Cloud Invasion: R-D 2 (R-D #2)(76)

"What do you know about the Program?" Matt barked.

"He says it was one of your illegal operations," Warren blustered.

"You didn't think to ask about that?"

"Director Askins said it was better if I didn't know-then I couldn't be held accountable."

"Because he was in it up to his neck," Matt said. "I assume you understand that he was in charge of the creature experiments?"

"I came to that conclusion recently, yes," Warren dropped his eyes and stared at the floor.

"Do you know what those creatures used to be?" I asked, causing Auggie to turn a frown in my direction.

"Animals of some kind?" Warren turned to me, then.

"Those were the survivors of the attacks on Montana and Georgia. They used to be people, Mr. Brownlee. Your boss saw to it that they were used to blackmail and then to pose a threat when he thought to send them to the insurgency in Iraq. They're all dead, now, thanks to Mr. Askins."

"But-how?"

"It's complicated," Matt snorted. "Do you understand what you had your hands in, now? I sure as hell hope so. I have a cell with your name on it, and maybe in thirty years, if you're good, you'll get out of it. You can thank Director Askins for that, too."

"You knew you were wandering into illegal waters, didn't you?" I said.

"After a while," he nodded. "But I was loyal to my boss."

"Right. Stand up and put your hands behind your back," Matt said, producing handcuffs. "Bail will be refused-I'll see to that myself."

*

"If we're lucky, he'll die," Nick snarled.

"Askins always has been a lucky bastard," Opal pointed out. "I don't want to place any bets on this outcome."

"The odds are certainly against him," Richard said. He and Maye sat together on a media-room sofa at our ugly building.

"I hope we don't see him again," Ilya said. "I've had enough of that *. Corinne, perhaps you should have killed him when you had the chance."

"He had a choice. He chose to stay with the devil he knew," I sighed. "Rather than choosing what he understood to be right."

"You mean he does know right from wrong?" Maye huffed. "I'd never have guessed that."

"He went so far down the wrong path, he decided not to go back, I guess. I do have a question, though, for Auggie and Matt." I looked at Auggie-he and Matt were sipping Scotch and listening to the rest of us talk after sending Warren Brownlee to jail.

"What's that?" Auggie asked, rattling the ice cubes in his glass.

"Do former President Phillips and Askins have the same blood type?"

"Holy Christ," Ilya muttered.

"No," Matt said after consulting his phone for a few moments. "Not even close."

"Thank goodness," I breathed.

"That's a scary thought," Auggie said. "Stop scaring me, Cori."

"Okay. Want more Scotch?"

"Yeah."

"I'll get it," Nick offered and rose from his chair to wander into the kitchen.

*

Video-Drug Subject: Merle Askins

"There are no guarantees," the man holding the syringe said, his accent evident. "The final choice is yours."

"Guarantees?" Merle snorted a laugh. "The guarantee I have is that I'll be charged with treason and face a trial while lung cancer kills me. That's the guarantee I have. Give me the goddam drug. Do it now."

"Suit yourself." Askins watched as the needle was plunged into the IV line attached to his hand. He only had a moment to reflect before everything went dark.

*

Corinne

"Three weeks." Auggie set a tablet beside me while I ate a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. "Three weeks, and they want the meeting at the White House."

I looked at the tablet-it showed his personal schedule. I'd never seen his personal schedule before. "How's Laci?" I asked while reading the list of attendees at the meeting between Madam President and President Zoran. I understood as I read that Auggie intended to bring three guests, as did Matt. Without asking, I knew Ilya, Nick and I would be going with Auggie. Maye, Opal and Richard would go with Matt.

"I'm leaving James out of it," Auggie said. "Besides, he's enjoying his new relationship. I don't want to ruin that."

I understood what he was saying-if the shit hit, he didn't want James anywhere near it. James was human, after all. At least six guests at that meeting wouldn't be.

I still wanted to see the list that Zoran would bring, but that might not come until the last minute.

"Unless things go wrong before then, I'd like for you and Rafe to have a honeymoon," he added. "We've done nothing to celebrate your wedding, and that's not right."

"We're married under assumed names, Auggie," I stated flatly.

"I'll see to it that it's changed," he said. "I think Matt and I can arrange that, at least."

"What will it say-the amended marriage license?"

"It will say that Rafe Black married Corinne Watson, on the eighteenth of August," he said. "I wish I could put your real names there, but those people are dead, now. I hope you understand."