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“The Catalyst” Series | ||||
| “Touring Under Pressure” | |||||
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13: A Few Different Perspectives
While they ate dinner and continued to hold court with the many women both lesbians and straight, who wanted to speak to him, Leanna went off to call the detectives back. She was gone for a while, but Alex wasn’t worried. If anything was wrong she’d alert him, and if she was talking to them then they’d be unlikely to just drop by.
“There you are,” someone called out from the doorway. They turned, only to see Patricia and the rest of her band, including Chelsea and Jordan.
“I might have known you’d find the only remaining place still packed with women,” Patricia teased, “but this isn’t your usual crowd. You should give these women a break. You already steal enough women away, you don’t need to switch teams to hijack more. Somehow that just seems unfair.”
The other women in the club were curious about who the newcomers were, especially since they seemed to know Alex so well. When Alex made the introductions they made the necessary connections.
“You’re the one who with the ads about ‘trusting your judgment’, aren’t you?”
“Are you the singer Alex has been telling us about? The one we’re supposed to be at the concert for, helping him deal with all the new followers?”
“Well, it seems you’ve been telling these girls all your secrets. Any reason for the change in policy?” Chelsea asked.
Alex couldn’t help but blush. “They convinced me that sometimes it’s better to not avoid people, and that the more people I include, the stronger the whole movement will be. Besides, they’re all interested in the entire thing, especially the idea behind the Sorority and the Foundation.”
“Wow, you really have told them everything, haven’t you?” Patricia asked, as they pulled up some extra chairs for them to sit down. Alex proceeded to tell them what happened while they’d been separated. Although they were interested in the story about the robbery, they’d already gotten most of it from Patricia. It was impossible keeping the Seers from talking to each other about what Alex was up to.
“So what’s the story?” Alex asked when Leanna returned a few minutes later.
“They wanted a basic statement. They want me to stop by tomorrow so they can record it and have me sign it.”
“So they aren’t asking anything I should be aware of?”
“No, they asked if I knew you, and I said we just walked in at the same time. I admitted that we left together, but I never learned who you were. They seemed happy with that and didn’t ask anything else about you, and I wasn’t about to ask them what their attitude towards you was. I told them I thought you were from out-of-town.”
“That sounds good, but just watch yourself tomorrow. They’ll likely ask the same thing in different ways, hoping to trip you up, so just be careful how you respond, but I’m not going to worry about it anymore. They’ll look for me if they want, there’s no way I can stop them, but I’m not about to voluntarily identify myself as the Angel of New Orleans just so they can claim they’ve interviewed everyone involved. After all, I’ve broken no laws, I’ve hurt no one, and I actually helped stop a crime, so I don’t see why my helping someone should be used against me.”
‘Well, technically you did help them escape,’ Leanna reminded him telepathically, so she wouldn’t tip anyone off.
‘Yeah, but they don’t know that, and they’ll have no way of discovering it. And if everything works out they’ll be well away from here, starting a new life which will keep them from getting into any further troubles.’
The others agreed to his spoken comments, but they really had no desire to feed Alex’s paranoia so they left it alone. It was good he was going to let it go, but no one had any doubt they’d hear about it again in the near future. It was just part and parcel of Alex’s personality. He liked to worry, and it was what kept him mindful of others. It had its good points, but also its negative ones.
The band seemed to fit right in, but it wasn’t just that they liked to have a good time. As Alex looked on he noticed several things. He observed the women would flirt with the female members of the band, but they were careful to not overdo it. Thus they fed the ego of the women as being desirable to women as well as men, but they didn’t confront them or attempt to force them to deal with ‘gender issues’. It was then that Alex studied those around the club in more detail.
There was less open flirting than he’d noticed in his other gay bar encounters. No one was making out in the corner, no one seemed to be picking anyone up. Instead, everyone seemed to have assumed this was a special situation, and that they were entertaining strangers just like one does relatives for the holidays. They put their best foot forward, trying to present themselves in their best light, but they were, in effect, putting themselves out for Alex. They were ceasing their regular activities for the ‘normals’ who had come to see what Alex represented. They thought enough of him and what he stood for to put their own lives on hold for the moment. That said a lot about both them and how they felt about him.
