The Curious Case of the Two Dirk Gentlys

38: The Idea

"I have an idea." Svald announced in the early hours of the morning. Brilliant orange painted the grey sky as the black of night melted away. Nobody had spelt well (apart from from Albert who had slept better than he ever had in his short life). Their eyes stung as they sat around the dying fire. They didn't even have the mercy of caffeine to save them.

"Is it family counselling? Because I think we could all do with that." Sighed Victoria.

"I'll ignore that comment, Victoria." He grumbled. "No. It concerns Albert."

"Could you please leave my son alone? He's been through enough."

"Don't bother arguing with him, Victoria. You know it won't change anything." Muttered Richard.

"And how to get Dirk back to America." Svald continued.

"Why would he want to do that? That's where the people who are trying to capture us are." Victoria reminded him.

"They're also here." Richard pointed out.

"We could go to the Antarctic and they'd probably still be after us." Said Dirk.

"As tempting as the Antarctic sounds I assure you that America is our best option, at least with Romania out of bounds. America is a big country, it will be a lot harder for them to find us. Especially considering we're supposed to be here. Besides there are other projects in America, helpful ones. We might be able to form some sort of defence." Svald explained.

Dirk sighed and looked up at the pale sky. On the run again. Soon to be lost alongside his father in roaming the states of America, land of the 'free'. He wasn't sure which was worse: being trapped with a group of relative strangers in the country of his birth or being forced to wander the country he called home with the same relative strangers and maybe a handful of people he actually liked. He wondered if this was how Svald felt all those years ago. He wondered if he should care more than he did. May if they...

Wait a second.

"How do you know there are other projects in America?" Asked Dirk.

"It's really just common sense, Dirk." Said Richard.

"Yeah I mean if you stayed why wouldn't others?" Asked Victoria.

"Exactly. That and it's right here on your phone." Replied Svald, taking a cheap mobile phone, Dirk's phone, out of his pocket.

"Wait what?" Exclaimed Dirk, jumping up.

"January 4th 2018. Just recovered project vesta. Feisty. Defensive but slowly integrating." Svald read aloud.

"When did you-"

"It appears that Amanda has formed quite a little squad. She'll keep us nice and safe." He assured.

"Gone for over two decades and you're already jumping into reading your son's texts. Nice going there, Svald." Richard snorted.

"Give me back my phone." Ordered Dirk.

"In a minute. I need it for my plan. Now this Farah women. Agency girl, near the top of your contact list. She normally good at getting you out of jams?" He asked.

"Yes, I suppose." Well not strictly speaking. They normally stumbled into situations together but quickly drifted into separate yet distinctly related jams. Points to her though. She always did pull them out.

"And is this her?" He turned the phone around to show Farah's contact picture. It was take number five. He had kept trying to get her to smile. She was not so keen on the idea.

"Yes." Dirk nodded.

"Excellent." Svald ran up to Albert and showed him the picture. The child grumbled in confusion. He looked up at Svald, then back at the picture, then at Svald again. Neither were offering any clues. "Take us to her, Albert. See the nice lady? Take us to her?"

"And how exactly is my two year old going to do that?" Victoria growled.

"Quite easily, my dear. For you see Albert shall teleport us to America." Svald smiled proudly. His enthusiasm was met with confused and mostly blank stares. Nothing new there then.

"It's official. Svald's cracked...again." Said Richard.

"Nonsense. The things that Albert is touching aren't just flashing things out of existence. They're going somewhere." Svald reminded them.

"The place where Todd is." Said Dirk.

"And Robert too." Victoria added.

"Precisely. It is my firm belief that if trained he could use his powers to teleport objects, and extension us, wherever we need him too." Svald explained.

"And your evidence for this theory is?" Asked Richard.

"Well it's not tried and tested." Svald replied.

"Right." Grumbled Victoria.

"Forgive me if you will, Svald, but I don't particularly fancy ending up exactly where we started." Said Richard.

"Or whatever Todd and Robert are." Said Victoria.

"Oh you're all babies the lot of us. Dirk, back me up here." Said Svald.

"I..."

"Please." He said hopefully. "Not for me just...the universe has to be telling you something doesn't it?"

"...Give me a moment." Said Svald before running back to the car. He rooted desperately around the glove compartment in search of nothing in particular. Hopefully Janinice wouldn't mind too much if he took something small.

"Is he okay?" Asked Richard.

"I have no idea." Muttered Svald. He was relieved when Dirk promptly returned with an assorted selection of objects: a pen, a lipstick, a lanyard that Janice problem should have been wearing at work. He placed the items on the floor in front of Albert.

"If you're correct these will make it to America safe and sound." Dirk said confidently.

"And how will we if it works?" Asked Richard.

"We have two holistic detectives and a connections lady here. The universe will tell us."