Cloud Rebel (R-D #3)(6)

"I'll ride back with Rafe—I've already sent the prisoner on—he has a bullet in his shoulder and his hands are burned, so he needs medical treatment."

"How did his hands—never mind. Ask Rafe to write a report and send it in, including all details on Larentii help."

"I will. Do you want to talk to him again?"

"No. Just—have him send the report."

"All right."

I ended the call and set my cell phone on my desk. Yes, I was thinking about having a cursing fit. Instead, I blinked as two people appeared before me. One of them, I recognized.

"Hello, Auggie," she said.





Chapter 2

Notes—Colonel Hunter

"Rinnelar is a nickname of sorts—we call her Corinnelar—it's an honorific as denotes her position as a member of the Larentii race. I am Valegar," the man—Larentii—said. At least they looked human as they sat on my guest chairs—which helped to keep my panic under control.

"I don't work for you anymore, Auggie," Corinne said bluntly. I blinked at her for a moment. The last time I'd seen her, she was eight feet tall and blue-skinned. Now she looked just the way I remembered her before that, with blonde hair and bright-blue eyes.

"How did you keep Rafe from—you know?" I asked.

"He didn't see me this way. I was disguised so he wouldn't recognize me."

"That probably saved both of you," I sat back in my chair and studied my guests. "Tell me, why are you here? I see they let you live."

Valegar snorted at my statement. I didn't ask him to explain his reaction. Truthfully, I was too afraid to ask him to explain it. I knew what Corinne could do. The man who sat beside her—I got the idea he might fry anybody who took advantage or thought to harm her.

"Frying is never an option," Valegar plucked those thoughts from my mind as easily as a child could pick raisins from a cake. "We release particles," he added.

"Auggie, we have permission to do a bit of cleanup," Corinne explained. "But we may not be the only ones here."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. I was getting a headache trying to stretch my mind around what sat in front of my desk.

"It means that the ASD may have sent trackers. Not only will they attempt to find any drug survivors, but any remnants of the drug. You understand that drug survivors are just as dangerous as the drug itself?"

"Yeah. I sort of figured that out," I said, dropping my eyes. He was right. Even one drug survivor could make endless copies of himself—all he needed was a busload of people with the same blood type. "What about Rafe?" I began.

"We can neutralize his blood so the drug won't carry over to any recipients," Valegar explained. "He will have to be made aware of it, however, and grant permission."

"If he doesn't give it?"

"Then we step aside and allow the ASD to do their work."

"What—exactly—is the ASD?" I asked, reaching into a desk drawer for the bottle of ibuprofen I kept there.

"Alliance Security Detail," Valegar explained. Corinne watched him as he spoke—something was between them, that much I could see. Shaking three tablets into my hand, I reached for my cup of cold coffee to down them.

"They'll be asking for your permission to track any survivors from the U.S. Program," Corinne said. "I'm asking you to deny that request. They'll also approach the Russian government for their permission. I don't give a damn what they say. If they say no, Valegar and I will track them anyway."

"I've often wanted to speak as humans do," Valegar offered Cori a blinding smile. "Perhaps I will attempt it and you can tell me if I err."

"Honey, I think you can do anything you want," Corinne smiled back.

"I think I need more ibuprofen," I grabbed the bottle.

"Auggie, I'll take care of your headache," Corinne rose from her seat. Once her hands touched my head, every thread of pain left. I blinked in surprise—why hadn't I asked her to do that before?

"Where—ah—will you be staying?" I asked. "In case I want to get in touch?"

"Just call me on that phone," Corinne nodded to the one she'd given me long ago. "I'll answer." She held an identical phone aloft as she took her seat again.

"James will want to see you."

"I know. Tell him we'll talk soon."

"My father says to remind you that you no longer have any control over Corinnelar," Valegar said. "He is monitoring our conversation at the moment."

"Really?" I reached for the ibuprofen again.

"He is also watching you through my eyes."

"No kidding." The few ibuprofen I had left rattled in the bottle as I worked to remove the lid.

"Auggie, no more," Corinne held out her hand and floated the ibuprofen away from me. The container dropped into her hand. It disappeared, then—to where, I had no idea. She'd sent it to the Larentii homeworld, for all I knew. Panic surged through me again.

"Cori—I just can't wrap my head around this," I said and stood abruptly, sending my chair rolling into the wall behind me.

"Auggie—I know what I am, and I realize that's hard for you to get," she said. "I really didn't want you to see—well, the taller, bluer me. It couldn't be helped."