Alien Mine Ch. 12a

***

Leslie sighed as she moved through the reception that night, drink in hand, meeting and talking to boring consular officials and politicians. She was unhappy knowing the others were making love while she had to attend official functions, but at least Amancia was with her. Leslie was wearing a long black skirt and heels with a tight blouse of soft gray material. The blouse was lower cut than usual, emphasizing her new breasts. Leslie had to admit she enjoyed the attention "the girls' attracted. It was not something she would have worn even a month ago, but now she found herself wanting to show off her new body. Underneath, she still wore the bodysuit; she never went anywhere without it these days.

The CIA did not often attend these kinds of events, at least not senior figures like herself. However, it was hosted by the Vietnamese, and it had been quietly suggested someone there wanted to speak with her. That, someone, had been an intelligence officer like herself.

The intelligence officer from Vietnam was female, petite, but otherwise dressed blandly: a gray skirt and matching blouse, sandals with a minimal amount of jewelry. Leslie thought there was nothing special about her. That she was willing to share information about their northern neighbor was. Other countries were getting more and more concerned about the saber-rattling and were trying to gauge the US position.

As Leslie listened, her new abilities continued to cause her distraction. First, information about the contact was displayed in her mind instantly. Her complete dossier, assignments, likes, sexual orientation, previous lovers all flashed through her mind. Then the flood of intelligence data that followed was almost overwhelming. It seemed that she was not the only one to notice strange rumors coming from China. By the time the conversation was finished, Leslie knew more than the contact did, all of it classified but now accessible to her.

It was like that wherever she looked, information about each face, names, who they worked for, etc. It was too much at times; she would need to learn how to better control it. As she moved through the crowd, Leslie looked around for Amancia, she wasn't hard to spot surrounded by men and a few women. Amancia had worn a more practical midnight blue pants suit but with very high heels and looked sexier than any other woman in the room. Leslie watched as men and women followed her with their eyes, and she received numerous offers of conversation and drinks. Leslie smiled to herself, wondering what the many admirers would think if they had any idea how dangerous she was.

This was Amancia's first Washington reception, yet she moved through it like she had been doing it all her life. Poised, beautiful, sexy, she was the whole package. She would make a great spy, Leslie thought. Amancia could probably gather more information than a seasoned intelligence officer, especially if she took a few of them to bed.

Leslie accepted another drink from a waiter and turned her attention back to the man talking with her. Information about him flowed into her brain, a summary of his career, social media posts, pictures from his camera. Ugh, he really shouldn't have those pictures of himself; she felt sorry for whomever he was sending them to. Some men view themselves as hunks when they are literally dough. Quietly smiling, Leslie let her gaze drift around the room, trying to empty her mind as the information flowed in. It was too much, and she closed her eyes for a moment. I need to talk to Rhys about getting better control, she thought, turning her attention back to the man in front of her. He seemed interested in her chest, something new to Leslie. Surprisingly she didn't mind, men finding her sexually attractive was something she was still getting used to, and she liked it. "Time to leave," she told Amancia over her implanted comms. She had what she came for, and she was feeling aroused again. I'm like a teenager again with hormones out of control, she said to herself, and it feels good.

Amancia had generally stayed close to Leslie but now was working her way toward the door. She was by far the most dangerous person in the room and was more heavily armed than any security. However, Leslie still found it amazing that Amancia could move so effortlessly through the crowd. She was talking and laughing while at the same time monitoring multiple drones inside and outside the building and constantly scanning the crowd for threats. Amancia made her final goodbyes and slid out the door. One of their goals had been to gradually introduce the 'Miranda Group' to the international community. Judging from the way everyone had reacted to Amancia, it would be an easy task. Leslie was sure there were already google searches going on as people tried to find more background on Amancia and the unknown "Miranda Group."

