Alien in Chief (44 page)

CHAPTER 85

“K
ITTY?”
Reader asked quietly from behind me. “Are you hurt?”

“Not really.”

He put his arm around my shoulders and gently backed me up and away from Dier's dead body. “Okay. Emptying your clip into her face was an, uh, interesting touch.”

“I wish I could do it again. At least five more times.”

“But dead is dead, girlfriend. And before others we care about die, we need to do something with your uncles' bodies.”

That snapped me out of it. “What do you mean?” Realized my music had stopped. Left my earbuds in, just in case.

“Siler says that you're going to be a lot safer if no one can prove that they're dead. I think he's right.”

“Um, okay. What do you suggest?”

He grimaced. “Well, we're at a place where they melt metal.”

“Oh, so the Darth Vader funeral pyre? Surly Vic would appreciate that, I'm sure.”

“You need to cry?”

“No. Not right now. I'll cry later. Possibly for a really long time. But not right now. Right now we need to dispose of my uncles' bodies and then go try to save the rest of our friends and families and the world.”

“So,” he said, as he kissed my forehead, “routine.”

Leaned against his shoulder. As always, a nice place to be. Reader took the hood off my head and stroked my hair. “Is it wrong that I'm as upset and angry about her killing the Dingo and Surly Vic as I was when she killed Michael?”

“No, it's not wrong. They may have been top assassins, but they respected and then ultimately loved you. That you loved them back isn't wrong, Kitty. It's part of what makes you the person who can flip a bad guy to our side. Like Jeff says, you see the best in people.”

“There was no best in Dier.”

“No, there really wasn't.”

“But now we've lost the link to the Mastermind.”

“Oh well.”

Looked up at him. “You're not upset with me for that?”

“Babe, I'm glad she's dead. Dead she can't hurt anyone anymore. I also want to burn her body. Not to hide that she'd dead but so that there's no DNA around to make a clone of her.”

“Presuming they haven't already.”

He shook his head. “From what I've gotten, they're kind of selfish with the cloning. Cliff, Reid, and LaRue, and that seems to be it. Other than the two clones we found on Beta Eight, that is. And they were cloned for usefulness, which is what I think they'd clone Dier for. Hence why I want her gone.”

“Yeah. Do we have to touch Dier's body? I ask because I don't think I can without rending her limb from limb.”

“No. I called in Field teams. They'll do the cleanup. The other Crazy Eights were here, by the way. Lowe, Nerida, Casey, Kellogg, and Kozlow escaped—they ran the moment it was clear you were going to take Dier and only got away because Lowe held us off with his talent. Wruck is with us. Sam's dead. Adriana shot him.”

“That's my girl. We burning Dear Sam's body, too?”

“Sure. Funeral pyres for all.”

“Oh, speaking of Dier DNA, though, we need to get some of her blood to Tito ASAP. She felt that she'd been given the vaccine.”

“On it.”

Reader had a Dazzler team come and take several samples of Dier's blood, then head off to Tito. While Field teams came and helped moved the bodies, I put a new clip into my Glock and we discussed the little intel we'd gotten.

“What Dier said about the disease is worrying,” White said. “If it's alien in nature, and not from our two solar systems, we may have no way of finding a cure.”

“Let's see what Tito and Rohini have found. After all, Dier's blood could be the cure.” Called Caroline. She answered right away and got Tito. “You're on speaker. How are things?”

“Okay, speaker here, too, we're alone. Your adrenaline idea was a good one. The problem is, it doesn't last, but it's definitely keeping the most sick alive.”

“Yeah, we learned that firsthand.”

“Lorraine's checked in,” Caroline said. “They have Whitmore and the adrenaline's working on him. So are she and Claudia. They have him ready and willing to make a public confession, because he's clear that Cliff's set him up to die, too.”

