Cloud Invasion (6 page)

"Cabbage, are you all right?" Rafe stood beside me as I studied Auggie's tense shoulders and Las Vegas through his window.

"Tired," I shrugged.
James could have died again, if that thing had gotten out of its closet
.
Leo, too, they were closest to it. The rest of us could have killed it, but the damage would be done
.

Why did it kill its keeper, then?

It was pissed because he didn't let it out soon enough. He was still afraid one of us would kill him, so he waffled
.

Were you intending to tell us?

You know, this is the first time we've really had a mental conversation
, I pointed out.

Didn't want anybody to know,
he gave me a wink and a grin
.

Yeah, hoping I'd trip up, huh?

Answer my question,
he said, still grinning.

Yes, I intended to tell you and Auggie when we got away from there, so he could be arrested the next time he left the compound and the monster could be contained. He removed that option-and himself-from the food chain, making it so much easier for everybody
.

Saved all of us time and trouble
, Rafe agreed.
Where should we go next?

I need time to think about that, okay?

Auggie's cell phone rang. The President was on the line, telling us to go back to the Pilchuck facility. We could plot and plan from there just as well as we could from Vegas.

I agreed with her-someone had tried to kill us with ricin-laced water. James was afraid to drink anything now, unless I told him it was safe. Whoever had planned that nasty little surprise likely had clearance and more than enough flunkies to do the job-flunkies who had no idea what they were doing, other than following orders.

"Take us home, Cori," Auggie said, his words sounding flat and weary after he ended the call with the President.

"Yeah," I said and did just that.

* * *

"You really can see Puget Sound from here," Rafe's arms dropped around my shoulders as we gazed out our window. It was closest to the southwest, and the day, surprisingly, was clear.

The Sound was there, shining far in the distance-a swath of blue beneath a setting sun. "I want to make love to you, right here," he pulled me toward the sofa that faced the window.

"Yeah," I breathed against his mouth. "Let's get naked."

His fingers lifted my top as he backed me toward the comfortable sofa I'd supplied for our suite.

After that, it was a frenzy of clothing removal. I unbuckled his belt. He unzipped my jeans. After a while, you'd have thought piranhas were stripping anything other than skin away from us. Ilya's mouth was all over mine, and then traveling down my body as he pulled me onto the sofa.

The first time was fast. Frenetic. The second-slow and decadent. Both times were exactly what we wanted.

* * *

"Cori, can you get me to the house in Seattle?" Auggie walked in with James right behind him. "Laci wants to cook dinner for me, and I think James needs a glass or two of Scotch."

"Yes and yes," I nodded to Auggie and James. Rafe pulled the open bottle of Macallan from the liquor cabinet and dropped ice cubes in a glass before pouring a generous portion for James.

Laci lived in an older, richer part of Seattle, referred to as Upper Queen Anne. The house was a three-story, built in the early 1900s, with plenty of gingerbread decorating the exterior. It also had an exceptional view of Elliott Bay. I hoped she liked it-I'd have loved it, provided it were in a place with more abundant sunlight.

"Are you ready now, or want to have a drink first?" I asked Auggie.

"I'll have a drink," Auggie sighed. My guess was that he wasn't looking forward to this meeting with Laci-I imagine she was more than tired of his life being constantly on the line.

Rafe poured a second glass and handed it to Auggie, who downed it immediately and held out his glass for another shot. Rafe pulled me against him as we watched Auggie and James drink-they both had personal worries and I hoped Leo Shaw intended to see both of them-at length.

"James, why don't you stay for dinner," Rafe offered. I intended to ask, but he beat me to it.

"I'll be back in a minute," I gave James a hug. "Ready?" I asked Auggie.

"Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

Notes-Colonel Hunter

I figured Laci would ask for a divorce again. She didn't. She didn't even point out that I tasted like Scotch when she kissed me. I'll admit I spent a moment, immobile and shocked as hell before recalling that I should put my arms around her.

"I missed you, baby," I kissed her temple before moving down to her earlobe.

