Alien Diplomacy

Nurse Carter shouted, as Jeff used the super hyperspeed and got the gun away from her, while the human guys raced up and surrounded me.
    “Geez, what took you guys so long?”
    “We had to knock out the security guard and it took Reynolds a while to crack their vault.”
    “I didn’t have any decent equipment on me,” Chuckie said by way of apology.
    “Whatever. I have no idea what’s going on, and good luck to all of you in getting a straight answer out of Nurse Carter here.”
    “Take her picture,” Chuckie said to Oliver, who complied.
    “My government will not pay for me to be returned,” she said.
    “We’re not planning to ransom you, but a little cooperation in the form of you explaining what the hell you think is going on wouldn’t go amiss.”
    Nurse Carter looked around. “Not here.”
    “Well, if not here, then why the hell did you ask me questions here in the first place?” My phone chose this time to ring. I grabbed it. “Hello?”
    “Kit-Kat! You tied up, sis?”
    “Hey, Caro Syrup! How’s my girl?”
    Caroline sighed. “I’m stranded at the stupid airport. We got rerouted three times, my ride bailed on me, I can’t raise anyone at his Embassy, and everyone else has left already. There are no cabs or limos around, God alone knows why. The Metro is having issues, something to do with street construction screwing it up, but no trains have been able to come in or out for hours. We just got back from South America, I’m wiped out, and I was hoping you could maybe do your sister a solid and come pick me up?”
    I got a funny feeling and grabbed the picture out of Nurse Carter’s hand. Sure enough, while the girl in it wasn’t me, I knew her really well. In fact, I was talking to her. She wasn’t my real sister, of course. But considering how garbled Nurse Carter’s intel seemed to be, perhaps the confusion was understandable.
    “Caro, did you just, in fact, get back from Paraguay?”
    “You know I’m not supposed to confirm or deny, Kit-Kat.”
    “Work with me on this one.”
    “Yes. Can you come get me?”
    “Yeah, we’ll be there soon. Really soon. And, Caro—do me a huge favor?”
    “Sure, what?”
    “Don’t let anyone get you other than me, and if someone other than me tries to even talk to you, call me immediately while you run screaming toward the most security people you can find.”



CHAPTER 34
    “U H, WHAT’S GOING ON?” CAROLINE SOUNDED only slightly freaked. She’d been working in Washington for well over a year now, after all.
    “Highest level security breaches. You’re in danger. You need to trust me.”
    “Always have, always do.”
    “Chuckie and I will be coming for you. Stay around security, stay around a lot of people, call me if anyone comes near you. Which airport are you at?”
    “National.”
    “This means nothing to me.”
    She managed a laugh. “The Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. In Arlington.”
    “That means something, thanks. Be there in a flash.” I hung up. “We need to move, fast. Bring Nurse Carter and all of Peter the Dingo Dog’s stuff along. I think we have yet another kidnap-murder combo to foil.”
    Len and Kyle took everything from the tray. “Is there anything else?” Len asked.
    I looked at Nurse Carter. “Is there?”
    “No.”
    “Jeff?”
    “She’s not lying, at least as far as I can tell.”
    Chuckie produced handcuffs from somewhere about his person and cuffed her. “Let’s go. Why do you think Caroline’s in danger?”
    Since Caroline was not only my sorority roommate but also my closest girlfriend from college, it meant, of course, that Chuckieknew her well. He’d recommended her for the job with Senator McMillan. As a matter of fact, so had my mother.
    “Nurse Carter, why did you think the girl in this picture was Angela Katt’s daughter?”
    “She recommended her for the position, recommended very highly.”
    “My mother’s never recommended me for anything,” I mentioned to Jeff as we raced along. “Neither have you,” I added to Chuckie.
    “You didn’t need it,” he said as we got the elevator.
    “Right.” I looked back at Nurse Carter. “That’s it? My mom recommends someone and that makes her me?”
    “No. She’s the sister of the wife of the American Centaurion Ambassador. That would make her Angela Katt’s daughter.”
    “No, not really. That would make her Angela Katt’s daughter’s sorority sister. Jeff, we need to get to the National airport in Arlington