“He feels that there is a vaccine,” Tito added. “But he doesn't have it. He expected to be given the vaccine before Cliff launched this offensive, and has been waiting for said vaccine every day. Cliff isn't returning his calls. Ergo . . .”

“He's finally flipped allegiance. At least somewhat. Not sure if what he has is enough, but it'll be better than nothing. How are people at the White House?”

Tito heaved a sigh. “Adrenaline helped Gabe, but only for a little while. As soon as it wore off, he expired. He had an existing health condition, by the way, so that probably contributed.”

“Fabulous. Everyone else?”

“Still alive and still dealing with Cliff from what we can gather,” Caroline said. “Do you want me to go to the White House and run interference?”

“No, Caro. Running interference for Tito and the Shantanu is far more important.”

“We need to get back there, though,” Tim said. “I have a really bad feeling about our leaving the Mastermind in the White House.”

“Oh, he's not in the White House anymore,” Reader said, looking at his phone. “He's left to, and I quote, ‘calm the populace since the new President is infected and can't leave the White House complex.' Meaning Tim's right—we need to get back.”

“Interesting,” Tito said. “He was supposed to be coming here to give me a blood sample. Jeff has had everyone in the White House gate back and forth to do that, by the way, starting the moment Gabe died. They've come over one at a time. Cliff insisted on going last, but supposedly he was coming to us. We paused this process to take your call, but last I heard Cliff was waiting to come here.”

“What about Annette Dier's blood that we sent to you? What have you found?”

Tito sighed. “Nothing, Kitty, I'm sorry. She may have thought she'd been given a vaccine but there was nothing in her blood to indicate it. Her blood is healthy, but it also doesn't contain anything that would indicate that she'd had a vaccine for this illness. And before you ask, the Shantanu have verified this in ways we aren't able to. Dier's blood is a dead end.”

Heard some noises. “Listen, do you guys hear something? Tito, is that by you?”

“I don't think so, Kitty.”

“No,” White said slowly. “I believe it's coming from that way.” He pointed toward the Amtrak station and the hospital complex. “And it sounds like rioting.”

“Ah, are you guys near a hospital?” Tito asked.

“We are.”

“Don't go any nearer to it,” Caroline said quickly.

“Um, why not?”

“Apparently FEMA sent vaccines—which I already know we assume are actually the infection—to a lot of major hospitals,” Tito replied. “If you're in Orlando, they sent a big shipment to the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. However, it's being attacked by Club Fifty-One people, claiming that the vaccine is, in fact, an alien flu.”

“Serene really has what it takes, doesn't she? Good to know.”

“This is happening all over, though, Kitty,” Tito said. “Club Fifty-One, and of course our favorite religious sect, are causing havoc. Though that started before the time I think we can say Cliff left the White House, since he was confirmed as in line to come over about fifteen minutes ago.”

“How the hell did he get out?” Tim asked. “He was in a quarantine he approved himself. And if he was using a gate to get to NASA Base he should have exited exactly where everyone else did.”

“No idea,” Tito said. “Walked out the front door? Took a gate calibrated to somewhere else? Him not being there or on his way here is news to me just like it is to you.”

Pondered for a moment, then remembered the other reason why we'd called. “Tito, we were told that the virus has an alien component, and that it's not from either our or the A-C system.”

“That aligns with what your father told me.”

“Dad's checked in?”

“Yeah, sorry, he has, but I didn't lead with that because while what he gave us was helpful, we're still stuck.”

“How so?”

“He and Lizzie feel confident they've deciphered her father's notes—she'd been taught the code, so it wasn't as hard as it could have been. They gave us the formula, and
what you just said—that there's an alien component—seems clear from that formula. But we can't figure out what his symbol for that component is, other than that he used L as its designation.”

“Cliff's calling it an alien flu. So that's accurate?”

“Sadly, yeah. This is definitely a form of influenza, but it's more than that. It's a super virus mixing in malaria, measles, and tuberculosis as well. But there's something extra in it, that L-factor, and that's what's causing the real problems. We could combat this by creating a super vaccine that fought all four diseases, but without that one component, it's unlikely to work.”

