

"Go ahead and say Ilya will be there, too," I said.

"Rafe will be there," he confirmed. "Please call him that. I doubt he wants anyone else calling him-well, you should know what I mean."

"It's hard seeing him," I sighed.

"I know. Cori, we need information, and we may need it soon. That's why I'm asking you to meet with us."

"We'll be there," I said.

* * *

Personal Notes-Richard Farrell

"Hey, Doc." He was dying. Everyone else at Bethesda had considered it a blessing. Blinded in both eyes, all four limbs missing, paralyzed and experiencing renal failure after the IED explosion in Iraq, he had hours left at best. His voice was barely a whisper as he spoke-he'd heard me as I sat on the chair beside his bed.

"Do you remember when you told me how you loved to run?" I asked.

"Yeah. That'll only happen in my next life, now," he joked.

"Brett, just remember you said that," I told him before pulling the syringe from a pocket. I'd already used one; this was the second-and last-that I intended to use. I'd had a private meeting with Madam President-she'd given her blessing.

Two candidates I'd chosen personally had been moved to what Corinne had dubbed
the ugly building in Arlington
.

Inside, it was anything but. I'd had the top floor outfitted to my specifications, again with permission from the President. She intended to tell Colonel Hunter when-and if-my experiment was successful.

Yes, I'd kept my personal goals out of my proposal to the President, but the truth was this-I was empty without Maye.

I also had samples of her blood-and Nick's. This could fail, and I realized it.

If it failed, I intended to go down with my new charges.

* * *

Ilya

"Katya?" I answered her call when I walked through the door of my home in Silver Spring. Colonel Hunter had arranged for the house-I understood it had once belonged to her, for a short time.

Nevertheless, it was still owned by the Program, therefore I was using it.

"Papa," Katya's voice was thick with tears.

"What's wrong, little moth?" I asked.

"They caught Sergei-I don't know where he is," she wept.

"Hold on," I said and pulled a second phone from my pocket to dial Colonel Hunter.

* * *

Corinne

"Cori, I hate to bother you," Auggie said over the phone. I knew, just by the tone of his voice, that something was terribly wrong. Val followed in my wake as I folded space to Auggie's office.

I understood the problem the moment I saw his face.

Ilya's son-in-law was in trouble.

Val didn't bother to protest when I folded space the second time in mere seconds, where we found a naked Sergei Levinson tied to a chair, while his captors did their best to electrocute him with battery cables.

* * *

Katya stifled a scream when Val and I appeared in her hotel office, where she sat at her desk, crying.

"I need your chair," I said, allowing Valegar to settle the nearly lifeless body of Sergei on the chair she'd scrambled away from.

"Corinne?" she whispered as Val and I began to glow-it would take energy and talent to get Sergei back.

* * *

"You can't tell your father I was here," I patted Katya's hand later, while she sat on the edge of her bed, stroking Sergei's hair back from his forehead. Val and I-we'd saved his life. Another few minutes and that may not have been possible.

Still, he had weeks of recovery ahead of him.

"Papa won't talk about you," she whispered. "Why?"

"A Sirenali's curse, young one," Val replied. "Once a Sirenali places an obsession, it can only be removed by that same Sirenali. If that Sirenali dies, as is the case, then the obsession tends to remain until the victim's death. Your father was instructed to kill Corinne. He cannot even hear her name without going into a terrible rage."

"How is that possible?" Katya breathed.

"This race we speak of was an abomination that should never have been created," Val snorted. "The same drug administered to your father also recreated a Sirenali."

"What happened to the ones who captured Sergei?" she asked. I could see that talk of Sirenali upset her, and the fact that her father was obsessed upset her more.

"Corinne blew them so hard against a wall, I believe they may not wake again," Valegar explained. "I'm sure many will appreciate that fact."

"Russian assholes," I muttered.

"What do I tell Papa?" Katya asked.

"Tell him the Larentii happened," I said. "He'll accept that. If he asks for names, say Rinnelar and Valegar."

"Do you still love him?"

"More than anything." I held up my left hand so she could see the ring on my finger.

"This is so sad. Thank you-for Sergei's life."

"You're welcome."

