Cloud Dust: RD-1 (R-D #1)(78)

"Nobody," I shook my head. "This sucks."

"We have to get cleaned up soon, for Colonel Hunter's appearance at the White House press conference."

"I know. How should I dress?"

"Nice, but dark clothing," James grinned. He'd been invited, too, since his pay grade would rise with Auggie's. Auggie was considered a civilian since he was no longer active in the regular military—that had transpired after his assignment to the Program more than eight years earlier. Almost two years after his selection as a special consultant, he'd been assigned to me.

Being classified as a civilian, with no regular active connection to the military for more than seven years was a requirement to be Secretary of Defense. Auggie fit the bill perfectly. His rank should have been higher when he officially retired eight years earlier, but as he'd said often enough, there were some in the military who didn't like him.

At least the Senate approved of him—the President couldn't appoint him without their consent.

"Cabbage," Rafe extended an elbow after stopping his treadmill.

I took his arm. I waved at James as Rafe steered me out of the gym.

*

"I really don't feel good about this," I said as I put diamond studs in my ears. Rafe stood behind me, combing his hair. We were nearly ready to go.

"I am not comfortable, either. We will get through this, my love, as we are only watching from the side."

"I'm worried for Auggie. And the President, although she's still on my shit list."

"That is the way with leaders—they cannot be all things to all people, though we expect it of them always."

"Ilya, something will go wrong—we both know it. We just don't know what form it will take."

"I know. People will die to prove a maniac's point. It remains to be seen whether we will be counted among the dead."

"That's scary," I hugged myself and mumbled.

*

Cameras clicked in the White House press room as Auggie stepped toward the podium. Rafe and I stood in a corner away from the cameras to keep an eye on Auggie and the President.

One journalist caught my eye and forced me to draw in a painful breath. He'd gotten information from an undisclosed source. That information included video and photographs. Oh, God, Auggie, I sent to him. Civilian Security Services has gone nuts in Afghanistan and wiped out three villages.





Chapter 17

Corinne

"I only have preliminary information," Auggie said when he responded to that journalist first. "I have been made aware of the situation, but we are scrambling for more intel."

I fed information to Auggie mentally, while the journalist stood and stared—he imagined he had an exclusive, straight from the source. He did, but he didn't know about me.

His information says at least six hundred are dead, including children, I sent to Auggie. Gunned down and left where they fell. These guys are cutting a swath through the Afghan hills, with nothing to stop them.

Leo Shaw nodded as Auggie looked in his direction, then left the room. The military was about to get involved with this.

Leo was probably more than surprised when I included him in the mental conversation. James, too.

James, I need photographs of all those *s in Afghanistan—the Civilian Security guys, I said. Somebody has to have those records. Get me the same on whoever has a stake in that company, too.

I watched as he gave a slight nod and followed in Leo's wake. No matter how you looked at this, it would reflect badly on the President—those people were on the government payroll. I suspected they wanted a war, and probably had a good head start on creating one.

The fortunate thing, I suppose, was with the dropping of that bombshell, it was the best excuse ever for ending the press conference and going straight to work. The Press Secretary took over and handed out standard platitudes while Auggie, Rafe and I walked out of the room with Madam President.

"What the hell is happening?" the President demanded as Auggie walked so fast I had to trot to keep up.

"Corinne has more information than I do, but that's about to change," Auggie snapped. "Somebody get the Secretary of the Air Force on the phone. We have to plan an air strike."

"Some—if not all—the Civilian Security Services personnel we have in Afghanistan just went batshit crazy and attacked villages, killing everybody," I said. "That's the gist of it, and until James can get me photographs, that's really all I can give you."

"Then you have anything you want, Corporal," Madam President nodded at James while Auggie and Rafe broke into a run.

That's how I ended up in a room full of computers while James ran record after record of the Civilian Security Services employees in Afghanistan. I ticked them off as on or off the list as we went through photograph after photograph.

James made two lists while we went through the records—one titled yes and one titled no. Three-quarters of the way through more than thirty-five hundred records, I developed a nosebleed and a headache. I kept going. Madam President paced behind us while I updated information as I studied photographs and held bloody tissues to my nose.

"They're driving to this village," I pointed out the fourth target on a map someone else had pulled up on a second computer.

"Get that information to Colonel Hunter," the President shouted at her Deputy Chief of Staff. He was on a phone nearby, relaying information to wherever Auggie had gone with Rafe.