Reborn, page 15
Checking the clock, it was evening on the East Coast. About dinner out west. Joie wondered what Celeste was making tonight. Or Sarah.
It was weird, not being either in combat planning mode, or just so depressed that getting to the coffee shop on time for her shift was a chore.
But then, she’d only been a civilian in her own mind for maybe a year now. After nearly twenty thinking about the green.
And she’d only had hope since she and Ernesta had returned to Guadalajara.
The line came live from the other end. They were putting it out on speakers in the room for everyone to hear, but she had the only mic.
“This is Kehoe,” he said.
“Does this qualify as me suddenly banging on your door late at night and uninvited?” Joie asked simply.
Pause. Recalibration. Maybe returning to that first moment when he’d stomped back into her life, after burning her and leaving her to die, emotionally if not physically.
“Maybe,” Kehoe said after a few moments. “Freya is here as well, if that helps.”
Joie smiled. Pakhet. Freya Malik. Another Cybernaut like Joie had been. She’d been Kehoe’s bodyguard that night, because nobody had been certain of the reception Joie would give them.
If they’d have talked to Amy, she might have set proper expectations, but Kehoe had been too full of himself in those days. And Freya was just a soldier.
At least until their world had turned upside down.
Joie had only a small bit of responsibility for that.
“So I met some interesting people after I last talked to you,” Joie continued. “Yormevs won’t be thrilled, but these are some of the folks he was probably hiding from. And an old friend nobody has seen in nearly a year showed up.”
Another long pause. They weren’t speaking a code designed to hide from outside listeners. At least not Human ones. Yormevs and Tanerhald had both assured her that Human systems weren’t capable of understanding these signals as anything but random hash.
Joie didn’t trust that, but hadn’t wanted to insult their naivety on the subject. If it was out there, someone had built a machine to figure out what the hell was going on.
“How’s she doing?” Kehoe asked carefully, tacitly acknowledging who was here.
After all, this had started as a means to find out what had happened to an agent codenamed Tyche. Romana Pham, who had vanished from a training base in the Virginia mountains in the dead of night.
At least everybody involved knew how it had been done now.
“Really well,” Joie said. “She suggested we pool resources. The folks up here have the same sort of interest as Yormevs, and are willing set hostilities aside while we sort everything out. Bouchard has vanished, and nobody has a good idea how to find him. We need Mitch.”
“I was just having that conversation down here,” Kehoe laughed. “We have some ideas, but no clue if they would work. Hang on.”
Joie waited. The tone of the audio had changed, suggesting that someone had muted him from that end. She looked around and caught the smiles from everyone, aliens included.
It was still weird, talking to people to solve problems instead of beating them up or using lethal violence to eliminate the issue.
Everything the Army had trained her in seemed to be almost exactly wrong on the topic.
But then, war had more than once been described as diplomacy gone wrong.
“So folks at this end are a little nervous, Joie.” Kehoe was back. “They’d like the locals only to meet at this point, if we can come up with some neutral ground. Something about dropping shields for about two seconds, then hiding again and running somewhere else.”
Joie turned to Tanerhald. Watched Romana lean over and whisper in his ear, which turned into a quick conversation.
She, Romana, and Kehoe could have entire conversations with a few, key words. Carter, to a lesser extent, because he’d been in and out of trouble for so long, but insiders had a language.
Romana must have used the right words with him. His face cleared and he leaned forward to push a button at this end, no doubt muting her.
Joie waited.
“Your honor on this thing?” he asked.
Stilted, so it probably sounded different in Brakhua. Or whatever their language was called.
Intent was obvious. He would let her go down there, if she promised to behave. And meant it.
Joie was beyond that at this point, wondering if she could get the others to come back here. Tanerhald had more resources, if he was the regional law enforcement, which was the impression she got, cultural translations notwithstanding.
“Indeed,” Joie replied simply.
Tanerhald nodded then.
“Go with my blessing,” he said, flipping the switch again and bringing her live.
“Kehoe, we’ve got agreement at this end,” she said. “Let me make a few calls and hopefully I’ll be able to give you time and space coordinates. Most likely in the morning, depending, because I’ve been running hard here and would prefer to be rested before we go after the next stage of things.”
“We’ll be waiting for your call, Joie,” he said, and cut the line.
Joie nodded to Tanerhald and he cut their end.
Joie sighed. Much of it on her shoulders, but not all of it. She’d gone from alone to a whole pack of folks. A family, of sorts.
Found family, which seemed far better than the one she’d ignored. At the same time, Joie was finally willing to admit that the fuckup had been entirely hers. Lots of cousins wanting to engage her, but she’d been too focused on army things to talk. Being a good student instead of a barrio chika, as it were. Getting her grades up and keeping them there so she could go to West Point. Staying out of any trouble that might prevent her from making it. Studying all the time instead of doing family things with her blood relatives.
Then the Army had been her family, until it hadn’t.
But she’d had folks willing, once she’d gotten over herself.
“So I understand that you can insert a signal into the cellular network as though it was a regular call?” she asked Tanerhald.
He nodded warily.
