Cloud Invasion: R-D 2 (R-D #2)(17)

"Something that large can't be transported in a normal vehicle," Rafe pointed out. "The others, yes. The dinosaur creature? Absolutely not."

"Let's go back to Vegas; I'll send messages on the way, asking about any unusually large trucks traveling through the state around the time of the escape," Auggie said. "We have other problems to solve, too, and we need to get on that before suspects disappear."

He wanted whoever attempted to poison us-bad.

*

James rode back to Vegas with Rafe, Auggie, Opal and me. "Do you think we'll find that thing?" Opal asked along the way.

"I hope so," I said. "At this point, I'm not sure he remembers much about who he was before, because the animal is taking over."

"I'm supposed to have records e-mailed to me on all of them," Auggie said, peering around his front seat. "We didn't see all the photographs, or hear everything," he added.

"I know," I nodded. "I think they were afraid of us. Somebody told them what was coming to inspect their facility."

"You mean who, don't you?"

"That's not what I read," I replied. "Several of them thought their lives might be in danger, because there was a killer among us."

"Were they talking about me?" Rafe asked. He was driving, so he didn't turn to look.

"No, honey. They were thinking about me."

"Who the f*ck told them that?" Auggie exploded. "They shouldn't have information on any of us."

"You know, I think I'd like to know the same thing," I said. "What I do know is this-they'd gotten an anonymous e-mail from somebody, telling them I could kill with a look. No description, so they had a hard time figuring out whether it was me, Opal or Maye, but they knew it was a woman."

"So they didn't know where the message originated?"

"No," I shook my head at Auggie. "But I intend to find out."

"This complicates things. I hope they think it's a lie, now, since nobody died back there."

"That's not exactly true," I said. "Not now, anyway."

"What the hell?" Auggie snapped.

"One of them knew what was happening. I didn't kill him. The creature he had locked in a closet did it when he opened the door to release it. It's dead, too, by the way-the others shot and killed it before it got away."

"I may kill somebody before the day's over," Auggie growled.

*

"So only fifteen are left?" Leo asked when we settled in Auggie's suite at a high-rise in Vegas. "Did you know about the one left behind, Corinne?"

"I did, but the guy intended to let it loose on us if we said we suspected as much. This way, he's dead and it's dead. There are fifteen others."

"He wanted it to kill us if we pointed a finger in his direction?" Auggie shook his head.

"That was the plan. He was the inside man, letting Dinosaur Boy know that somebody was waiting on the outside to give him anything he wanted, including a nice, new home, if he'd agree to scare the bejeezus out of people and devour a few, now and then. I think he liked that idea, so one was chosen to stay behind to protect the mole while the rest followed Dinosaur Boy out the door."

"Did the mole know where they were going?"

"He had no idea, but I figure you'll find the fat bank account he left behind-if you get to it fast enough."

"Fuck," Auggie cursed and went to stand by the floor-to-ceiling windows of his suite. Las Vegas was beginning to light up around us, but the noise of the streets didn't reach that high. I was grateful. I had enough worries and honking horns, engine noise and screeching tires would likely wear on my nerves. Opal was the one to contact Matt Michaels, who turned his attention to the dead man's bank deposits.

"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.