tried to make a call. “No reception,” he said finally.
“That’s because this floor is insulated in all ways,” Sandra said. She didn’t add “duh,” but it was obvious she was thinking it. “So you can leave to make your phone call, or we can follow the orders given.”
Chuckie seemed torn. I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t want to let Sandra win this one on general principles, all oddities aside. Plus, I wasn’t wild about being tested all by myself in the first place, and I was certain Mom wouldn’t be pleased that Buchanan wasn’t in the room with me.
Then again, getting this test over with had advantages, and we were already here. “I’ll be okay,” I said quietly to Chuckie.
Jeff took my arm and Chuckie’s and moved us away from Sandra’s desk. “I’m not getting anything but annoyance from her,” he said in a low voice. “She wants us to stop wasting her time so she can get her job done and go home, but that’s all I’ve gotten. No malicious intent, other than the fact she’s not happy to be here on the weekend.”
“I don’t like it,” Chuckie said. “There’s no reason for Kitty to be tested separately, other than to have an easy way to attack her when she has no backup.”
“You want to go back and do this at Langley?” Jeff didn’t seem excited by the idea. “We have a lot going on that we have to handle the moment we’re back in D.C.”
Chuckie heaved a sigh. “No, you’re right. I’m probably seeing things that aren’t there.”
“First time for everything. Chuckie, seriously, if you don’t think this is safe, let’s go and we’ll deal with this back at the Embassy.”
“I can’t read any of you in on what’s going on until you’ve taken, and passed, this test,” Chuckie s,
“Then let’s just go for it. If someone tries anything, I have hairspray with me.”
Chuckie shrugged. “I’d prefer it if you had your Glock.”
“Left it at home, under the correct assumption the many security checkpoints here would have taken it away from me.”
“Okay, against my better judgment, let’s go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Superbeing formation and attack,” Jeff said without missing a beat.
“Superinsulated floor,” I reminded him. “I’d expect an assassinationattempt, if I were you.”
Chuckie rubbed his forehead. I had a feeling he had a migraine on the way. “Then you’re the one who needs to be on the alert, Kitty, because you’re the one who’ll be alone.”
CHAPTER 10
A S EXPECTED, Buchanan was no happier with this turn of events than Chuckie, Jeff, or I were, but after some more quiet arguing the others dutifully trotted into their room to the left of Sandra’s desk and I was taken by her into a room on the right.
The room was big enough to handle a full-sized classroom, but there were only two desks and three chairs in it. One desk was all by its lonesome in the middle of the room, and it looked like a deluxe high school desk. Clearly, this was where I was supposed to hang out. The other desk looked like a teacher’s desk, was close to the far wall, and had a normal office chair with it. There was no one in said chair.
“Put your purse in the basket under the chair,” Sandra instructed as she went to the third chair that had no desk partner. It was a high swivel-stool with a back and arms. She looked liked the Good Humor Lifeguard sitting in it.
I did as instructed. It was difficult to shove my purse in, in part because my purse was big and stuffed full of things I felt imperative to have with me at all times—like my iPod, speakers, Jeff’s adrenaline harpoon, teething biscuits, baby wipes, hairspray, and more—and also because the basket seemed set up to not let you get your stuff out once you’d foolishly shoved it in.
“Can I have my iPod out?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Why not? If this place is as insulated as you say, there’s no way I’d get some cheater transmission or
“That’s because this floor is insulated in all ways,” Sandra said. She didn’t add “duh,” but it was obvious she was thinking it. “So you can leave to make your phone call, or we can follow the orders given.”
Chuckie seemed torn. I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t want to let Sandra win this one on general principles, all oddities aside. Plus, I wasn’t wild about being tested all by myself in the first place, and I was certain Mom wouldn’t be pleased that Buchanan wasn’t in the room with me.
Then again, getting this test over with had advantages, and we were already here. “I’ll be okay,” I said quietly to Chuckie.
Jeff took my arm and Chuckie’s and moved us away from Sandra’s desk. “I’m not getting anything but annoyance from her,” he said in a low voice. “She wants us to stop wasting her time so she can get her job done and go home, but that’s all I’ve gotten. No malicious intent, other than the fact she’s not happy to be here on the weekend.”
“I don’t like it,” Chuckie said. “There’s no reason for Kitty to be tested separately, other than to have an easy way to attack her when she has no backup.”
“You want to go back and do this at Langley?” Jeff didn’t seem excited by the idea. “We have a lot going on that we have to handle the moment we’re back in D.C.”
Chuckie heaved a sigh. “No, you’re right. I’m probably seeing things that aren’t there.”
“First time for everything. Chuckie, seriously, if you don’t think this is safe, let’s go and we’ll deal with this back at the Embassy.”
“I can’t read any of you in on what’s going on until you’ve taken, and passed, this test,” Chuckie s,
“Then let’s just go for it. If someone tries anything, I have hairspray with me.”
Chuckie shrugged. “I’d prefer it if you had your Glock.”
“Left it at home, under the correct assumption the many security checkpoints here would have taken it away from me.”
“Okay, against my better judgment, let’s go for it. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“Superbeing formation and attack,” Jeff said without missing a beat.
“Superinsulated floor,” I reminded him. “I’d expect an assassinationattempt, if I were you.”
Chuckie rubbed his forehead. I had a feeling he had a migraine on the way. “Then you’re the one who needs to be on the alert, Kitty, because you’re the one who’ll be alone.”
CHAPTER 10
A S EXPECTED, Buchanan was no happier with this turn of events than Chuckie, Jeff, or I were, but after some more quiet arguing the others dutifully trotted into their room to the left of Sandra’s desk and I was taken by her into a room on the right.
The room was big enough to handle a full-sized classroom, but there were only two desks and three chairs in it. One desk was all by its lonesome in the middle of the room, and it looked like a deluxe high school desk. Clearly, this was where I was supposed to hang out. The other desk looked like a teacher’s desk, was close to the far wall, and had a normal office chair with it. There was no one in said chair.
“Put your purse in the basket under the chair,” Sandra instructed as she went to the third chair that had no desk partner. It was a high swivel-stool with a back and arms. She looked liked the Good Humor Lifeguard sitting in it.
I did as instructed. It was difficult to shove my purse in, in part because my purse was big and stuffed full of things I felt imperative to have with me at all times—like my iPod, speakers, Jeff’s adrenaline harpoon, teething biscuits, baby wipes, hairspray, and more—and also because the basket seemed set up to not let you get your stuff out once you’d foolishly shoved it in.
“Can I have my iPod out?”
“No. Nothing.”
“Why not? If this place is as insulated as you say, there’s no way I’d get some cheater transmission or
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