Even Sammy seemed to be in his element. He teased the women and they responded in a playful way, ignoring the obvious sexually teasing comments. As a result he felt comfortable, but he also respected the women and didn’t try to hit on any of them, recognizing it wouldn’t be appreciated, even though he continued to play the role of the ‘typical man’, making jokes at his own expense.
However Alex realized that, as much as everyone was enjoying his presence, he should really move on. He wanted the locals to have their club to themselves. He enjoyed being welcomed, but he also wanted to minimize how much he disrupted the lives of those who were helping him. Thus he invited the same women as before to come home with him; Leanna, simply because she hadn’t received any of his attention the previous night, and Betsy and Ally because he’d really cheated them, and wanted to give them a ‘booster shot’ to help ensure they became pregnant.
It had been a big day for him, and he’d managed to accomplish a lot, even if it was in a way he hadn’t expected before reaching Oklahoma. But it was good, and he’d done well. He only had another day here, and he hoped it went as well as the others had. After all, after the concert the next night they’d move on to Amarillo the next day.
“Good morning, everyone,” Cate called out, pausing only briefly to knock before entering the room. “I brought another guest, just in case things aren’t busy enough in here already.”
“Hey, there,” Leanna called out from the bathroom. “I decided to get an early shower. I’ll be out in a minute, but I’m sure your brother will be glad to entertain you.”
Cate strolled in trailing Georgia Cantrell, the desk clerk Alex had spontaneously activated the other day. Gail followed them in, making sure she closed the door securely behind her.
“Hey, Cate, hope you’ll excuse me if I don’t get up, but….” Alex responded. He was currently lying in bed, covered by the naked form of Ally lying on top of him facing away from him, while an equally naked Betsy sucked on her clit. It was hard to see, but if one looked from the right angle you could see Alex’s cock sliding along Ally’s lips as he thrust between her legs.
“Now if that doesn’t just beat all, if you aren’t going to do the job properly….” Cate teased, imitating Ryan Shafer, who’d insulted Alex for being lazy because he couldn’t just fuck and get off his girlfriend, Lauren. It was an image Alex didn’t like being reminded of, since it still set his teeth on edge.
“Nah, I’m not being lazy. I just figured Ally would appreciate it more. Neither she nor Betsy are into dicks, so this way they get my BCM energy without having to deal with any yuck factors yet.”
“Hey, you don’t have to explain,” Georgia responded, making her presence known for the first time. “Personally, I think you should be screwing each and every one of your Watchers. I mean, I know you like communicating with your Seers, but ever since the other night my entire world has opened up. I can read people like books. They walk up and I can tell how they’re feeling. I can anticipate events. Hell, I can feel an angry or frustrated driver before he even gets near me.”
“Hey, Georgia,” Alex called out, even though his voice was dampened by Ally’s short hair getting in his face and her body gyrating against his, masking his voice as she did. “How have you been since the other night?”
“Hell, I’ve been great. I love these new abilities you gave me. I know it’s one basic ability, but it has so many permutations that I feel like I’m experiencing something new every time I turn around. Hey, Ally and Betsy,” she added.
“Uh, oh, hey there, Georgia,” Ally gasped out, but Betsy didn’t bother replying. After all, she’d been raised to be polite, and she knew better than to talk with her mouth full.
“I should have known Alex would be busy this morning,” Cate replied, stopping by the little fridge to grab some food for him for when he finished. “Didn’t he wear you all out last night?”
“Hell, no,” Leanna replied as she emerged from the bathroom, fastening a towel around her in addition to the one wrapped around her hair. “He was a perfect gentleman this time, unlike the other night. This time he spent all evening making slow quiet love to me, making me feel like a real queen. Then he woke up in the middle of the night and made love to Betsy while Ally held her. Then this morning he wakes up and grabs Ally, making sure to get Betsy involved. Your brother doesn’t seem to have an off switch. Somehow I was under the impression guys could only do so much at a time.”
“It’s… ‘ave a couple hours to recover,” Alex responded, even though it was hard to make out what he was saying.
“Yeah, you managed to slip in some recovery time in there, but it seems like you slept just enough each time to come back with a new erection,” Leanna laughed as she watched the trio on the bed. Having no other place to sit, Georgia sat on the bed beside them.
