Alien in the House

better.”
    “Ambassador,” Whitmore said, “are you sure you’re not requesting the P.T.C.U. simply because you want your mother to come and fix everything for you?”
    The jaws of all the men in the room dropped. Yeah, I was also impressed with Whitmore’s balls or lunacy, take your pick. Unfortunately for him, I knew a lot about him, potentially more than he realized, and I got this kind of crap from Hacker International all the time.
    “Secretary Whitmore, while I’m fully aware that you have a host of unresolved and subjugated Mommy Issues, I’m not pretending to be anything I’m not. That my mother happens to be the most competent woman—and potentially the most competent staff member, period—that the President has working for him is something I’m quite proud of. That you’re clearly intimidated by strong women says much more about your character, or lack thereof, than anything about either me or my mother.”
    “I beg your pardon—” Whitmore started angrily.
    “My pardon for your insult is not given, Secretary Whitmore. In fact, I expect an apology, immediately. Or I’m afraid I’m going to have to take your insinuations as an unfriendly act.”
    Jeff was grinning. Chuckie looked amused in the way he always did when I was doing exactly what he expected and wanted me to do. Cliff looked impressed. Hoped Mom shared their opinions. Oliver, of course, looked like he was holding a winning lottery ticket.
    “Apologize. Now.” The President didn’t sound like he was asking.
    “I apologize, Ambassador, for my careless and thoughtless remarks.” Whitmore sounded like his teeth were clenched. Figured they probably were.
    “We’ll have a full team from the P.T.C.U. over to you in just a few minutes, Ambassador,” the President said. “Including the Head of the Unit. Again, we want to stress that the United States government neither ordered nor condones any attacks on anyone attached to American Centaurion or Centaurion Division or those who work closely with Centaurion.”
    “We feel confident that you, Mister President, along with Colonel Franklin and the P.T.C.U., are working for and with us. And thank you for your support.”
    “We’ll be to you shortly, Ambassador,” Mom said.
    “We’ll be waiting.”
    We both hung up.
    Jeff was still grinning. “I told you you’d be great at this job.”
    “It’s growing on me, I have to admit.”
    “Well,” Cliff said. “That was . . . the most high-powered call I’ve ever been a part of. I really hope I have a job tomorrow.”
    “You will. Or else I’ll get that Unfriendly Act Feeling again.”
    Cliff shook his head. “I’m amazed Secretary Whitmore was that aggressive with you, especially in that setting. You handled it really well.”
    I shrugged. “As Wolverine would say, ‘These claws? They’re adamantium, bub. I only pull ’em out for show. Or, you know, to stick ’em in someone who bothers me.’ And Whitmore bothers me.”
    Chuckie laughed. “And the lesson is, as it always is—never, ever piss off the comics-geek girl.”



CHAPTER 71
    W E SENT SOME TEXTS and made some calls, so everyone who needed to know was aware of where we were and who we were waiting for.
    “How’d you know this was Jeff’s office?” Cliff asked once we were all done and still sitting around, waiting for Mom and her team to get here. “I thought you hadn’t gone into it earlier today.”
    Cliff’s car had been blown to bits, which meant he was probably out of contention for being the Mastermind, but was definitely in contention for being yet another person in deadly danger. I looked at Chuckie, who shrugged and looked at Jeff, who concentrated. He shrugged. “I think it’s okay.”
    “What’s okay?” Cliff asked.
    “To tell you what we think is going on,” I said.
    Cliff put up his hand. “Don’t.”
    “Huh? Why not? You’re obviously in danger.”
    “Yes, and I’m not saying don’t protect me. But everything Chuck’s told me about how you guys operate means that you’re going to be doing things that are, let’s be honest, not always within the confines of the law.”
    Cliff had a point. Jeff and I had searched every office of every dead representative earlier in the day. That was definitely not within the confines of the law. “Maybe. So?”
    He shook his head. “So, my job is to keep you guys safe and in line. If you tell me, for example, that you broke into another Embassy to search it for clues, that’s a great