Alien Proliferation

saving me from having to make any comment. “Let’s please get things settled so Commander Martini can rest and prepare for the birth of her child.”
    Cooper nodded. “We’d like to know what Centaurion Division is putting in place to cover while you and your husband are on maternity leave, Commander.”
    “The rest of Alpha Team will be stepping in. Commander White will be in charge.”
    Cartwright looked mildly concerned, but the three men looked pleased, Cooper in particular. Cartwright opened her mouth, but Cooper spoke before she could. “Excellent. I’m sure you’re fine with that, Reynolds?”
    “Yes,” Chuckie said slowly. “But I believe Missus Cartwright had a question?”
    She nodded. “I’d like to know what the protocols will be in case of an emergency, Commander Martini.”
    “Define emergency. We have all sorts that crop up.”
    “An emergency that threatens Centaurion Division, such as clustered superbeing activity, like what’s going on in Paris right now.”

 
    CHAPTER 4
     
    C HUCKIE AND I BOTH managed to control our reactions. I couldn’t speak for him, but it took effort on my part. “How is it you’re aware of that?” My father had always told me that if I didn’t want to answer a question or didn’t know how to reply to one, asking another question in return was a great way to handle the situation.
    Everyone other than Cooper looked a little uncomfortable. Cooper’s eyes narrowed, just a bit. “We’re concerned about Centaurion’s ability to handle things while you and your husband are . . . incapacitated.”
    “Yes, so you said earlier. But you didn’t answer my question.” I hadn’t answered theirs, either, but that wasn’t important now.
    “Yes, I’d like to know that as well,” Chuckie said. “Since nothing in Europe affects any of your main day-to-days.”
    “What are their main focuses?” I asked him quietly.
    “South America mostly.”
    “Paraguay in particular?” I asked, watching them, not Chuckie. All four of them looked as though they were reading my lips, and none of them looked happy with what they saw. It figured. Paraguay had been cropping up in one way or another for the past year and a half. I still had no idea why it was seemingly so important, but I had a feeling I was going to have to find out.
    “Not more than any other country,” Chuckie said, but I could tell he was saying this because he, too, realized they were reading our lips. I knew him better than anyone, and what his tone said was I was right on and he wanted me to shut up about it.
    “Okay.” I smiled brightly at everyone on-screen. “So, why is it you’re aware of what’s going on in Europe right now?”
    Cartwright shrugged. “Our people keep us apprised. We’re clear that the situation was dire enough that all of Alpha Team was called out. We’re concerned that if something similar happens, your husband, the leader of the A-C military, will be unavailable.”
    “If he’s needed, Jeff will be there, baby or no baby.”
    Cooper shook his head. “I’m sure Commander White can handle anything while the Commanders Martini are enjoying maternity leave.”
    Cartwright glared at the back of his head. “John, you’re the one who wanted this meeting. I’d prefer to get all our questions on the table, both ours and theirs, before we power down for the holidays.”
    Cooper shrugged. “They have a plan in place. That’s good enough for me.”
    Cantu smiled at me. “I’m sure there are other protocols in place when Centaurion Division feels threatened?”
    “The usual. Lockdown, strike teams. You know, what the rest of the government does.” I didn’t know why they were asking this. None of the questions seemed to warrant either a meeting or a diplomatic touch. I wasn’t sharing anything new, and they weren’t asking anything remotely newsworthy. We had a personal paparazzo who asked better questions than these in-the-know people were. “What about my having a baby—which I have to add the majority of women do—is causing such concerns within the C.I.A.?”
    “Interspecies birth is quite an event,” Armstrong said. He made it sound like a campaign slogan.
    “It’s happened already,” I reminded them. “We have living, healthy hybrids. You’ve met at least one of them, I’m sure.”
    “Mister Gower,” Armstrong said with a nod. “Yes. However, at the time of his and his siblings’ births, his parents weren’t among the most influential