“Excuse me if I crowd you a little,” she said, “but I just want to sit here and soak up both your energy and everyone’s emotions. Man, how can anyone get by without the ability to sense these things?”
“I don’t know, maybe you should tell me what I’m missing one more time,” Cate mockingly complained.
“Hey, don’t gripe,” Georgia responded. “You get to soak up his energy all the time. I think anyone would trade you for that. Plus, you get to be in the driver’s seat of his movement, or at least in the navigator’s seat. He activates, boosts, then abandons the rest of us. You get to follow him everywhere.”
“Yeah, as much as I like to tease, you’re right, I do have it pretty nice,” Cate replied, as she too glanced at Alex as she finished preparing his snack. “Hey, is this going to be another of these marathon sessions? After all, we need to get you down to breakfast soon.”
“I don’t know how much more … he needs, but I’m primed and … ready for blastoff,” Ally responded.
Betsy lifted her face from her girlfriend’s crotch. “You’d better believe it, she’s been having a whole series of little orgasms. I don’t know about you, Leanna, but if he can do this consistently, I may be convinced to switch teams more often.”
“Don’t worry,” Alex replied as the others laughed, “I’m almost there. Say, could one of you manage to put me where I need to be. It’s a little hard to manage from this position.” Before Betsy could respond, Georgia leaned over and grabbing Alex’s cock, positioned it so he could thrust into Ally. “They’re still looking to get pregnant, and since they don’t make a lot, they were hoping I could finish the deed before I left so they wouldn’t get stuck having to pay a doctor to do it.”
“Sure, Alex, that’s what all the girls claim,” Cate teased as she moved over beside him, feeding him a cookie as he began short-stroking into Ally.
“Hey, no fair distracting my man,” Ally complained. “As much as I love this, I’ve come about as much… as I can stand, and if he takes much longer… I’ll never be able to walk today.”
“Your man,” Betsy teased her girlfriend. “After two days you’re already talking like a straight girl. I’m telling you, once Alex leaves town I’m putting you back on a strict girl diet.”
“So what are the plans for the day, boss man?” Gail asked, ignoring the disjointed byplay. She was interested in what she needed to plan for, even as her eyes were taking in every detail of the two naked lesbians laid out before her.
“I’ve got… plans,” Alex gasped out. “I won’t… detail them, but they’re fairly… standard,” he told her. However, he reached the point in the shuttle launch where they start doing the countdown. He started concentrating, grasping Ally’s hips as he tried to drive as deep into her as he could. He only did that for a little while before grunting and, pushing tight against her, bathed her womb with his little swimmers.
Ally was going to mention how she’d never appreciated what women meant when they talked about feeling a man coming in them, but, a little too breathless to say anything, she chose to simply moan her response. Of course, she was aided by Betsy rubbing her crotch and kissing her, so she’d have had trouble talking because of that, as well.
Once they all stopped moving, Cate gave Ally a little push. “Sorry, but I think Alex needs to breathe a little. If you could roll over and recover on the side, I can make sure he doesn’t go into a reaction on us again.”
It took Ally a moment to respond, and when she did she merely rolled off of him wordlessly, at which point Georgia looked up.
“Does anyone ever have more than one ‘mind melting orgasm’? I mean, do they pass out because of what he does to their brain, or is it just the orgasms?”
“You know,” Cate replied as she proceeded to feed Alex, who was lying there gasping, “I never really thought of that. As much as I can recall, everyone only seemed to pass out the once, although I think there have been a few times someone else did for a special occasion.”
“I can answer that,” Gail said from the corner. “He did me once with his and my girlfriends, and I thought I was going to die. I remember it fondly to this very day,” she replied with a very satisfied smirk to her face.
“So, if he’s got plans, does that mean we’re going to eat out or downstairs?” Georgia asked. “Cause if we’re eating here, I can ask Paul, the breakfast chef downstairs, to fix him up something nice.”
“Do that,” Cate told her. “As soon as we get Alex on his feet again and everyone gets their shower, we should be ready to go.”
“So, Julie, what are you doing inside on a beautiful day like today? Wouldn’t you rather be outside, playing with your friends?”
“No, I can’t,” the overly serious little seven-year-old replied as she turned yet another page in her math textbook. “If I’m going to make a difference with my abilities, I need to become a doctor and be good at math. So I’m trying to catch up on all the math I didn’t pick up this year.”
