Alien Proliferation

unscramble just before Jeff wanted a location?”
    “Missus Martini,” White said patiently, “I believe we agree we’ve been infiltrated? I thought the goal was to save our people in peril before we hunted said infiltrators down.”
    “Fine, fine. So, they got Amy and Michael and realized they wouldn’t be working alone—frankly, realized that neither was an active agent and so they were the decoys for Alpha Team. So they let Tim’s sensor go live, however they scramble and unscramble, so that Alpha could find them easily, either because they were advised or just because their timing worked out.”
    “Makes sense,” Jerry said. “I’m betting on advised, by the way. So, where are we going? Same mark?”
    “No. That’s another trap point. That’s how they hit Paul—they knew they’d be coming and had some kind of weapon or gas or whatever that got him. For all we know, they got all of them. ACE has to focus on keeping Paul alive in an airless chamber.”
    “Oh, that’s what you meant by Houdini.” Walker sounded relieved. “Makes more sense now.”
    “Whatever.” I looked to the A-Cs manning the gate calibrations. “We need a gate to send everyone but me and Mister White to Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Make sure they land either outside or on the top where the gargoyles are.” Hands started spinning at hyperspeed—I could watch them, and it didn’t make me sick.
    “Why?” Naomi asked. “Why not land where the others are?”
    “Because I just know they’re in Notre Dame, not where. Outside means they can’t catch you instantly, and they’re inside somewhere. Christopher was seeing Tim and the others inside a big room.”
    “Is there a dungeon in Notre Dame?” Joe asked. “I’ve never been there.”
    “I thought it was join the Navy, see the world?”
    “We joined the Navy and have gotten to see other worlds,” Randy said. “We’re okay with that, of course.”
    “Good to know.”
    “I don’t think there are dungeons, Kitty,” Brian said. “And, remember, we’re arriving in the day there, early morning, I think.”
    “Why are they in a tourist spot?” Jerry asked. “That seems stupid.”
    “I have no idea. As I say all the time, I don’t make up these plans, I just have to foil them. Stay in touch; stay together if at all possible. Girls, remember that none of the guys can move at hyperspeed, so you have three guys each to keep somewhat safe.” They nodded. Naomi took Joe, Randy, and Brian, and Abigail took Jerry, Hughes, and Walker.
    “Gate to Notre Dame exterior is ready, Commander Martini,” the A-C in charge of the bigger gate said.
    “Be careful, you guys.”
    “Have guns, med kits, and two cute A-C girls, will travel,” Jerry said with a grin. Then the eight of them stepped through.
    “Okay, need a gate for me and Mister White, going through together. We need to land on a moving object.”
    “Difficult, Commander,” the gate A-C handling our transfer said. He was young, but then again, a lot of the active agents were. He also looked vaguely familiar.
    “Wow, really? Don’t care. Make it work, make it so, do it now. We need to land on the Transilien Paris-Lyon. It makes stops, but I’m not betting our luck will be any good, so figure it’s between stations right now. Move it or we all die within, I’d guess, fifteen minutes.”
    “Transmitting train stats to you now,” Gladys’ voice came over the com. The A-C looked at something on the floating info board near his head and started calibrating.
    I hooked my purse over my neck. “I think, under the circumstances, we want to be very sure we stay together, Mister White.”
    “Just out of curiosity, why do you call me Mister White whenever you’re in an active situation?”
    I shrugged. “Makes me feel more official, I guess.”
    “Whatever works. They’re after you, you know.”
    “Yeah, I figure you’re right. Why do you think, though?”
    He sighed. “You’re the real test case. They knew it wasn’t killing Serene, so they knew the slow method worked. They couldn’t kill Jeffrey with a massive dosage, and we found the antidote, or at least the counter. So they already knew how it would affect A-Cs. My guess is that they still believed Christopher was in love with you. Get him insane enough, have him kidnap you and bring you to them. Something along those lines.”
    “Maybe. Do you think they knew Jamie would be affected and that it would affect me?”
    “No idea. If I were a risk