* * *

"Did you find him?" We found Auggie still in his office two hours later.

"Yeah. He's okay, now."

"Look-I didn't know about Rafe's daughter until he admitted she was part of the underground about six months ago," Auggie said.

"I know. We just wanted to check in; we need to find sunlight somewhere, to recharge."

"All right. Thank you. I know Rafe would be grateful, if he just," Auggie floundered.

"Yeah. I know."

"Come," Valegar took my hand and folded space.

* * *

Notes-Colonel Hunter

When they disappeared, I leaned back in my chair until it creaked. I sat there for several minutes, wondering how many times Cori would have to pull all our fat from the fire.

* * *

Ilya

I heard from Katya two hours after I received the frantic call from her. "Sergei's fine," she reported. "Now. After two Larentii showed up to save him. Those animals tried to electrocute him, Papa."

"You need to move-they know where you are," I stated flatly.

"I know. Three of our friends are here-we'll move Sergei in a few hours. If those people hadn't shown up, he'd be dead."

"I understand," I sighed. "I wish I were there with you-to help you find a new place." My other phone rang-I looked at the caller ID. "Katya, hold on," I said. Setting the first phone down, I answered the second.

"Get Colonel Hunter to bring them to the U.S.," the voice said. I understood it was Rinnelar-and I forced myself not to delve deeper than that.

"I will make the call," I agreed.

"Good."

The call was ended. Working to even my breathing, I lifted the first phone. "Little moth, let me call Colonel Hunter. I hope he will allow me to bring you and Sergei to the U.S."

Chapter 3

Notes-Colonel Hunter

I had no idea how this meeting would go; I'd already given permission to move Rafe's daughter and her husband to the U.S. Matt agreed readily when I called him. He'd already arranged transportation before we got off the phone.

They'd arrive in two days. For the moment, I'd allow them to stay with Rafe at the Silver Spring townhouse.

I waited for Rafe to put things together, though, and go after Corinne in her new guise. While she wouldn't harm him if he attempted to attack, I had no idea how Valegar would react. As much as Rafe had loved Corinne, I believe Valegar did the same.

"We're here," Matt walked in with Opal. He wore a grim expression-it appeared he wasn't looking forward to seeing Corinne again. I wanted him to explain that, but didn't expect the information to come my way. I hesitated to attach the word
subterfuge
to my curious observations, but I couldn't rule out the idea that something was going on.

* * *

Corinne

"How do I look?" Valegar asked.

"You look great," I said. He did-he wore his blond hair slightly longer than many Larentii, and it brushed his forehead nicely as he turned before me, showing off his black jeans, turtleneck, Loafers and bomber jacket.

It was winter in the U.S.; Val could warm himself with power, but he'd look strange to any human if he were dressed only in a short-sleeved shirt and jeans.

"Humans get cold easily," Val observed.

"Honey, you should talk to people in Alaska, Canada and other places that get really cold before making such a broad statement," I said.

"I merely wanted to see whether you'd point out the flaw in my observation," he smiled. "You did well."

"Are all our conversations going to be tests?" I asked.

"No, I merely wanted to distract you for a moment."

"Ah. That."

He was right-I needed a distraction. The closer the meeting time, the more worried I felt. I wanted to fling my arms around Ilya. Have him kiss my worries away. That wasn't possible and might never be.

"Val," I said, "Has there ever been a Larentii with an anxiety disorder or PTSD?"

"Are you feeling the effects of those, my love?" He came to me immediately.

"I just-this is so fucked up," I flung out a hand. I felt like crying and it wouldn't do to show up in Auggie's office sniffling.

"It is, as you say, fucked up," Val tucked my head beneath his chin and held me close. "We will get through this-I promise."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, we arrived in Auggie's office. Matt and Opal were already there. I wanted to glare at Matt; Val pulled me onto a chair before I could do so.

"Coffee? Water? Bourbon?" I could tell Auggie wasn't comfortable with whom-and what-he had in his office.

"We must change our bodies in order to feel the effects of alcohol," Val said. I watched as Opal attempted to hide a smile.