Martha was intrigued. This was a side of Julie she’d never seen before. Ever since she’d had her son-in-law, Julie’s father, bring her three grandkids to meet Alex in San Antonio just a week ago, Julie was like a whole new person. She was the only one of the three whom Alex had activated, and she took it as a high honor, deserving only her best performance. “And what makes you think that?”
“I asked Mrs. Cooper, my teacher, what to do to become a doctor. After she finally stopped laughing, she asked why I was suddenly interested in becoming a doctor. I couldn’t tell her since no one is supposed to know about Alex, so I told her I want to make a difference and I think I have a special talent for medicine.”
“Well, as a Seer you have a huge leg up on the other people applying to medical school,” Martha told her. “They have to cut someone open to figure out what’s wrong with them, whereas with your vision, you’ll only have to cut where the problem is.”
“I know, and that’s why it’s important I work hard to become a doctor. I mean, we can’t leave something this important to other people who can’t see what we can, can we? I mean, can you imagine Jeffery trying to operate on someone. Ugh,” Julie shivered, imagining her 2nd grade classmate as a practicing physician.
“You realize that medical school is a long ways away. You may change your mind by then,” Martha cautiously suggested, not wanting to squash Julie’s ambitions, but wanting her to realize what she was undertaking.
“But it’s important we put our ‘neak ’bilities to use,” she responded, trying to copy Alex’s speech and his wording, even if she didn’t quite know how to use them yet. “No one else can do what we can, so we owe it to everyone else to do as much as we can. After all, there are only so many of us, and there are millions who’ll need us to do what they can’t. It’s not a matter of what I want, it’s our calling. It’s what Alex would expect us to do.”
“Well, you certainly make a compelling argument,” Martha replied, smiling at how serious Julie considered her new role in life, even though she only learned of these new abilities of hers a week ago. “What do Alice and your father think of this new focus of yours?” Alice, of course, was her five-year-old sister who’d turned out to be a Watcher. She’d been just as taken with Alex as Julie had been, but she was still a little too young to realize quite what it meant yet.
“Well, Dad’s not sure any of what I see is real, so he hummers me. Alice, though, wants to put her ‘bilities to use as much as me. She knows she won’t be as good at medicine as me, but she talked to her preschool teacher about it. She was s’prised when she asked her, but suggested Alice could use her talent at understanding people by working as a mental doctor, a therapist or even in business.”
“The word you were looking for is ‘humor’. Your father is humoring you by pretending to believe what you tell him. And you did very well with all the other words,” Martha told her, realizing Alice hadn’t been as unaffected as she’d thought.
“Thank you. Alice made sure her teacher taught her how to say each word. But what was that word you used before?” Julie asked, looking at her very intently. “That combelling? If I’m going to be a doctor, I need to know lots of big words.”
“The word is compelling. It means that it makes sense. That it’s a very good argument. But go on, I’m anxious to hear what Alice decided.” Martha was sure this new interest in speaking well and learning was inspired by Alex’s sister Cate as much as it was from her interest in Alex. It had been clear that both were intelligent, and their language and diction had apparently made an impact on little Julie.
“Oh, she decided a therapist wasn’t good. She’d only see one person and it wouldn’t use her ‘bilities very well. Being a Psycho wouldn’t be good either, since you need to be a doctor. We decided we should leave that to the other Seers. She ‘cided to be a police woman, like the woman with Alex. Then she could deal with people every day, and know who was dangerous and who needed help.”
It took Martha a moment to wrap her head around that concept. One girl deciding to be a doctor and the other wanting to be a policewoman, and after they’d wanted to be a ballerina and a cowgirl only a couple weeks ago.
“The word is Psychologist. Psycho means something completely different. You realize she could also be a teacher, or a minister?”
“Yeah, but anybody can be a teacher. We need to focus so we can make the best use of our ‘bilities. After all, there are only a few of us, so we need to make the most of them.”
“Well, that’s very grown up of you. I’m sure Alex would be very proud of you.”
“Well, don’t tell him yet. I want to prove I’m serious before we tell him. I don’t want to bother him with little stuff, since he holds the future of our people in his hands. Let’s wait until my grades improve first. Oh, and by the way, we’ll have to go back to San Antonio. Alice and I want to talk to Caity about this, about what we’ll need to study and what school we’ll need to go to.”
