Cloud Rebel (R-D #3)(24)

"That is quite humorous, my love," Val said aloud.

"What?" Rafe turned toward Val.

"She called Director Michaels a half-meddling cactus molester."

"Not out loud," I defended myself. "I just thought it. I can't help if Val reads my thoughts."

"I love your thoughts," Val chuckled.

"Sure. Good thing I don't have to use the bathroom, then. You'd back away quick. What can we do to help Katya and Sergei's friends?"

"I go get them," Bekzi offered.

"I'll go with you," Rafe nodded.

"Daddy, they don't know you," Katya began.

"Would it be better to take Katya or Sergei with us?" I asked.

"You're going?" Val lifted a blond eyebrow.

"I think we're all going," I said.

"What's this? Where are you going?" Leo walked onto the deck, a cup of coffee in his hands. "We have a session planned for the afternoon," he reminded Katya and Sergei.

"We need to grab their friends before the bad guys do," I said. "Then you can talk all you want."

"Then I'm not staying here by myself," Leo grated.

"Fine."

"I believe they are currently caught in a snowstorm," Val announced. He'd gone Looking for them, evidently.

"What?" Katya turned concerned eyes to Val.

"I understand that it was their plan to pose as hikers. A heavy snowstorm is falling where they are and they only have tents to protect them from the elements."

"How does he know that?" Leo whispered.

"I'll explain later," I offered. "For now, we really ought to get them out of there. Val, are they armed?"

"Yes," he nodded.

"Damn," Rafe muttered.

"I'll make sure nobody freezes if you'll disarm them," I suggested to Val.

"Done," he agreed. "We will return shortly," he said, and leaving a shouting crowd behind us, transported just the two of us to a forest in Quebec.

Snow fell heavily about us and in the distance, I could see the top halves of two, bright-blue tents. Winds whipped and moaned about them; if they hadn't been half-buried by snow, they'd have toppled over with the force of the storm.

"Honey, what's that sound?" I turned to Val when the mechanical growl reached my ears.

"My love, the vision of those in the tents has just been cut off," Val said.

"Sirenali," we said at the same moment.

"Well, well, fancy meeting you two here," Opal landed in the snow beside us. She was capable of folding space, just as Val, Matt and I could.

"There is a Sirenali nearby," Val said. "My vision of those inside the tents has been negated."

"Mine, too," Opal agreed. "I figure whoever is driving that Snowcat has a Sirenali with them."

"They believe there will be no opposition when they take those inside the tents?" Val asked.

"Yes," Opal confirmed.

"Then I suggest we remove those inside the tents and send them to Katya and Sergei," Val offered.

"Want to replace them with us?" Opal wagged a finger between herself and Val.

"You want a full, frontal assault?" I asked.

"Suits me." Opal pulled a pistol from a jacket pocket and checked the charge. She still carried the weapon I'd given her last time. A ranos pistol would make short work of any attackers—and destroy their Snowcat, too.

"So you can't bring one in, but if somebody gives you one," I grinned at her.

"Yep. You don't know how many times I've thanked you for this." She held the pistol up.

"We have movement," Val whispered.

We did. Someone was using a camp shovel to dig his way out of a tent. He'd heard the Snowcat, just as we had. Once he had enough room to move his head and shoulders out of the entrance, someone in the tent handed a rifle through.

Brave man, Opal sent.

Yeah. Val, I'll move them, I began.

The ground exploded in a half-mile radius around us.





Chapter 6

Corinne

I wanted to curse. Val and Opal remained grimly silent nearby, so I kept my mouth closed. Leo was busy in the media room, checking Sergei and Katya's friends for injuries and hearing damage.

At least they'd settled down and stopped shouting when they landed at the beach house next to Katya and Sergei. I imagined Leo was swamped with questions, not least among them how they'd arrived in Texas before getting blown up in Canada.

"Matt's got people searching for those responsible," Opal grumbled before searching for a chair. "It's obvious we can't get a handle on them because of Sirenali involvement."

"I figure the Canadian government will have something to say if they find out who sent these folks in their direction," I pointed out.

"He's doing damage control," Opal said. "Neither of us imagined they'd get attacked like that. I went anyway, just to make sure they were safe in the snowstorm."

"Anything left of the Snowcat?" I asked.

"I can check on that," Opal nodded. "Be back in a few."

"I love her," I said after she disappeared.