"Ah, my blue-skinned rescuers are here," Rafe arrived and nodded toward Val and me. Yes, we looked like Larentii; we'd only made ourselves smaller to fit on human furniture. "Thank you-for my life and that of my daughter's husband," Rafe added.

"You are welcome," Val nodded. "Rinnelar is quite adept at healing. She surprises me constantly."

"Awww," I turned to Val and offered him a smile.

"The-ah-President received an unusual message an hour ago," Auggie broke the uncomfortable silence that settled over us. "It is written in several languages, I assume to make sure we understand it."

"Which languages?" Opal asked.

"Spanish, French, English and German, along with another language we can't decipher."

"Do you have a copy of the message?" Val asked.

"Here," Auggie lifted a sheet of paper from his desk and handed it to Val. I looked at it while Val held it up for both of us to see.

"Alliance common," Val and I said together.

"Unfortunately, the English and German are poorly worded," Val added. "They should work harder on these language skills." He handed the paper message back to Auggie.

"Madam President wants to know what we think about this-among other things," Auggie said, setting the paper aside.

"What does it say?" Rafe asked.

"It is a greeting and an offer to relieve the planet of-and destroy-drug survivors and any remaining drug," Val interjected smoothly. "That includes you, Mr. Black."

"Is that why you're here?" Rafe sputtered. "To kill me?"

"Far from it," Val said. "We're here to-as Rinnelar would say-protect your ass. You have a choice, however. You can choose to have your blood neutralized, so no other may be made from it, or you take your chances with these new arrivals who work for the ASD."

"Neutralized?" Rafe immediately became suspicious.

"Just the drug in it," I attempted to smooth his ruffled neck hair. "You won't be changed in any other way. You'll still be the tough badass you always were."

"What?" Rafe's eyebrows lifted.

"No offense meant," Val said. "The choice is certainly yours, but I would consider the benefits carefully."

"How long and painful is the neutralization?"

"I can achieve it in seconds, and there will be no pain."

"Then do it."

I understood then that this was something he'd already considered-that someone, somewhere, could use his blood to create more like him, and exploit them for more nefarious purposes.

"The information that this has been done won't leave my office," Auggie declared as Val began to glow and reached a hand toward Rafe.

* * *

Personal notes-Richard Farrell

"Doc, I gotta tell you, I had a helluva dream," Brett said. His eyes were closed-he didn't realize he could see if he opened them.

"What was the dream?" I asked, sitting on the chair beside his bed.

"I dreamed I was running," he said. I watched a smile pass across his face. "Chasing rabbits. It was fun."

"Open your eyes, Captain," I said. "From here on, you can make that dream a reality if you want."

* * *

Jennifer Troutman, 1st Lt, US Army

The last thing I recalled was watching the armored vehicle in front of mine explode. Afterward, things get extremely hazy.

Until now.

My eyes were open; I stared at an unfamiliar ceiling over my head. Glancing to the side, I saw the familiar rails of a hospital bed. I'd been injured. Now I was in a hospital, somewhere-probably Germany. I couldn't say why I thought that, but it was the most sensible thing-the worst cases often ended up on a base in that country.

I didn't speak a word of German, although several words in that language bubbled to the surface of my brain.

"You're awake."

A scrub-wearing nurse smiled down at me and spoke in English. "Dr. Farrell will be happy to hear you're still with us."

"Am I-uh-whole?"

"As whole as I am," she smiled. "My name is Kathy. When Dr. Farrell says it's all right, I'll bring food and you can sit up to eat."

"Is she awake?" A hopeful voice sounded in the doorway.

"She is. Lieutenant, this is Dr. Farrell."

He was beside my bed quickly and taking my hand. I blinked at him in confusion. Part of me wanted to say I knew him. Another part of me knew that was impossible. "Hello, Dr. Farrell," I said.

I was stunned when he wiped tears away.

* * *

Captain Brett Walker

I felt some weakness, but Dr. Farrell said it would pass. He'd told me the drug was experimental and that I'd been chosen, since I was at death's door when it was administered.

I didn't know whether to laugh or consider that I really was dreaming.

"A change in your appearance is expected," Dr. Farrell said. I stared at my image in the mirror.

Before, my hair had been nearly red. Now it was dark, as were my eyes, which were blue, before.

