Cullen rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his eyes distant as he worked through the possibilities. "Maybe Hewes has spies at Area 51," he suggested.
"Maybe," I said, though something about that explanation didn't sit right with me. A nagging instinct I'd learned to trust during my years in politics. "But we can't worry about that now. We need to figure out how to get to Hewes."
"That's going to be difficult," Cullen said, settling back in his chair with a heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of everything we were up against. "He'll be suspicious as hell. He's probably locked down the White House tighter than Fort Knox."
I nodded, my mind churning through possibilities, each scenario playing out in rapid succession. Then something clicked into place. "Declan knew I met with you," I said, turning my gaze to the Prime, studying her features for any hint of what she might be thinking. "He knew about the plan to capture him. That's why he moved first."
"Yes," the Prime said carefully, her voice measured in a way that made me think she'd already traced this same line of reasoning.
"So, it would be expected that you'd be reaching out to check how things went, right? To see if the plan succeeded?" I felt the idea crystallizing as I spoke, each word building on thelast until the full picture emerged. "What if we use that? What if you contact Declan and ask for another meeting?"
Cullen straightened in his seat, his posture shifting from weary to alert in an instant. "You want to draw him out."
"Exactly." I glanced around the table, searching each face for signs of doubt or agreement, trying to gauge whether they thought I was brilliant or insane. "He thinks he's won. He's got control of my office, my country—everything he's been working toward for God knows how long. If the Prime requests a meeting, his ego won't let him refuse. He'll want to gloat, to show off his power, to rub his victory in our faces."
Xytol leaned forward, his dark eyes thoughtful and penetrating in that way that made me feel like he could see straight through me. "There's more to it than ego, I think. Declan wants the Prime out of the way. She's his main obstacle when it comes to the human slavery trade. With her gone, and the contacts he's made within the Alliance, he could orchestrate having someone made Prime who would remove the protections for humans—make Earth ripe for the plundering."
The room fell silent as the weight of his machinations settled over us like a suffocating blanket. The implications were staggering, not just for me, not just for America, but for every being in the cosmos.
"He'd jump at the chance," Cullen said slowly, his voice cutting through the heavy quiet. "He'd see it as an opportunity he couldn't pass up."
"But he'll be suspicious," I said, worrying my lower lip between my teeth as I worked through the complications. "With Rickon and me on the run, he might be expecting a trap. He's not stupid—paranoid and megalomaniacal, yes, but not stupid."
"Then we give him a reason not to expect one," Xytol said, a slight smile playing at his lips that was equal parts reassuring and unsettling. "We plant a news story. A couple found frozento death in the woods outside Washington. I can create images that make it look like you didn't survive, like you died trying to escape."
I turned to face him fully. "You can do that?" I asked, hearing the mixture of disbelief and reluctant hope in my voice. I felt a cold knot form in my stomach at the thought of seeing my own dead body splashed over the airwaves, but had to admit it was brilliant—disturbing and macabre, but brilliant.
Xytol's expression shifted, and for a moment he looked genuinely insulted, his dark eyes flashing with wounded pride. "Easily," he said, the single word dripping with affronted competence.
Cullen shifted in his seat, leaning forward slightly, his analytical mind already working through the strategy. "That could work," he agreed, his voice carrying a note of approval. "It would give him a false sense of security. Make him think the greatest threat to pretending to be president is gone."
I glanced at Rickon, expecting concern or hesitation, but instead found him wearing a reckless grin. "Put a few bullet holes in me while you're at it," he told Xytol, his tone dark with gallows humor. "We were shot at enough times. Makes it more believable that we didn't survive."
The Prime straightened in her seat with sudden purpose. The shift in her demeanor commanded immediate attention. "I can be back on Earth within a week to meet with Hewes," she announced.
"Absolutely not." Adtovar's voice sliced through the room, sharp and uncompromising. "We will not risk you, Prime. If you are injured or killed, Hewes gets exactly what he wants—chaos in our leadership and an excuse to paint us as the aggressors."
Xabat nodded, his expression grave. "Adtovar is right," he added, his tone brooking no argument. "We cannot put you in that position."
Xytol's voice cut through the mounting tension, already several steps ahead. "Then we disguise someone as the Prime," he said, his long fingers stilling on the tablet as he worked through the logistics. "I can adjust a cuddwisg to make the transformation convincing enough to fool Hewes."
The words left my mouth before I'd fully processed the thought, driven by an instinct I couldn't name. "I'll do it."
"No." Rickon's response came so fast it overlapped with my offer, his entire body going rigid beside me. His jaw clenched so tight I saw the muscle jumping beneath his skin. "Absolutely not."
I turned to face him, forcing myself to meet those dark eyes even as my pulse thundered in my ears. "It has to be me, Rickon." I kept my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through me. "The Prime is female. We move differently than men—our posture, our gestures, the way we carry ourselves." I watched his expression harden with each word, but I pressed on. "Hewes isn't an idiot. He'll be looking for any sign that something's off."
"Ellie…" The way he said my name carried a warning, a plea, and something I couldn't quite identify.
"She's right," Cullen interrupted. His military mind already seeing the tactical advantage. "A male warrior disguised as the Prime would give himself away in a dozen small ways."
Rickon's hands clenched into fists at his sides, knuckles going white. He said nothing, but I felt the war raging inside him. The instinct to protect me was at odds with the logic of what needed to be done. It made me love him even more if that were possible.
Adtovar's voice cut through the tension like a blade through silk. "We will bring down more warriors from theHistoria," he offered. "Enough to ensure your safety, Lady President, and make certain we do not fail in Hewes's capture."
I nodded, my mind already racing ahead to the thousand details that would need to fall perfectly into place. My mouth felt dry as I spoke. "We'll need access to Area 51. It's remote, secure, and he controls everything that happens there now."
I watched as Cullen's expression shifted, something rising to the surface like a submarine breaching dark water. "I'm still an Admiral, even if I have been on leave. I can get us in." He paused, and I followed his gaze as it swept deliberately over the assembled aliens, assessing them with the practiced eye of a man who'd led thousands into combat. "As long as all of you can look like military—Navy to be specific."