Finally breaking loose from the crowd of admirers, Amancia brought the car around, the large SUV Leslie hated. Amancia moved over, letting Leslie get into the driver's seat. Amancia wanted her hands free in case of trouble, so Leslie had to drive. Pulling away, she remembered how much she preferred her previous car, a sleek sports car that could whip in and out of traffic. This one reminded her of movies where government agents always drove in large vehicles painted black. At least it was gray, though it did have a black interior, but, of course, neither the cars in the movies nor those in real life were armed or armored like this one.

Leslie had attended many such gatherings in her career, and they never ceased to bore her. At least this time, Amancia had been there with her. She had brought dates to parties like this, but none like Amancia. There were a few raised eyebrows at Leslie's 'date,' and no doubt rumors were already spreading that she now had a lesbian lover. Well, she did, but since they shared Rhys, they technically weren't Lesbians.

"You had quite a few men chasing you around tonight," Leslie said, smiling at Amancia. Even dressed down, there was something very sexy about her.

"I did; there were a couple of handsome men and a few that could have been my father," she said with a giggle, but, if they had known how many weapons I had on me, they probably wouldn't have been so handsy. One Chinese fellow was quite persistent though he didn't show up on any database of diplomats. Bob finally found him; army intelligence though there is no record of him entering the country. I will have a tail on him when he leaves."

Leslie frowned; that did not sound good. That meant he had been smuggled in, and there was never a good reason for that to happen. Also, if he was undercover, what was he doing at the reception? "What kind of Army intelligence?" Leslie asked.

Amancia queried the Chinese records. "Special forces, commandos, he has a good combat record, western China, the border with India, Syria, and apparently a few assignments in Tanzania where the Chinese have significant mining interests."

Leslie had a bad feeling about it, but Amancia cut off her thought with a warning.

"We are being trailed, and cars are getting ready to cut us off up ahead, and a map with hostiles marked appeared on her tac grid."

Leslie felt a bolt of fear cut through her as adrenaline flooded her system. "Om?" she asked, her voice surprisingly calm. Though who else could it be.

"Looks like another attempt; they must want you bad for some reason," Amancia said, reaching down and pulling out her rifle and two helmets.

"I am the only one they can get to right now. I am going to have a discussion with Rhys about it," she said. Surprisingly, Leslie felt no immediate panic, just a shot of adrenalin and a slightly increased heartbeat. She had been more anxious meeting new bosses than being attacked again.

They were both wearing the anti ballistic body suit under their clothes, and there was armor in the car and a wide selection of weapons. Amancia casually took off her pants suit, scrambled into light armor and helmet, then held the wheel while Leslie struggled to do the same. The armor was supple and fit easily to their bodies. Effective against the Trangrods they had fought before but not against whatever it was that had been in the warehouse. Amancia grabbed her rifle from the compartment and put Leslie's on the seat beside her. The weapons were sleek, even with the grenade launcher attached.

"Should we call Rhys?" Leslie asked, keeping an eye out while trying to guess where the ambush would take place.

"Already done; they are getting into the shuttle now. Turn here, let's see if we can draw this out for a while until they get here."

The mental map changed in Leslie's mind. Her ability to use the tac-grid was increasing, and having a mental map complete with drone information was way better than google. She swerved down a one-way street the wrong way and accelerated around a corner.

"They are pursuing," Amancia said calmly.

Leslie could see them on the display in her mind, red dots moving to try and cut her off. She jerked the SUV down another street, around another corner, and then accelerated up onto a divided road.

"The shuttle is inbound,' Amancia said.

Leslie took an off-ramp without slowing down, turned down another street, dodging parked cars, then out again onto the highway. Amancia had drones spread out, watching for an ambush.

They seem to be trying to herd us," she said, watching the drones. "Why not just use the drones to take out their vehicles?"

These are not armed," she reminded Leslie," and Rhys wants us to delay if we can until he gets here; he wants all of them, including any Om that may be here."

"I don't think we are going to be able to stay away from them that long; I see others moving to cut us off," Leslie said tensely. She remembered all too well the last attack, but this time she at least had light armor, and the two of them were a match for any human attackers. Taking a deep breath, she reminded herself how much stronger and quicker she was now. Her strength had grown with her symbiont, and two weeks had made a significant difference, being much more dangerous now and better armed.

