Alien Diplomacy

stopped and checked my shoelace, taking the opportunity to do a quick scan around me. I saw no one and nothing suspicious; however, if they were good, I wouldn’t be likely to spot them anyway. “So now whoever’s following you knows you’re with me,” I said as we started up again. “How is this a good plan? If you have a plan, I mean.”
    “You have a beautiful little princess there, and I mean that quite literally. I’m negotiating for another World Weekly News exclusive. After all, we got all the pictures from your wedding. It makes sense that we’d want to gain the exclusive baby pictures. And of course I’m approaching you while your husband isn’t around because he’d object, and you might not.”
    It was a good story, actually. I figured it was even one Chuckie would approve of, though Oliver was right—there was no way Jeff would okay pics of Jamie being published anywhere, let alone in the tabloid with the worst reputation around. “So, you spend time on that or are you just winging it?”
    “Unlike you, I tend to think things out beforehand. However, a good investigative journalist has to be instantly adaptable.”
    I decided to let the comment about my ability to plan pass. After all, in some ways, he was right. “Who’s following you?”
    “I’m not sure.” We finally reached the limo. Against all the odds, Len had found a street without any cars on it. “Please check the car before we get into it,” Oliver said to Len.
    “Why?” Len asked.
    “You shouldn’t have left it out of your control.”
    I coughed. “They’re special cars.”
    “Yes, but even the most advanced car can be tampered with if it’s left unattended.”
    Len looked like he felt he was flunking his first assignment. “Len, it’s fine.”
    Kyle looked worried. “Not if there’s something wrong. Mister Reynolds will be furious.”
    “Dudes, seriously, we leave the limos unattended all the time. But if you have some special way of checking for car bombs, let’s be paranoid. Chuckie will be happy if we find a bomb, in that sense, and pleased with your precautionary instincts if we don’t. Win-win all the way around.”
    The SUV we’d been in for a big battle during Operation Fugly had been tampered with. By an A-C. I’d learned early on that we couldn’t really trust anyone and were probably not safe when we thought we were. While Len and Kyle made a couple of phone calls, I did what Reader wanted. I thought. The first thought that came to mind was that ACE had clearly allowed Jamie to share that she liked Oliver. Meaning, there was a reason ACE felt Oliver should be with us right now.
    I looked up and down the street. “Why are we the only car on this street?”
    “A good question,” Oliver said. He sounded like he thought it was not only good, but that it had occurred to him, too, and he didn’t like his conclusion. I was with him.
    “We weren’t when I parked it,” Len said. “Two cars pulled out while I was cruising around, so I took advantage of the opportunity.” He and Kyle exchanged a look. “I think we might want to move away from the limo.”
    I did a fast inventory. I had Jamie, my purse, the stroller, and her diaper bag. I didn’t think we had anything of importance in the trunk, and the boys hadn’t brought any paraphernalia with them that wasn’t on their persons. “What about Jamie’s car seat?”
    “If I were planting a bomb that wasn’t set to go off when the car started,” Oliver said quickly, as Kyle moved to open the door, “I’d absolutely figure the new mother would want her baby’s car seat.”
    Kyle’s hand froze. “That makes sense to me. You think Kitty’s the target? Or the baby?” He growled this last question. I liked overprotectiveness toward my child from our new bodyguard.
    “As I already told your superior, I don’t know who the target is. However, Missus Martini is on the guest list for the President’sBall, ergo, she’s a potential target.” I realized we weren’t even pretending that Chuckie was just a globetrotting millionaire playboy, nor were we pretending that Len and Kyle were merely along for the ride. Under the circumstances, I decided to table my worry about our lack of good security procedures and just accept that Oliver clearly knew all about us. No one believed him other than us, so really, it was back to the bigger issues for me, like getting away from a potentially rigged limousine.
    We quickly moved our little group across