Cloud Rebel (R-D #3)(15)

"I wasn't thinking of that, except for Nick and Maye."

I went still for a moment before squeezing his hand. "There's nothing I would love more than to go back and change that. I'd have to get permission and frankly, the person giving that permission isn't really my friend."

"Who?"

"You would probably think of him as King of the Larentii," I sighed. "That's how much power he holds." My cell phone rang at that moment. Auggie was calling.

"Auggie?" I answered the call.

"Cori, we've had a sighting of one of our scaly friends in Dublin, and he's with a Mary clone."

*

Val wasn't happy to see Auggie and Matt so soon after Madam President's gaffe, but there wasn't anything else he could do. I'd sent a message to him while transporting James from Starbucks to Matt Michael's office.

I had no idea solving mysteries would be so aggravating, Val sent the moment he appeared. He didn't bother to disguise himself, either, so James was smiling as he studied Valegar from a corner of Matt's office.

I studied the photograph Auggie gave me shortly after my arrival before handing it to Val. Val enlarged it while everybody watched and then formed a 3-D image of it in a clear spot on Matt's floor.

"That's awesome," James breathed. We could walk in and out of the image while examining it from every angle.

That is awesome, I sent to Val. A corner of his mouth quirked at my compliment.

"Definitely a Mary clone," I nodded. "With a scaly clone version of Merle Askins wrapped up in a coat and hat. I still can't figure out why he's scaly instead of taking a humanoid appearance."

"They can do that?" Auggie asked. Matt didn't seem surprised. His lack of surprise didn't surprise me in turn. He had secrets. He'd either tell Auggie or not.

None of my business.

"Perhaps he hasn't discovered how to make the change, yet," Val surmised. "After all, they learn those things when they are younger—clones are reproduced as adults and do not spend a childhood in experimentation. I imagine this is all he knows at the moment."

"The clones will still look like the new Merle Askins, even if they learn how to change," I suggested. "That may hold them back, too—that once they're recognized as the altered Merle Askins, he'll be on everybody's radar again."

"Excellent point," Valegar agreed. "I understand there's still a warrant for Askin's arrest?"

"Yes, because the body has never been found—officially," Matt nodded. "We know the original was killed in Vancouver. What we don't know is how many of his clones are out there."

"The fact that they are successfully hiding from Larentii, in addition to others with power, indicates that there are remaining Sirenali," Val pointed out.

I'd been afraid to voice that opinion, but he was correct. Val and I—we'd have found them, otherwise, just by Looking.

"So," I said. "We have cloned Lyristolyi running around. Mary clones running around. Cloned Sirenali also running about and hiding the others. Then, we have Bright and Dark Elemaiya, employed by the ASD and supposedly looking for them, all while performing other, more self-serving duties. Everything is f*cked up," I tossed out a hand.

"The Lyristolyi who arrived and made a debacle of the meeting over a year ago f*cked things up most," Val said. I lifted an eyebrow in his direction at the use of foul language.

Well, he wanted to talk like humans. I think he was getting the hang of it rather quickly. "You're right," I said. "The Lyristolyi should have realized that a frontal assault would only force the criminals into any nook and cranny they could find. Now, after a year has passed, those cockroaches are venturing into the kitchen again."

"This means they had at least one alternate site to make clones and managed to hide it from everyone," Matt slapped the arm of his chair before standing. "And they likely still believe that we're behind the attack. Not good news for us," he added.

"Here's my question—now that Phillips is out of the way, who's calling the shots for them?" Auggie asked.





Chapter 4

Corinne

"Auggie, I think they're looking for Katya and Sergei."

Auggie gave me a startled look—one that said he hadn't considered that angle, yet. It made sense to me—they'd already caught Sergei once. Not only had he gotten away, but I'd pretty much damaged their goons beyond repair.

"It's my guess that the underground operating out of Dublin is putting a crimp in their plans, somehow. So they're going after them," I added.

"Katya and Sergei are here—currently living with Rafe," Auggie blew out a breath. "It probably won't be difficult to trace them to the U.S."

"Then we need to move them," I said. "Like yesterday."

"The house in Port Aransas is available," Matt said.

"Are you sure?" I began. After all, that's where Ilya and I were when he bought my ring.

"I think it will be fine," Matt said. "Besides, that one isn't on anybody's radar."

Somebody's put up a shield, haven't they? I sent mindspeech to him.

Somebody knows too much for her own good, Matt shot back.