Following Amancia's instructions, she allowed their pursuers to herd them away from town into the countryside, a flat empty area with a few trees. No place to take cover, she thought as she increased speed to 160 Km.

"Lead them this way," Rhys ordered over her comm gear, and a new direction appeared on her tac-grid.

Leslie felt a thrill when she heard Rhys' voice. Then, her anxiety dropped further, and a calmness set in. She hit the brake, turned sharply, tires squealing, and jumped a curb, steadying out on a narrow country lane.

"Rhys and the shuttle are getting into position up ahead," Amancia said while concentrating on the pursuing vehicles. The pursuit seemed content to follow at this point. Leslie was focused on the road when two things happened at once. First, the road in front of her disappeared into a deep hole, and then she was thrown through the roof as Amancia ejected them from the car. The vehicle came apart as it was struck by several faint beams of light before impact.

The world slowed down as Amancia shifted into combat mode. She welcomed the now-familiar feeling of a predator as her senses sharpened, and she felt the almost sensual need of the panther to hunt and kill. She grabbed Leslie, protecting her as the ejection threw them clear of the car and into a hard roll as they hit the ground. They were still moving at close to one hundred km, and their speed saved them as violet beams hit the area behind them as they tumbled.

Leslie was surprised she was still alive as they rolled and tumbled across the ground. Hearing cars, she could see three vehicles angled across the field toward them. Then Amancia pulled her tightly to the ground before she could get up, shielding her body as bright beams cut across the sky. The shuttle was suddenly there firing at something they couldn't see, there was immediate return fire from the violet beams that impacted the shuttle's shields. "You and Leslie take the men on the ground; we are going after the Om," Rhys ordered Amancia.

With the Om suddenly trying to escape from the trap it found itself in, Leslie and Amancia were free to focus on their human opponents. The men sprang from their vehicles spreading out, and it was clear from the way they moved that this was a well-trained combat team, not the usual thugs they had been facing. Amancia counted fifteen; grinning, they would need a lot more than that. "Go left, kill everyone; I will take a few prisoners," she told Leslie, handing her the rifle she had grabbed before ejecting them from the car. The shared tac grid would give anyone a significant advantage in combat effectiveness, but it would be a slaughter with their speed and weapons.

Leslie was initially confused when she sank into what the girls called 'combat mode'. The almost primal urge to stalk and kill was arousing and too intense to resist. She didn't fight it as she felt her senses sharpen, and everything slowed as her reflexes sped up dramatically. Leslie practically purred in contentment. The attackers seemed to be moving in slow motion, and she had all the time in the world to find a target.

Leslie took a second to get her breath under control, enjoying the grass and dirt under her bare feet even as she came under fire. Then, feeling like a hawk spreading its wings about to dive onto its prey, she knelt on one knee, raised her weapon, and men began to die. It took an expert human sniper 10 seconds to fire and acquire a new target; it took Leslie one. Three were down and the rest scrambling for cover when Leslie jumped to her feet, moving like the hawk she imagined, sprinting toward her targets with long bounds of inhuman speed.

The commander spread out his men to cover his flanks and discourage any pursuit. Other than the crazy pursuit, he expected little trouble capturing two women. If you have to fire, shoot to wound, he had told his men. Their target was the CIA woman; they had no use for her companion. As he began to move forward, the soldier next to him was knocked backward by something that tore a fist-sized hole through his chest. He fell to the ground looking wildly around, trying to determine the source of the attack when another man was blown backward as his head exploded. "Take cover," he shouted, looking frantically around, trying to find the source. He heard his men firing off to his left and was astonished to see one of the women charging their position and moving insanely fast. She was firing as she came, and he heard screams from other men as they were hit.

