Alien vs. Alien

all due precautions.’ It’s not signed, but it’s in different handwriting from what was on the other side. It matches the handwriting on Tito’s card.”
    “The Primary?” This was a new one.
    “It’s an Alpha Four title,” White answered. “Chief Councilor, which is Councilor Leonidas’ full title, would correlate for Earth into a position similar to that of the British Prime Minister. The Primary, however, is different. Primaries tend to be a blood relation of some kind to the King, but the function is similar to that of the U.S. Vice President. It could also technically correspond to Christopher’s role here, as Chargé d’Affaires.”
    “So, if Alfred had been crowned King of Alpha Four, the Primary might have been Stanley Gower?”
    “Exactly. Well done.” White looked pleased with my insightfulness. As did the Peregrines. Go me.
    Amy, however, looked upset. “It’s got to be my stepmother and Al Dejahl,” she said to Jeff.
    Jeff shook his head. “Why not just say that? They told Tito what the birds were for, they told Walter and Kevin and everyone else how to use them for security—why be cryptic to Christopher? Particularly about a threat?”
    “What do you think, Christopher?”
    He blinked. I got the impression that Christopher was still thinking about the fact that his father was romancing Nurse Carter. “Same as Jeff. I’ve got no idea why they do anything they do. I don’t see any reason to be sending us hidden messages attached to attack birds.”
    “Possibly because they were worried about the birds or the messages being intercepted,” Chuckie said. “If the threat to ‘our mutual friend’ means Martini, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for them to be concerned that something would happen with the deliveries.”
    My throat felt tight. “Someone’s out to hurt Jeff?”
    “Possibly,” Jeff said. He sounded irritated. And tired. “But right now, let’s just get the last message to Reynolds and go back to bed.”
    Chuckie looked at his card. “Huh. You’d think they’d have said something similar on mine.”
    “What does your message say?” Jeff asked.
    “Mine’s like what Naomi and Abigail got. ‘Please consider taking up residence with the rest of the American Centaurion diplomatic mission. Your skills will be needed within far more than without.’ It’s Leonidas’ handwriting.”
    “Well, that’s ominous.” I looked at the Peregrines. “That’s why they sent these birds now.” Sure enough, the flock all bobbed their heads.
    “I’m livinI’m g in a zoo,” Jeff muttered. “Fine,” he said in his normal voice, “so we have a new threat. Nothing we haven’t had before, I’m sure.”
    “Common enemy sounds like my wicked stepmother,” Amy said for the third time. I hoped this didn’t work like
Beetlejuice
and her mentioning LaRue three times meant she’d show up. I waited. No puff of smoke, no evil villainess standing in the room. I allowed myself to be relieved.
    “Could be,” Kevin agreed. “But we have other common enemies. And since none were named specifically, I wouldn’t limit our thinking at this stage.”
    “Are you going to do what he asks, Chuckie? And by you, I mean you, Naomi, and Abigail. You’ve all stayed here before.” If Councilor Leonidas thought we needed Chuckie and the Gower girls living here, then we probably needed Chuckie and the Gower girls living here.
    Jeff and Chuckie looked at each other. “You’re here so damn much anyway,” Jeff said finally. “You already have your own room.”
    Chuckie laughed. “True enough. So do Mimi and Abby.”
    They nodded. “I think you need us right now,” Naomi said. “So we’re staying. Like Chuck, we’re here a lot anyway.”
    “But it looks like the Peregrines are only going to go with those of us with children,” Doreen pointed out. “I don’t understand why, or how they’re going to be protecting anyone if they’re all with Kitty.”
    Considered this. As well as all the notes, the ones to Christopher and Chuckie in particular. “Maybe we have the majority of the birds because we have Jeff.”
    “Or Jamie,” Denise said quietly.
    “You think they’re after my daughter?” Jeff said with a growl.
    Denise shrugged. “Weren’t they before?”
    “Yeah, they were. And now we have more hybrids, too.”
    “Raymond and Rachel aren’t hybrids,” Kevin pointed out.
    “But they’re kids, in the Embassy. And, let’s be honest—you and