Cori had dropped me outside the front door, so I'd used my key to get in. Laci found me in the foyer, punching the code into the alarm. That's when she'd pulled my head down for a scorching kiss and I eventually reciprocated.

"I heard there was dinner, too," I whispered in her ear. "I like the appetizer so far."

"Wait until dessert," she breathed against my ear.

"I'm ready for that, now," I said as she took my hand and led me toward the dining room.

We had the best dinner-Laci fixed everything I liked, including strawberry shortcake. The sex afterward?

Sex hadn't been that good in forever. I felt like I was twenty again. It made me want to buy her something-a piece of jewelry or spicy lingerie. I'll admit, my brain was stuck on the spicy lingerie.

"Do you like it here, baby?" I asked after we'd shared a short nap.

"I do, actually." She gave me a genuine smile-I always knew when she wasn't telling me the truth. "Nelda and Ray take me down to Pike's Place when I want to go. They have the most amazing fresh flowers there," she said. "I got the fish there, too, that we had for dinner. I even like the crowds-it reminds me of when we lived in New York, except for the huge house and the better view I have here."

Nelda and Ray were her assigned day guards. Others watched the house at night, but they stayed out of sight. Nelda and Ray were stationed in the house next door, and I could tell Laci liked both of them.

"Dr. Shaw suggested that I come see him once a week at the facility for my appointments," Laci said, leaning in to kiss me. "He says it wouldn't hurt for me to spend a night with you, just like you come to spend a night with me every week."

"You want to?" I was surprised, but tried to hide it.

"I think I do. I wouldn't mind seeing Corinne and Rafe-I hear they're very good cooks. I'm a little upset that James could have died, too, so I'd like to see him."

"Did Ray tell you that?"

"He and Nelda keep me updated as much as they can. I want you to keep Corinne as close as you possibly can-and Rafe too. I think they can save your life if that kind of thing ever happens again."

"You should hear Madam President talk about the same thing," I huffed and rolled off the bed.

"Where are you going?" Laci demanded.

"To the john. And then to the fridge to get more shortcake. You almost wore me out, woman."

"I'm going to the kitchen first," she slid off the bed and headed for the door.

"Don't eat it all," I called after her and grinned on my way to the bathroom.

* * *

Corinne

"I can't move," James mumbled, leaning back on the sofa. I didn't tell him that earlier, Ilya and I had sex there. We'd been neat about it, at least. "You have such a great view," he added, staring at Seattle and Puget Sound in the distance.

We'd served chicken cordon bleu for Rafe and James, with plenty of vegetables for me. They'd polished off all the chicken, along with the Italian cream cake for dessert.

"I'm not carrying you to bed, but you're welcome to the second bedroom," Rafe offered.

"Really?" James turned to Rafe.

"As long as you pick up after yourself."

"I always do." He pretended offense.

"Honey, this place is plenty big enough," I shrugged. Rafe knew, as did I, that James was still in crisis mode. It would take a while, with Leo's help, to get him back to normal. James was a good fighter-with an enemy he could see.

Somebody had tried to poison him, and he'd never suspected anything like that. It had thrown him-just as it had several others. He'd gone from trusting the military he'd worked for to distrusting almost everyone.

James needs to have sex
, Rafe informed me in mindspeech as we watched Auggie's assistant rise and wander toward the extra bedroom.

Any suggestions?
I asked.

Not now-nobody in the program is suitable
, Rafe responded.
Leo still has the list, but there's nobody there for James
.

I understood what it was like not to have anyone support you so intimately. Without Ilya, I wouldn't have come back at all.
James needs somebody who cares about him
, I returned.
Not just a casual fuck
.

Relationships take time
, he reminded me.
A casual fuck may help in the interim
.
Men aren't wired like women
, he wrapped his arms about me.
Even gay ones
.

Are you being philosophical?

I'm being horny. I hope you're feeling the same way. We can have meaningful sex in our bedroom. Or on the table. Or on the rug in the media room. Your choice
.

Rug?

Excellent choice
.

* * *

Opal

I'm getting notification of some seismic activity in the Seattle area,
Matt's text read.

