Alien in the House

thing if it saves the day. But it’s an illegal thing in every other way. And I’m duty-bound to report that, because that’s one of the tenets of my job. Sure I could lie, but I’m not a great liar in the first place, and I don’t want to have to lie in the second place.”
    “Chuckie, um, lies. When he has to.”
    Cliff laughed and gave Chuckie a gentle, friendly punch in the arm. “Chuck’s C.I.A. They’re
supposed
to lie. It’s pretty much a job requirement.”
    “Oh, we occasionally tell the truth,” Chuckie said.
    “Just to keep the rest of us guessing,” Cliff replied with a grin. Then he turned back to me. “So, do
not
tell me what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, and what you’re going to do. That way, I have complete deniability, can pass a lie detector test without worry, and you get to keep your positions and hopefully save the day. Everybody wins.”
    “You’re sure? You don’t even want to know the high-level theories?”
    “Not a one. I trust you guys. Because I know Chuck, and I trust his judgment, and he trusts all of you. I know you’re always going to do the right things for the right reasons. I don’t want the responsibility of knowing specifics or even generalities, though, unless I’m the last resort. So, until I’m the last resort, keep me out of it, so I can say with complete honesty that, as far as I know, you’re being the best boys and girls in the world and not even thinking about putting one little toe out of line.”
    “Okay, you got it,” I said as there was a knock at the door.
    Chuckie put his hand up as Jeff moved to get it. “My job.” He stood, pulled his gun, and opened the door carefully. “Hi, Angela,” he said as he opened the door and holstered his weapon. “Good to see you.”
    “Good to be seen.” Mom strode in. She was alone.
    “Where’s the rest of your team?”
    “Arresting the press. You’re going to suffer some nasty attacks for that, by the way.”
    I shrugged. “And yet, I’ll find the will to go on. Besides, Mister Joel Oliver here has the exclusive of exclusives. They’ll hate him more.”
    “Too true,” Oliver said.
    Mom heaved a sigh. “You were in the room while that conversation was going on?” Oliver nodded. Mom looked at me. She didn’t look pleased. “And you didn’t say anything?”
    Hoped I wasn’t going to get grounded. I was almost thirty, married, with my own child, and an ambassador, but my mother could probably still ground me if she really wanted to. “Nope.”
    Mom grinned. “That’s my girl.” She hugged me and it was her breath-stopping bear hug. “Glad you’re okay, kitten.”
    “Me too, Mom. Thanks for coming. Whitmore was right—I did want my mother to come and make things better.”
    She kissed my cheek. “He’s a prick. And he’s now your enemy. Remember that.”
    “I’ve never actually thought he was my friend.”
    “But your allegiances are already shifting,” Mom reminded me. “And they’ll continue to do so the longer you and Jeff are working in D.C. However, no matter what he does or says, that man is your enemy for life now. You humiliated him and threatened to out him to the entire Cabinet and the President and you did it in such a way that
he
had to apologize to
you
. He will never forget or forgive that, so you need to always remember that he’s not on your side.”
    “Got it, I won’t forget. You want our statements?”
    “At the Embassy. I want to get all of you out of here.” She looked around. “Nice office, Jeff. Get a gate in here pronto.”
    “Already asked James for that, Mom, we’re actually ahead of you. Not far ahead, I’m sure, but still, a half-step at least.”
    Mom rolled her eyes, but didn’t say anything. She just ushered us out and down the hall. We took the stairs, Mom going first, Chuckie at the rear.
    Exited to find a set of big, black Escalades with tinted windows waiting for us. The six of us got into one, Mom driving, Chuckie taking shotgun. The cars in front and behind ours pulled out when Mom did and they drove in formation all the way to the Embassy.
    No one shot at us and, as near as I could tell, no one followed us, either. “Cliff, are you coming back to the Embassy with us?”
    “I don’t know. Angela, what do you think?”
    “I think I want you in some form of protective custody. We can assign operatives to you, as can Centaurion Division, if you’d prefer to stay at home.”
    “I think I would,” Cliff said. He