Cloud Dust: RD-1 by Connie Suttle Read Free Book Online Page A

Corinne—latent talents or such—because she'd only been brought to the Mansion
recently, after being on the outside for more than five years.
    That spelled one thing to me—she'd suddenly become more
valuable. Whatever the talent was, it wasn't common knowledge. The Five thought
her just as ineffective as they'd always imagined.
    I'd gotten an earful, too, from Corinne's handler about PTSD,
which Corinne has. I didn't interrupt the rant, although I knew more about the
illness than he did. I'd seen too many—soldiers and spies—formerly strong and
resilient, suddenly fall because of the affliction. Where I came from, a spy
with PTSD didn't live long. They were too much of a liability.
    It intrigued me, too, why they'd given Corinne—a civilian—the
drug. Perhaps we were more alike than I wanted to think. Information can be quite
valuable, and I figured Corinne held something they wanted.
    Just as I did.
    "I hear you're gonna teach Corinne Krav Maga,"
Becker snickered as I studied the remains of my breakfast. The eggs, toast and
ham I'd consumed. I've never liked hash browns. Those stayed on my plate,
untouched.
    "Are you an expert?" I refused to blink as I turned
to him, lifting an eyebrow in speculation.
    "I'm good enough," he growled. Easy to anger,
that one .
    "Maye's the expert," Ken intervened. Peacemaker .
    "I'd like to see you take her on," Nick said. Instigator .
    "I just arrived," I said. "I'd like to settle
in before anyone attempts to bloody me up."
    "I believe it's my choice whether I bloody anyone or
not," Maye lifted her cup of tea gracefully. Deadly—no doubt about that .
Curly red hair? The best disguise I'd ever seen .
    "I have news," General Safer walked up to our table.
We'd met in a private corner of the cafeteria, but still visible to anyone who
came inside. I recognized him, even before I'd been informed that he was
currently in charge of the Program.
    When the President replaced General Edwards, Safer would go
back to his former position of second-in-command. Meanwhile, he had news. All
of us at the table quieted, waiting to hear what it was.
    "The President just named a new Secretary of Defense, who
will be placed in charge of the Program."
    "Who?" Carol White, Kevin Harvey's handler, asked.
    "General Paul Cutter," Safer deadpanned.
    * * *
    Corinne
    "One last thing," Dr. Shaw said before draining his
coffee cup. I'd gotten up and made coffee for both of us in my kitchen, while
we talked. I liked having our session there, instead of going to Dr. Shaw's
office downstairs.
    "There's a last thing?" I asked.
    "The President named a new Secretary of State."
    "It's Cutter, isn't it?" I mumbled, staring at my
fuzzy slippers.
    "It's Cutter. I'm surprised you know about him."
    "You can't turn on the television and not know," I
muttered. "He's a nightmare. Please tell me he won't be in charge of the
Program."
    "I can't tell you that."
    "Dr. Shaw, the virus has been introduced. Be ready for
the consequences," I said.
    "What do you mean? He's charged with preserving national
security."
    "In his mind, that has nothing whatsoever to do with what
we are," I snapped.
    * * *
    "Corinne?" August walked in after barely tapping on
the door outside the kitchen. He and Ilya/Rafe found Shaw and me at the kitchen
island, having our debate about General Cutter, asshole extraordinaire. Cutter
was army, so Shaw was doing his best to defend him.
    I wasn't buying the load of excrement the good doctor thought
to sell.
    "Corinne, I wanted to introduce—properly—Rafe Black, the
newest addition to the Program," August announced.
    "Any more coffee?" Rafe asked immediately.
    "Look, I figure you got enough in the cafeteria, but if
you think it's necessary to break the ice, then sure, we have coffee. Caf?
Decaf? I don't have anything that went through an animal first, so if that's
what you want, you're on your own."
    "There's something you should know," August nodded
toward a barstool, silently telling Rafe to sit. "Corinne, here,