“It’s supposed to snow this weekend,” Mattsaid. “You don’t have any leads?”
Kendra shook her head. “Nothing. We havechoppers searching during the day, but they’re grounded at night.He doesn’t talk, so we won’t hear him calling out or anything. Andhe’s nonverbal, and so shy around others that the general consensusis he won’t come if he hears searchers nearby. There’s a whole slewof things out there that could get him if we don’t find him first.It’s all woodland and swamp.”
“I hope he’s all right,” Matt murmured. “Ifhe’s even…”
“Still alive,” Kendra said. “You can say it.We’re all thinking the same thing. Every minute we don’t find him,his chance of survival drops. It’s statistically proven. You don’thappen to have some kind of super GPS power up your sleeve, do you,Vic?”
A wave of helplessness washed over him as heshook his head. What use were his powers if they couldn’t helpsomeone else? “Nothing special today,” he admitted. “Nothing atall.”
Matt draped an arm around Vic’s shoulders.“Someone fell out before we could get it on last night,” heteased.
::Tell the world,:: Vic chastisedsilently.
Matt pulled an ignoble pout. “Sorry. I didn’tmean—”
“But you can still communicatetelepathically, right?” Kendra asked, excitement swelling in hervoice.
Vic shrugged. “Yeah, that’s always there. ButI don’t have much range. I practically have to be up on someone tobe able to talk into their heads.”
::I really am sorry,:: Matt added,rubbing his face against Vic’s shoulder.
Vic enveloped his lover’s mind with his own.::I know, babe. I didn’t mean to snap. It’s just…why do I evenhave these damn powers if I can’t use them to help others? To helpthis little boy?::
::Maybe you can.:: Matt glanced atKendra, and out loud, suggested, “Is there any way one of thechoppers could get up in the air tonight? I mean, I know it’s late,but is there any reason it can’t fly now?”
“The pilots can fly at night, sure,” Kendrasaid, “but no one can spot anything on the ground in the dark.”
“Not with their eyes,” Matt agreed, lookingat Vic. “But what about if someone was looking with hismind?”
Vic frowned. “I don’t think it’ll work. We’dhave to fly pretty low—”
“They can navigate just above the trees,”Kendra assured him with a nod. “You could pick up on someone’sthoughts from that far away, couldn’t you?”
“I don’t know,” Vic hemmed.
Matt hugged him tight. “Well, at least youcan try.”
Kendra unlocked the car doors. “Get in andI’ll take you to the campground parking lot where the SAR team hasset up base. I’m sure I can get you up in a chopper—unless, wait.It’s Valentine’s Day. I don’t want to interrupt your evening.”
But Matt already had the back door open, andhalf-stumbled, half-slid across the car seat. “We can get back towhat we were planning to do after we find the little boy.”
Vic followed Matt into the car. “Are yousure?” he asked. He knew Matt didn’t like him using his powers,especially if they put him in danger, too. And he was sure Matt’slibido would protest the delay in their plans.
So it surprised him when Matt cuddled upagainst him in the back seat of Kendra’s car. “You’re a superhero,”he murmured as Vic’s arm came up behind him. “You’re mysuperhero. But I’m not sure they’ll let me go up in the air withyou. I drank a bit much.”
In the close confines of the car, Matt’salcoholic breath was almost overwhelming. Vic smirked as Kendrastarted the engine. “No, you think?”
* * * *
In the warmth of the back seat, Matt dozed.The wine was hitting him, hard, just as he had intended, but he’dhoped the next stop would be their home. Or, more precisely, theirbed. So when the motion of the vehicle ended and he heard the slamof a car door, he woke with a start. “I’m up,” he muttered, sittingup and rubbing his eyes. “We home?”
“We’re at the campgrounds,” Vic told him.
The phrase meant nothing to Matt. He lookedout the window and saw a ton of parked cars and people millingabout. “Where?”
A blast of cold air swirled around his legsas the passenger side door opened and Kendra ducked inside toretrieve the pizzas. With a glance at Vic, she said, “Let me dropthese off and see if I can’t find someone to take us up. I hope allthe pilots haven’t gone home for the night yet.”
“Up where?” Matt asked, confused, as shecarried the pizzas out of the car. The door slammed shut behindher.
Instead of answering, Vic opened his mind tohis lover. The conversation they’d had earlier about the missingboy filled Matt’s head—not so much the words but the entirety ofit, all at once. He didn’t have to listen to it but relive it, andit stirred his own muddled memories. In an instant, everything cameback to him. “All right, good,” he murmured, nodding.
Kendra was heading towards what Matt firstthought was a white RV. But no, it was larger, maybe even as largeas a mobile home. As she climbed the steps to the side door,though, he noticed the writing on the side. Hanover CountyMobile Command Unit.
Then it hit him, more than Vic’s memorieshad. They were going up in a helicopter to search for that littleboy. Or rather, Vic was going up. And he’d use nothing buthis telepathic powers to look.
And if he was going up, Matt would be therebeside him.
Shit just got real, he thought.Followed hard by, I need to sober up, fast.
He lunged for the door, but before he couldget it open, Vic caught the back of his coat. There was amusementin his lover’s voice when Vic asked, “Where do you think you’regoing?”
“I need coffee,” Matt told him. “I can’t flylike this. I’ll throw up.”
“You can stay here,” Vic reminded him.
Matt gave him a crazed look. “It’sValentine’s Day. Wherever we go, we’re spending it together.Besides, I’ve never been in a helicopter before.”
“Me, either,” Vic admitted, “but I don’t knowif I want you up there with me if you’re going to get sick.”
“They must have coffee somewhere, don’t youthink?”
Vic
