Alien in the House (35 page)

“G
OOD QUESTION.”
It was. “We left Malcolm alone with the good colonel and now Malcolm isn't waking up.”

Raj shook his head. “We don't know that Colonel Hamlin is the one who injured Mister Buchanan. Based on the information we have, it was Mister Buchanan who moved the colonel out of the Embassy.”

“Right, so, what?” Jeff asked. “You think Buchanan is a traitor?”

“No. I think we haven't asked a very important question—why did Mister Buchanan feel it was safer to have Colonel Hamlin in the tunnels than in the Embassy? Or, to put it another way, who was Mister Buchanan trying to protect? The colonel, himself, or you, Ambassador?”

“Why me?”

“Because your safety is his sole and entire job,” Chuckie answered. “Your mother put her best and most highly trained operative onto you, Kitty. She gave me the full details once he was exposed to us as P.T.C.U. He's worked all over the world. He's more skilled than I am. So, while anyone can lose concentration and anyone can slip up, Buchanan's about the last one out of all of us to do either.”

“You make him sound like he walks on water,” Jeff said.

Chuckie shot Jeff a look I could only think of as a combination of long-suffering and fed up. “Feel free to check your jealousy at the door on this one. We're talking about someone who is expected to be the last man standing, and he's expected to be standing in front of your wife and child. He's down, without a mark on him, and Raj is right. We've been so distracted by everything else, we're not asking what the hell happened to the person he was last with.”

“We've reviewed all the feeds from the tunnels,” Omega Red said. “No signs of anyone in them, at any time. And before anyone makes a comment, I have ways of seeing things, I just see them differently than any of you.”

“No one's trying to pick on the blind guy, Yuri, cool your jets. So, we have no visuals of Malcolm or Colonel Hamlin in the tunnels at all?”

“None,” Big George said. “We didn't expect to catch any of Christopher, because he was moving at hyperspeed. However, we should have seen Mister Buchanan, even though he was hidden from the camera feeds where Christopher found him. But to get him there, someone would have had to pass one of the cameras.”

“Someone disabled all the camera feeds?”

“No. They're all working.”

“Have you checked for tampering?” Chuckie asked. “Because that seems impossible. Even if we say that Clarence showed up and overpowered Buchanan and Hamlin, which we know he could, they should have been on the feeds when they left the Embassy's basement elevator.”

“Unless . . . I told Hamlin to tell Malcolm everything. Let's say he did. Immediately after that, Malcolm now wants to get Hamlin out of the Embassy. Why? Either Hamlin's a threat to us, or there's a threat to Hamlin here, and Malcolm believes Hamlin needs to be protected.”

“Okay, all that makes sense,” Chuckie said. “He told Walter they were going into the tunnels.”

“Right. Why? Why tell Walter that? He didn't ask Walter to let me know they were going into the tunnels. In fact, he made Walter think that I already knew.”

“To have Walter undo the shielding?” Raj suggested.

“Maybe. If it was on at the time.”

“It was.”

“Okay, but we have nothing that shows that anyone left the elevator. The cameras aren't focused on the elevator; they're focused on the tunnels. Because we know who's coming out of the elevator and that's someone with access to our Embassy.”

“Where are you going with this?” Jeff asked.

“I'm trying to think like Malcolm.” Stryker snorted. “Eddy, I'm just saying, I'm going to kick you
so
hard, when you least expect it. Anyway, Malcolm has Doctor Strange powers. If he doesn't want you to see him, you don't see him. He comes and goes like the wind. And yet, he told Walter where he was going.”

“Why are you so shocked by that?” Reader asked.

“Dude, think. We've been all over the Embassy and the Zoo. Have we checked in with Walter? Has even one of us told Walter where we were? No. We assume that Walter is monitoring and will alert us if necessary and unless we need him, we leave him alone to do his job.”

“You think Walter's the traitor?” Jeff asked, sounding like he was hoping I was going to say no.

“No. I think that Walter is very dedicated and that he was focused pretty much a hundred percent on the party. And I'm sure Malcolm knew he would be. However, Walter could stop worrying about the basement if Malcolm's told him that he's leaving it and going out the tunnels. Walter can turn all his attention to the Zoo, which is where everyone
other
than Malcolm and Hamlin are.”

Raj looked at me. “You don't think they ever went into the tunnels, do you?”

