Alien vs. Alien

want to keep it that way. And that order goes out to all of you.”
    Got looks indicating that every Peregrine worth its badge was more than properly house- and potty-trained and I could stop acting like they were hatchlings.
    “The rest of you, um, what should I, in reality, do with you? Everyone stays here?”
    Much squawking ensued.
    “Oh. Great. I thought only the Poofs could do that here one minute, gone the next thing.”
    A flock of Peregrines assured me they were able to do whatever and go wherever as needed.
    “So why didn’t you go with your assigned folks last night?”
    Got a lot of “duh” looks. I’d had no idea birds could do that look, but our flock of Peregrines were up to the task.
    “Oh. Yeah. Everyone was kind of freaked out. Good to know you’ll probably be getting to know the gang as time goes by. Great. Um. Carry on. And all that.”
    I left, with my new avian friends tagging along. Eyed the three males with me as we headed for the elevator. Why use the stairs when I had this much company? Elevator arrived, we got in, I looked around, and the urge to name overcame me.
    “So, boys, one of you is matched to Richard White, yes?” The Peregrine who inclined his head was quite big and studly looking. As Peregrines went. I considered it and realized I knew its name. Lucky me.
    Stared at the other two as well. “You’re with Len and Kyle, correct?” Bird heads bobbed to indicate that I’d guessed right again. “Neither one of you had better be named Tommy Trojan.”
    The Peregrines all hooted. Wow. They had a sense of humor. Unreal. And I wasal. And feeling pleased that they’d gotten the joke. If I hadn’t just been gone for a month, I’d have suggested that I needed a vacation.
    The elevator doors opened and we all stepped out.
    “Wow,” Kyle said. “We get to walk Peregrines instead of dogs.”
    “I didn’t think this job could get any better,” Len added with a very straight face.
    Ignored them. “This is Lola, Bruno’s girl. Richard, your birds are named Samson and Delilah. Kyle, yours are Fred and Wilma. Len, meet Barney. His mate’s name is Betty.”
    The boys gaped. Continued to ignore them. The Peregrines, on the other hand, all hooted, to show how impressed they were with my insightfulness. I gave them each a scritchy-scratch right between their wings. They loved it.
    Lola and Bruno wrapped their necks around each other, then she flapped up and settled into the stroller. I took a look. She was in front of Jamie, looking serene. And like a stuffed animal.
    “Wow. You know, it’s more than camouflage. Lola looks like a bird version of the Poofs.”
    “They’ve been bred for this for tens of thousands of years,” White shared as he gave Samson a pat.
    “Excellent. Well, let’s get across the street, while we and our birds enjoy the fresh air for five seconds, and go wait for Senator Armstrong and his latest set of dirty pictures to join us.”

    Yi

CHAPTER 31

    O UR SHORT WALK ACROSS THE STREET was uneventful. No one stared at us, which was amazing, since the four male birds looked exactly the same to me out here as they had inside.
    “Why haven’t they gone invisible?” Kyle asked nervously as we headed toward Romanian soil. “Someone’s got to notice us with four big peacocks. I’m not sure it’s legal to have animals like this in this city.”
    I looked around. If Buchanan was nearby, he didn’t want me to see him, because there wasn’t much going on in the way of activity. Which, all things considered, was unusual, even on a weekend. Maybe especially on a weekend.
    “I’m not sure the Ambassadress wants us bringing animals into their Embassy,” Len added.
    Bruno looked at me and warbled. The complete insanity of me talking to the birds and them talking right back was becoming commonplace. How nice.
    “They’re visible to anyone they’re assigned to, at all times, unless it’s vital to said person’s wellbeing that they aren’t seen. So, right now, we can see any and all of our selection of the Peregrine Enforcement Squad, even if no one else can. Oh, and Bruno says that if they need to go, they’ll let me know, but otherwise, everyone can stop stressing.”
    “Mister Joel Oliver is going to have a field day with these things,” Len added.
    Which reminded me. I stopped walking before we reached the Romanian Embassy’s front door, dug my phone out, and dialed.
    “Ambassador Katt-Martini. How lovely to hear from you. And welcome