“OK, I’m sure we can arrange something. Just don’t forget to play outside some. After all, Alex doesn’t want you to only do one thing. You’ll have to be good at a lot of different things if you’re going to help him. After all, look at the people he surrounds himself with. They manage to do everything for him. If they were only good at one thing they wouldn’t be as helpful, would they?”
“No, I guess not,” Julie said thoughtfully. “OK, as soon as I finish this chapter I’ll go play outside for a while. But then I want to start the next one.”
“So, Jenny, are you ever sorry you didn’t get boosted by Alex?” her husband, Tommy Cox, asked as they walked away from yet another meeting with the other Seekers. These meetings had become a regular thing, and it made a big difference for both of them. Not only did they really feel a part of the entire thing, but everyone was anxious to achieve just as much as they could, ‘for Alex’. Although he and Jenny were involved with dealing with the relatives of the Seekers and Seers in the community, Jenny had already applied for a promotion in her work. Most of the talk that night had been about that, what courses the women should sign up for and what field of study would allow them to do the most good. Overall, Alex had had an amazing effect on each of the people’s lives, even those of the men.
Of course, the rest of the discussion was less impressive, with everyone discussing the merits of calling Watchers, like Jenny, ‘Seekers’ instead. Tommy figured it was necessary, but it seemed less meaningful then the other work they were doing.
“No, I’m happy with the decision I … that we made,” she told him, reaching over to hold his hand to reassure him.
“Really? I can imagine what getting boosted could have done for you. I realize how much your abilities mean to you, especially now that you’ve been getting training from the Seers in the community. But if you had slept with Alex just one time, you’d be able to do so much more. Surely that’s got to haunt you, at least a little bit.”
Jenny stopped and faced her husband, stepping up and wrapping her arms around him as she looked him right in the eyes. “There is no way I’d trade you for a boost to my abilities. I’m working with the hand I was dealt, and I’ve got a lot more than most people have. Sure, I’ve got to work a little harder, but it’s the effort you put into something that makes the difference. Unadulterated talent by itself doesn’t mean much. Do you think Liv and Allison could do what they did without a lot of work and dedication? The main thing we have to offer is our dedication. The abilities are nice, but we don’t choose those. What we personally choose is much more important. I chose you, and Alex agrees, since he puts so much value on families. He knows how important someone like you is to my life.”
“Still… if you had both the dedication and the talent…”
“Then I probably wouldn’t have you. Look, I realize what I passed up, and I accept that. But I also know how much information was thrown at you all at once. There’s no way you could have accepted me sleeping with someone like Alex unless you could literally feel what he represented like the rest of us could. If I had chosen to sleep with him, you’d never be able to stop questioning why I did it.”
“That may be, but you’d already convinced me that he was legit, and I’d been hearing from others in the community. I’m sure I could have—”
“You may think so, but there would have been doubts, and those doubts would have undermined our relationship, and that would have distracted me so I couldn’t focus like I am now. Yeah, I have given up a fair amount. But if I’d chosen that route, I’d have been less productive than I am now.”
“Well, I appreciate that, and you’re probably right. I likely would have freaked out. But if the opportunity ever comes up again, I want you to go for it.”
“Ha, that’ll be the day. You heard Alex. He’d never go for it. Each time he stops somewhere, he has to choose who to boost. He knows how important it is, and he’s developed a complicated criteria. But at the top of that list is the health of the people involved, and there’s no way he’d screw up someone’s life by helping her cheat on her spouse. So, thanks, but I don’t think you have anything to worry about. You’re stuck with me, a mere unboosted Seeker. But I’m happy to have you, now a central figure in Alex’s movement here in New Orleans. Not a bad accomplishment for a male type 3. You’re as heavily involved in this as I am, and you’re playing as vital a role in his organization as I am.”
“Yeah, there is that. But now that we’ve finished planning on how everyone is going to train harder to help Alex more, how about we try to increase the number of available Seekers? After all, we all need to do what we can, and it seems to me we’re letting some precious Seeker DNA go to waste.”
The two of them ran off giggling, after she gave him a quick kiss. They had a lot to accomplish, and as much as Alex valued family, they were glad they’d be creating a valuable piece of his community.
