Alien Tango

but then, I was testy about evil people trying to hurt my men.
    “I try not to think about it too often,” Martini said, as he pulled me next to him. He was tense, not a surprise. I leaned into him and felt him relax a bit.
    “No ball and bat with us, either,” Christopher added. It was nice to see he was feeling nostalgic about Operation Fugly, too. “I’m with Jeff. You sure you can pull this off and stay alive?”
    “Of course I’m sure.” I wasn’t, but there was no way I was going to admit it. “We should try to rejoin the others, and, along the way, maybe figure out how she’s seeing us while we’re inside the building and she’s not. I think it’s an easy bet that the older woman who got my cell number is the one who let Serene know I was here. She probably made the first call, also. The last two were from a different number.”
    “Why didn’t you ask Kevin to trace her number earlier?” Christopher asked, sounding peeved. Michael headed off, and the rest of us followed. I gave up trying to determine where we were.
    “Because we were sort of busy when call number two came in. Besides, I figured the stalker was moving around in the building. I don’t know the prefixes out here, so it’s not like I can recognize a Space Center number.” I saw Brian’s mouth open. “Nor do I care.” It snapped shut.
    “So, now what?” Gower asked.
    “Now we try to take care of whoever actually tried to kill Jeff and Alfred, not to mention the rest of you. Serene’s not in Club 51, at least I truly hope not.”
    “Club 51?” Brian asked. “I’ve heard of that. But why?” He was quiet while we walked along. Michael seemed to be taking us through maintenance alleyways. and I found myself again feeling as if I were going to get a big piece of cheddar when we finally reached our destination. I wanted the cheddar by now, with a side of steak and potatoes. I was starving.
    “I shouldn’t have passed on the sandwiches your dad brought in.”
    Martini hugged me. “I’ll find some food for you.”
    “When and where?”
    “I have my ways.”
    “Good, put them into action fast. I’m ready to faint.”
    “I can tell. Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.”
    “It is your specialty.”
    “Oh,” Brian said quietly.
    “What?”
    “Specialty, that’s what it was. I was invited to a Club 51 Specialty a few months ago.”
    “By whom? And did you go?”
    “I didn’t go. They didn’t seem like my kind of people”
    “Why not?”
    He shrugged. “They were saying some nasty things about some of the A-Cs. I just don’t want to associate with people who aren’t tolerant. I mean, marriage is a little different from friendship,” he added quickly.
    “True enough. And no worries, Bri, everyone here’s aware that you’re not a bigot.” He looked relieved.
    “You didn’t answer Kitty’s question about who invited you,” Christopher said.
    “Oh, right. It was someone I don’t know really well, one of the guys in Security.”
    I stopped walking. So did everyone else. “Come again?”
    “Security. One of the guys in Security invited me to their thing. It sounded like a lecture, though he said it was more like a convention. He tried to make it sound fun, but it just seemed like a rally, and I wasn’t interested.”
    “What was his name?”
    “Frank Taft. He’s still here, works closely with Mr. Turco.”
    All the security breaches suddenly seemed explained. I looked at Martini. “They’re near your dad, and everyone else in our group . . . and the only one being covered is Turco.”
    Martini grabbed my hand, Michael grabbed Brian, and then we were all going at the fastest hyperspeed I’d experienced yet.
    If humans go too fast, they black out. My tolerance had improved over the past five months, but it was being tested now. I saw Brian collapse; Michael tossed him over his shoulder and kept going.
    I was heading for a blackout. “Jeff, don’t barge in. . . . ” I couldn’t talk any more, and my vision went to a pinpoint of light. I felt Martini lift me into his arms, but I couldn’t hold on, and it all went black.

CHAPTER 42
    I WOKE UP WITH SOMEONE’S hand covering my mouth while another hand massaged my neck. I was able to figure out the hands belonged to the same person in a few seconds. I could tell the person was Martini in a few more.
    Gower was doing the same for Brian, while Michael and Christopher seemed to be watching something. We were all on the ground, the conscious men