Not unusual for this part of the world
, I replied.

Just putting you on notice
, he sent a smiley face with his second text.

Really? You're using smiley faces? I thought it was in your job description that you could never, ever use smiley faces in official communications.

I have a special dispensation from the President
.

You do not send smiley faces to the President
, I pointed out.

Nah, I send frowny faces to her.

Why are you concerned about seismic activity?
I was back to the original subject.

Something just feels off
, he said.
Keep your eyes, ears and fast little feet on alert
, he added.
Anything new with Corinne?

Not yet. I do get the idea that she'd do anything to protect everybody here, me included.

I'm still marveling at what she's done so far. I just wish we knew what we're up against-she wants this enemy as much as we do
.

She does-I can see it in her face
, I tapped into my phone.
Look, I'll keep you updated. Go save the world or something.

I would, if there weren't so much paperwork involved.

Always a comeback
, I said and shut off my phone.

* * *

Corinne

Ilya and I were in the throes of climax when the earthquake hit Seattle, and while it barely rocked Mount Pilchuck, it did major damage to parts of the city near Elliott Bay.

Chapter 5

Corinne

"Power is out in much of the city," Auggie muttered while pulling on a clean shirt and stomping through the command center. I understood that, even before he'd called me on his cell ten minutes earlier, saying he wanted me to come for him, Laci and Laci's day guards.

"Laci, why don't you let James take you to Auggie's quarters," I said while Auggie barked orders at subordinates.

"Will we be all right?" Laci's voice quivered in fear. I understood then that she'd never been in a substantial earthquake.

"We're fine where we are, and if that changes, I'll get us out of here," I promised. "Go with James. We'll keep you updated. You may want to see if the TV is working in his suite-just to see what they're saying on the news stations."

"Will that help?"

"You bet." I smiled and hugged her. "Ask James for a tablet, and send messages to let him know what's going on. Take Nelda and Ray with you."

"I'll do what I can," she promised.

Rafe, Maye, Opal, Nick, Marcus, Leo and Auggie stood near the bank of computer screens, looking as if they were ready for a football huddle to plan their next move. Auggie nodded his thanks to me for giving Laci something useful to do before turning his attention back to the monitors. Nelda and Ray ushered Laci from the room, leaving me to join the huddle around computer screens.

I hadn't contributed yet, other than to pull Laci, Auggie and the other two away from Seattle, where things were going crazy. I knew, and she'd likely hear it on the news soon-part of the sea wall had been crushed, allowing water to rush into a section of vulnerable and unstable land at the waterfront.

Yes, they were attempting to replace the old, wooden sea wall with concrete and steel, but not all of it had been done. Now, parts of underground Seattle, a popular tourist attraction and extra storage for many businesses, was filling with water and flooding anything near the wharf.

I was afraid to use my talents to search for the number of dead. Pike Place Market and other businesses along the water were off-limits-not only was the power out, officials were afraid everything would crumble beneath visitors and traffic.

Many were learning for the first time that the waterfront section hardest hit was landfill-and poor landfill at that.

The most important thing I understood, however, was this-an earthquake hadn't caused this damage. I needed to get Auggie and Leo away so I could explain what I knew. Fixing the problem, too, was going to be a lot harder than anybody might think.

"Corinne, are you coming?" Auggie barked in my direction. The meeting was about to take place and I'd been lost in conjecture land.

"Coming," I trotted toward Auggie, who herded everybody else toward a secure meeting room.

Rafe pulled me onto the chair next to his at the wide table, which took up most of the floor space inside the room. Auggie and Leo sat at the head of the table, while the rest of us scattered around it.

"We don't know much," Auggie sighed. "We're still getting reports on the damage and we may not know for days how extensive it is."

"Auggie," I half-lifted a hand.

"Cori?" Auggie turned toward me. "You know something? Wait. You always know something." He massaged his forehead, as if he were expecting me to announce the end of the world.

"It's not the end of the world, but some of the residents might feel that way," I said. "Our escaped dinosaur is now holed up in the Seattle underground. The enemy turned him loose in the ocean, where he can swim happily and feed on endangered whales, et cetera, but he needs a moist cave to call home so he can sleep off his meals."

