Alien Diplomacy

in love with an alien. I wondered how she knew. “Not right now. Now’s just for being together.”
    Washington, it really isn’t like any other town out there. But then, we’re not like any other people out there, either. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Coming in December 2012:
the sixth novel in the Alien series
from Gini Koch
ALIEN VS. ALIEN

Read on for a sneak preview

T HE MARTINI COMPLEX WAS HUGE. It contained both the ginormous house Alfred and Lucinda lived in, an almost-as-big guesthouse, and a servants’ quarters that would make most millionaires drool with envy. It also took a good five minutes to drive from the entry gate to the main house. Under these circumstances, that wasn’t a lot of time to prepare for unwanted visitors.
    “We really need to get anything remotely incriminating or telling hidden and out of the way.”
    Amy shot me a look that plainly said she thought I was crazy. I got that look a lot, from just about anybody and everybody these days. “Kitty, you’re acting like we’re running a meth lab or something. This senator knows about…everyone, right?”
    “Right.” He did. Armstrong was one of the people who had a very high security clearance, which included getting to know about the Alpha Centaurions who lived on Earth. But he wasn’t our friend in any way, shape, or form, and I didn’t want him finding some hidden weakness. “But still…”
    My phone chose this moment to ring. I checked. Not the senator, but, indeed another number I’d become familiar with. “Hi, Malcolm, what’s up?”
    Thankfully, Malcolm Buchanan had been assigned by my mother to be my permanent watchdog. He’d saved my and Jamie’s lives at the end of Operation Assassination. And now, wither I went, so Buchanan went, too. In the case of this situation, he was housing in the servants’ quarters.
    “You have company coming.”
    “Yes, we know. Not thrilled about Senator Armstrong’s arrival, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
    “Well, get ready,” Buchanan said. “Because there’s a lot more than one person in the limo that’s just pulling up at your front door.”
    “We have more than one coming in,” I shared as I slammed my phone closed. “How are we going to handle this?”
    “I’m getting the door,” Kyle said. He nodded to Len. “You’re backing me?”
    “Of course.”
    Len and Kyle had been on the USC football team when we’d met in Vegas right before my wedding. Len had been the quarterback and Kyle had been on the line. They’d both given up promising pro careers to work with the C.I.A.’s ET division. Therefore, in addition to being big, athletic guys, they both packed heat. Ostensibly Len was my driver and Kyle was my bodyguard, but both boys weren’t fans of anyone who tried to kill me, in part because those people also tried to kill the boys at the same time.
    I contemplated allowing them to open the door with an impressive show of force. Unfortunately, I had a pretty good idea that such a cheerful greeting wouldn’t be likely to be included in the Diplomat’s Handbook.
    Jamie gurgled. She hadn’t seemed like she was in pain for the past couple of days, so, hopefully, she was fully recovered from cutting all of her baby teeth at the same time. I felt outnumbered and unprepared, and I missed my husband more than I would have thought possible. I opened my phone again and dialed.
    “Hey, baby, I was just thinking about you. How’re my girls doing?” Jeff had to ask because he had had to have such strong blocks up in his mind to protect him from our emotions while Jamie was in pain. I really hoped it was time to take those blocks down.
    “I think Jamie’s fine. I’m stressed out of my mind. Jeff, are you in the middle of anything you can’t get away from?”
    “We’re just doing some paperwork with Reynolds.”
    “Great. Can you all get down here, right away? We’re about to have an impromptu visit from Senator Armstrong and I don’t trust his motives at all.”
    “Neither do I. We’ll be there right away. You want Reynolds along?”
    “Please. I have no idea who else is coming, but Malcolm said he saw more than one person when he called to warn me.”
    Jeff grunted. “He’s not in the house, is he?”
    “Spend needless jealousy on Malcolm when you’re here, okay?” I lowered my voice. “I miss you. Use the fast hyperspeed.”
    “Love you, baby. Be right there.”
    We hung up. I kissed Jamie’s head and handed her to Amy,