Alien Diplomacy

international assassins involved, who’ve tried to kill me more than once. The taxi guys who are apparently local undercover cops are adding into the mix, though we don’t know why or what their game really is. We’ve had three whole phalanxes of extras from the Matrix movies chasing us. I think we have at least one, maybe two, maybe more, supersoldier projects going on, at least one of which is running wild in Paraguay. The Potomac’s cold and gross. And the traffic in this city is nobody’s friend.”
    She laughed. “That is very true.” She leaned forward. “As to what you just told me, remember that politics is like a very convoluted ball of yarn. You pull the string, and sometimes what unravels is not what you expect.”
    I nodded. “To quote the immortal Buckaroo Banzai, remember…no matter where you go…there you are.”
    She blinked. “Excuse me?”
    “I have more sage sayings I can pull up, if we’re going for Washington Name That Useless Tune or something. However, pulling yarn, while a folksy euphemism, isn’t helping us with this current situation any more than Buckaroo’s wisdom. Hard facts, even if they’re tiny, would be so much more useful.” I looked at my watch. “Because we have, based on Mister Watch here, less than eight hours before the President’s Ball starts, and we have no idea who’s marked for death or not. Please, let’s do Chuckie’s blood pressure a favor and cut to the chase.”
    Olga smiled. “Your mother tends to prefer to cut to the chase, as you say, as well.”
    “I knew you’d know my mom, because that’s just how it goes for me. So, are you two bitter enemies, frenemies, or compadres?”
    “Oh, we are quite friendly now. I find your mother to be an exceptional woman. You are very much like her.”
    “Awesome. Then, let’s pretend it’s Mom asking, shall we?”
    Olga laughed. “As you wish.”
    “Super. Who’s the damn target?”
    She shook her head. “I don’t know. I just know that something very bad will be happening tonight.”
    “Awesome. Is Titan Security involved?”
    “I’m sure they are.”
    “Excellent. Head man is in the know?”
    “Mister Marling would be in the know, yes.”
    “Cool. Is he working with someone in a position of governmental power or is he cowboying it?”
    “It’s difficult to be certain, but I’d assume he is not executing a complex set of plans without some sort of assistance.”
    “Booyah. What agencies might be working with Titan on this little assassination plan?”
    She laughed. “The C.I.A., of course. Not your division,” she said to Chuckie. “I’m sure several others as well, but they would be…secondary.”
    “Fabulous. What’s going on with Paraguay?”
    “Exactly what you think. There is a dangerous project being run down there. And while the danger at the President’s Ball is more imminent, the project endangers everyone.”
    “Everyone who?” Chuckie asked.
    Olga looked somewhat surprised by the question. “Everyone in the world.”



CHAPTER 65
    “W OULD YOU MIND EXPLAINING THAT?” Chuckie asked.
    “Certainly.” Olga shook her head. “Killing one person, even a few persons, is nothing compared to the creation of creatures that are chaotic killing machines and close to impossible to kill.”
    “How the hell have they found a parasite to infect anyone recently? We took down the ozone shield on Alpha Four. The few superbeings that still manage to show up and form on Earth our agents destroy. That should mean we wiped out and continue to wipe out all their potential new recruits.”
    Olga shrugged. “Allies shift and change, do they not?”
    “Are you insinuating Alpha Four’s sold us out?” Jeff asked, eyes narrowed.
    Olga looked across the street at our Embassy. Then she looked back at me. “Not really.”
    “It’s the freaking former Diplomatic Corps, Jeff. They were in Yates’ pocket. For all we know, they knew he was Mephistopheles.”
    Chuckie nodded slowly. “If that was the case, and I agree that it seems likely, then Mephistopheles could have actually had something, maybe much, to do with this.”
    “Dude, I’m betting he started it. It would be just like him. For all we know, Mephistopheles might have been able to control the specially created supersoldiers, too, or at least figured he could, based on them being created in his heinous image.” I wondered if they’d all have his same icky breath, then realized that of course they would. All the