Cloud Invasion: R-D 2 (R-D #2)(12)

Later, I began to imagine other, more terrible things. This announcement brought the worst of those imaginings to life.

"How did they escape?" I asked.

"I don't know. I don't understand any of this. We thought they were responding to the care they were getting, but evidently, that wasn't enough."

"Is there any trail to follow? I'll bring Nick," I offered.

"Bring all of them. We can't find a trail to follow, but I'll take anything I can get."

"I hope you have records and images to help Corinne," I said.

"We do, but it's so classified, I almost didn't get to see them."

I wanted to curse. I didn't. At least not aloud. This spelled one thing to me-the CIA Director was in this up to his hairline. He and the Joint Chiefs had likely colluded to keep me out of this after they took charge, and almost left the President out of it. Now it was exploding in their faces. If the situation didn't sound so serious, I might have laughed at their faux pas.

"I'll get my bunch together," I said. "We'll be there before you can blink."

*

Corinne

Ilya was in the middle of being amorous when Auggie commanded everybody to pack for a trip to D.C. He was knocking on our door two minutes later, asking if I had enough energy to get everybody to D.C. without hurting myself.

"I can," I said, "But I need fresh air and something to eat afterward."

"I'll see to it," he nodded curtly. "We have an emergency, you understand, or I'd fly everybody back."

"I know."

I turned to Ilya, who allowed Rafe to come to the fore. "I'll have a bag ready in ten," he said and loped toward the door. He was just as frustrated as I was that we'd been interrupted.

"The President didn't give me much," Auggie sighed when Rafe shut the door behind him. "It doesn't sound good. I think she's saving the bad stuff for when we get there."

"I was worried about this," I said. "It didn't help that we were cut out of it. I think Dr. Farrell should have been consulted at the very least, but bigger dicks wanted to control this." I spoke mainly of CIA Director, Merle Askins; Auggie understood that. While we both thought of Askins as a boil on America's butt, everybody was secretly afraid of him.

"While I wouldn't agree openly with you under most circumstances, I'm agreeing with you now," Auggie said. Worry clouded his dark eyes as he shook his head at the state of affairs and what might wait for us when we arrived at the White House. "The President should have asked us. She didn't. Now, we're expected to do cleanup."

"Doesn't sound like an easy job," I pointed out.

"I don't think it will be. They can't find a trail to follow. That concerns me. A lot."

"Do you know where they were?" I asked.

"No idea. We'll have that information when we get there."

"Then I'll be ready in five," I said and took off toward my bedroom.

*

Matt Michaels and a woman I hadn't met before were already in the Oval Office when we arrived.

"You know Director Michaels," the President made introductions. "This is one of his best agents, Opal Tadewi."

"I hear you can see things about people just by looking at them," Opal held out her hand.

I shook and nodded. Your secret is safe with me, I sent to her. She blinked once, telling me she heard and understood.

"I can work with her," Opal jerked her head in my direction, telling Director Michaels that she felt she could trust me.

"Good. I've been briefed on the Program," Director Michaels nodded to Auggie.

"It was my choice," the President said, holding up a hand to keep Auggie from arguing.

"He knows how to keep quiet," I acknowledged when everything went silent for a moment. Maye released a troubled sigh.

"Where are we going?" Auggie asked, following the second uncomfortable silence. Nobody liked the fact that someone else knew about the Program. I suppose almost being killed on several occasions will do that to you. I didn't say it, but future threats against our lives wouldn't come from Matt Michaels.

"You're going to Las Vegas," the President said with a sigh. "Actually, outside Las Vegas is where they were kept, but you'll be staying in Vegas until you find a trail to follow."

Rafe turned slowly toward me, offering the slightest of nods. He and I were thinking the same thing; we just didn't say it aloud. Area 51 was too much of a cliché. We were headed somewhere else.

After all, you can hide a secret location near a bigger, badder-looking secret location. Everybody looks for the big one, when they have no idea that the smaller one exists.

"There's transportation ready, and anything you didn't pack can be had in Las Vegas," the President said. "The facility director will brief you when you get there."

I could see she was tired and angry. Angry that this had blown up in her face. She'd allowed the CIA and Joint Chiefs to have these survivors, possibly in the hope of creating another arm of the Program.

Auggie was pissed, too-as Secretary of Defense, he'd inherited the Joint Chiefs, who'd always been at odds with him. They were more loyal to the CIA Director than to Auggie, because Merle Askins had more power and bigger guns.