“Numbers to your Swiss bank account.”
He laughed as he pulled a small black rectangular thing out of his pocket. It was similar to the Alien Things Finders he’d had during Operation Invasion, only sleeker. Presumed this was a newer, special model, or else this was for bugs and such only.
He ran it over my purse. “You’re clean. So to speak.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I feel fine and I’m sure I look no worse than anyone else here.”
“Really? Trust me, don’t look in a mirror.”
“Thanks ever.” I honestly didn’t feel awesome, but the faster healing and regeneration that A-Cs had was the best thing ever. Even my shin didn’t hurt that badly right now. And, frankly, if the worst pain I had after all of this was a banged up shin, I should probably head to Vegas and put some money on double zero.
“James, we could use medical support,” Tito said. “Thankfully we have no dead, but we do have injured.”
“On it. Floater is live,” Reader said. “Stand back.”
Normally no one cared about keeping out of the way of a floater gate. Figured Reader was just on edge. Until I saw the number of Field agents pouring through. Had a feeling we’d pulled in more agents than just those at Caliente Base.
In addition to the sheer numbers, no one would want to get in the way of this particular exiting horde. I’d never seen an A-C in anything other than the standard Armani Fatigues. These guys all looked like S.W.A.T., minus guns, but with the clear riot shields police use. They were also all wearing headphones.
“You’ve chosen to go my way and have everyone listen to tunes while fighting?” Took the iPod off repeat. “It’s Not Over” by Daughtry came on. And now I was certain Algar was controlling my iPod, because that song wasn’t on this particular playlist.
“No, they’re sending white noise type of signals,” Reader replied. “It’s a way to prevent them from being mind controlled.”
“How’d you come up with that?”
“Your mother,” Jerry replied with a grin. The other flyboys also seemed to find this funny.
“Seriously?”
Hughes grinned even wider than Jerry. “Yeah. Your mother’s been teaching all of Alpha and Airborne how to block mind control, hypnotic suggestion, or brainwashing.”
“Oh. Great.” She hadn’t taught me, but perhaps that was because she felt I was already able to resist all of those things. Or else she didn’t feel the need to share her special techniques with her only daughter.
Walker laughed. “Don’t look so hurt, Kitty. Your mother said she hasn’t bothered to teach you because you can’t concentrate on anything for too long anyway.”
“Wow, I feel the love.”
“Medical arriving now,” Reader shared. Sure enough a variety of Dazzlers came through with gurneys and med kits. Knew for a fact they were from NASA Base, mostly because they all nodded to or hugged Serene as they trotted past to get to the wide variety of injured, banged up, headachey Field agents.
Some Field agents dressed normally, but wearing the headphones, arrived and fanned out. “We’ll ensure all personnel transfer to Caliente Base, sir,” one said to Jeff.
“Agents reporting personnel in housing,” Reader said. “Limited resistance. Jeff, I want Alpha, Airborne, and Embassy teams in Security with me now. That includes you, Doctor Hernandez.”
Tito shrugged. “They can use me here.”
“We’re going to need you more elsewhere,” Reader said, voice tight. “Seriously, get in here. Now.”
“Where is Security Main anyway?”
Everyone stared at me. “You mean you don’t know?” Tim asked finally.
“Dudes, seriously, it’s me. This place is like the biggest rat maze ever. And before you point out that I lived here, let me point out so what? Mazes aren’t my thing.”
“Trust me,” Jeff said. “If you blindfolded her and put her anywhere in the Science Center, she’d have no idea where she was. If, on the other hand, you blindfolded her and put her in a room with a bunch of her CDs, she could tell you which was which, what band, what year, and do a comparative analysis.”
“What’s your point? And, more to the point, where’s Security actually at?”
Jeff shook his head with a sigh. “It’s the other half of this level.”
CHAPTER 40
LET THAT SIT ON THE AIR A BIT. “Is it?” I asked finally. “And has it always been?”
“Yes,” Gower said. “There are maps on every floor, you know. Security is clearly marked.”
“Maps. Really?”
“Really,” White said, obviously trying not to laugh. “The information was in the briefing books you got when you first joined us, as well.”
“Was it?” Maybe it was. I’d finally clawed my way through those gut-busters after Operation Destruction, but since I wasn’t living at the Science Center any more, I’d skimmed the chapters on it, which had meant I could skim a good third of the reading matter. I hated being near isolation, so I rarely ventured here. Even when Jeff was in isolation, I tended to stay away—my stress levels always rose and he was powerful enough that he could feel me, even isolated, when I was that close.
“And you thought she read those?” Jeff asked.
“I did. Just not, you know, every single word.”
“I’d bet on every third word,” Christopher said. “But James is waiting for us. We should go give Kitty a tour.”
“I know where it is,” Chuckie said as Christopher headed off through the Isolation Chamber Maze and the rest of us followed him. “And I never lived here.”
“You slept over. I think.”
“I did. But not as often as you slept over.”
“Blah, blah, blah. This from the guy who had to basically lead me around our high school all freshman year?”
“Good point. Mazes aren’t your skill. Neither are floor plans.”
“I’m ignoring you. Anyway, I’d have thought Security would house higher up. What with the need to broadcast to all facilities and whatnot.” I was blithely ignoring that, yet again, I hadn’t paid attention. It hadn’t mattered until right now, anyway.
“We have our ways,” Gower said, sarcasm knob only at about a six on the scale.
“I see that. And, from what I’m seeing, they are dark and creepy ways.” Christopher was heading toward the far end of the isolation area. I’d never ventured this far—this level creeped me out too much, so I never wanted to be in it any longer than I had to.
This part of the level wasn’t well lit. In fact, it was downright dim bordering on Scary Street Corner in a Really Bad Neighborhood Dark. The far wall had an opening that you could easily miss because everything was so dark. Naturally, that was right where we were headed. The creepiest point in the creepiest level. Because it would disrupt the cosmos if we were heading to a bright, cheerful place for any reason at any time.
“Get into single file,” Christopher tossed over his shoulder. I was the only one not already moving into formation. Jeff took my shoulder and gently put me behind Chuckie, with Jeff behind me. Chuckie was behind White.
“Why?”
“Security isn’t as easily accessible as the rest of the facility,” White said as Chuckie and Jeff both heaved the Exasperation Sigh. “It’s based on full body scanning, so that someone can’t pretend to be someone else to get in.”
“Like take their hand or their eyeballs and fool the system?”
“I wouldn’t have put it quite so graphically, but that’s part of your charm, Missus Martini. And yes.”
“I can see the wisdom.”
“Can you?” Jeff asked. “I’m not sure.”
“Hilarious. And here I was, all worried that you’d been hurt.” We walked through the darker opening in the dark wall. Shockingly, the corridor was also dark. A-Cs had better vision, which I’d supposedly gotten along with regeneration, but I could barely make out anything. “Who designed this place? Wes Craven or Stephen King?”