Universal Alien by Gini Koch Page A

ram any of the kids into branches and such. Could not say the same for myself. However, I’d gotten some increased strength along with the hyperspeed, so I managed to get us through and keep on going.
    Sure enough, after I stumbled and bumbled us around for a while, I managed to find the edge of the golf course. Ran onto the nice grass that had no trees trying to stab me and the kids and made it about a hundred yards in. Then I stopped and put everyone down.
    As I got Jamie out of her car seat, the boys threw up. Okay, they were human. As I put Jamie onto the ground, though, she threw up, too. So, maybe it was just fear. “It’s okay,” I said as I held her and stroked the younger boy’s back. “It’ll pass.”
    The oldest boy recovered first. “Mommy, what’s going on? Why did those people try to hurt us?”
    Looked around. There was no adult here but me. “Um, who are you talking to, honey?” I asked him.
    He’d already looked scared, but his expression changed, to a different kind of fear. “I’m talking to
you
, Mommy.”

CHAPTER 10
    T HE YOUNGER BOY STOPPED BARFING and got to his feet. He looked at me closely. Then he took Jamie’s hand and pulled her away from me. “That’s not Mommy,” he said in a low voice.
    I ignored him, since he was right, and took her back. “Jamie-Kat, are you okay? Tell Mommy if you got hurt.”
    She cocked her head at me. Then she smiled. “You did great. Mommy.” There was something extremely off in how she’d said this, and as she leaned against me, I tried to figure out what it was. Realized that she’d said my name as if she’d made a decision to call me Mommy, not that she actually thought I was her mother.
    Watched the boys out of the corner of my eye. The older one looked shocked and freaked out. The younger one looked suspicious and worried.
    â€œMommy, why don’t you know us?” the older one asked, almost pleadingly. “It’s me, Charlie. And Max,” he pointed to the younger boy. Charlie looked familiar, but not because I’d seen him before. But I knew I’d seen someone who looked like him before. Possibly because my head still hurt, I just couldn’t place who.
    Before I could reply a couple of older men rolled up in a golf cart. “You and your kids okay, ma’am?” the driver asked.
    â€œNot really. We were attacked and shot at and our car exploded and I need to call my husband. And the Secret Service.”
    The two men looked at each other and chuckled. “I’m sure the regular police will be fine, honey,” the passenger said.
    â€œI doubt it. We were attacked by men who drove us off the road and shot out our tires. And then they shot up our car so that it blew up. I think.” I hadn’t looked behind me to be sure, after all.
    â€œUh
huh
,” the driver said. “I’m Hershel, this is Hymie.” He looked at me expectantly.
    â€œI’m Kitty. This is Jamie. And Charlie and Max.”
    â€œOkay,” Hershel said. “Well, Kitty, Jamie, Charlie and Max, we have no guns, but I don’t see anyone pursuing you, so I think you’re in the clear. Let’s get you and your kids back to the clubhouse, honey. I think we can fit you all in if your little girl can sit on your lap.”
    They both got out and Hymie put Jamie’s car seat in the back of the cart with their clubs. As they helped me and the kids into the back seat, my brain nudged—something was off with this. Not with the kids—something was clearly off with them—but with the reactions from the two men.
    I was the wife of the Vice President. I was now one of the most recognized people in the D.C. area. Sure, if we were in Des Moines, maybe no one would know who I was. But since the campaign, or what I thought of as Operation Defection Election, I couldn’t walk outside without paparazzi following me, and