#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

Undeliverable.

What

months ago, after

The app whirrs for a moment, but then it,

Track latest updated

curses internally and then selects

a gas station about an hour east of the cottage. That must have been where she changed the settings on her phone, maybe

could be anywhere by

any and all records of Evelyn’s personal data. Maybe she’d used a credit card somewhere, or checked

aware of all that. She

account to see that she’s taken out thousands of dollars in cash. Part of him

stirs next to him and Victor turns to look

his eyes. “Is it

want it to be,” Victor says. “But you should sleep more, if

at him and sitting up

says Victor, standing up and putting out a hand for

head out the door. “Are you cooking?” He asks.

“Just me today, probably. Burton’s

a subtle little

swooping down and picking up his son, tossing him over his shoulder like a sack of grain. “Youuu traitor,” he growls and Alvin shrieks with laughter as Victor bounces down

Victor honestly didn’t know he’d have the urge or the energy to play after such a horrible day yesterday, but the little boy’s laughter goes right to his heart, warming it. Damnit, but at

Alvin, Burton is indeed

dressed in his full

back on his feet. “What

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

you know?” Victor asks,

is my job to know,” Burton says, smiling cryptically. Then he turns his attention to Alvin. “And is the young master ready

says decisively, his hands on his

straight then, a very tiny sneer just barely on his face. “I’m afraid pancakes are

shrugs, not really caring, and goes to sit at the table. Burton looks at Victor inquisitively

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

down next to him at the table. “How are you doing, are you

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