Alien in the House

me?” he asked by way of saying hello and proving me right. He had an overnight bag with him.
    “I’ve been with you for a while, but yeah, I think we have more converts to the theory. What’s with the bag?”
    “Lydia’s still at our place. I’m hoping to spend the night here again. Potentially for weeks or until she removes herself.”
    “Fine with me, we can fit you in I’m sure. And I don’t think we want to let Nathalie go home alone so if she insists, you can go with her.”
    “I’m agreeable. My husband’s consoling one new widow, I’ll be happy to console the much better-looking new widow. Have you figured out who’s killing everyone?”
    “Not yet,” I admitted.
    “Have you at least figured out why?”
    “Sort of. It’s political.”
    “In this town, that’s like saying water is wet.”
    “We have assassins here,” Jeff pointed out. “Why are we assuming they aren’t involved?”
    “Well, one of them is, for sure. And, I’m going to say something and I want everyone to let me finish before they yell at me or forbid me to do something.”
    “Can’t wait for this,” Jeff growled under his breath.
    “I called the Dingo. He insists he and Surly Vic are not the assassins we’re looking for. However, he also confirmed that Raul is a professional name, kind of like Madonna. Raul also uses the alias Dier, though he’s never used Reid to the Dingo’s knowledge.”
    Chuckie cursed quietly and looked at Mom. “This has never popped, not once.”
    “No,” Mom agreed. “It hasn’t.” She looked seriously pissed.
    “So, it’s safe to assume that Leventhal Reid still has friends in high as well as low places. However, the various Reps’ murders were not carried out by Club Fifty-One—they just don’t possess the skills.”
    “Could Reid have been the Sith Lord?” Reader asked.
    “He was too young when he died to have been involved as far back as the Mastermind theory takes us,” Mom said.
    “Not if he was the Apprentice to the first Sith,” Stryker said. “I’m looking at timelines here, and I’d say it would have been very easy. He was a career politician, he went to George Washington University, and did all his internships on the Hill.”
    “And Reid was a sick, twisted bastard. And that means he’d have been attractive to whoever was running their Overlord Campaign.”
    “It’s all pure conjecture,” Mom said. “We have no facts and less proof.”
    “That matters for you, Mom, and Chuckie, but it doesn’t matter for us. I’ve spent the past three years working with no facts and less proof, and I always end up being right, because the Force is strong on my Megalomaniac Girl skills. By the way, you all interrupted me before I was done.”
    “Oh,
beg
pardon,” Mom said, sarcasm knob firmly at eleven. “Do go on.”
    “I will. I made a date with the Dingo.”
    A lot of people started talking, loudly. “Quiet down!” It wasn’t Jeff bellowing—it was Raj. And he wasn’t bellowing, just speaking strongly. But everyone shut the heck up. “Thank you. The ambassador has more to say. Let’s allow her to say it.”
    “Thanks, Raj, I officially like having a troubadour around. Okay, the Dingo knows more than he wants to tell me. I think I can get it out of him in a face-to-face meeting. However, he won’t show if I come with anyone who might have the idea of arresting him, and that includes Mom, Chuckie, Kevin, all of Alpha Team, all of Airborne, and Jeff and Christopher, too.”
    “Then you’re sure as hell not going,” Jeff said.
    “No, I’m going. I told him I wasn’t going alone. And I won’t.”
    “Just who do you plan to take to a meeting with the best assassins in the world?” Mom snapped.
    “I plan to take Richard, Raj, and the two best warriors currently on planet Earth.”



CHAPTER 82
    “N O,” Jeff said flatly. “You are not going to this without me along.”
    “Sorry, you’re not invited.
You
are the target, not me. Besides, I’m sure Rahmi and Rhee will be thrilled to be given a mission by the Great Tito, and I’m equally sure they’ll kill any man I tell them to and not even think about asking questions later. They can move at hyperspeed, they’re stronger than A-Cs, and they have an even faster ability to heal.”
    “Take your Glock,” Mom said. She looked at Jeff. “Kitty’s right, she’s going, you’re not. I’ll have Charles knock you out if you argue. Because, what none of you know is that the President wants