"Camp David!" Bill shouted as I was hustled on board the helicopter, right behind the President.
We were flying along at a fast clip and I was still getting odd looks from the Secret Service guys. Maybe they'd never ridden in a helicopter with a vampire before. How was I to know? We were almost to our destination when I got mindspeech from Tony.
Lissy, Gavin is about to take the house apart. Where are you?
With the President and Director Bill, I returned. Tell Gavin he can have his hissy fit when I get back.
Lissy, I just told him where you were and I think it's a good thing you can't see his face right now.
Tony, find out if vampires can have a stroke, I sent back.
René says no, but apoplexy might be an option.
Is he yelling yet or calling Wlodek?
The phone is in his hand; I think he's waiting to calm down, first.
That could take a while. Tell him this is all my idea—I didn't know Bill wanted to take me; I just happened to be misting over the White House while they were revving up the helicopter.
Lissy, telling him this is all your idea may be a mistake right now.
Tony, you tell him and Wlodek too, that they'll never put me in one of those holding cells again.
Lissy, I don't have enough clout to tell anybody anything. I can give the info to René, but that's the best I can do.
I know. I hate being treated like a six-year-old.
Yeah. I'm right there with you on that.
* * *
"What did she say?" Gavin snapped. René was right beside Tony in case Gavin became violent. He didn't want to fight Gavin, but he also didn't want Gavin attacking his newest child because he was the one receiving Lissa's mindspeech. Winkler and Roff had left the safe house the moment Gavin became angry.
"She said something about not liking the holding cells," Tony said, watching Gavin carefully.
"Inform her, please, that she is still recuperating from two gunshot wounds to her chest. Inform her please, that I am about to lose my mind. Inform her, please, that I have already lost my temper and I have been commanded by Wlodek to let him know if she goes off on her own at any time. Inform her, please, that the hole I am about to put in the wall is her fault and no other's." Gavin set his cell phone carefully on the tiny kitchen table and then punched his fist through the cinderblocks of the wall so swiftly even Tony couldn't follow it. Bits of crumbled concrete followed Gavin's fist as he withdrew it from the newly formed hole in the wall. Tony could see the thick steel plate behind the cinderblocks was dented severely.
"Gavin is not angry with you," René assured Tony. Tony was worried about Lissa more than himself. Gavin lifted his phone after brushing bits of concrete off his hand and dialed Wlodek's number. It would be day soon in England, so Gavin was making the call as quickly as he could. Charles picked up immediately.
"Charles, I need to speak with the Honored One," Gavin growled. Charles wasted no time, getting Wlodek on the phone immediately.
"Gavin?" Wlodek's voice held a question.
"Our little Queen has gone off the reservation," Gavin snapped. Tony stood by and listened while Wlodek cursed fluently in Greek.
* * *
"How did you like the helicopter ride?" The President gave me a big smile as we climbed out of the SUV that had taken us from the helicopter pad to a nearby building. The sign out front said it was Aspen lodge and I learned that all the cabins and buildings had tree names. There were guards everywhere—all Navy, I learned.
"It was fine except for the noise," I answered the President's question. Bill was right beside us, so I wasn't completely uncomfortable. I was dressed in jeans with a nice blouse and flats. Hey, I didn't know I was going to end up next to the President.
"You really do have sensitive ears?" The president was grinning as we walked inside Aspen Lodge.
"I can hear the other end of a cell phone conversation, even if you were standing over in that corner," I pointed to the corner farthest from us.
"That's outstanding," he said. "Come on; let's see what we can do about hammering out some peace." Bill and I walked behind the President; Secret Service agents and elite Navy guards drew in and surrounded us as we made our way into another room.
I recognized the Russian President right away and thought I knew who the other two were—Pakistan and Afghanistan came to mind. I was getting to see something I'd never thought to see; world leaders talking about what could be done concerning the current situations. Things might have come to some sort of congenial conclusions, too, if Admiral Hafer, five vampires and three former research biologists hadn't come to call.
The vampires had placed compulsion; otherwise, they'd have never gotten past the guards and Secret Service. What was I supposed to do? When Hafer and his newfound cronies rushed in with claws out or guns blazing, I gathered all four leaders and Director Bill inside my mist and got the hell out of there.
* * *
Camp David is located in the Catoctin Mountains in Maryland, and let me tell you, I was just about to have a meltdown, hauling the President and three world leaders along, all of them having a conniption in a different language. Bill was the only one remaining silent. I had to take these guys somewhere and then get back to Hafer and his posse.
The Visitor's Center down the mountain was closed when I dropped my cargo inside it, and I then did my best to place compulsion on three guys whose first language wasn't English. I finally got things under control and felt very thankful that Bill had his cell phone with him. He was calling for a helicopter and as much firepower as he could get as I left him and the others behind. Sorry, Mr. President, I sent as I turned to mist and flew upward through the ceiling.
I discovered why three kidnapped research biologists had been dragged along on this little attempt at murder and espionage; they were there to inject my blood into three vampires. I saw three distinct spots of mist when I returned to Aspen Lodge. I was hovering in a corner of the ceiling, watching as three patches of mist floated closer to the floor. They weren't used to flying high overhead yet, so that might give me a bit of an advantage. I also didn't want to kill Hafer unless I had to—I figured Bill would like to get his hands on Mr. Spy Pants.
Hafer was ordering the remaining two vampires, the Secret Service and the Navy guards about, making me think they hadn't been alerted to his new status as a spy. Hafer was shouting at them, telling them that the President and his guests had been abducted and the entire compound needed to be searched. He told them to be on the lookout for a female spy (I'm assuming that meant yours truly). Hafer was also instructing them not to shoot at me or damage me in any way. At least he'd been briefed, whereas Larry Frazier hadn't. They still thought the President and the others were somewhere on the grounds. Hafer wasn't asking anyone to search anywhere else.