The End of MindCrack

Chapter 12: Waiting Game

 Xavier's surprise had been genuine, Etho was sure, though he'd been well and truly caught off guard by it. How, after all, could he allow a nineteen year old boy to fly alone to a strange place to face a crook? Particularly when Xavier wasn't the one in trouble?

 But if the surprise had been real, so had the relief. Though the young man would never admit it, Etho knew that having an adult along was a comfort to his companion And at twenty-six, even if he often didn't feel like it, Etho was nothing if not an adult.

 So the intruder had been turned over to the police with no mention made of blackmail or threats or arson or kidnapping. And if the intruder felt shame at being outwitted by his quarry and a teenager, he could hardly say anything without incriminating himself further. A flight had been booked to the States in two days. And Etho had taken the opportunity to show Xavier around at the American's request.

 That night, the night before they left, Xavier had gone to bed early, claiming the early morning flight as his reason. Etho, unable to sleep, had crept downstairs. Heading for the kitchen for a glass of water, he paused by the couch for a moment to watch the younger man.

 Xavier seemed surprisingly peaceful, stretched full-length. He clutched his borrowed pillow to his chest the way a small child might a beloved stuffed animal.

 He had removed his eye patch to sleep and Etho winced as he saw the injury. The scar, raw and pink, stretched from Xavier's cheekbone to just above his eyebrow. The eyelids had been sewn shut, but it wasn't terribly noticeable during sleep

 Etho left, mentally cursing himself. If anything happened to Xavier, Etho would never forgive himself. He should have stood up to Zisteau and this hare-brained scheme. It wasn't worth the risk. Or was it?

 Much as Etho was reluctant to admit it, it wasn't easy to say he rather not have had Xavier around two nights ago when a stranger came creeping into his house to hide another note. He had found and read the note, too, though he wished he hadn't.

 'I know what you did. Who you saw. Don't think you can get away with breaking our agreement.'

~~~

 Xavier looked eagerly out the window as the plane tipped, started to descend toward the sprawl of buildings and roads below. Slowly, the ground came closer, cars could be seen. The Texan loved flying. When he'd been little, when the world seemed to consist of only about five career choices, he'd said he wanted to be a pilot. Some days that dream still tugged him.

 "Hey, Etho, look at this out-" Xavier stopped when he saw the unamused look on his companion's face. "Never mind. Sorry."

 The youtuber clearly didn't share Xavier's sense of thrilled excitement. His long legs were tucked nearly under his chair, though Xavier wasn't sure how he'd done that. As the plane tipped again, Etho's knuckles whitened, his grip on the arm rest tightening.

 "I'll look out that window when we get down, okay?"

 Xavier nodded, not adding that once they were on the ground, Etho would be unable to see the ant-like cars and the bushes that were really trees. Maybe that was the whole point.

~~~

 Xavier had never been in the Cleveland Hopkins Airport before, but most airports were pretty much alike and he easily found the exit. It was warm for November, but still cool and Xavier was grateful Austin had reminded him that Seattle was a lot farther north than Texas.

 Xavier checked the scrap of paper with the address. He didn't like Etho's plan any more than he had like Zisteau's but he didn't have a better one.

 "You know where you're going?" he asked the red-head.

 Etho confirmed that he did. "And you've got BTC's number." It was a question disguised as a statement. The Boston native had agreed to fly up and join them. Xavier had been impressed by the length he was willing to go for a man he'd never met.

 Xavier nodded. "I wait here for Blame's flight. Then we follow you to the park. From there we tail you until your would-be kidnappers come. Blame and I let them take you and then follow at a safe distance. With any luck, we find Kurt, Vechs, and Jordan, too."

 "And only go to the police if you absolutely need to," Etho said. "They'll want proof we can't give them."

 Xavier's mouth was dry. He swallowed, cleared his throat, swallowed again. "Etho."

 Etho gave him a smile that he hoped looked more real than it felt. He glanced at his watch. "Blame's plan should be landing in another ten minutes or so. Then another... What do you think?... Five to get out here? Don't worry, I won't leave until we're sure his plane has landed. Remember, he doesn't have to go through customs."

 That was true. Xavier turned and found a spot on a bench. He sat, but couldn't relax, sitting on the edge, trying to suppress the urge to look around at every opportunity. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Etho on another bench. He looked much calmer and Xavier wonder how he could do that.

 It was a terrible waiting game to be playing.