“Wow, they left out hepatitis and all the poxes? Slackers.”

“Yeah. There's something odd about one of the cells we've isolated. It keeps on shifting without actually altering or splitting. Bettini says it's similar to blood samples we took from Queen Renata, but not a close match. Rohini feels that it's our L-factor, and what's making this disease kill so quickly, but without knowing what it is, we can't determine what will combat it. Adrenaline makes that cell normalize and stop shifting, by the way, but it doesn't last too long.”

“When did you take Renata's blood?” Reader asked.

“We had the Planetary Council come back here to give us blood samples just like everyone else at the White House. We've taken samples from those at NASA Base, too, including Rohini and Bettini. We have human, A-C, and A-C hybrid blood samples already.”

“I donated to the cause,” Caroline said.

“That's my girl.” Considered telling her about the Dingo, but decided that would be better done in person. Also felt like I should make a connection here, but my brain didn't want to cooperate. My phone showed a text alert—Brian asking what our status was. “Tito, Caro, let me call you back.”

“Okay, only call if you have something new for us,” Tito said. “Otherwise, don't worry about it.”

“Check.” Hung up. “James, I think we want to bring Brian and TCC here.”

“I'll set it up.” He sent some texts while I did the same, telling Brian to get ready for them to travel. Less than a minute later there was a shimmering by us, then Brian and TCC stepped through.

“Are you guys okay?” Brian asked, sounding worried. “I haven't heard word one from Abigail or Mahin and there's rioting everywhere it seems like. And you kind of look like you've been in one.”

“We were in a fight but we're okay. Clarence, it's good to see you. I'd hug you, but we're all infected.”

TCC looked disappointed, but he nodded. “I understand. Are you feeling sick, Kitty?”

“Kind of.” I was. My internal adrenaline had worn off and I felt limp. Saw TCC looking at Wruck and Siler. “Oh, sorry. Clarence, this is Benjamin Siler, he's a friend of ours. And this is Rudolph Wruck, whose close friends get to call him John, but only in private like we are now.”

“Nice to meet you both. Where are you from?”

Siler blinked. “Ah, Earth.”

TCC looked expectantly at Wruck. Who shifted uncomfortably but didn't offer the lie of being from Germany.

“John's from far, far away, Clarence.”

“Oh! Do you know LaRue?” he asked Wruck happily.

“Excuse me?” Wruck sounded freaked out.

“Sorry,” TCC said apologetically. “She always said she was from far, far away. No offense meant.”

“None taken,” Wruck lied, while I congratulated myself on bringing TCC here and finally figuring out the connection.

“I didn't mean to scare you,” TCC said, sounding very sorry and worried.

“Don't be upset, Clarence. John is frightened because he's an Ancient.”

Wruck drew his breath in. Brian looked shocked, Siler
looked like he'd figured this out when Wruck had shifted to open the locked door.

“Oh, sorry, John. My husband was reading me the entire time we were talking in the Helicopter of Silence. Most everyone here knew before this conversation. And none of us will tell people we can't trust about you, even those who just found out. However, I think you're going to be telling a few more people about yourself shortly.”

“What do you mean?” Wruck asked suspiciously.

“I know what the L-factor is. LaRue's blood is in the alien flu. Meaning your blood might be the cure.”

CHAPTER 86

E
VERYONE STARED AT ME,
but Reader nodded. “It makes sense.”

“Especially because LaRue's been the brains behind every Mastermind, and has affected the other Brains Behind people since she landed here.”

“So, we're all going to NASA Base then?” Tim asked, as the Field agents came to tell Reader the bodies were ready to be dumped into a vat.

“No. First we're attending a funeral.”

