Alien vs. Alien

anyway.”
    W/foanhe kidse closed the door behind us and went down the steps. “You mean you want to share that whatever’s going on that I’m not allowed to know about ultimately has to do with me in some way, or else Jeff wouldn’t be worried about my being followed.”
    Buchanan grinned. “Never let it be said you’re not intuitive, Missus Chief.”
    “Never let it be said I’m not used to this kind of crap happening all the time, either. I’d just like to be on record that protocol which prevents the target from actually knowing what’s going on is protocol designed to ensure the target gets killed.”
    “I’m not going to allow that,” Buchanan said calmly.
    “I’m sure you’re not,” White replied. “I’m not either. However, Missus Martini has a point. Are you sure you shouldn’t stay and find out what’s actually going on?”
    “Let’s go get your official C.I.A. bodyguards.”
    White and I looked at each other. “So,” I said, “what you’re not saying, Malcolm, is that you already know what’s going on.”
    “I might be saying that, yeah. I might, on the other hand, want you to get your official guards around before I disappear.”
    “Or you want the boys to hear what’s going on, too. Great. Let’s include Adriana and her grandmother in this vague intel debrief. If, as is so much more likely, Olga doesn’t already know more than anyone else about what’s going on.”
    We trotted across the street. Either they’d been expecting us or someone was right by the front door, because it opened before we could even knock.
    “Come in, Ambassador,” Adriana said from behind the door. “And Mister White. Nice to see you up close, Mister Buchanan.”
    “Never mind,” I said to Buchanan and White as we all crossed the threshold. “I presume Olga knows exactly what’s going on.”
    Adriana laughed as she closed the door. “Grandmother is aware of many things and has been eagerly awaiting your return to town. Don’t worry—it’s only Grandmother and me here right now.”
    The last time the entire Romanian diplomatic mission had been gone, they’d been touring their country’s visiting president around D.C. I chose not to ask if that was the case again or not. We had other issues.
    As we followed Adriana upstairs to the second floor, which was much warmer and inviting than the entry area, I asked myself why Olga never used a telephone. Then reminded myself that it was because, as former KGB, she knew how easily they were tapped.
    We found her at the end of the long hallway, in her study that had two floor-length windows, one facing our Embassy, one looking out onto Sheridan Circle. It was a nice room, and the handicapped handles around the windows were done, like everything else here, tastefully.
    Olga was in her wheelchair, flanked by the boys, who were busy stuffing their faces with a variety of Romanian treats. Yeah, we’d
all
gotten used to eating well, and a lot, while we were in Florida. I would have mentioned that snacking here would ruin our appetites for dinner later, but I already knew that none of us had shown the least issuehe ock.
    We officially introduced Buchanan for the sake of politeness, even though she already knew about him. White gave her a little bow and kissed her hand. He always did this better than Gadoire, a classic example of damning with faint praise.
    I went over and gave Olga a big hug. “It’s so nice to see you.”
    “And it is always nice to see you. How is your beautiful baby? All through with her traumatic teething experience?”
    “I won’t even ask how you knew, but yes, all her baby choppers are in, and she seems back to her usual happy self.”
    “That is good, and not a moment too soon. And I knew because your husband visited me to show off his lovely bird and have some company that did not require him to be the Ambassador, merely a husband and father missing his family.”
    Nice to know Jeff had missed us. I really wished he’d attached to one of our existing pets, though. We certainly had enough dogs, cats, and Poofs around. But no. He’d gone for the bird. My luck was always consistent.
    “Great, so you’ve met Bellie, the new love of Jeff’s life. I’m sure you realized whose bird she was before anyone told you.”
    “Oh, yes. But the bird is innocent of her former owner’s wrongdoing. However, she is quite bright.” Olga looked at me expectantly.
    Adriana brought each of us a glass of lemonade; the boys already had