Aftermath

Ch 91: Victor's Advantage

Victor

The drive to my house was tense. Across from me in the passenger seat, North kept alternating between looking back at Sang, small in the backseat next to Gabriel, and checking his phone.

No one said much. There wasn't much to say. I focused on driving. I kept thinking of Kota's glasses and his keys, both left behind in the mud. Accident or on purpose? As Luke had pointed out, you didn't just drop your glasses without noticing, but maybe Kota had taken them off when he had gotten sick.

Still, a sense of foreboding had formed in my gut. This was a problem, a big problem.

As I neared my house, I hit a switch to open the gates. Then I drove up the driveway, slowing to a near stop before getting to my usual parking spot. A familiar Rolls Royce was parked just inside the garage. Like we don't have enough problems.

North let out a grunt. "They're back from Aspen?"

My grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Looks that way." Whether my parents were here or not, our mission was the same.

I pulled a few feet forward to my usual spot and cut the engine. "After they've been gone this long, they're probably busy catching up on lost time. Or maybe they went out to socialize. We'll go in through the back; we should be able to get to the third floor without encountering them."

"Do you think they're going to be pissed about the concert?" Gabriel asked. "They found a replacement."

I unclicked my seatbelt. "There's no point in talking about how a rational person might act when we're discussing George and Jasmine. Forget about them; let's get upstairs, reset the signal and find Kota."

"Maybe we should just leave," North suggested.

"Absolutely not." As much as I wasn't ready to face them after all the fracas regarding the concert, I knew we needed to go in. "This is our best chance of finding Kota. I can try constructing it off-site, but that could take hours."

Sang nodded. "We can handle it."

So brave. After all the angst she had encountered at my house, I was surprised she would ever come back. Yet here she was, ready to charge in, all to help save Kota. We're going to get Kota back, and then we're going to make him understand. She's part of us now. We can't go back.

The four of us gathered outside my BMW. I took the lead as we approached the rear entrance, but before we went in, I turned back around to face them. "Look, if George is in a mood..."

"We know," North grunted.

Resigned, I nodded, leading the way in.

I hurried past the kitchen, trying to get to the third floor as fast as possible, my friends on my heels.

In my study, Sang, North, and Gabriel hung back around the door as I went behind my dragon desk. I punched in the passcode and the monitors rose. So far, so good. "This will take a few minutes," I told them.

North gave a slow nod. "I'm going to see if anyone's up around."

"I wish you wouldn't," I said, but North was already gone.

"He won't go far," Gabriel said, sounding unsure. He took Sang's hand, and they sat down on a bench against the wall on the other side of the desk.

I wanted to invite Sang back here beside me. However, she looked content with Gabriel. Since I couldn't focus on her right now, perhaps that was for the best.

I began typing, trying to focus both on my work and the environment.

"Mr. Victor?" Bridget stood at the door. "Can I get something for you and your guests?"