“So, Mom, how are you and Dad getting along?” little Jenny asked her mother. The question surprised Kelly Ott, coming as it did out of the blue.
“We don’t have any problems, why do you ask?” Kelly asked suspiciously, wondering what Jenny might be up to. Since they’d encountered Alex a couple of months back, Jenny had suddenly turned into quite the precocious youngster, not only sounding much older than her young age, but also frequently surprising both her parents with her observations of people they’d meet or even pass on the streets.
The fact of the matter was that, for a while there, things had been quite bad between Henry and her. When they’d first met Alex in a hotel in St. Louis and Cate had slipped and mentioned something about Alex ‘boosting’ his followers abilities, Henry hadn’t coped with it very well. Especially when Jenny had decided to address the issue directly, suggesting that Kelly should consider it. Although Alex himself had never suggested anything of the kind himself, it had really poisoned Henry’s mind against him, so it had been rough for quite a while.
“Well, it’s just that you and Dad were having so many problems when we first met Alex, and then when you suggested we visit him in New Orleans I was afraid Dad might leave.”
“Well he didn’t, did he?” Kelly responded, ruffling the hair on her daughter’s head.
“No, he didn’t. It was good that Alex insisted Daddy come along, wasn’t it?”
Kelly took a moment to consider her response. “Frankly, yes, it was. I think it made a real difference between us. Before that, your father was a bit paranoid about what I might be doing, possibly communicating with Alex in my mind without him ever knowing. But the fact Alex insisted he come with us to meet him, and that he then told us to stay in New Orleans and he would be sure to stay away just so we could have a good time did a lot to reassure your father.”
“I thought so. That was a great weekend. It really brought Dad and I closer. We spent a lot of time in the evenings after that discussing how the changes Alex had made in my life affected me. We discussed it a lot, often while you were busy doing other things. I think he was trying to determine how much he learned from the women in New Orleans was real and how much was make believe.”
“So what’s with the question, then? If you know that Dad’s doing better, then why question if we’re OK?”
“Well, you and Dad still try to protect me by not telling me stuff, even though I can kinda feel what you think about things.”
“Yeah, and….” Kelly prompted her, trying to find out where she was going with it.
“Well, I just wanted to make sure there still weren’t any problems. I mean, Daddy’s been supportive, but I just wanted to be sure. After all, when you and he were having problems he tended to blame me as well.”
Kelly sighed before answering, remembering those dark days.
“No, your Daddy’s fine. He really warmed up to the whole idea of what we went through, especially after talking to everyone after we left Alex at the clinic. Giving us that time to ourselves so we could talk to others without any pressure was really an inspired move. It kept us from fighting, Daddy could relax and actually listen to what everyone was saying and he thought about what it all meant. It was an important time for us both.”
“For all of us,” Jenny insisted. “As I said, Dad and I have never been closer. Since we had those initial discussions just between us, we’ve have been talking a lot more. He’ll stop by at odd times and ask me what I’m doing or how I’ve been able to use my new abilities. That led me to describe what I was experiencing in school, knowing what people were likely to do before they did something, or knowing when someone didn’t like me. We spent a lot of time talking about the girls who pretended to like me, but who I could feel really hated me.”
“Wow, I never knew you were going through all of that. Why didn’t you ever mention it to me?”
“Actually, at first I was confused and wanted to figure it out on my own. Then, when Dad and I started to talk about it, I wanted to save it for him, since it brought us so close. He’d offer advice, or try to explain what made them do it. Then we’d discuss what having these abilities would mean to me.”
“And what did he think it would mean?” Kelly asked, genuinely interested in the topic now. She knew her husband had turned a corner the weekend they’d gone to New Orleans to have Jenny’s legs treated, even though she had no obvious problems that anyone beside her and the other Seers could see. She and Henry had never really talked much about it. Even though they’d been getting along much better since then, Kelly had never wanted to jinx her good luck by bringing the subject up, figuring it was her cross to bear.
“He tells me it’s my ‘sponsibity. That now that I have it, I have to work hard to make the most of it.”
“Really?” Kelly asked, surprised since her husband had never said any such thing to her. “What kinds of things did he think you needed to do?”