“No, I don't. I think Malcolm told Walter they were going into the tunnels so that Walter's attention would go back onto everyone else. Then I think they walked out of the basement. The question is, did they walk out the front door, or did they go over to the Zoo?”

“Why would they do either?” Jeff asked.

“Front door would be to get Hamlin away from us or to a safe house. Zoo would be to have Hamlin identify someone Malcolm felt was at the party. Richard, does the shielding keep us in or just others out?”

“Others out. Our shields are set up to allow anyone inside to exit, so the shields can't be used to trap. And they've always been that way, but Gladys had a very focused team improve them after Operation Confusion.”

“I love you, Richard, I just have to say.”

“Again,” Jeff said. “Why does it make you so happy that he uses those names?”

“Because I'm the only one,” White replied. He winked at me. “I like to support my partner.”

“Why would Buchanan risk it?” Tim asked, presumably to get us back on track. “Especially with Clarence and the assassins around?”

It had to be said. I didn't want to, but I had to. “I never told Malcolm about the Dingo, and he didn't believe that Clarence was back from the dead. As far as Malcolm knew, our only issue of the day was the appearance of Colonel Hamlin.”

“So the question is, where did Mister Buchanan actually go?” Raj asked. “I agree with the ambassador—it seems unlikely he went into the tunnels.”

“Well, Christopher found him in the tunnels under the Gaultier Research facility,” Amy said. “I'd say it's a good bet he went there.”

“How?” Christopher asked. “It's miles away.”

“We have these newfangled things called cars, and Malcolm has one. He got into his car and drove. So, the question is—did he drive Hamlin somewhere first, or did he take Hamlin with him?”

“Why does that matter?” Christopher asked.

“It matters because if he took Hamlin somewhere first, then we have a chance of finding Hamlin alive and well. And if he took Hamlin with him, we have a good chance of never finding Colonel Marvin Hamlin alive again.”

“A
LL THAT'S GREAT,”
Jeff said. “But we've used up most of our free time, and I still have no idea what was going on with Eugene, and I read the materials. And who but a moron would believe that someone who works for the C.I.A. would ‘accidentally' receive a package addressed to someone who has no connection to the C.I.A. other than knowing a couple people who work there?”

“Chuckie, I've never met Pia Ryan. Is she pretty?”

He shrugged. “She's attractive enough.” He jerked. “Oh. Yeah, I could see it.”

“See what?” Jeff asked.

“Eugene lost his mistress when Nathalie confessed to Edmund, remember? So, maybe he was looking for another one.”

“I can't believe that guy was a player,” Gower said. “My brother, I get it. But I've met Eugene. He's not exactly what I think you, or anyone else, would consider hot, Kitty.”

“He wasn't,” Amy confirmed. “He wasn't hideous, but he wasn't going to have to worry about making
People
's Sexiest Man Alive spread. Ever.”

“No, but Nathalie told me he was more man than Edmund. I'm betting that means Eugene was either hung or he'd learned some moves to make up for his lack of external appeal. At any rate, women talk, and I'm just betting that Nathalie slipped up and told someone, Marcia Kramer, probably, who she'd been doing the deed with. Once it was over, I mean. And that means Pia probably knows, because I doubt Marcia could keep something that juicy to herself.”

“I can buy him looking for another mistress,” Amy agreed. “Just because you're a loser doesn't mean you don't think you're awesome on a stick.”

“And maybe he found one,” Reader said. “Because I can buy that a lot more easily. But why lie to you about it?”

“Because Kitty's never forgiven him for using her as his cover for adultery,” Jeff answered. “I've caught up,” he added to me with a grin. “There is no way in the world Eugene was going to tell Kitty that he got this information from Pia because they were sleeping together.”

Reader nodded. “Makes sense. He'd just murdered someone in front of her; telling her that he was cheating on Lydia again would have only made her angrier, and he was trying to convince her that he was doing this for God and Country.”

“Okay, so Pia recruited Eugene using one of the oldest recruitment techniques in the book. Meaning, Chuckie, that it might be time to call Internal Affairs.”

“Not yet. I want a full workup done on her and her department, as far back as you can go,” he told Stryker. “Do it in a way it can't be traced. And before you whine, I realize that will take longer. I also realize it won't take as long as you want to pretend it will.”

“You know, I'm late on my deadline,” Stryker muttered as he started typing furiously.

“Look at it as getting new plot ideas, Eddy.”

“Just kick me after I turn in my next manuscript, okay, Kitty?”