Disregarding his orders to wound and capture, he hurriedly brought his weapon up and began returning fire. The target was moving inhumanly fast, so he shifted to automatic fire, trying to put enough bullets in her path, but she never slowed. He heard screams and gunfire as she got amongst his men. Panicking, he jumped to his feet to run back to the cars but was immediately knocked to the ground, his weapon yanked away from him. He only then realized the other woman was already there, and the men who had been on his right were dead as well. She was splashed with blood, the rifle spit silent fire as she decapitated two other survivors before they could even raise their weapons. . His mind stunned, he watched in disbelief as the woman casually bent his rifle into a U shape, then turned and looked at him with eyes that seemed to glow in the dark. He felt an inhumanly strong hand grab him, and then he was thrown several feet away.

"Don't move," an icy voice said in perfect Chinese. "We will deal with you in a minute," before disappearing into the night like a wraith out of hell.              

There was no ground for cover, so Leslie had run straight at them, firing as she moved. Amancia was also firing, forcing their assailants to take cover, but even so, Leslie was still hit twice, one bounced off her helmet, and another struck her torso. Neither could penetrate the armor, and the remaining targets still alive were scrambling to dodge her deadly fire. Their only cover was the cars they came in, but they died before they reached them. Then Leslie was there, she leaped over the top of the first vehicle and was among them before they realized it.

She dropped her rifle and grabbed a pistol, shooting the nearest man in the head. Another screamed and swung his rifle like a club at her head, but Leslie was too fast, and stepping in close as Amancia had taught her, she swung her fist. Instead of knocking him down, her fist went through his head, splattering her with his blood and brains. The bird of prey inside her sang a War Song as she shot two more and searched for more enemies to kill. Only then did Leslie realize nearly every one of them was dead. Amancia had captured two, one she recognized from the reception.

Now that the fighting was over, Leslie looked at the dead bodies. Chinese! All of them. Leslie's brain sorted through data, examining and rejecting various ideas. This was no coincidence, Was China cooperating with the Om? How did they get into the US? "We can't let them live," she told Amancia, gesturing at the prisoners, "they have seen us, and this looks like a combat team."

Amancia gazed at her lover, seeing the blood splattering her bodysuit, red almost coving one hand. She nodded to herself, thinking the hours she had spent training with Leslie had paid off. "I know, but you and Kiania need to interrogate them first."

"Where is Rhys?" She asked, realizing she didn't know what had happened to the rest of them.

"They have cornered the Om," she said worriedly. "Two of the strike team have been wounded, but not seriously; one got that beam through his leg. The others are ok."

"Let's join them," She said, starting to move in that direction

"No!" Amancia said firmly. "Rhys said to wait for the shuttle; "he doesn't want us in the battle."

Leslie felt a sudden surge of anger, the giant hawk screaming in frustration at not being allowed to hunt.

Amancia's eyes widened as she felt the sudden rage flowing from Leslie. She is strong, stronger than we realized. "It's a command," Amancia said firmly; ``Rhys has commanded us to remain here with the prisoners." She felt the rage in Leslie subside, but it was still there. I must talk to Rhys and Sandy, she thought to herself while keeping an eye on both Leslie and her prisoners.

Leslie turned her attention to the prisoners staring at them with excitement and anticipation in her eyes. Dressed in dark combat gear, the one Amancia had suspected of being in charge was wounded in the arm and was taller than she expected. Definitely military, his eyes brown, strong chin, but with a grim look about him. The other one, the intelligence officer, was still dressed in clothes he had worn to the reception. Muscles were evident under his clothes, and Leslie could see a scar on his face and one on his hand. Yet, despite seeing his comrades killed, he managed to appear calm, as if waiting for someone to ask for his diplomatic passport if he had one.

But there was no diplomatic immunity for the Om, nor for those who worked for them knowingly or not. Nor did any other rules apply after what had happened in her apartment.

"I don't need to wait for Kiania," Leslie said coldly, thinking about the family that was slaughtered in her home. "These fuckers were trying to kill us, and they are helping the Om. They are going to tell me everything," she said with barely controlled anger. She grabbed the soldier first, saving the intelligence guy for later. Leslie knew what to do. She would let him watch what happened to the first one; he would be more than ready to talk when it was his turn.