“I was in New York looking at Ground Zero,” said Reuben. “One of their pod monsters started shooting at me. Some cops and I got the sucker down on the ground and looked inside. Then I got a dozen or so cops out of the city and helped plug the Jersey side of the Holland Tunnel. There I pulled a semi-living soldier out of one of the mechs for later interrogation. I also saved the body armor and personal electronics of one of their ground troops. And you want to arrest me for something you know damn well I tried to prevent?’”
There was silence for a moment.
“Hell, Malich, I don’t want to arrest you, but that’s the orders we’re getting.”
“Getting from where?” said Reuben. “Doesn’t it occur to you that the same people who gave my plans to the terrorists might be the people who are ordering you to arrest me?”
“Major Malich, you know as well as I do that it’s possible to be a hero and a traitor. Benedict Arnold was.”
“Not on the same damn day,” said Reuben. He turned the phone off.
“Probably talked too long,” said Cole.
“They already know I’m in Jersey.”
“I’d throw away that phone.”
“And lose all my speed dial numbers?” Reuben tossed it out the window. “This is getting expensive. I wish I had some of the budget these guys had to build the mechs.”
“I thought they were pod monsters.”
“One is the brand name, the other’s the generic. Like Coke and soda pop.”
“Or heroin and smack. I noticed how you made yourself the lone ranger. I did this, I did that.”
“Trying to keep you out of the discussion.”
“Yeah, like the cops will forget there were two Army guys helping them.”
“I can’t stand to share credit,” said Reuben. “Live with it.”
Reuben came toward Aunt Margaret’s house from the north and parked the car two streets away. “Keeping your weapons with you?” he asked Cole.
“I’m not taking a piss without my weapons, sir,” said Cole.
“Just don’t yank the clip out of the wrong one,” said Reuben.
“I’ll keep that in mind, sir.” Cole got out of the car.
Reuben drove on to the house.
Nobody waiting out in front. No news vans. No police cars. No military vehicles. No unmarked black cars with guys in suits.
So maybe the guys who were after him weren’t perfect.
Or maybe they just didn’t care enough right now to make him a top priority, compared to, say, conquering New York.
When he went into the house, Cessy greeted him with a hug. She had been crying. “Where were you?” she said.
“I don?
?t think we can make it to Mass this morning,” he said.
“You were there, weren’t you. You and Coleman, you had to go into the city, didn’t you?”
“We didn’t know this was invasion day,” said Reuben. “But we got out alive. Now we’ve got to get out of here. They know we’re in Jersey, it doesn’t take a genius to think of checking the homes of known relatives.”
“Who’s after you?” she asked.