Cloud Rebel: R-D 3 (5 page)

So those who had Sirenali obsession were better off?
I asked.

In some ways
, he agreed.
But, as you realize, the orders to kill that were likely put in place are extremely unhealthy-to all involved
.

Auggie
, I sent,
You'd better have Leo waiting to talk to both of them. Val says they'll have their old memories plus a new set trying to emerge. That could spell trouble
.

He threw a look in my direction that said he wanted words with Leo-plus the President and Richard Farrell-as soon as possible. One of Val's hands touched the back of my neck and his fingers began to massage it-if he hadn't, I may have spoken out of turn and rounded on Richard Farrell for doing what he'd done.

Jennifer and Brett didn't need to hear that. For now, they were grateful to be alive and free of pain. For that, I was happy. So many other problems could come of this, though, and I hoped they could overcome those obstacles and be their own person.

With the Program's resurrection looming over their heads, I doubted that was possible. They'd be expected to fill Nick and Maye's shoes, complete with their skill sets. Their own lives could drown in the choppy waters of those whose blood they'd been given.

* * *

Notes-Colonel Hunter

I wasn't given the opportunity to speak with Madam President before her meeting with the ones who'd identified themselves as ASD agents. I wanted Corinne with me, but I'd been instructed to come alone.

I was about to participate in the first formally arranged meeting with extraterrestrials, and I was terrified.

Relax, Auggie
, Corinne's voice sounded in my head.
We're here, you just can't see us
.

* * *

Corinne

Val and I were shielded as we stood near the door in the Oval office. Four ASD agents were already there, with Auggie, the President and six Secret Service.

The ASD had figured out a way to get weapons past archaic detectors-all of them were armed with concealed laser pistols. Auggie and Madam President thought they were unarmed.

Remember, these are from current day, when Norian Keef was still in charge of the ASD
, Valegar informed me.
You know that is not true in the future
.

Yes. I did some research. I understand Keef often played fast and loose with the rules in order to make things come out the way he wanted.

True
.

"Wish to hunt survivors of Lyristolyi drug," one of the agents informed Madam President.

"It's polite to introduce yourselves first," Auggie pointed out.

"Apologize. I-Ralvus Verain. He, Dervus Verain. He, Invus Verain. He, Brade Deplan. We hunt drug survivors."

He'd pointed out each one as he named them, beginning with himself.

Half Elemaiya
, Val's silent words conveyed his sarcasm.
They can no longer gate onto the planet, so they were transported by ship. In this time, they are still immortal. That will not be true in the future
.

This is going to be hard, isn't it?
I asked.

Val massaged my neck again.
With Elemaiya involved and without Keef's understanding that this is what they are, many things can go wrong
, he said.

"Drug survivors dangerous," Ralvus repeated, as if he were attempting to convince a child.

He and his brothers are here to search for his King's crown
, I turned to Val.
Brade is here to search for the Queen's.

The crowns are no longer here
, Val huffed.

They don't know that
, I said.

We will allow them to discover that for themselves
, Val cautioned. I understood that interfering with the idiocy of the expelled Elemaiya wasn't in our job description. We merely had to let them know that hunting drug survivors with ties to the U.S. was off limits. They could do whatever they wanted with those the Russians had made.

"I understand your concern," the President inserted smoothly. "I do not give permission for you to hunt any of those drug survivors employed by the United States. Your own laws say you must have my government's permission to hunt them. I do not give it."

"Where information come from?" Ralvus demanded.

"I have that information from one who calls herself Larentii."

"You lie," Brade Deplan rose from his seat and hissed. "There are no female Larentii."

I learned something, that day.

Never piss off a Larentii.

Valegar dropped the shield he had around us, folded space to place us before Brade Deplan and began to glow so bright a blue that Brade stepped back and fell onto his chair.

"You will never deny the existence of Rinnelar," he snarled. "Tell that to your deposed Queen."

* * *

"It was a moment of weakness, I think."

Valegar still wasn't speaking, Madam President's four guests had been ushered out of the White house, all four almost as pale as the building itself, and here I was, attempting to explain our uninvited presence in the Oval Office.

"At least they didn't call me a liar again," Madam President sighed. "I must say-this is-quite a shock." Val and I were still tall and blue-after all, you can't prove you're a Larentii unless you look like a Larentii.

"I think it's so much better, from an intrinsic standpoint, that is, than those foul Sirenali," Valegar finally spoke.

"But I'm only thinking about Corinne before," Madam President halted her words and considered the gaffe.

"To me, she is wondrously beautiful," Valegar stated. "You are very limited in your experience with other beings. We will go now. I will leave you with this word of warning-you should watch those Elemaiya-they are not to be trusted. The one who sent them has yet to learn that basic fact."

Val folded us out of the Oval Office.

* * *

Ilya

I waited for their arrival. If the Larentii hadn't healed Sergei, then Katya would have arrived-alone and widowed. She and I had much to be thankful for. A military plane was scheduled to arrive at a nearby base; I waited under an awning outside a small building to stay out of the falling rain.

"They're about to land," a pilot placed a cup of coffee in my hand. "I hope you take it black."

"This will be fine," I mumbled. "Thank you." The coffee steamed in the chill air while the pilot walked away. Rain continued to drip off the awning over my head, spattering onto the concrete surrounding the low building.

