Cloud Invasion: R-D 2 (R-D #2)(54)

"Hi, honey," I said. "I told Auggie that Nathan's bruising actually came from banging around in the back seat of the truck."

"Good." Another cheap, wooden chair scraped across the porch as he drew it beside mine and sat. "Coffee," Opal walked through the back door and handed a mug of coffee to each of us.

"Thanks." I held my mug up with a smile before drinking.

"How are we going to get out of here?" Rafe asked.

"Matt has some ideas," Opal shrugged. "We just have to take Nathan with us."

"I like Nathan. Poor guy," I said.

"Yeah, he's stuck with us, now," Opal agreed and settled cross-legged on the wooden planks of the porch.

"I hope Matt acts quickly. I have no desire to talk to the local police again," Rafe said. "Their questioning tactics are idiotic at best."

"They're not even looking for anyone else-they're saying those helicopters fired on us at the launch site. There were no helicopters anywhere around-we'd have heard them. That missile came from somewhere else," Opal huffed.

"They didn't want their evidence found," Rafe said.

"Or they wanted to kill whoever came looking for it," I offered.

"Finch says his team didn't recognize the technology inside those old shell casings they fired at us," Opal said.

"Yeah." I hunched my shoulders uncomfortably. Things were moving quickly, now, and I didn't like the direction they were going.

"What do you know, cabbage?" Rafe asked.

"I can't tell you. Not here," I said. "I just don't like any of this. It makes me uncomfortable."

"I hear that," Opal agreed.

"At least they're letting Finch's crew continue their investigation of the crash site," Rafe said. "While they continue to glare in our direction, as if it's our fault."

"Get inside," I lifted my hands and stretched before standing. "Now."

We walked into our ugly, concrete housing as if we were going in for breakfast, before shutting the door and locking it behind us. Rafe and I exchanged glances just before those surrounding our building opened fire with machine guns.

*

"We're dead again," I said, brushing plaster dust off my sleeves. We stood in Auggie's office in D.C. while he stared at us in shock.

"What about bodies left behind?" he whispered.

"Taken care of," I shrugged. The others stood around me, most of them adapting to the idea that they were still alive instead of cut to pieces inside a poorly-constructed building in San Cristobal.

Poor Nathan didn't understand at all.

"Welcome to the Program," Auggie told him. "I'll have my assistant fill you in."

*

James explained to Nathan (as well as he could) about the Program and why he was now considered a part of it. I'd given the okay to Auggie, so he felt comfortable making the addition. I had an ulterior motive in the addition, but that I kept to myself.

"Where will you go?" Auggie asked us while James had his meeting (and lunch) with Nathan.

"I think we should go back to Seattle-there are plenty of suitable places around Granite Falls," I said.

"We can keep an eye on the mountain from there," Rafe agreed.

"Opal and I can pose as hunters if those things get out," Nick had a light in his eyes.

"You really want to go back there? I have no objections, but," Auggie began.

"I think we should," I said. "Vancouver isn't far away. It won't prevent us from taking day trips there and maybe tracking down what we didn't look for before."

"You think somebody's there, don't you?"

"Maybe. Right now, it's all we have," I said. "If you need more help with that British crash, let me know."

"I'm hoping to keep you out of it past this point," Auggie sighed. "Finch has enough information, and as you know-we can't identify the technology used. That means we can't tie it to the Russians or anybody else for now."

"Hold that thought," I said. "Maybe we can get to the bottom of this eventually."

"I sure as hell hope so." Auggie wasn't happy, that much was clear. "They're hauling bodies out of that building in San Cristobal right now. As you said, you're all dead. Again."

"I'm tired of dying," Richard pointed out. Maye touched his arm in sympathy.

"You're arranging this?" Auggie asked, turning back to me.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"Get the information to James as discreetly as possible."

"I will."

"Cori?" Auggie added.

"Huh?"

"Don't die for real, all right?"

"I'll do my best."

*

Merle Askins' Office

"I think we have a clear path, now," Merle said, handing the flash drive to his assistant. "Those in Bogotá died like any other human would. Bodies are being shipped back to the states, but we have the necessary information, on that," he nodded at the flash drive. "You know where to send it."

"I do," his assistant agreed. "Will you be out the rest of the day, sir?"