“Well, I told him how I thought I had to work really hard at school, since Alex expects so much of us, and how he wants smart women to help him.”
“Yeah?” her mother responded, not quite sure where this was going, or how Henry would have responded to it, since they almost never communicated about Alex any more.
“So he says Alex is right. That in order to repay Alex for what he gave me, I need to work hard and deadcate myself in school.”
“The word is ‘dedicate’. And the other word was ‘responsibility’.”
“Thanks. I know I need to learn my words better, so I can speak like Cate did. My teacher is impressed with how much I’ve improved, but I still need to learn more. Daddy’s even been spending time helping me with my homework.”
“Really? It used to be a real fight trying to get him to do that,” Kelly commented.
“I told him the Seers seemed to make better doctors, but that I wanted to do something where I could help. Something like what that lady that guards Alex does, or that nurse did in Orleans. But he said I couldn’t do what others were doing, and the best thing was to learn how to do several things, so I could do whatever was needed. He said if all Alex’s people became doctors and scientists then it wouldn’t help, but by working hard and taking advantage of things, I’d be ready when I was needed.”
“That’s actually good advice. So what have you been working on?”
“I’m studying my science and math. Dad says that even if I don’t become a scientist it will be important. He also said I’ll have to study genetics in school, since that’s what my ‘bilities are all about, but that you have to be smart to study such things.”
“So if Daddy doesn’t want you to be a doctor or a scientist, what does he want you to be?” Kelly asked, intrigued just where Henry’s mind was headed.
“He said we probably don’t know what Alex will need in the future, and when I get to college what I’ll need to study hasn’t even been invented yet, so I can’t decide what to do now. Instead I need to be prepared to decide when the time comes, and when I need to decide, I can talk to Alex’s women in Illinois and they’d help me decide.”
“He actually said that?” Kelly asked, once again surprised that her husband and daughter had been discussing so many things when he rarely discussed such things with her. She figured she needed to stop trying to protect him, and that she was doing exactly what she’d originally done with him. When they first met Alex, she’d kind of dismissed his concerns because she’d wanted both her and Jenny to learn as much about their abilities as they could. Now, instead of that, she was again dismissing his interests in an effort to avoid confronting him with something he was uncomfortable with. Maybe Jenny was right. Maybe there were problems between her and her husband she’d been unaware of. Problems she’d compounded by trying to avoid them.
“He did. He promised me we could travel there if we needed to, or he’d let me call them whenever I felt it was necessary.”
This time Kelly couldn’t even think of how to respond. Here her husband was not only supportive, but he was actually working behind her back to help incorporate Jenny into Alex’s whole movement. This was really a weird turn of events.
“You know, I think your father and I need to have a talk about this. I have a feeling there’s a lot we need to hash out.”
“You’re not upset, are you?”
“Can’t you tell?”
“I can feel you’re a little miffed, but you don’t seem to be angry at either me or Dad,” Jenny observed.
“You seem to be learning to use your abilities quite well. I suspect that, having gotten these abilities at such a young age, you and the other children exposed to Alex will quickly outpace all us old people with these abilities. You’re liable to discover things we never even considered.”
“That’s what Dad says,” her daughter happily agreed. “He says that’s why I have to wait before deciding what I should do.”
“Well, I’ll tell you what, I think your father and I are going to be doing much better after we talk. It sounds like he’s doing much better with what you’re going through than I am. What’s more, if he’s this supportive, it may be time we returned to New Orleans. It seems there’s likely a lot they’ve learned since we were last there which would help you.”
“Really? That would be great. I’ve love to talk to other people like me, especially if there are other people my age with the same ‘bilities.”
“You and me both, honey. I’ve been ignoring my own abilities for long enough. If your father is this supportive with you, it sounds like I should stop avoiding it myself,” Kelly said, chiding herself for all she’d missed by not communicating with her husband once again. This had been a real wake up call for her. Not only had she dismissed her husband’s interests initially, she’d been doing it since then as well, assuming he was still touchy about it simply because he didn’t force her to discuss a subject she herself had been avoiding. Apparently this was one area that having a miraculous ability to see someone’s personality didn’t help with.
“I’ll tell you what, let me talk to your Dad this evening, then we’ll all have a long talk. Your brother is obviously too young to include, but I’m going to have to include him soon. It seems avoiding things isn’t necessarily the best way to address issues,” she observed with a smile. “Now how about some ice cream? You deserve a treat for opening your mother’s eyes.”
