Alien Research

CHAPTER 60

“I HAVE EXPERIENCE with long-term moles,” Olga said as she put her hand down. “And you need to prove to me, right now, that this woman is not exactly that.”

“I don’t believe they can.” Gladys stepped out of the bathroom with the gate in it. Okay, so I should have had the bathroom doors propped open. My bad.

“Are you saying you’re a traitor?” Olga asked her calmly. Buchanan, Len, Kyle, Chuckie, and Adriana all shifted in how they were sitting or standing. Just a bit, but all five of them were ready to attack or defend.

“No,” Gladys said. She shot an amused look toward Buchanan. “You’re good, my boy, but you’re not good enough to take me.”

“Don’t give me a reason to find out,” Buchanan said calmly.

Gladys snorted. “Oh, noted.” She looked back to Olga. “I have no idea how I’ve been controlled, but based on everything that happened, it’s obvious I have been. There’s only one way for an android copy of me to have gotten into the Science Center, and I’d have had to have allowed it through.”

“So, what do we do with you?” Olga asked.

It was interesting in that these two women were pretty much ignoring everyone else in the room. Had the feeling they felt that, should it come to it, they could easily dispatch all of us without trying too hard. Had a feeling they were right.

“I think we hear the rest of what Kitty has to say.” My mother sauntered out of the gate bathroom. She was dressed in her P.T.C.U. gear—black pants, shirt, bulletproof vest, P.T.C.U. baseball cap, and lots of snazzy guns. All holstered. Hoped that was a good sign and not an indication that Mom was too trusting. “And Gladys, trust me—I can take you. Without trying hard.”

“Mom? How did you get here? I mean, aside from the obvious ‘took a gate’ answer.” Good lord, we weren’t having a For Your Ears Only Meeting. We were having a Clandestine Kegger. Clearly I should have asked Pierre to cater something on the casual side. Probably wasn’t too late.

Mom and Gladys both gave me the “duh” look. “Walter told us where you were,” Mom said. “When we asked. Without coercion.”

“You didn’t tell him the meeting was private?” Jeff asked me.

“No, because we were trying to be stealthy. And all that.”

“Only my girl. So, Aunt Gladys, Angela, welcome to the party. Olga was just pointing out that we have no way of proving Gladys is or isn’t a long-term mole. We’d love your input.” Jeff shot them both his Charming the In-Laws Smile.

“Why are you all sitting on the floor like the biggest bunch of Scouts in the known world?” Mom asked.

“Good grief! We were trying to have a super secret club meeting, what do you think? Mom, focus. How do we prove that Gladys isn’t evil?”

Mom heaved a sigh. “Really? I mean really? You’re asking this, all of you?” All heads in the room nodded. “Charles, Malcolm, even you two?”

Chuckie nodded. “Consider us clueless.”

“Truly.” Mom rolled her eyes. “Olga, are you honestly questioning?”

Olga laughed softly. “Oh, no. I’m very aware of what will prove that Gladys is not willingly working for the enemy. However, they do need to be taught. American schools don’t seem to focus on logical thought and deductive reasoning. And, no offense meant, A-C schools appear to be even worse.”

“True enough.” Mom shook her head. “It’s a very simple answer. I hope you’re all listening closely. Ready?” All heads nodded again, even Gladys’. So there was that. “Fine. Kitty, you’re alive.”

“Beg pardon?”

“Oh,” Chuckie said. “Yeah, okay.”

Buchanan chuckled. “Good point. That’s why you’re the boss.”

“Mind clarifying that, Secret Agent Man or Men?”

“I will.” Buchanan turned to me. “You’re the number one target on your enemies’ hit lists, and you have been since you first joined Centaurion Division. Sure, Mister Former Chief and the Minister of Sulky Looks were watching over you, but there are so many different ways to kill someone and make it look like an accident that I could list them from now until the funeral and not be done.”

“Gladys moved you away from the Science Center,” Mom added while I tried to control the Inner Hyena over Buchanan’s nickname for Christopher, with only limited success. “I know Richard was influential in that decision, but I also know he didn’t make that decision alone.”

“True enough,” White said. “For the record, only Madame Olga raised the issue of Gladys’ trustworthiness.”

“Richard, I realize you’re my older brother, but sometimes you’re just too decent and trusting. Of course you should be determining if I’m your enemy or not. I allowed our enemies in and they murdered Michael in cold blood. You should be running me through every test you have.”

“No need,” White said. “Since Angela’s point is well taken. I’d add that Jamie is under your guard quite frequently and is still safely with us.”

“Super. So, we’re all on the same team. In keeping with our campout traditions, we’ll sing “Kumbaya” and make s’mores later. However, I do actually have something I want Gladys doing between now and Michael’s funeral.”

“And that is?” Gladys asked me.

Tossed her the box of Unisom. “I want you spying for our side. We’re pretty sure your half brother’s controlling you through your dreams. So, you know how he does it, even if you’re not consciously aware of it.”

“I’m not sure I can discover that in the timeframe we need.”

“Chuckie, you’re up. I know the C.I.A.’s done studies on this stuff, and not just because of The Men Who Stare At Goats. So, you get to oversee Gladys’ dream indoctrination. Naomi, you’ll need to help him with that. It’s a fun couples project.”

“What are we looking for?” Naomi asked. “Dreams don’t work like waking thought, even dreams you control.”

“Ronald Yates clearly was spreading the love around in every corner of the world. That means there’s any number of Yates half siblings running around. You’re looking for them, for signs that indicate what Ronaldo is planning, for signs of who he’s taking his directions from. We should be so lucky that you discover who the Master or Apprentice is. Look for them, too, but I have to figure you’ll find out the plan before you’ll get a real clue to their identities.”

“We’ll need Paul’s help,” Naomi said.

Waited for him to appear. Shockingly, he didn’t. Wondered why not. “Everyone else is here—so where are Paul and James, anyway?”

“Dealing with the riot that’s at your front door,” Mom said. “That’s why I’m here in the first place. Pierre contacted me. Apparently he’s the only person in this entire Embassy complex who felt that a riot in the streets in front of your Embassy wasn’t good for public safety or relations.” Yeah, Mom’s sarcasm knob went well past eleven.

“It came up fast,” Kyle said. “When we went to get Olga there was no one on the street.”

Len nodded. “When we walked from the Embassy to the Zoo, it was only about fifteen or twenty minutes later, and the mob was already formed.”

“I think people going in and out of the Embassy was the trigger,” Buchanan said. “Based on what I’ve been dealing with the past few days, at any rate. You all going in and out was proof that there were people in here to threaten and terrorize.”

“We’ll deal with them,” Mom said. “Just deciding if we want to call in the National Guard or not.”

“What are Paul and James actually doing, do you know?”

“They’re talking with Colonel Franklin and your Uncle Mort to determine if they want to have a show of military force of some kind, use Field agents, or both.”

“We could send out the Amazons,” Jeff said. “They’d love to knock some heads, I’m sure.”

Thought fast. “No, we don’t want to go for fighting back if we can help it. I think I have another solution.”