“I make no promises. I'm going to have Raj read your manuscript before you send it in, just in case you've decided to add a female character and make her an unflattering version of me.”

“Focus,” Tim said. “Jeff's right. We have only a few more minutes before we have to head to the Capitol, and I know you're going to have to drill those two Amazons on how to behave, and I guarantee that'll take more than a minute.”

“Oh, yes, sir. So, what do we focus on? We're kind of spoilt for choice.”

“I want teams assigned,” Jeff said. “We have enough people who are all capable.” He looked at Reader. “If that's okay with you, James.”

Reader grinned. “You're allowed to make decisions, Representative Martini. And I agree. However, regardless of anything else, our biggest concern is protecting you. You've already been attacked with intent to kill. If Vance's theory is correct, then you're a target just by being in the House. If Kitty's ‘assassin's revenge' theory is correct, you're a target there, too.”

“Yeah,” Tim said slowly. “Because Kitty killed that guy's wife, right? So maybe he wants to kill her husband to make her suffer.”

“Maybe he does, but let me remind all of you of a very important point—I didn't kill Bernie. Malcolm did.”

“But he's not dead,” Chuckie pointed out. “So I have to lean on the side that says Buchanan was hit by someone other than the assassins.”

“So who goes where?” I asked.

“Paul and I have to be with you,” Reader said. “Reynolds, too. So, Tim, that's going to put you and Airborne on one of the other teams. Christopher, you'll head the other one. Who wants to hunt assassins and who wants to determine if Buchanan stashed Colonel Hamlin somewhere?”

“Put Christopher and a team of A-Cs on the search for the assassins,” I said, before the others could reply. “We're safer with people who can move at hyperspeed going after them, because while I don't think the Dingo intends to harm anyone I like, if he feels threatened, I'm sure that concern will go out the window. And Raul has no such compunctions.”

“I can agree with that,” Christopher said. “So, who's with me? Dad? Raj?”

They both nodded. “Take the Barones, too,” Chuckie said. “That gives you a fully trained Field team along.”

“Amy stays with us or works a different angle,” Jeff said. “Only A-Cs for this.” Christopher nodded.

“I'll stay here and keep these guys working on the Pia angle and anything else you have them working on,” Amy said. “I want to dig deeper into what's going on inside the company I'm trying to reclaim, and that way, you have me here as point.”

“Be sure to be looking for other potential patsies,” Reader said. “The information you found indicates that Eugene might not have been the only one contacted.” He handed the file to Chuckie, who started speed-reading it.

My phone beeped. “Officer Melville's checked in. He says that he couldn't find anyone named Dier on the rosters, and he checked not only D.C. but all the surrounding counties, he says that's why it took him so long to reply. There are a couple of officers named Reid out there, and he's running backgrounds on them now.”

“Does Airborne search for Hamlin or search for the Dier-Reid people?” Tim asked.

“Melville just offered to start a full search. Impersonating an officer is a big offense. So, I've told him to coordinate with you, Tim, if I'm not available. Amy, make sure that Hacker International here stays on the Leventhal Reid angles, too, in their research.”

“We're in the room, Kitty,” Stryker said.

“I'm fully aware, Eddy. Okay, Tim, that leaves Airborne with the hunt for Colonel Hamlin.”

Tim nodded. “I'll call your mother and Kevin and see if they have any idea where Buchanan lives, if he has safe houses, and, if so, where they are. Can we ask for help with any of this? Because if your mother and Kevin have no idea, or those are dead ends, all I can come up with is going door-to-door.”

Looked at Chuckie. “The Middle Eastern Contingent and/or Romania's New KGB?”

Chuckie heaved a sigh. “They fall under the ‘not sure we can trust them' category. Do we want to take the time to revise that now?”

“Ask my mom,” I told Tim. “If she thinks they're okay, add them in.”

“I see we do.” Chuckie's sarcasm knob was at eleven.

“Dude, you're trustworthy and Mom is trustworthy. Let's just assume that you both know what you're talking about when it comes to who to trust and who to figure is a lying sack of excrement.”

“Time's up,” Gower said. “We have about ten minutes to get everyone over to the Capitol and get Jeff sworn in.”

“Let's roll, people,” Jeff said.

Reader and I looked at each other. “He sounds so street when he says that,” Reader said with a grin.

“Yeah. Let's all go keep it gangsta and be sure we shoot the other guys before they shoot us.”