#Chapter 161 – Mind to Mind

Victor stays in Alvin’s room that night. At some point, Burton had brought them up bowls of soup and rich crusty bread, but Victor hadn’t eaten his. He was pleased, though, to see that Alvin still had an appetite.

The boy had been hungry and clearly was not nearly so devastated as Victor was. Victor couldn’t really understand why – Alvin was just a six year old kid who had just lost, apparently, his mother and his brother. Why wasn’t he freaking out?

They watched some television passively, Victor letting Alvin pick whatever he wanted. Only Alvin watched, really. Victor, instead, watched his son.

“Are you okay, kid?” Victor had asked, reaching out a hand to palm the back of Alvin’s head, stroking his soft dark hair.

Alvin had turned to him with a shrug. “I’m sad,” he said, considering it. “But it will be okay.”

Victor had frowned at him, confused. He had no such confidence – in fact, everything felt absolutely the opposite of okay right now. Everything felt deeply, deeply doomed.

“What do you mean?” Victor asked.

Alvin just shrugged again, turning his attention back to the television. “Don’t worry, dad,” he had said, leaning back into his pillows and staring at the screen. “Ian and I have a plan.”

Victor had laughed a little at this. It’s not that he didn’t take Alvin seriously – it’s just very sweet that his two little boys had a plan in action. God, how were they only six?

And it’s not that he didn’t believe that his sons really did have a plan – but this problem was so much more complicated and big than Alvin or Ian really knew or could understand. There’s no way they could have a real solution. Still, if it brought Alvin comfort to believe that things were under control, then Victor wasn’t going to disturb his peace.

“Thanks, kid,” Victor had said, leaning back against the pillows himself. “I knew I could always count on you.”

Alvin nodded lightly as his dad closed his eyes to rest, just for a minute…

It’s dawn when Victor wakes up, a curse on his lips. s**t, s**t. He hadn’t meant to sleep that long – there were things that he needed to do.

Blinking, Victor looks around to see that Alvin is curled up next to him, his head pillowed on Victor’s arm. Victor takes a minute to smile, considering his son’s face, and then slowly begins to pull his arm away, doing his best to make sure Alvin’s head has a soft landing on a pillow.

Alvin stirs, but doesn’t awaken.

Victor sits up, yawning, and grabs his phone from the table next to him. About a million messages are there from his Beta teams, all reporting, giving reconnaissance about Amelia’s whereabouts, information about insurance on the house…

He skips through them all, looking…

But no. No messages from Evelyn. s**t.

He opens their text thread and sends a brief one to her. Anything, really, to get in touch.

Victor: Evelyn?

moments before the phone

Undeliverable.

s**t. What

their plan through mutual agreement months ago, after the stalker had broken into their house. It had been a safety measure, but

clicks into it, selecting Evelyn’s phone. The app whirrs for a

Track latest updated

and then selects

That must have been where she changed the settings on her phone, maybe picked

could be anywhere by

He’d have to get his Betas on it – his data team pulling any and all records of Evelyn’s personal data. Maybe she’d used a credit card somewhere, or

aware of all that. She

taken out thousands of dollars in cash.

and Victor turns to look at him, sorry if, somehow,

Alvin says, rubbing his eyes.

want it to be,” Victor says. “But you

Alvin says, smiling at him and

says Victor, standing up and putting out a hand for

out

me

little disappointed

tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of grain. “Youuu traitor,” he growls and

play after such a horrible day yesterday, but the little boy’s laughter goes right to his heart, warming it. Damnit, but

for Alvin, Burton

says, dressed in his full

he puts Alvin back on his feet.

just blinks at him a little. “It is my job

did you know?” Victor asks,

says, smiling cryptically. Then he turns his attention to

his hands on his

sneer just barely on his face. “I’m afraid pancakes are not on the menu,” he says. “I will

looks at Victor inquisitively and Victor nods, communicating that he, too, will

stairs. When she sees him, Bridgette hurries her pace and comes quickly to the table, wrapping her arms around Victor from behind.

little squeeze before sitting down next to him at the table. “How are you doing,

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