Cloud Invasion: R-D 2 (R-D #2)(65)

"We're aware of that. I can send information about the plane used to transport creatures to Iraq-ordered by Askins."

"Go ahead."

"Done."

"That fast?"

"Yeah."

*

Merle Askins' public shaming began that evening, on every news channel, which included images of the effort spent to remove a huge, dead creature from his office and the plan to blame everything on Secretary of Defense August Hunter.

Askins' office came back the following day, begging for sympathy because the CIA Director was dying of cancer. That and his guards kept Askins away from public scrutiny. By the third day, he'd resigned his position while waiting for the Justice Department to file charges against him.

We still had the Joint Chiefs, who were separating themselves from the fray as quickly as they could. The media attention was drawn away, however, when two airliners were shot down, one over Ukraine, the other in Spain.

We weren't involved in those investigations, but information was shared and the method turned out to be the same-tiny missiles, fired from far away, were responsible.

*

"They've released their findings to the media," Opal said at breakfast three days after the crashes. "I heard from Matt a few minutes ago. He says they're ready to run with it."

"Anything different about these?" I asked.

"Not so far. I think everybody's afraid to fly, now. Those flights were selected randomly-or that's the current theory."

"I'm surprised they're not targeting military flights," Ilya set a cup of coffee in front of Opal.

"Don't jinx it," Opal warned. "Right now, anybody who flies is a target."

"They don't have to target airplanes," I pointed out. "They can target anything."

"You had to make it worse, didn't you?" Opal grimaced.

"I'm not the one with the tiny rockets," I said.

"Tiny rockets," Nick sang the words to Tiny Bubbles as he walked into the kitchen.

"Don't start," I held up a hand. Nick laughed.

*

We watched the special report from the White House later that evening, as information was disseminated. It clarified what the media had reported as truth, when most of that had been wild speculation.

"This is the size of the bomb, which has some sort of guidance and propulsion system," Madam President's Press Secretary reported, holding up a rough copy of the rocket used in all the airline bombings. "We don't know where these were made or who is responsible for firing them, but we have put every airline and every military installation on notice-that anything they fly can be in danger. We've estimated the range of these things to be at least a thousand miles or more."

"What's to keep them from bombing ships or anything else?" A reporter in the crowd asked.

"We don't know whether anything is preventing that. There's a theory that they're letting us know how well these things work-after all, it's much more difficult to hit a moving target."

"How hard do you think it is to create these things? Are you willing to release the specs?" Another journalist asked.

"No idea," he said. "We don't have technology to match what little we've found, and we will not release any information-you'll have to wait until it's declassified."

That resulted in general grumbling.

"Is there any discernable pattern to the bombings?" A third journalist asked.

"We don't have any theories yet-so far, it seems random. It appears they want to make an enemy of everyone."

"Bingo," I said, pointing my finger at the Press Secretary.

"Huh?" Maye turned to me.

"I think that's what they're after-they want to be everybody's enemy," I said. "For whatever reason."

"They haven't hit the same country twice," Nick agreed.

"Perhaps we should alert Colonel Hunter to that fact," Richard said.

"I'll make the call," Nick held up his cell and walked out of the media room.

*

Notes-Colonel Hunter

"They may target the countries they haven't hit, yet," Nick said. "So far, the same country hasn't been hit twice."

"True-we can put them on alert without sharing that information with the media," I agreed.

"Colonel Hunter, do you think we should move? Maye and I are concerned for the safety of all involved."

"I've thought the same thing," I said. "We have a plan to plant decoys, but if the enemy locates the real thing, all that planning will be a waste and we'll be in trouble."

"That's my thinking," Nick agreed.

"Any suggestions?" I asked.

"I may know a place. Opal is in agreement."

"Then run it past Corinne and get back with me."

"Yes, sir."

*

Corinne

"We think we should move." I was reading on the patio when Opal and Nick approached me.

"I was thinking about that. Sort of. What do you have in mind?" I studied both of them, realizing quickly they'd come to the same conclusion.

"I know people who have a vacation home on the Gulf Coast of Texas," Opal said. "I can borrow it with their permission and no questions asked."