Cloud Invasion: R-D 2 (R-D #2)(57)
My cell phone rang shortly after I sent my mental message. No surprise-James was on the line.
"I'm in a secure place," he said. "Colonel Hunter says he'll have someone watching the condo soon."
"I think the target is going to Seattle tomorrow," I said. "That's what we overheard, anyway."
"All right. We've had word through Matt Michaels' office that the Russians are increasing their fly-bys and flirting dangerously with U.S. airspace," James said. "There's a meeting on the Hill tomorrow to discuss this with the Russian Ambassador. Matt spoke with the Ukrainian Ambassador earlier today, but I haven't heard what they talked about."
"He's probably glad that Russia is annoying us, now, instead of harassing Ukraine constantly," I said.
"And trying to kill them," James added.
"Yeah. We've seen too much of that lately," I agreed.
*
Merle Askins' Office
CIA Director Merle Askins picked up the phone reluctantly. His assistant informed him that the doctor's office was on the line.
"Askins here," he barked, as if that would stave off bad news.
"Merle, it's Doctor Warner," his doctor said. "I'm afraid I have bad news-it's lung cancer. We need to run more tests to see how far it's spread, or whether we can contain it with surgery."
"When?"
"Tomorrow if possible. We don't want to wait on this-you understand."
"I do."
"I have the number of a counselor who specializes in this sort of thing," Doctor Warner offered.
"Not needed." Askins hung up the phone, stood and swept everything off his desk in one, angry motion.
*
Corinne
"Unless they have an alternative method of getting to Pilchuck, they'll have to drive past us," Richard said as he and I stood at the kitchen window, with its view of Mountain Loop Highway.
"I'll know when he goes past," I said, sipping the club soda in my hand.
"I'm impressed that you and Ilya came up with the same information on the rented condo that Nick and Opal found," Richard smiled. "Good Scotch," he lifted his glass and drank.
"Nick and Opal are special," I said. "As are you and Maye. It's just a different kind of special."
"We had a nice day in Vancouver," he smiled as he lifted his glass again.
"I got to see the Rose Garden at Stanley Park," I shrugged. "While we watched Hal Prentice, posing as former President Phillips, trade secrets with a Baikov clone."
"They just referred to it as the plan?" Richard turned toward me, curiosity in his gaze.
"Yeah. I couldn't see past the fog in both of them to determine what the plan actually is. As for the break-in they talked about, somebody probably found their secret stash, didn't know what it was and took off."
"The plan could be anything from stealing a secret recipe for fried chicken to Armageddon."
"I'm more worried about the Armageddon thing," I said.
"Me, too. As for their stash, well, we didn't know where it was to begin with, so we're no more in the dark now, after they moved it."
"I still can't figure out what they intend to do with all the furred, fanged and scaled folks on the mountain."
"I'm worried about what they intend to do with DB if they find him."
I snickered and choked on my club soda. Richard thoughtfully patted my back until I cleared my throat.
"What did you do?" he asked. He smiled as he said it.
"DB is now roughly the size of a large tuna," I shrugged. "Unless they recalibrate their search criteria, they're not going to find him."
"So my crew in Alaska is just a front?"
"Yeah. Sorry for the wild goose chase."
"Brilliant." His smile grew wider.
"As long as we're still looking for him," I added, "They'll continue to look and waste their resources doing it. Whatever they were hoping to do with him, well, they're still hoping."
"One arm of their plan has withered," Richard nodded. "What's for dinner?"
*
Dinner was grilled steaks and vegetables on an outdoor grill beside the heated pool. Rafe and Nick handled the steaks while Opal and I skewered vegetable kebabs.
"Nice work on locating the condo," I said.
"I was going to say the same thing about Hal and Baikov," she laughed.
"I thought about getting on that helicopter with Hal," I said. "Just to see where he went."
"I would not allow it," Rafe said, taking skewers from my hands to place on the grill. "I would have to follow, and I would be angry when I caught up with you again." Ilya was out in force, accent and everything. Opal snickered.
"Do not frown at me, cabbage," he said. "We are together. Of course I will be angry if you are in danger."
"Just remember you said that," I said, pointing a finger at him.
"The angry part?" He sounded surprised.
"No, the together part."
"I will never forget that," he huffed.
"Okay."
*
The Baikov clone drove past the house before noon the following day. "He's on his way up the mountain," I informed Ilya, who sat nearby in our suite while I watched current news on a tablet with earphones in my ears, so I wouldn't disturb Ilya's reading.