Cloud Invasion: R-D 2 (R-D #2)(24)

"I couldn't believe she was happy to see me," I said. "I was relieved to see that she wanted to meet me, instead of only thinking I'd replace her mother."

"Her mother has been gone for a very long time," Ilya said. "Since she was four. She doesn't remember much. What she does remember is her older brother-who is also dead."

"Yeah." I'd seen that, too. Ilya and Katya had wounds that might never heal and a justified grievance against the Russian government. "I'm sorry, Ilya."

"You have wounds, too," Ilya pulled me against him.

"Yeah."

"Katya wants me to be happy. She knows you make me happy."

"I'm glad she knows her father is alive," I mumbled against Ilya's chest.

"I'm glad she's away from Russia and Ukraine," he breathed against my hair. "She has Irish citizenship. She just can't go back to either country, or they'll imprison her. They know who her father is and also know, thanks to Baikov and Phillips, that I'm still alive."

"We need to take care of that situation," I said. "There's no way I want to lose you. No way."

"I have no intention of being lost," he pulled me tighter against him. "Just as I have no intention of letting you go."

"What about Katya? Is someone watching out for her?"

"There are several, one of whom is her husband," Ilya said.

"Is he as badass as her daddy?"

"Almost," the corner of Ilya's mouth curled into a smile.

"Gotcha. I have the most badass guy on the planet," I said.

"Just remember that," he said and laughed.

*

"Here's the latest on the Mary Evans sighting," Auggie informed me on the video call early the next morning. "You'll have to be discreet," he added. "She's shown up twice at the same coffee shop. It's frequented by tourists, so she may be meeting someone there."

"Do you have more photographs?" I asked. "None of the people in this one are connected in any way."

Rafe was looking over my shoulder at the photograph Auggie held in his hands. It had been taken two days before by British Intelligence. They were still hot on the trail of anyone who might lead them to the stolen crown jewels.

"Do the Brits know about the cloning?" Rafe asked.

"Top level clearance only," Auggie said. "I worry about the information supplied-it came from the CIA and may be tainted."

"Get me a recent photograph of good old Merle," I said. "If you wouldn't mind."

"I'll see what I can do," Auggie agreed. "In the meantime, have a cup of coffee at this coffee shop, just to see if anybody stands out."

"We will," Rafe responded. "This morning."

"Ask Maye and Nick to tail you," Auggie said. "Just in case. Opal stays behind at the hotel, monitoring your movements. She has tags for all of you."

"What's the range on the tags?" Rafe asked.

"Twenty miles. That means a picnic in the countryside is out of the question."

"You take the fun out of everything," I complained.

"You're not there to have fun."

"See my previous statement."

"Cori."

"Yeah."

*

The coffee shop wasn't far from Trinity College. I stared longingly down the street that led to the entrance, but Rafe drew me away.

"Coffee, cabbage," he murmured. I went with him. The day was fine if a bit cool and the coffee shop was crowded when we arrived-the perfect place to pass information without really being seen.

Somewhere behind us, Nick and Maye would stop to look at souvenirs-many shops near Trinity College served the tourists crowding the area. That meant it wouldn't be unusual for tourists or foreigners to have coffee in our targeted coffee shop.

Rafe and I had to stand at the end of a substantial line to get coffee. Each of us casually scanned the crowd while we waited. The small tables inside and out were all taken-there wasn't anywhere to sit, once we placed our order.

Rafe's hands squeezed my arm when someone stepped out of line ahead of us. Either she realized we were there or she'd gotten tired of waiting.

A Mary Evans clone walked away without glancing in our direction.





Chapter 6

Corinne

I'm on her, Maye informed me after I sent a mental communication. Nick is right behind me, she added.

Rafe had stepped away to call Opal, who'd relay the message to Auggie.

I'm going after her, too, I sent to Maye. I'll get in front of her, you take her from behind. I did my relocation trick, landing on a sidewalk as our target moved swiftly in my direction. Rafe was screaming in my mind to come back when the Mary clone cast a swift glance over her shoulder before she came to a standstill feet away.

Yes, I no longer looked like myself. Instead, I'd chosen to employ the power I had to create a disguise. I now looked like General Baikov.

"Ah," she began speaking rapidly in Russian the moment she turned toward me. "There are people following me. We must get off the street." She stepped forward and took my arm.

I relocated both of us right back to Maye and then to Rafe, taking care to appear as myself instead of Baikov-I didn't want to be attacked while delivering the enemy into their hands.