The End of MindCrack

Chapter 8: Decisions

 Xavier had not liked Zed's plan. Not surprisingly, neither had Etho. Beef hadn't voiced any major opposition, but the look on his face had spoken volumes.

 Zisteau had been slightly surprised to learn that such mute disapproval was much harder to combat than Xavier and Etho's more vocal approach. Still, he felt he had to try.

 “Look. Etho's mysterious stalker won't know Xavier. We can put them on the same flight, send them back together. I know you'd prefer one of us went, Beef, but we'd be recognised. And if Kurt and Vechs have been kidnapped or blackmailed, too, it's possible that Beef and I are already targets."

 Xavier wanted to refuse. Flat out. He wanted to talk away and pretend none of this had ever happened. He had enough problems of his own without taking on Etho and the MindCracker's problems, too. Didn't he?

 Beef was clearly still not happy, but he glanced at Etho and turned back to Zed. "We'll let Xavier decide. After all, he's the one you want to pack off to another country and he'd be well within his rights to say he can't or won't go."

 Xavier's fingers traced his eye patch and his good eye flicked around, momentarily watching Etho, Zisteau, and Beef, but seeming unable to focus long on anyone or anything.

 "I don't have my passport," he whispered at last, his flimsy excuse a non-answer to buy time.

 "Could you get it?" Zed asked. "I'm assuming that means you have one."

 Xavier nodded. How was Aubree going to explain this one to their parents? "Maybe. I'd have to make a phone call."

 The young Texan stepped away from the trio of MindCrackers, mentally cursing himself for slipping his phone into his right pocket that morning. He'd done it before getting dressed. Before he remembered that his right arm was broken and couldn't get into his pocket. He managed to fish out the phone and then stared at it for a few seconds. Forget what Aubree told their parents, he had no idea what to tell Aubree.

 Somehow, he didn't think, 'Can you ship my passport to Seattle overnight so I can rush off to save a youtuber from blackmail in Canada,' would go over too well. Slowly, Xavier shook his head. That last thought had told him something he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Somewhere along the line, he had made up his mind. He had to help the MindCrackers.

 He dialed his sister's cell and waited while it rang.

 "Hello?" came the voice on the other end. "This is Aubree Alves." She sounded sleepy and Xavier guessed she hadn't bothered to look at the caller ID before she picked up. He suppressed a smile. Aubree never checked the ID. So different from Briane who never answered if she didn't know who was calling.

 "Hey, sis, it's Xavier. Uh, did I wake you up?"

 "Yeah, but I needed to get up anyway," Aubree replied with a whoosh of air that Xavier suspected was a yawn. "What's up? Enjoying the con- event?"

 "I am, but that's not why I'm calling," Xavier said. "You know where to find my passport?"

 "Duh. You gave it to me so you wouldn't loose it. Cause you loose everything in that room of yours. Unless it's tied to your precious computer." Aubree's tone was light and teasing, but Xavier's nerves weren't ready for the joking and he bit back a nasty response.

 "Yeah, something like that. Could you get it mailed express to Seattle if I gave you the address of the hotel I'm staying at? It's... kind of important."

 There was a rustling sound over the phone that Xavier interpreted as Aubree hunching over and cradling the phone to her ear. The more she concentrated on something, the closer she held it do her eyes or ears. His suspicion was confirmed when she spoke again. her voice was lowered, hushed.

 "Xavier, is something wrong?"

 "No, I'm just going to be gone a little longer than I thought," the boy replied, striving to sound light-hearted. "I'm so close to the border that I thought I'd take a quick trip up into to Toronto." This was technically two lies, since Seattle wasn't particularly close to the US/Canadian border nor was Xavier planning to go to Toronto, but he didn't see any reason to worry Aubree any more than she already was.

 "Well, Xavier, I don't like it, but I can get the passport to you if you really need it that bad," Aubree said and Xavier imagined her face, eyebrows drawn together, eyes narrowed, lips pursed. For a second, he almost told her the truth.

 "Thanks, Aubree. You're the best," he said instead. "I promise I'll tell you all about my trip when I get back."

 "I'm gonna hold you to that," she replied and he knew she would.

 "Bye, sis."

 "Love ya."

 He hung up.

 For what seemed like a long time, Xavier just stood there, holding his phone and staring at the screen as it dimmed and went dark. He could hear Beef still arguing, saying that a Texan in Canada would be as out of place as a snake in the arctic and that he or Pause should be the one to go with Etho.

 The hand on Xavier's shoulder startled him and he turned to see Etho.

 "I understand," he said, "if you don't want to do this. I'm sure, given enough time, that I can figure this out."

 Xavier shook his head. "No. I'll come. I've always wanted to go to Canada and my sister says she can have my passport mailed express."

 "Then I guess we just have to convince Beef."