Ten minutes later, the transport pulled to a stop on the tarmac. I watched as the steps were lowered and someone walked out of the plane holding an umbrella. Katya and Sergei appeared moments later, and the woman carrying the umbrella held it over their heads as they descended the steps.

Without caring that I'd be soaked, I began walking toward them. Katya and I embraced on a cold, rainy day while Sergei looked on. I hoped at that moment that she would be welcomed as a U.S. citizen one day-and Sergei with her.

* * *

"Papa, this is nice," Katya took in the townhouse after we left the car in the garage.

"The kitchen could be bigger," I shrugged. "But it is okay for now. Sergei, please sit," I motioned him toward a barstool at the island. "I will fix something for lunch."

"Papa always cooked when he was home," Katya laughed.

"I love to cook," I corrected her. "You make it sound as if I did it only out of duty. Sergei, how are you feeling?"

"I feel good," he said. "A little tired, perhaps. Better than it could have been."

"I have a tentative meeting scheduled for you with Dr. Shaw," I said. "In case the kidnapping still troubles you."

"I will accept the meeting," he nodded.

"Papa, he has nightmares," Katya hung her head.

"Look, this is nothing to be ashamed of," I took her face in my hands. "Either of you. Take the help you need to feel better. Perhaps you both should go this first time."

"I'd prefer that," Sergei said.

I made a mental note to alert Dr. Shaw-my daughter was fragile after Sergei's abduction. It appeared I owed the Larentii for a great deal, and had no idea how to express that gratitude or repay the debt.

* * *

Notes-Colonel Hunter

James appeared in my doorway, his expression mixed. "What is it?" I asked.

"Cori hasn't come to see me, and we got this from the President." He held out a sheet of paper.

"I'll take a look, and Cori said she'd contact you soon."

"All right." He turned to walk away, but I could see in his sagging shoulders that he was disappointed.

The paper was a copy of a telephone conversation Madam President had with the new Russian Ambassador. The current Russian President had been contacted by the same four I'd seen in the Oval Office-asking for a meeting.

It made me wonder how that one would go. Lifting my cell, I punched in Matt's number and listened while it rang on the other end.

* * *

Corinne

"Where are you going?"

"To see James. He's depressed."

Val frowned. I could see he was still out of sorts with humans. "Honey, maybe you've never been human, so you don't realize that they often put their foot in their mouth when they're uncomfortable."

"That is one of the strangest idioms ever created," he pointed out.

"Is that Larentii logic?"

"There is nothing logical about it."

"All right-you got me there."

"If you weren't so adorable, I could possibly be miffed."

* * *

Notes-Colonel Hunter

"What are these?" I thumbed through photographs.

"Pictures of a street in Dublin. Guess who was seen there?" Matt asked.

"No idea." I kept looking through the photographs, hoping I'd see something-or someone-I recognized.

"It's the last photograph, taken earlier today."

Frowning at Matt, I set aside all photos except the last one. It was dusk in Dublin, five hours earlier and just before sunset. A scaled creature, mostly covered by a trench coat and hat, was following a woman into a narrow doorway on a Dublin street.

"That's a small hotel," Matt said. "He's identical to the one killed in Vancouver."

I reached for my phone and hoped my Larentii friends weren't still angry enough to stay away or refuse to answer.

* * *

Corinne

"James, it doesn't make me uncomfortable to be like this for days on end," I told him. We'd settled at a Starbucks table in Silver Spring. "If we were elsewhere and it would make you happy, I'd be my taller, bluer self."

"I'm just glad you're here. I was feeling left out."

"Honey, you never left my thoughts," I patted his hand. "I thought of you the whole time I was on the Larentii homeworld, more than four hundred years in the future."

James had trouble swallowing his coffee. "You can't tell anyone else," I waved a hand. "You won't be able to tell anyone else," I added. "Larentii are one of the few races that can bend time. No, I can't go back and change anything for you-that's considered interference and carries a very heavy penalty."

"I wasn't thinking of that, except for Nick and Maye."

I went still for a moment before squeezing his hand. "There's nothing I would love more than to go back and change that. I'd have to get permission and frankly, the person giving that permission isn't really my friend."

"Who?"

"You would probably think of him as King of the Larentii," I sighed. "That's how much power he holds." My cell phone rang at that moment. Auggie was calling.

"Auggie?" I answered the call.

"Cori, we've had a sighting of one of our scaly friends in Dublin, and he's with a Mary clone."

* * *

Val wasn't happy to see Auggie and Matt so soon after Madam President's gaffe, but there wasn't anything else he could do. I'd sent a message to him while transporting James from Starbucks to Matt Michael's office.

I had no idea solving mysteries would be so aggravating
, Val sent the moment he appeared. He didn't bother to disguise himself, either, so James was smiling as he studied Valegar from a corner of Matt's office.

I studied the photograph Auggie gave me shortly after my arrival before handing it to Val. Val enlarged it while everybody watched and then formed a 3-D image of it in a clear spot on Matt's floor.

"That's awesome," James breathed. We could walk in and out of the image while examining it from every angle.

That
is
awesome
, I sent to Val. A corner of his mouth quirked at my compliment.

"Definitely a Mary clone," I nodded. "With a scaly clone version of Merle Askins wrapped up in a coat and hat. I still can't figure out why he's scaly instead of taking a humanoid appearance."