Gini Koch - Alien Research

Tobin smiled. “Ambassador, you may not realize it, but you make the news regularly. We saw you’d had some . . . unpleasantness earlier, knew you were headed here, so figured it was a good time to come see if we could help each other. You know good guys wear black.” He had a faint Texas twang, and my memory shared that was his home state.

And there it was, right on cue. “Usually we add in some white, just for contrast.”

Tobin chuckled. “I’m sure you do. May we join you for breakfast? My treat.”

Had to give Tobin this much—at least he was trying to put this into a more friendly, normal-person atmosphere. It wasn’t working, but at least he’d given it the old college try.

Of course, we’d already eaten, and the evidence of such was still on the table. So either he wanted us to eat again, he wanted us to watch all of them eat, or he was offering us a really cheap bribe.

On the plus side, or sort of, none of them sounded like the man who’d just called me. That didn’t mean one of them wasn’t the new Club 51 Head Honcho, but it was unlikely. This didn’t mean they didn’t know him, though. When we’d first run into our favorite anti-alien lunatics, Howard Taft had been the man in charge. But he’d been taking his real orders from Leventhal Reid, who’d been a Representative from Florida. Suppressed the shudder thinking of Reid always gave me. I’d seen a lot of evil in my time with Centaurion Division, but no one and nothing, not even Mephistopheles, had matched Reid.

The Land Sharks were looking at me expectantly. We didn’t have a lot of options. We had no car to race off into, we couldn’t use hyperspeed to run away no matter how much we might want to, and we needed to pay our bill one way or the other. Plus, we were officially making a scene in a restaurant we frequented. Yeah, they’d planned this really well.

Decided to go on the offensive. “So, you’re telling me that we were on the news in some way?”

“No,” Somerall said quickly. “We all have sources, Ambassador. Just as you do. Ours told us you’d been attacked by some dissidents. And while you go out on random days, when you do go out, this is where you tend to go.”

Good to know we were predictable. That was the downside of having a favorite restaurant.

“Okay. Well, that sort of begs a question.” They all looked at me with interest. Here went nothing. “Which one of you wants to tell me who the new head of Club Fifty-One is and why he’s decided to start threatening me?”

A LL FIVE OF THE LAND SHARKSlooked both surprised and uncomfortable. Kendrick took the lead on this one. “They aren’t a group any of us associate with, Ambassador.”

“Right, pull the other one, it has bells on. How would you know we’d been attacked by Club Fifty-One unless one of them told you they’d done so and we were in motion?”

Kendrick shrugged. “We have other sources.”

“Embassy staff?” Abigail asked.

Expressions said that they wished it was Embassy staff. Hoped their expressions weren’t being faked. “No,” Gardiner replied. “Your staff is extremely loyal. As they should be.”

“True enough. So you were advised by ‘sources’ that we were attacked and you raced on over here to have an impromptu revival meeting. Why?”

Tobin’s lips quirked. “You have an interesting way with words, Ambassador. But we’re here to preach the good word, and that word is ‘protection.’ Mutual protection, to be exact.”

Kendrick nodded. “You have an anti-alien problem. We’d like to help you fix that.”

“In return for what?”

Somerall shot me what I was now certain he felt was his Charming Smile. It really didn’t work on me. At all. “Favors. There are many things that your people could assist us with that would be helpful to all our businesses. And in return, there are many things all of us could do for you in return. It’s what friends do for each other, after all.”

“We’re friends?”

“Of course,” Gardiner replied.

Wondered where in the world my “uncles” were and if it would be totally wrong to drop them a friendly suggestion to come for a visit. With friends like these we didn’t need enemies. “Then why are you trying so hard to block Amy’s bid to take over the business her father built?”

All three from Gaultier reacted the same way—slit eyes and tight smiles. Nice to know I’d hit a hot button, not that it was a surprise.

“A multinational conglomerate isn’t something to be tossed to a child who has no training in running any part of said business,” Gardiner said frostily.

“Amy’s a lawyer and she was raised in that business.”

“Our corporate situation with her has no bearing on what we’re discussing with you,” Cross said. “But who knows? A mutually beneficial relationship between us could only help Amy’s situation.”

Wanted to argue this some more, but Naomi kicked me under the table. Considering Jamie was between us and I didn’t see her move, figured she’d used hyperspeed. Decided to let this particular argument drop.

“Just what kind of ‘protection’ are you offering us?” Naomi asked. “Because as I understand the term, it’s usually used by criminals as a way to extort money.”

The Land Sharks all chuckled. “Someone’s watched too much Sopranos ,” Tobin said. It was official—I didn’t like his “folksy charm.”

“No, someone’s aware of the Mob and how it operates,” I said. “It’s a good question you’re trying to sidestep. Unless you actually have influence with Club Fifty-One, or any of the many other anti-alien groups out there, just how do you propose to protect us from anything?”

However, before any of them replied, someone I was happy to see came in.

Cliff Goodman was the Head of Special Immigration Services reporting directly to the Secretary of Homeland Security, meaning he was the guy at Homeland Security who had the most interest in all things Alpha Centaurion. He was also one of the few close friends Chuckie had and, like Chuckie, he was brilliant.

Cliff took in the scene, made eye contact with Naomi, gave her an almost imperceptible nod, and came right over. So now I knew who she’d been texting. I’d give her the big Atta Girls later when we weren’t surrounded by people we didn’t like.

“Excuse me, Ambassador,” Cliff said. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but you’re needed at headquarters. I need to discuss some policy with you that can’t wait.” He flashed a quick smile at the Land Sharks. “So sorry to interrupt. Hopefully you and the Ambassador can reschedule.”

The Land Sharks shot various looks of annoyance in Cliff’s general direction. “I’m sure whatever it is can wait,” Kendrick said.

“Not really,” Cliff said politely. “It’s quite urgent.”

“I’m sure the Secretary would agree with us,” Kendrick said a little more forcefully. “I can call her and see if she appreciates your interrupting us, Cliff.”

Cliff gave him a tight smile. “If you want to disturb the Secretary, feel free, Mister Kendrick. She’s in a meeting with the President, but if you think now’s the right time to show her who’s boss, go right ahead.”

While Cliff and the Land Sharks were having their standoff, Naomi got Jamie out of her highchair and Abigail went up front to pay our bill. Len and Kyle, meanwhile, shifted so they were flanking Cliff.

I stood, slung my purse over my shoulder, and took Jamie from Naomi. “I’m sorry, but when Homeland Security needs us, we feel it’s imperative we respond, regardless of the situation. Please call and make an appointment. I’ll be happy to see you as soon as my schedule allows.” Which would be never, but why admit that out loud?