Spaghetti Invasion

A Clean Plate

"Sarah? Where are you?" Sam sounded worried.

"Oh come on, Dad. Stop wasting time. Wait another forty-five seconds and you'll have the address." Sarah hoped he could hear the grin in her voice.

"This is important, okay? I went to Birdman with information vital to defeating the Spaghetti Men but he double-crossed me. Since I have others to consider, I had to go off the grid for safety's sake. I still have those others to consider. Can you set up a meeting with the brass for them? It's a matter of global security."

She waited for a few seconds but Sam didn't say anything. Sarah knew she was out of time. "Dad, I don't have much time. I know everyone thinks I'm a traitor and if the 187th arrests me, it'll ruin everything. I'll call back for your answer."

"Sarah, wait!" Sam sounded desperate this time, and Sarah knew he was trying to stall her. She hung up, tears in her eyes. It was a long walk back to where everyone was staying. Sarah used the time to compose herself.

Now what? Blue asked after Sarah returned.

"Now we wait," answered Declan from the bed without hesitation. "How'd it go, Love?"

Sarah favored him with a tired smile, feeling bolstered by both the endearment and the true affection in his accented voice. "Not so good. They didn't get a fix, which is good; but Dad wasn't as cooperative as I thought he would be. I'll call again late tonight."

Declan nodded, his expression approving. "Keeps him off balance; you've good ideas."

"I'm going to need Blue's help though," Sarah frowned. "By this time tomorrow, the 187th will have people all over the city, waiting for me to call again. As soon as they have a fix, they'll send it to the nearest sneaks."

"Of course, I'll help." Blue nudged Indigo. "Yellow will see to this one, I expect." Indigo reached her muzzle up to nudge his affectionately. Sarah went to do some grocery shopping.

Just before midnight, Sarah appropriated a cellular phone. Blue sat quietly while Sarah punched in the numbers. "Hi Dad; did you think about what I'd said?"

"Sarah?" He sounded half-asleep. "Where are you?"

"You know better, Dad. What about it?"

"Birdman says you ran off with that pilot."

"I did, but not just him. Where does Birdman say I am?"

"You used your card last in Falls Church." Sarah smiled at his reply. Her grocery run had been a long one, but worth it to throw them off the scent. She'd managed to obtain a bit of cash and rented a seedy apartment with it. Illegal sub-lets were temporary at best, but untraceable.

"I guess I'd better be more careful. Declan Miller has information we need to defeat the Spaghetti Men, so do the others with me. Dad, I need an answer."

"Move and call me back."

Sarah ended the call and put the phone near where she'd taken it from. "He'll help, or he wouldn't have told me to call again. Come on, Blue. I need a different phone."

Over a mile from where she'd made her last call, Sarah called her dad again. "Honey, I'm sending someone I trust to where we found the great pastrami," the Colonel said, then hung up.

What does he mean by that? With the Aicur's excellent hearing, Blue had no trouble hearing the entire conversation.

"There's a little deli on the other side of the city," Sarah explained. "Only he and I would know what that means."

So your father is going against his leaders?

"I guess he trusts me more than them. Come on Blue. Do you think we can make it before them?"