Antoinette and the Doctor were upstairs in the airbus the next morning when one of the infants started crying with tiny yowls. “His name’s Philippe,” Doctor Moreaux said, picking him up. “They’re hungry,” he added. Antoinette gently picked up the other baby, cuddling her against her breasts.
She smiled down at the baby. “They are adorable. What is her name?”
”That’s Marie.”
Several of the other Defenders gathered around. Philippe continued to yowl fitfully. Marie nuzzled against Antoinette’s breast, making suckling motions. “Ah, little one. I have nothing for you.” She looked up. “How can we feed them, Doctor?”
”I don’t know. They’re still nursing and I forgot to bring a bottle with me when we left. Do you have anything on this vehicle that would serve as a feeding bottle?”
She frowned, shaking her head. “Not that I know of.”
Jay snapped his fingers. “Got an idea,” he said, turning to a first aid kit on the wall under one of the windows. He opened it and took out a flushing syringe, a rubber ball with a nozzle on one end. “Would this work? Fill it with milk and squeeze it out slowly?”
”Yes, indeed. That would do admirably. Now, have we any milk?”
”I’ll go to the galley and make some up,” Jay offered, turning to the ladder.
”Tracker, Antoinette, may I speak to you for a few minutes?” Marsha asked.
Marsha took them to the front end of the upper deck, away from the others. They sat and Antoinette looked at her curiously. “We may have a little problem when we get back to Base, and Scott wants you to be prepared for it. Animal, it seems, was with us as a FORCE undercover agent, investigating the report of a possible spy in our midst. When you disappeared, he accused you, Tracker.” Antoinette tensed with anger. “He apparently made quite a fuss, told FORCE, wanted you arrested and turned over to him so he could take you back to the National FORCE headquarters.” Tracker watched her expressionlessly, muscles tense.
”I will kill him!” Antoinette was quivering with rage. “That jealous imbecile! He warned me I would regret choosing Tracker over him.”
”I sympathize with your feelings, Antoinette, but you must not do anything to him,” Marsha warned. “That’s why we wanted to tell you ahead of time. I don’t think there will be a problem unless you cause it. Magnum apparently told Animal to stow it. Said that, according to Scott, the evidence that you’d defected suggested at least as clearly that you’d been kidnapped, instead. That the first order of business was to rescue you and that if he didn’t stop interfering, he would have him confined to quarters. What I’ve seen since then seems to pretty well prove you were kidnapped, Tracker, so I don’t expect any real trouble.”
Antoinette took a deep breath, struggling to control her anger, and nodded. “Thank you, Marsha. I will not start anything.”