"What the holy hell?" Auggie stared at me as if what I'd told him was the last thing he'd ever imagine.

"Remember they told us at the facility where he was kept that he liked being sprayed with water? He's amphibious. Unless we can find a way to either capture or kill him, he'll likely go after boats in the bay to add variety to his new seafood diet. He has a taste for human flesh, now. I think the enemy fed a few people he didn't like to DB."

"How the fuck did he get from Nevada to here?" Auggie exploded.

"I don't know how he was taken to the ocean, but nobody was looking for a giant tanker on the water. Somehow, he was transported to California, and I'm beginning to worry that they're using the same method I do to move things around. I think the enemy has tapped the talents of those he took from Nevada."

Auggie and Leo went quiet. Both had their eyes trained on me, as if I'd had something to do with all this. I didn't. I had a few suspicions, but without being able to locate the enemy, I was in the dark, just as they were.

"Cabbage, are you saying that the enemy knew what their talents might be?"

"I think he did-or suspected. He probably thinks he hit the lottery when he lured the fifteen away like he did. Somehow, he suspects we're in the area, too. That's why Dinosaur Boy is living beneath the wharf in Seattle. He knows we'll turn to that problem, which will likely mask the plans for his next activities from us."

"Dinosaur Boy is a distraction?" Leo asked quietly.

"I believe so. The enemy thinks we'll be so caught up in trying to get DB out of his hole-and secretly, I might add-to hide the program from the population, that we'll ignore the signs of his next big plot."

"Which is?" Auggie blinked at me, silently begging me to know what that plot might be.

"I have no idea," I shrugged uncomfortably. "It's the same as it always was-I can't find him or any trace of him. Something is blocking all that."

"Should we move?" Jeff asked.

"I don't think so," Rafe replied before Auggie could say the same thing.

"Let the enemy think as Corinne suggests-that all our resources are focused on DB," Auggie nodded. "Yes, we'll be working on that problem, but we'll bring in another team to help with that. Meanwhile, we'll go back to hunting the enemy full-time, beginning with our sightings of the Mary Evans clones."

"You've found more?" I asked. I knew the answer before Auggie had a chance to say yes.

* * *

"You're telling me that monster is beneath Seattle?" Madam President was pissed. Auggie insisted that Rafe, Opal and I be in the room while he and Leo attempted to explain what we knew to the White House.

"It looks that way," Auggie admitted. "We've sent divers down, and there's one huge breach in the sea wall. He went right for the wooden part, Madam President. The wood farther down is fine. I've seen preliminary photographs from the diving team. They found evidence of huge claw marks."

"What's the likelihood that he'll pop up from beneath the streets?" Madam President moaned.

"We don't know what his orders are, or whether he was given any instructions past making his home beneath the wharf area," Auggie shrugged. "I don't want to panic the people, but how else are we going to get them away from danger while we attempt to contain or kill this thing?"

"I worry that he'll be seen in the bay," Rafe pointed out. "Once that news gets out, along with a few cell phone photographs, the truth will be splattered on every television screen whether we want it to be or not."

"This is a nightmare," the President shook her head. "Ms. Tadewi, have you contacted Matt with this information?"

"We spoke earlier," Opal confirmed.

"Does he have a team prepared to go to Seattle? I want him working on this, too."

"He may come himself, and bring others with him," Opal said.

"Then tell him he has my blessing to do whatever it takes to keep the population safe and get rid of this menace at the same time. The same goes for you, Colonel Hunter. I understand that you think this is a diversion, but I beg you to cooperate as much as you can with Director Michaels while you search for the enemy's next plot. I have a call scheduled to the former President, to ask if he may know anything we don't."

"Madam President, will that be a video call?" Auggie asked.

"Yes."

"May I have a recording of it-audio and video?"

"Of course. Why do you ask?"

"You know the former President has shied away from the cameras since he left office. I'd like Corinne to take a look. She may see something that he is reluctant to tell you."