I didn't mind the change and the Doctor was correct-I would run again. I was whole in the most miraculous, unexplainable way possible. At least I didn't have to worry about contacting family members-my mom was dead and my dad disappeared when I was little.

Nobody left, and contacting former friends or family was forbidden anyway, because of the secrecy surrounding the drug.

I didn't care-I was going to run again.

* * *

Notes-Colonel Hunter

According to Cori and Valegar, Rafe's blood was now neutralized. He could donate blood and it would be just as normal as anyone else's. We were discussing the tracking of other survivors when the call from Richard Farrell interrupted.

"Check your e-mail," Richard said before I could get an entire hello out of my mouth.

I tapped my keyboard and brought up the e-mail in question. Two photographs were included, without any text. I froze.

"Madam President gave permission," Richard quavered. "Colonel Hunter, it's wonderful, isn't it?"

"Holy fuck," I sighed. Maye and Nick's faces stared back at me from the e-mail. Across the room, I heard Corinne's muffled
holy shit
.

* * *

Corinne

Rafe drove the van; Auggie sat in the front with him. Matt and Opal took up the second set of seats; Val and I had to make ourselves even smaller to fit in the back. Our destination was the ugly building in Arlington, but on the inside, I'd made changes the last time I was there.

Richard Farrell, without informing Auggie, had gone over his head to get Maye back. I wasn't sure that doing this for personal reasons was the proper thing to do, but it was moot, now. It was done. At least the participants were military.

As of now, the Program was up and running again.

"I've forgotten how inelegant travel by Earth vehicle is," Val remarked as we bounced across a pothole in the ugly building's parking lot.

Auggie feels he needs an alternate form of escape, in case we left him here after folding space
, I sent.

Understandable. I would feel the same
, Val agreed.
Perhaps it is a good thing that our Karathian Warlock in the driver's seat never had his power awakened
, he added.
His shielding ability and the talent for invisibility is something he'd have had, anyway
.

Yeah. We were supposed to be reborn on Karathia
, I heaved a mental sigh.
You see how that turned out
.

I'm pleased that you were reborn a second time as Larentii. Only the most deserving achieve that
.

I held back from telling Ilya that he's almost immortal
, I responded. I'd changed the subject to get Val away from talking about me-it embarrassed me, when most Larentii would merely acknowledge the truth in the statement.

He can still be killed; I'm sure he realizes that
, Val responded.
Shall I transport us out of this infernal mechanism?

Please
.

* * *

Jennifer Troutman, her eyes and face identical to Maye's after she'd received the drug, smiled when Val and I walked through the door. She and Nick's clone, Captain Brett Walker, waited in a room on the top floor that was flooded with light.

Seats and plants were scattered about-it was decorated as a sanctuary for those recovering in Richard Farrell's personal hospital.

"This is Colonel August Hunter," Richard Farrell began introductions before I could accost him for what he'd done. "He's Secretary of Defense and the one in charge of the Program."

"I know who Colonel Hunter is," Brett Walker held out a hand. Auggie obliged.

"Thank you for your service," Auggie said. "I hear you were severely wounded in Afghanistan."

"Wounded would be putting it mildly, Colonel. I have to say, this miracle drug you've developed is, well, a miracle." It was hard to watch-Brett's words coming from Nick's mouth.

I coughed to clear my throat. Auggie shot me a frown before turning to First Lieutenant Jennifer Troutman. "I heard your convoy was attacked in Iraq," he said. "You're the only survivor."

"I haven't had time to deliver that news," Richard muttered.

Or a lot of other news
, I pointed out in mindspeech.

Corinne, please don't
, Richard begged.
You have no idea
, he cut his words short when I nodded toward Rafe.

After all, to everyone except Rafe, I looked like the old Corinne-before the taller, bluer Corinne. Only Rafe saw me as someone different.

For both our sakes.

This isn't Maye, this is Jennifer
, I pointed out.

I know
. Richard turned away for a moment.

He still doesn't realize what an abomination the drug is-especially to those who've been cloned. They have their set of memories, and another set that threatens to emerge. Some clones have an extreme amount of difficulty coming to terms with that
, Valegar said.