Chapter 31: Riding to the Rescue

Jaime and Keira

«SHE WAS THINKING to us, but she couldn’t hear us thinking, » Jaime said as he and Keira left Ms. McCormick’s building.

«I don’t think she intended to think some of those things, » Keira responded.

«She thought Schwartz was awfully pleased with the way the wire mesh in the old plaster walls prevented microwaves from penetrating and reading his mind.»

«That could leave us deaf, too.»

«And it would prevent Trayce from getting a message out to us, » Jaime said. «Especially if she’s in what Ms. McCormick called the basement warren. She made it sound like a whole underground complex.»

«She must have been incredibly panicked to get those few words to us when we were making love, » Keira said. «I need to get the car back to my parents. We have to figure out how we’re going to get to Astoria.»

«It doesn’t make sense to drive out there tonight. It’s two hours out there and we don’t have a place to stay. Trying to get a room at his inn gives me the willies, » Jaime said.

«I guess we’d better just go back to your house, » Keira said with a mental hug.

«Are you okay with being at my house with me while my father is probably home?» Jaime asked.

«That’s a question you should probably be asking yourself about when your father has Olivia staying the night.»

«Holy shit! Well, if we get used to it, it should be easier for him. Right?»

«We should let Emerson know what we’re doing.»

«What?»

«Not everything, » Keira giggled. «I’m sure she’ll figure that part out. I mean about going to Astoria in the morning.»

«Maybe she’ll want to go, too.»

«Oh, wow! Can you imagine being inside a car with her for two hours? We really need to clamp down on our openness, » Keira said. «You know what she’s going to be thinking about, and I’m not sure I’d be able to keep from pulling into a roadside rest and doing it.»

«We can practice teaching her not to broadcast her thoughts.»

Jaime and Keira and Emerson

“What time do we leave?” Emerson demanded on the phone.

“We didn’t plan it yet. It doesn’t look like snow but it’s cold and roads might be slick,” Keira said. “You really want to go?”

“Of course. Superheroes always need a sidekick. You need a driver. A getaway car. I’ll pick you up at 8:00. The sun will be up and that should give you time to ... um ... you know ... get out of bed and get ready.”

Emerson was too far away for Keira to read her thoughts, but some things were obvious without being a mind reader.

“You’re the best, Emerson. I’m so glad you’re on our side.”

“Yeah. See you in the morning.”

«She really wants to come with us?» Jaime asked.

«Yeah. I think she really wants to come.»

Jaime and Keira and David and Olivia

That solved the problem of transportation, but when Jaime and Keira got to his house after walking from hers, they found David and Olivia cooking dinner.

“Hi, David and Olivia,” Keira said.

“Dad! What are you guys doing cooking dinner?” Jaime signed.

“Someone needed to be sure everyone was nourished. A pizza for dinner and cornflakes for breakfast? Really, Jaime? We got home about four and decided to roast a chicken,” David said. Jaime and Keira could see the lie, but held their tongues.

“Don’t let him fool you,” Olivia said. “We bought a roasted chicken at Whole Foods yesterday and just had to pop it in the oven to reheat. It’s simple fare, but who wants to spend the day cooking?”

“I’d volunteer to make up the traditional black-eyed peas and salt pork tomorrow,” Jaime signed. Keira interpreted. “But we’re going out for the day. With Emerson. She’s picking us up in the morning for an adventure.”

“I think we can wait until Sunday. I already bought all the ingredients, but I didn’t want to infringe on your annual ritual,” David said. “Where are you going tomorrow?”

“We’re all going out to Astoria,” Keira said. “Emerson said she knew of a cool restaurant out there and some fun sights to see.”

“I’ve never been to Astoria,” Olivia said. “You’ll need to give us a report on the best places so we can go, too. I mean, not at the same time. I wasn’t meaning to imply we’d come tomorrow or anything.”

“It’s okay, Olivia. We all have words to trip over while we’re getting used to each other,” Keira said.

