Sighted

Chapter 24: What Good am I, if I Can't Do This?

Gin

     The nights are still cool this time of year, and the fresh air feels great. Its been two days since we rescued Peter and his boyfriend Carter, a research assistant. We decided to lay low, so that meant two days of staying inside, time spent learning everything we can about DemGen from our current guests.

     Normally, it would almost seem like a vacation, two days without patrols or stake outs. The downside was being confined to a small apartment with two moody males. Not Peter and Carter, they were so exhausted from stress that they practically slept all last night and today after telling us everything they could think of. The mood swings were coming from Owen and Alex.

      Dylan came back yesterday, which helped lighten the mood a little. My dad brought the halfling early because the kid had been throwing a fit about being kept away so long. I know that Owen had a talk with both of our parents before they went back home. He told me everything was good, but he wasn't in the mood to give details.

      Bowden hadn't stayed long after arriving at the apartment with Mom that day. He'd stayed, only enough to hear Owen's weak confession when Mom asked him if he was gay. The demon de-materialized right then and hadn't come back. I know Owen won't admit to it, but I've seen him try to text and call Bowden over the past two days.

     Owen's barely holding it together, now. Part of it is, he said he's getting a confusing range of emotions through his connection to Bowden, none of them good, which is affecting his body and mood. He's been touchy and grumpy with anyone that talks to him. Then there are my brother's own emotions, and I know he's feeling a little betrayed by the demon's reaction. I guess even I had always believed that there was more to Bowden's affections than just the bracelet, but I worry now that I was wrong.

      As for Alex, well, I couldn't keep our operation into DemGen a secret for long. I'd kept watch over him through the security feeds that first night, while I debriefed Peter and Carter as soon as we could. I thought he would go home in the morning, but he came by to surprise us with breakfast. Things did not go well when he found Dylan gone, Bowden missing, my mom over and two strangers at the apartment. He'd heard about Peter, but we'd kept our plans hidden for days. Alex, when he gets mad, is.... cold. Real cold.

     The food he'd brought was left uneaten in the kitchen, and he'd stalked off to my bedroom for me to explain. He'd listened wordlessly while I talked, sitting on the side of the bed and staring straight ahead. I couldn't find any of the usual warmth in his eyes the whole time I was explaining. When I was finished, all he said was, "Okay."

      He listened to Owen recap what we had learned, offering some thoughts, and his help. He's still been coming over to the apartment when he isn't working or sleeping, but he's barely speaking to me, and never about anything personal. I knew he'd be upset that I went running into danger again, but I didn't know what else to do. He's been taking on so much lately I wanted to keep this worry off of him if I could.

      I made a mistake, and I have idea how to deal with it. I have little to no experience, literally, with someone being angry with me and me being close enough to them to care. I've barely ever fought with my family, the time that I kept what I knew about the bracelet a secret from Owen was probably our biggest fight. Sure, I piss people off all the time, but I don't actually try to fix it.

      I know I'm not helping matters, but for now I'm focusing my efforts on DemGen. Peter's been a fountain of information on the corporation that has been such a mystery for us. Starting with information on his kidnapping.

     All of the information Owen found at the company Peter had worked at was falsified, he'd never taken a leave of absence. He said that DemGen is recruiting, and they don't wait to get consent from who they target. They'd heard about the technology Peter was designing and must have found out that the engineer himself was sighted.