Alien Research

CHAPTER 39

“I’M RIGHT HERE.”

Spun around to see Jeff looking beat up but otherwise alive and well. Wasn’t the right time to throw myself into his arms shouting, “You’re alive!” But I wanted to.

He gave me a small smile. “I’d like it, but yeah, not the right time.”

“Thought emotions were blocked here.”

“They are. Read your expression.”

“Go you on the good husband points. Where’s James?”

“In Security Main. Where we need to get back to.”

“You need adrenaline.”

“Not right now.”

“You’re a liar about the need for speed.”

“Probably. But that needs to wait. We have other issues.”

“Jeff, can you hear me?” Reader’s voice was on the com.

“Yeah, James.”

“I’ve got the shields down. I’m calling in containment units from Caliente Base. What floors do we need contained?”

“Just the ground floor.”

“You cleared the others?” I asked.

“The lower levels were empty.”

“But when we got to this level and found Gladys and the rest of her team waiting for us, we couldn’t exactly keep on going up,” Christopher said. “If you cleared the facility down to here, though, we should be good.”

White and I exchanged a look. “We didn’t,” I admitted.

“Why not?” Jeff asked.

“We knew where to go,” White replied. “Your wife’s instincts.”

“Fabulous,” Jeff groaned. “We need those levels searched and cleared, then, James.”

“James, everyone on the top floor is armed with an automatic or semiautomatic weapon. Most of them are A-Cs.”

“Got it. Agents from Caliente Base coming in riot gear. I have a floater aligning near you, stay out of its way.”

“Tell them they need to disarm and bang heads,” Jeff said. “Literally.”

“Why are we banging heads?” I asked.

“I second the question,” Reader said.

“To try to clear the heads of those of our people who are still under the mind control,” White said. “Apparently, as Adriana showed us, heavy blows to the head dislodge my brother’s mind control.”

“Ah, the Hawkeye Technique. Or maybe it should be called the Black Widow Technique.” Wasn’t willing to call Ronaldo Loki. Loki was a compliment I wasn’t willing to hand Ronaldo.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, baby.”

“Really? You saw the movie. With me. But anyway.” Trotted over and retrieved my purse. “Chuckie, can you verify that my purse isn’t containing things it shouldn’t?” Handed him said purse.

“Oh, yes, ma’am. Anything else? Foot rub? Latte?”

“Numbers to your Swiss bank account.”

He laughed as he pulled a small black rectangular thing out of his pocket. It was similar to the Alien Things Finders he’d had during Operation Invasion, only sleeker. Presumed this was a newer, special model, or else this was for bugs and such only.

He ran it over my purse. “You’re clean. So to speak.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? I feel fine and I’m sure I look no worse than anyone else here.”

“Really? Trust me, don’t look in a mirror.”

“Thanks ever.” I honestly didn’t feel awesome, but the faster healing and regeneration that A-Cs had was the best thing ever. Even my shin didn’t hurt that badly right now. And, frankly, if the worst pain I had after all of this was a banged up shin, I should probably head to Vegas and put some money on double zero.

“James, we could use medical support,” Tito said. “Thankfully we have no dead, but we do have injured.”

“On it. Floater is live,” Reader said. “Stand back.”

Normally no one cared about keeping out of the way of a floater gate. Figured Reader was just on edge. Until I saw the number of Field agents pouring through. Had a feeling we’d pulled in more agents than just those at Caliente Base.

In addition to the sheer numbers, no one would want to get in the way of this particular exiting horde. I’d never seen an A-C in anything other than the standard Armani Fatigues. These guys all looked like S.W.A.T., minus guns, but with the clear riot shields police use. They were also all wearing headphones.

“You’ve chosen to go my way and have everyone listen to tunes while fighting?” Took the iPod off repeat. “It’s Not Over” by Daughtry came on. And now I was certain Algar was controlling my iPod, because that song wasn’t on this particular playlist.

“No, they’re sending white noise type of signals,” Reader replied. “It’s a way to prevent them from being mind controlled.”

“How’d you come up with that?”

“Your mother,” Jerry replied with a grin. The other flyboys also seemed to find this funny.

“Seriously?”

Hughes grinned even wider than Jerry. “Yeah. Your mother’s been teaching all of Alpha and Airborne how to block mind control, hypnotic suggestion, or brainwashing.”

“Oh. Great.” She hadn’t taught me, but perhaps that was because she felt I was already able to resist all of those things. Or else she didn’t feel the need to share her special techniques with her only daughter.

Walker laughed. “Don’t look so hurt, Kitty. Your mother said she hasn’t bothered to teach you because you can’t concentrate on anything for too long anyway.”

“Wow, I feel the love.”

“Medical arriving now,” Reader shared. Sure enough a variety of Dazzlers came through with gurneys and med kits. Knew for a fact they were from NASA Base, mostly because they all nodded to or hugged Serene as they trotted past to get to the wide variety of injured, banged up, headachey Field agents.

Some Field agents dressed normally, but wearing the headphones, arrived and fanned out. “We’ll ensure all personnel transfer to Caliente Base, sir,” one said to Jeff.

“Agents reporting personnel in housing,” Reader said. “Limited resistance. Jeff, I want Alpha, Airborne, and Embassy teams in Security with me now. That includes you, Doctor Hernandez.”

Tito shrugged. “They can use me here.”

“We’re going to need you more elsewhere,” Reader said, voice tight. “Seriously, get in here. Now.”

“Where is Security Main anyway?”

Everyone stared at me. “You mean you don’t know?” Tim asked finally.

“Dudes, seriously, it’s me. This place is like the biggest rat maze ever. And before you point out that I lived here, let me point out so what? Mazes aren’t my thing.”

“Trust me,” Jeff said. “If you blindfolded her and put her anywhere in the Science Center, she’d have no idea where she was. If, on the other hand, you blindfolded her and put her in a room with a bunch of her CDs, she could tell you which was which, what band, what year, and do a comparative analysis.”

“What’s your point? And, more to the point, where’s Security actually at?”

Jeff shook his head with a sigh. “It’s the other half of this level.”