Page 19 of V-Day
“Tell everyone you heard about her heroism—above and beyond, etc.,” Daniel replied.
Collins raised a brow. “Which I can say with a straight face because it is true. Fine. Once she is in place, I’ll read her in.”
“It might be better if I do that…while you’re in the room,” Daniel said, his tone polite. “Bergen and I speak a similar language.”
Collins’ scowl formed, then smoothed out. “I want this solved,” he said, standing. “I want the mole rooted out and isolated, so I can get back to my primary job of running the country.”
Olivia and Daniel rose to their feet, too.
“Once I can watch your people, I’ll find him,” Daniel said, sounding sure of himself.
Richard Collins nodded. “I left a situation developing which I must go back and deal with.” He moved out of the room, the Secret Service agents going with him, leaving Olivia and Daniel alone.
Daniel picked up her hand and kissed it. “Let’s go back to bed. I have a feeling we’ll be short on sleep for the next little while.”
*
CRISTIÁN REALIZED HE WAS WATCHINGChloe’s rear view more than he was watching his step, as she slid and walked down the crumbling sandy slope of the gully. He made himself look away and assess the state of the camp and the people in it, instead.
Captain Graves and her team were all cleaning and loading weapons and strapping armor back into place.
His heart gave a heavy thud. Cristián strode past Chloe, which was difficult because she had long legs—and those black jeans made the most of them, the rebellious voice in his mind whispered—and moved right up to Graves.
She glanced at him, then slapped the clip into the grip of the pistol she held.
“You’re moving out?” Cristián asked.
“New orders,” she said.
“Which are…?” He tried to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. Graves and her team had been here for less than two hours and he was already comfortable with their presence and the sense of security they imparted.
That security was false, yet it was reassuring and he was annoyed at himself for letting the cultural reinforcement sink so deep. The presence of armed soldiers did not guarantee safety. The Insurrectos had swept through Pascuallita in the opening days of the war, despite the largest Loyalist military base lying just outside of town.
Parris Graves shoved her gun into the holster on her hip. She glanced around, making it look casual.
Cristián saw what she would see. Half a dozen kids, ranging from toddler to pre-teen, sat watching their first real live American soldiers, barely three paces away. Behind them was the canvas which sheltered where Pia and Trini slept, their packs and gear piled at the edges to give a tiny amount of privacy. They were probably still asleep, for they kept vampire hours.
To his left, women cooked something spicy over a fire, the blackened iron pot bubbling and hissing. Breakfast, most likely. His mother was one of them. She was the tallest of the group, yet all of them were dressed in practical jeans and sneakers and hoodies. They looked far younger than they were, as they laughed and gossiped over the pot.
Chloe stayed beside Cristián. A dozen other people moved around them, on their way to or from somewhere else in the camp. It was the usual morning activity.
Graves grabbed Cristián’s elbow. “Step into my office a moment,” she told him, pulling him toward the edge of the camp where the soft slope discouraged anyone from settling.
Chloe followed them. It seemed natural she was included in the conversation. Cristián didn’t mind, andthatbothered him, too.
Graves let go of his arm. No one was within hearing range, now. “I’m telling you this only because you’re family and you have no communications outside this valley, which minimizes the risk you’ll share classified information.” She hesitated. “Besides, this is your country,” she added.
“Spit it out,” Chloe said, her tone stiff. “We can take it.”
Cristián realized he was stiff with tension, too. Graves’ preamble was a lead up to bad news. His instincts recognized it just as Chloe’s did.
Graves nodded. “The call I took, just after we got here…?”
They both nodded.
“Someone commandeered a US Airforce prototype long range drone, and it’s now heading for the White House, leaking radiation.”
“Serrano…” Cristián breathed. “Jesus!”