"I'll do what I can." Madam President ended the call. Auggie had done what I'd wanted to do-ask for a current image of the former President. After all, he's the one who'd approved the drug for use on volunteers. I wanted to know exactly what he knew about the Program.

* * *

"Honey, I'm starved, and I need to sit with the sunlamp for a while," I mumbled the moment Rafe and I arrived at our suite.

"Let's do both-I feel the need for some light in my life," he agreed. "What shall we fix for breakfast?"

"Oh, my God, what time is it?" I looked up at him.

"Nearly seven in the morning. It's really foggy out."

"Breakfast?" James walked in, a hopeful expression on his face.

"What do you want, hon?" I asked. "How are Laci and her guards?"

"She finally went to bed when it looked like the ground wasn't going to shake again. The same news, shown repeatedly on television, put all three of them to sleep. I found quarters for the guards, so we're okay for the moment."

"Good work," I rubbed his back. "Want eggs, omelet, ham, pancakes-what?"

"I want ham, pancakes and eggs," he said. "And then a bed, if Colonel Hunter doesn't come looking for me."

"I'll see what I can do," I said. "Come on, you can make coffee while Rafe and I do the rest."

Leo arrived in time to get fresh pancakes, and then the others dribbled in.
I'm beginning to wonder why we have a cafeteria
, Rafe sent as he surveyed the crowd at the table.

Let's hope everybody else inside the mountain doesn't find out, or they'll be here, too
, I replied.

"Auggie, you look like you've been in a war," I rubbed his back when he sat beside me and accepted the plate of food Rafe handed to him.

"Yeah. At least Laci is asleep. That makes my life marginally better."

"Small miracles," I agreed. "We'll take 'em."

"She'll be staying here with me until the mess in Seattle is sorted," he went on, his words grim. "She probably won't like it, but that's all there is unless she wants to stay with her parents again."

"I don't think she wants that," Leo offered.

"I just don't want her to feel trapped here with me," Auggie said.

"Nobody's trapped here," I said. "If she wants to go somewhere, I can take her."

"Cori," Auggie warned.

"Yeah."

Rafe snorted.

* * *

Ilya

We slept for six hours after breakfast before Colonel Hunter woke us with a message. Madam President had her conversation with the former President, and we had a recording to view.

"Wake up, sleepyhead," I nuzzled Corinne's cheek before planting a kiss on her temple.

"Ilya," she grumbled, "let me sleep."

"I would like nothing better than to keep sleeping with you," I said. "But Colonel Hunter is calling for our presence."

"Slave driver."

"Me?"

"No. Auggie."

"Come, cabbage. We have time to shower and make a sandwich before we go."

"All right."

She wasn't happy, but she sat up in bed and forced her eyes open. "See," I smiled at her. "You can wake up when necessary."

"It shouldn't be necessary."

"It is. Come along. My cabbage's leaves looked wilted. A shower will remedy that."

She slid off the bed and walked toward the bathroom, cursing in several languages while she wobbled along. Some of those words sounded alien to my ears.

Half an hour later, we were in Colonel Hunter's office. James had arrived ahead of us and he looked concerned.

"What's wrong?" Corinne asked.

"Colonel Hunter thinks Merle Askins has been playing everybody," James mumbled.

"Why?" I asked.

"Because former President Phillips doesn't know very much," he frowned. "We think Merle may have been secretly in charge of the Program, and signing off on everything without President Phillips' knowledge."

"Get in here," Auggie appeared in his office doorway. "There's only one way I know to get to the truth of this."

Corinne, James and I walked into Colonel Hunter's office. James shut the door behind us, then took a seat next to Corinne. That left him between us. I didn't care-I think he felt safer that way.

Colonel Hunter pointed a remote at the screen hanging on the wall. Images of the current President were shown while she spoke with Former President Phillips on a screen inside the Oval Office.

"Hello, Madam President," President Phillips' image said.

"Holy, fucking hell," Corinne exclaimed.

"What?" Colonel Hunter demanded, hitting pause on the player.

"That's not President Phillips," Corinne stood and hugged herself. "That's the real Hal Prentice."