“Can you put my name on the caller ID?” she pressed.
“Which one?” Romana asked.
“Real name,” Joie grinned. “Birth certificate and everything.”
Again, a quick conversation between Romana and Tanerhald. Obviously, she had thrown herself wholeheartedly into working with the Brakhua, and Tanerhald had come to rely on her. That would help.
“Yes, we can do that,” the man finally said.
Joie gave him the number and leaned back to wait.
A few moments later, she heard a ring in her headset. It almost went to voicemail, but finally someone picked up.
“If you think this is funny, so help me…” the woman on the other end said.
“Hi, Celeste. It’s Joie. I need another favor.”
CHAPTER 38
Joie had eaten breakfast here that first morning in Seattle, on the run and still nervous about just showing up on the doorstep of the people who might have turned into her in-laws, had things worked out differently. Wasn’t likely at this point, but she did have yet another mother out there.
They were down on 15th Avenue eating. Her, Ernesta, Romana, and Carter. Everyone dressed casually for a gray, drizzly Seattle day.
The place was done brasserie style, with the cooks on the far side of a low wall where anybody could watch. Better than a lot of joints around here, because the kitchen was open all day. Too many bars that only served dinner, though old timers had assured her that it used to be much worse.
Still, the food was heavy in a good way. Eggs any way you wanted them. Bacon or sausage. Drop biscuits or English muffins or toast. Potatoes or some seasonal side veggie.
COFFEE!!!
Yormevs had coffee, but he’d stolen it from a grocery warehouse for her. Romana had gotten Tanerhald to select a slightly better brand, but that was a low bar to clear.
Seattle still took their coffee seriously, dating back to the 1970s when Italian Coffee Shops as a business concept got started down by the Public Market. Before taking over the world.
She’d come back here because they had a full barista on staff, and not just drips in pots. While she’d been eating, a number of folks had come in solely to get coffee in a paper mug and leave again.
Serious business.
They’d eaten. Burped happily, because she hadn’t had a nice, heavy, American breakfast in a while. Even Ernesta’s people had been a little iffy on the concept of gravy.
And COFFEE!!!
Joie leaned back and smiled at the universe. If that was a last meal for the condemned, she could have done much, much worse.
“So who is this woman again?” Carter asked.
But then, he’d been kind of doodling during the briefing.
“Mitch’s mom,” Joie said.
Ernesta was a little nervous, but that might be a meeting future in-laws kind of thing. Romana remembered Celeste, and had probably eaten dinner there in similar circumstances, as another potential daughter-in-law.
At least Mitch had good taste in women.
“And she’s going to host us in her kitchen?” Carter asked, a bit dumbfounded. “Just like that?”
“Remember when you and Kehoe couldn’t find me in Seattle, Carter?” Joie asked. “And Kehoe went up to the mountains with a team to talk to Mitch that first time?”
“Yeah, you bloody vanished,” Carter nodded.
“Celeste insisted that she and I drive to the southern border in her Subaru,” Joie grinned. “Camping along the way, before she dropped me off to visit some other friends while she went all the way to El Paso, just to mess with Kehoe’s systems.”
“She must like you,” Carter shrugged defensively.
Then it hit her. Carter Faulkener had been that lone wolf warrior like they’d trained her to be, except that it had led him entirely astray about the time she’d been in middle school. He’d spent decades in the shadows, unable to trust anyone, because of the bounty the DOD had put on his head.
He didn’t have friends. Or hadn’t, before now. He had her and Ernesta. Kehoe and Mitch to a lesser extent.
And that was about it.
“She does,” Joie promised. “This will be a safe place for everyone to meet and sort out what we need, in order to go after Bouchard.”
“What’s she like?” Ernesta asked nervously.
Joie and Romana shared a knowing glance. They had a few minutes before they needed to leave, so the two of them took turns talking about Celeste Graydon, power behind several thrones and school boards around here. Upper class busybody and wife of a retired architect who lived on Capital Hill adjacent to the really nice, old money in Seattle, all of whom owed her favors and probably feared her a little.
Finally, the alarm in Joie’s head went off. She got them out of the booth and into the tiniest drizzle misting things. Walked the few blocks over and up.
The door opened as soon as she knocked and Joie found herself almost tackled by the tiny woman.
“JOIE!!!!”
Romana got the same treatment, which was good. Ernesta got a hug, but didn’t have any expectations except a friend of theirs.
Celeste glared up at Carter and Joie watched the man blush without a word being said.
“Just so we’re clear,” Celeste said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Carter replied diffidently.
All of them got shuffled into the big kitchen and dining room at the back of the house.
Donovan Graydon had been given permission to be gone all day. Orders, really. Celeste expected him and his friends to have a marathon D&D game over pizza and cheap beer while his house was hosting a summit.
And Celeste understood good coffee. Everyone got a mug and settled.
Then there was a knock at the front door.
CHAPTER 39
Mitch hadn’t slept much last night. Too wound up. It was the home he’d grown up in, but right now Joie was there. Romy. Ernesta.
What man wanted to face three recent girlfriends who have had a chance for a long chat with his mother?
