Alien vs. Alien

up. Your mother’s counting on you to figure things out without her. And I must be honest—if anyone can make sense of what’s going on, it’s going to be you.”
    “I suppose.”
    “I’ll do my best to help. You mentioned a name I haven’t heard in a while. I believe we should have them looking for connections with Reid as well.”
    “He’s been dead a long time.”
    “Yes, but as you well know, influence can continue long after someone’s death.”
    “True enough, and considering our visit from the Club Fifty-One contingent, it’s a good bet his influence and some cronies are still around.”
    “Yes, and likely still following his game plan. I knew Reid, and a more anti-alien politician you’ll be hard-pressed to find.”
    “No argument there. He must have funded or been funded by the Club of Crazed Evil Geniuses in some way, too, because Gaultier is the one who created Surcenthumain, but Reid and Taft were the ones who did the testing on Serene and Jeff.”
    “I agree. And who knows how many others. I’m glad you see my point.”
    “Did you like him?”
    “Reid?” Armstrong shook his head. “Happily I’m a senator and he was a representative, and we were in different parties, so I didn’t have tgo socialize as much as might have been required otherwise.”
    “You hang with Cantu.”
    “I’ll take anything Esteban wants to do, including what I’m sure he’s doing right now, over Leventhal Reid and his ideas of a good time.”
    I remembered how Reid had wanted to kill me, what he’d wanted to do to me, and how he planned to ensure I’d be conscious all the way through it. I shuddered involuntarily. Armstrong was right—no one had been more sick and twisted than Reid.
    I took a deep breath and got myself back to the here and now. “Yo, Eddy! Add in searches for Leventhal Reid, Howard Taft who was not the late president, and Club Fifty-One. Oh, and special attention should be paid to France, particularly Paris, and Paraguay, particularly in the Chaco. In addition to the special attention Big George is supposedly already giving those areas.”
    “You sure you don’t want a five-course meal and some entertainment while you’re at it?”
    No sooner were the words out of Stryker’s mouth than I heard something. It was faint, and sounded far away. “Did anyone else hear that?”
    Franklin’s phone rang before anyone replied. A quiet beeping noise started from somewhere inside the room. Stryker went to the sound and moved a variety of papers, pizza boxes and other things I chose not to identify.
    “I heard it,” Buchanan said. “But I can’t place what it is.”
    “I can,” Oren said. “It’s the sound of an explosion.” I looked around. The Middle Eastern Contingent had that “ready for fight or flight” look going.
    Franklin hung up. He looked worried and a little sick to his stomach. “It’s a good thing you wanted everyone with us.”
    “Why’s that?”
    “Headquarters was just blown up. We’ve lost some airmen for certain. Base is going into full lockdown.” So Reader had been proven right within a few minutes—we were already taking casualties.
    Everyone was quiet for a few seconds. The shock of an unprovoked attack will do that to you. “I’m so sorry,” I said finally.
    Franklin shook his head. “We’re at war. They knew it. The rest of the population might not yet, but unless we keep on, our enemies win and my men died for nothing.”
    Had to clear my throat, mostly because it was that or cry, and we didn’t have time for crying. “Do they know how the bomb was detonated?”
    “No. One moment everything was fine. The next, the building went up. It wasn’t an airborne bomb.”
    “We’re secure here,” Stryker said.
    “For now.” White looked pensive.
    “What is it, Mister White?”
    “Why did anyone blow up Commander Franklin’s office? And why now?”
    “Because we were there, it’s the only logical reason.”
    “So either they thought we were still there, or they’re trying to figure out where we are and blow us up,” Buchanan said.
    “Or it’s where the main gate is for this air base.” As I said it I knew I was right. “They don’t want us able to get out of here quickly.”
    “But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t trying to figure out where we’ve gone and blow that up, too,” White said. “I lean toward both you and Mister Buchanan being correct in this situation.”
    “Who’s ‘they’?” Mona asked.
    “My bet