Alien in the House

looked at me. “You know why.” I nodded; he’d made his position clear.
    “I’m going to take them home first,” Mom said. “Then we’ll get a team assigned to you at the Embassy.”
    Jeff had his phone out. “I’ve sent a text to James. He’ll have two Field teams waiting to go with your team and escort Cliff home.”
    “Thanks,” Cliff said. “I’d say I don’t want to be a bother, but I’m glad to have the protection. I just don’t understand why someone wanted to blow up my car, presumably with me in it.”
    I patted his hand. “That, I promise, we’re going to find out.”



CHAPTER 72
    C HRISTMAS WAS IN TWO DAYS, meaning Jamie’s birthday was in two days. I wanted to get this entire Operation, whatever it was, put to bed before then. Just wasn’t sure we were going to manage it.
    Once Cliff was bundled off, those of us who were muddy changed clothes, the men into yet another version of the Armani Fatigues, even Oliver. The Elves provided me with a black velour sweatsuit. Chose not to argue and hoped they’d learned their lesson about putting me into white.
    Then we had a quick meeting, because Reader had recalled our other teams immediately once Cliff’s car had exploded. Unfortunately, no one had anything good to report, other than the fact that Dulce was confident they were going to be able to figure out what would cure Buchanan before the year was over.
    “I think we all just need to rest,” Gower said once everyone’s reports of the nothing they’d found were complete. “We’ve been on edge and running for the past few days, and it’s taking its toll.”
    “I agree,” Jeff said. “Reynolds, I want you staying in the Embassy.”
    “Why?” Chuckie asked.
    “Because if someone’s after Cliff, then there’s a good chance that same someone will be after you,” I replied. “Let’s keep as many of our people in A-C shielded facilities as we can.”
    Chuckie shrugged. “Fine. I’ll have Kevin bring everyone back.”
    Dad and Jamie came to the Embassy along with everyone else who’d been over at the Pontifex’s Residence. “I’m going to stay in your guest room, if that’s okay,” Dad said after Jeff and I got our hugs and kisses from our little girl and Reader and Gower gave up suggesting that she was safer at their home.
    “That’s good with us, Dad.” Hey, the rooms were very soundproofed here. “Where is Mom going to be?”
    “Working. The President is taking that car bomb very seriously. So, if she’s able to come back to sleep, she’ll come here, but I wouldn’t count on it, kitten.”
    “No problem, Dad. We’re heading to full house territory, and who knows how many more unexpected guests we’ll have before this is all through.”
    Speaking of our most unexpected guests, Rahmi and Rhee were thrilled to meet Jamie, happy to meet Denise and the Gower girls, pleasant enough to the other children, polite and stately to “the husband of the triumphant warrior who shaped the Great Kitty Katt” and, unsurprisingly, rude to Kevin.
    Kevin, however, took it in stride. He gave the princesses a formal bow. “Your Highnesses, I’m Kevin Lewis, the Defense Attaché for the American Centaurion Embassy.”
    Whatever the official title was for Our Guy In Charge of Fighting, those who made fighting their way of life always seemed able to recognize it. Both girls gave Kevin more attention than they’d given any man they’d met yet. Sure, he was tall, very dark, and even more handsome, but I doubted either Rahmi or Rhee was looking to make Denise’s marriage rocky. So far as their mother, the other Planetary Council members, and the A-Cs had told me, the Free Women had pretty much done away with men. I was fairly sure they procreated by way of a cloning process of some kind.
    Rahmi inclined her head. “You are the one who vanquished the Leader of the Resistance? We had understood it was the Great Tito’s victory.”
    We all stared at her. I recovered quickest. “Ah, no. My husband, Jeff, was the one who, ah, vanquished Kyrellis. I vanquished Moira.”
    Rhee shook her head. “My sister means he who destroyed the would-be usurper to the Alpha Four throne.”
    Had to take a couple moments to figure this one out. “Oh. You mean Gregory from Alpha Four?”
    “Yes.” Rahmi looked at Kevin. “You did not vanquish the Leader?”
    “No, your Highness, I did not. That was indeed the, ah, Great Tito’s doing.”
    “Then why did the Great Tito allow you the