Except that Mom liked Joie. Had liked Romy the few times they’d gone out to dinner. Maybe wasn’t sure how Ernesta fit into everything.
He knocked. Mom answered.
He got a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Everyone else got dutifully greeted and led inside: Kehoe, Stone, Malik, and Sifu Wěn.
He saw Joie first, but all three women were up and engulfing him in a big, group hug before he got a chance to react. Probably just as well. Ernesta ended up with an arm around his waist when the other two settled back and hugged the others.
Mom was watching.
“At least you have good taste in women,” she said quietly. Approvingly.
He felt Ernesta blush. Shit, he blushed.
Then someone handed him a mug of coffee and he made it to the dining room table, stretched with every extension leaf like Christmas day. Interestingly, Kehoe was across from him and Joie was on the end. Mom was at the bottom, closest to the kitchen and the coffee pot.
Mitch studied the evolving social dynamics of the room as people took chairs.
He couldn’t not do that. Then he turned to Joie.
But for her, he’d still probably be up on that mountaintop, studying the horizon for a sign and occasionally painting. Had he made the world a better place by coming down and signing up with Kehoe?
Mitch hoped so. But this was Joie’s game. He watched.
“Talk to me,” Kehoe said simply, looking back and forth between Romy and Joie.
Joie nodded to Romy.
“There are nervous people out there,” Romy began, looking carefully at everyone. “They’ve woken up to the fact that Humans have been accelerating in their development from the previous several centuries. Nobody in the galaxy is supposed to do that. Nor have they, from what I’ve learned.”
“We had help,” Kehoe nodded.
“The wrong kind of help,” Romy growled at the man. “The Danorak may have already done too much for everyone else to be comfortable. Only Joie’s suggestion has caused my new bosses to withhold the blade.”
“Who are you working for now?” Kehoe asked.
Not indignant. Mostly curious. They’d all defected, more or less, so he had no high horse to be sitting upon.
“The Brakhua have largely taken it upon themselves to keep places like Earth isolated,” Romy replied. “But they can be a little heavy-handed. My understanding was that Joie’s Heecha friends were trying to get in and eliminate the Danorak infiltrators so that the Brakhua didn’t come down and crack heads together.”
“Joie?” Kehoe turned to her.
“We have to remove everyone who knows, Kehoe,” she said. “Not just Bouchard and his warriors, but the scientists doing the research. All their notes need to be corrupted beyond salvage, anywhere somebody might have backed them up.”
“That’s thousands, potentially tens of thousands of people, Joie,” he said.
“Not cybernetics research,” Joie said. “They’re okay from what I’ve been told, because they have the same sorts of tools to shut that shit down as you did. It’s the genetics that frightened them. Those folks threaten the whole galaxy. But if they are removed from the Earth permanently, everybody else maybe has a chance to live a normal life without an alien apocalypse. Plus, I suspect that the Date of Contact has been moved up drastically to deal with all the aftermath once the current generation gets to understand how close we got.”
“Point of order,” Mitch said, unable to help himself. “We haven’t saved the world yet. Bouchard vanished, and that has to mean he’s getting nervous. That, in turn, will make all our friends nervous, because the whole US military might get called in to do stupid shit at some point. We have to find him and remove him before he starts making a bunch of new killers because we’ve backed him into a corner. How do we do that?”
Everyone had gone deathly silent, so he had their attention. And an understanding of how freaked out he was about the whole thing, in spite of the good they had done. He’d been hired by Kehoe as an analyst. That one dude who takes fragmentary evidence and intuition, and produces solid intelligence from it.
“Before you called, we’d been talking about asking Yormevs if the negative of those defensive screen things could be detected,” Kehoe said, back to switching his attention between Joie and Romy. “Can the others detect something like that?”
“No,” Romy said. “That was why the Danorak had been able to hide. Eventually, we might have found them, since apparently they weren’t using them recently, but maybe not. Their ship would have been invisible. Same as wherever Bouchard has run off to.”
“With the data I have right now, I can’t nail him down,” Mitch confessed. “We have theories, but once we hit someplace, the whole Defense Department is likely to react, so we’ll only get one chance.”
“What happens if we fail?” Stone asked, gravelly voice as usual. “If we go in someplace and he’s not there? Or he gets away from us?”
More silence. Bad silence.
“Tanerhald probably pulls the trigger at that point and shuts everything down, just because it will have gotten out of hand,” Romana said in a dark, heavy voice. “The other species tend to draw back at that sort of thing, but that’s part of the Brakhua thinking. Better to kill most of the Humans now than to let them loose in space. The needs of the many vastly outweigh the needs of the few, especially as warlike and crazy as Humans can be. At least until we grow up.”
“So we’ve got one chance to do this?” Kehoe said, looking around.
All eyes settled on Joie, but that was right. They were all here because of that woman. At times he was sorry it hadn’t worked out, but it had given him a chance to know Romy better. And maybe really get to know Ernesta well.
Because if all three of those women had to leave Earth forever, Mitch couldn’t see himself remaining behind.
What were the odds he’d be struck by lightning a fourth time?
