Alien in the House

up from the outside.”
    “I see. How many is ‘we’?”
    “Seven of us. Well, now, really twelve of us.”
    “You must make quite an interesting picture, a dozen people standing on the highest building in your area.”
    “You just said we didn’t have to worry about Raul right now.”
    “No, I said you needed to be vigilant. Standing outside on top of a high building is better than standing outside under a tall building, but not nearly as safe as being inside your very secure building.”
    “We couldn’t get in. Before. But you’ll be glad to know we can now. And all that.” Vance tried to get inside. Jeremy prevented this.
    “Someone’s opened the door?”
    “Got it in one!”
    “Good. Get inside.”
    “Tell me where you are.”
    He sighed. “I don’t want you bringing an army. It won’t help. I’ve given your friends some instructions. They’ll share them with you. Stay vigilant and keep your head down. We’ll be in touch. And please get inside—it’s going to rain soon.”
    And with that, the Dingo hung up on me.



CHAPTER 41
    “B YE,” I said to no one. Hung up and dropped the new burner phone into my purse along with the other burner and my actual phone. I looked like a cell phone hoarder. Or a drug dealer.
    “What’s going on?” Jeff asked.
    “I honestly have no freaking idea, but my ‘uncle’ says Amy and Caro Syrup have intel and that we should get off the roof before we receive it. So let’s do what he says and get inside.”
    He’d also said it was going to rain. Sniffed. Didn’t smell like rain. Looked around. Didn’t look like rain, either. Maybe he’d been being obscure. Or maybe he meant bullets were going to rain down on us. Or something.
    “Oh, I know why I couldn’t feel them,” Jeff said, as he held out his hand. There was a disc in it. “Caroline had this taped to her. She said she was told to ensure that it was given to you.”
    “Emotional blocker or emotional overlay device. Don’t try to open it; they’re rigged to explode. Len, Kyle, who’s where? We need to get this to Serene, pronto, but I want Ravi to stay in the loop. And someone needs to verify if Malcolm has a disc like this on him somewhere.”
    “Everyone but the hackers are with the Pontifex,” Kyle shared. “And to say they’re all kind of pissed at you guys for disappearing is like saying the Atlantic’s a little wet.”
    “Fabulous. How’d you guys know we were here?”
    “Mister White called me,” Len said. “We didn’t tell Alpha Team where we were going.”
    “Not that this meant anything,” Reader said as he and Michael joined us on the roof. Reader looked pissed. Michael looked worried. “Because I’m really aware when people leave a room I’ve told them not to leave.”
    Michael didn’t bother to bawl us out—he headed straight for Caroline.
    Len shrugged. “We work for the ambassador.” Kyle nodded. So did Jeremy.
    Reader let this pass without comment. Probably because he had other comments. “I’d love to know why American Centaurion’s Prom King and Queen are playing around on the roof of their Embassy. Just asking.” Reader didn’t sound like he was just asking. He sounded angrier than he looked.
    “Thanks for the lovely new title, James.”
    “That’s not an answer, Ambassador.” Wow. Ambassador, not my name or anything. Yeah, Reader was officially pissed off at me and apparently planning to stay that way. Joy.
    “Scavenger hunt,” Vance said. Happily, none of the A-Cs were actually facing Reader when this was announced. They were facing me. My ability to control my Inner Hyena was, therefore, being tested severely.
    Reader stared at Vance. “A scavenger hunt.”
    “Yeah. It’s something fun to do, breaks the ice. Everyone was feeling tense and down, Kitty and I thought, why not a scavenger hunt?”
    Reader looked at me. “You suggested—after having one man poisoned at dinner, and then another shot in front of you, along with the announcement of Jeff’s new assignment, and yours—that what everyone needed was to have a scavenger hunt?”
    “Not everyone. Just a few of us.” This was true. Sure, I hated lying to Reader, but by now I couldn’t remember who we’d told what to any more.
    “Ambassador, is there a good reason for why you’re lying to me? I’m just asking, because it’s been a hell of a long night and all, but in all the time I’ve known you, the words ‘scavenger hunt’ have never left your