“By which I assume you mean you will be staying the night here?” David asked.

“Jaime invited me. Unless you object,” Keira said hesitantly. Jaime quickly took her hand as if she might flee.

“No objection,” David hastened to say.

“David, why don’t you spend another night with me?” Olivia asked sweetly. “I’d like that.”

“I’d like it, too, honey,” David said. It was the first time Jaime had heard him use an endearment aloud and it pleased him irrationally. “After dinner, we’ll get things cleaned up and leave the two of you to yourselves. You say you won’t need the car tomorrow for your adventure? Jaime, we should look at the possibility of getting you some wheels now that you’re driving.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jaime signed. “That would be great.”

They got the table set and the four had a good meal with friendly conversation. They even played a dice game after cleanup, before David took Olivia home—and stayed. Jaime and Keira introduced them to their kissing rule for five-of-a kind.

Jaime and Keira

As soon as David and Olivia were out the door, they ran to Jaime’s bedroom. They were naked in bed in no time. Then they slowed down again.

«She’ll be okay, won’t she?» Keira asked.

«She has to be, » Jaime said. «I know Schwartz kidnapped her, but I don’t think he’ll physically harm her. Remember, his intent is to lure us into his trap so he has all three of us. He wants to use us and we all need to be healthy for that.»

«Why? Why does he want us?»

«I got a little inkling the other day when we met with your aunt, and it got a lot clearer when we met with Emerson this morning.»

«What is it?»

«We understand head talking as listening, right? But when you and I were connected, we could talk to Emerson. She can’t hear us unless we’re touching her. So, we had to be projecting our thoughts to her. Otherwise she’s head deaf.»

«Oh, my God! And what Schwartz always wanted was to use head talkers to command others!»

«Right. He thinks it takes three, but we’ve done it with two if we are touching, » Jaime said. «In fact, the other day, I took your hand and grabbed your aunt’s hand to tell her to please help us. I phrased it politely, but the way she jumped back from us and sent us away—to make love—told me she received the message loud and clear, right through all her barriers.»

«Jaime, what are we going to do?»

«We’re going to get Trayce back. He doesn’t know what we can really do. We’re going to need a plan.»

«I have a plan, » Keira said. «I plan to have you inside me and not think about this again until tomorrow, » Keira said.

Jaime was a ready participant in that plan, but the idea that neither of them would think about Trayce until morning was a non-starter. As Jaime and Keira moved together, kissing, and sharing their entire minds with each other, Trayce kept entering their thoughts. At the peak of their passion, as both were sharing the other’s orgasm, they called out with one voice.

«We love you, Trayce. We’re coming to find you. We’ll find you. We promise.»

«Love, » was the only whispered response.

Rose and Angus and Kate and Thursday

“The kids had already been to see the girl’s mother,” Kate reported. “Mrs. Lombard was pacing around the room with a friend. They’d called the police again after the kids left, but you know what that’s going to yield on New Year’s Day. Anyway, we saw the supposed note Trayce left behind in her car. Leave it to the PDX finest to accept that piece of rubbish as real.”

“What else?” Angus asked.

“Mrs. Lombard confirmed that Trayce was on her way to meet Jaime and Keira. But then she went off the rails,” Kate said.

“How?”

“She said she’d gone into AA and counseling because she’d started hearing voices,” Thursday said. “She pointed at the note and said Trayce was also hearing voices and that this Jaime and Keira were who she was hearing. Sorry. I know how ridiculous it sounds, but that’s what she said.”

Rose and Angus shared a glance that may or may not have been accompanied by an explicit thought. Rose started in on her part of the tale.

“I went to see a friend who agreed to come into her office for a while today. Her office is next door to Schwartz’s,” Rose said. “She suspected Schwartz of some kind of funny work, but didn’t have any specifics. She just said he was acting strange the past couple of weeks with no appointments but a pair of bodyguards popping in and out. Then he just disappeared last Friday.”