We all went back inside. All the Cubans and their weapons had been dumped into one of the big vats on the lower level. Reader nodded and they dumped Dear Sam and Dier into the same vat. Watched them be engulfed and burn up. It happened pretty quickly. Wished Gower and Abigail and their parents could have watched with us or at least see it somehow, but videotaping this event wasn't a wise move.

I insisted that the Dingo and Surly Vic be interred in a different vat and no one argued with me. Played Elton John's “Funeral for a Friend” as their bodies were lowered together into their Final Resting Place.

“Ashes to ashes,” White said. He held one of my hands and Reader held the other. “Dust to dust. Go with our love. We consign you to your god.”

“Nice sermon, Mister White.”

“It's what we do under standard circumstances, Missus Martini.”

The bodies were fully consumed by the time “Love Lies Bleeding” came on. Let Sir Elton's voice soothe me as much as it could. Didn't cry. Didn't think the Dingo and Surly Vic would want me to cry in public. I'd cry in private, hopefully sooner as opposed to later.

But as soon as that song ended, “Freedom Fighter” by Aerosmith came on and I knew that Algar was telling me that it was time to go.

We left the building and I sent a text to Abigail. She replied back quickly. “Stephanie's gone to ground. The girls have had no luck finding her. As far as Abby knows, the other team is on Drax's trail, but Huntress isn't with him as far as they can tell, which is why they split up.”

“I'd offer to try to flush her out,” Siler said, “but I honestly don't think I'm in any condition to do so.” As he said this, “Fight the Frequency” by American Hi-Fi came on. Nice to know that Algar and I were in sync.

“Yeah. But that gives me an idea. But first, let's get you and John to NASA Base.”

“Are you sure?” Wruck sounded very much less than sure.

“John, you helped us, and I know you researched us. What do you think we're going to do to you?”

“Take all my blood?”

I laughed. “I'm sure that Tito's going to take some. But we have really good medical and science facilities, right there, as a matter of fact. They'll replicate your blood for the cure, if your blood even
is
the cure. The idea is just me spitballing, but it would be great if we can smoke it over the plate at a hundred.”

“I don't understand you,” Wruck said.

Heaved a sigh. “So few ever do. We don't want you dead,
or locked up for medical experiments. We want you alive and working alongside us. You know, just like the Martian Manhunter is part of the Justice League.”

“You're Wonder Woman?” he asked. Nice to know he knew his comics.

“Not in this universe. In this universe I'm Wolverine With Boobs.”

Wruck stared at me for a moment, then he started to laugh. “Okay. Count me in. I'm blown with those I know on the Mastermind's side anyway, at least as myself. But, I can always infiltrate in another form.”

“If we need you to. Right now, let's just save as much of the world as we can.”

“Who's taking them in?” Reader asked.

“You and Tim. And take some of the Field teams for backup.” Just in case. “Richard, Adriana, and I will meet the others at the rendezvous point. You guys can join us there or meet up with us wherever we happen to be when you're ready. But get going.” Hugged all of them, including Wruck. “I'm getting grief for telling people I love them, but I do love all of you, so get Nightcrawler to our doctor and John to our Shantanu Medicine Men.”

Wruck brightened up. “Oh, the Shantanu are here? That's good, and a relief. Their medicine is far more advanced than yours.”

“We feel the love, John.”

He smiled. “Let's hope, Kitty.”

“What are we going to be doing, Missus Martini?” White asked, as the team going to NASA Base stepped through their floater gate and “The Masterplan” by Oasis came on. Algar wanted me to focus and I planned to. Sent Abigail, Mahin, Serene, and William a group text.

“We're going to be escorting Brian and Clarence around to every riot location that has television camera crews and ensuring we get on camera.”

“We are?” Adriana asked, sounding less than thrilled with this plan.

“I echo Miss Dalca's unspoken concerns.”

“Everyone's a critic. And, well, when I say ‘we,' I mean Clarence. We're going to make sure that Clarence absolutely gets his fifteen minutes of fame.”