“Ryan, I know you’re still a little touchy about the topic, but I really wanted to discuss your reaction to Alex last week.”
“Oh, geez, Megan,” her lank and lean boyfriend replied. “I’ve already said how sorry I am for what I did. I mean, we agreed to it beforehand, but when it came down to it, it was just a bit much for me to take.”
“Don’t worry, I know it’s upsetting thinking I’m comparing you to an angel, but that’s not what I wanted to discuss. Instead there’s been a lot of talk about how Alex affects people.”
“I’m assuming this ‘talk’ is taking place in your head?” Ryan asked with a crooked smile.
“Yes, I’ve mentioned it with a couple of the women in town, but it’s also involved a lot of the other Seers scattered around. I’m not sure just how much you know about Alex beside what he told us himself, but he’s got a bit of an unusual history. It seems women are generally attracted to him, but men seem to get really angry with him, and we’ve been trying to figure out what it is that’s causing this reaction.”
“Yeah, he mentioned he’d had a couple of encounters with other people. There was something about him getting shot by someone.”
“Yeah, that little scar on his neck. Apparently someone shot him there. They’d been aiming point blank at his forehead, but he gave them a stroke. He’d have escaped unscathed, but when his sisters came out and surprised his attacker, Alex reacted instinctively and jumped in front of him, trying to shield them.”
“Hey, what can you say, the guy’s an angel through and through.”
“But what I and the rest of us are interested in is exactly why you got so upset the other night. I mean, we’ve fooled around with others before, and we discussed it ahead of time. I asked you if it was OK, and that this would mean a lot to me and you said it wouldn’t be a problem. So I’ve got to ask just what the issue was: was it simple jealousy? Did you think you couldn’t measure up to a supposed angel? Or was there more to it? Just how much control did you have over your reaction?”
“You know, that’s probably a good question. I’ve tried to put it out of my mind, so I haven’t really sat down for long to analyze just what I was thinking, or rather what I wasn’t thinking, since I seemed to have just reacted.”
“Well, I think it’s worth reviewing. I mean, not only would it help you to put it into perspective, but it would help the rest of us figure out how both Alex’s and our own abilities work. Most of what Cate explained to us is just conjecture at this point. If there’s something going on here, then it would help us all to understand just what it is, especially if it will help keep Alex alive long enough to do what he needs to.”
“I must admit, I’d love to clear my conscience about it, and it would be great if I could repay Alex back for what I put him through. Let me think about it for a minute. It seems to me I just stopped thinking and I just felt angry, like I just wanted to crawl over and wipe that smug expression off of his face.”
“You know, his expression was anything but smug,” Megan told him. “He takes that whole boosting process pretty seriously, and he knows what it means to everyone. He’s usually so concerned about what it means to us and how he has to do everything so carefully that he views it more as a job than he does just fooling around with someone.”
“Yeah, I can see that now, but at the moment that was my impression. But I think I just started reacting. I wanted to hurt him, but I knew I couldn’t just hit him. After all, not only would everyone disapprove, but his bloody bodyguard was sitting right there the whole time. Shit, you told me what happened when that other guy attacked him. If I’d done that she might have put a bullet in me.”
“I doubt that, after all, the guy she shot had just shot several innocent people while gunning for Alex. But I get what you’re trying to say. You were still thinking on some levels, since you were considering alternatives, but your emotions were operating on a visceral level.”
“I just suddenly felt like I wanted to hurt him somehow. I guess it had been building. At first I was just irritated, then annoyed, then I started to get angry at him, and then my thinking kind of shut off. After all, you know I wouldn’t act like that otherwise. I mean, I’m not the type to proposition teenagers, make passes at armed lesbians, or try to force myself on anyone.”
“Just tell me what you were thinking. Maybe we can figure it out. Did you feel angry at Alex when you first met him?”
“No. I was taken aback, and I thought him an odd duck telling a strange tale no one would believe, but the rest of you took him so seriously I decided I needed to reevaluate him. But it was only after we talked about it later I figured out just how seriously you were taking this, and it was then that I figured he might be on the level. And when I told him I was OK with you sleeping with him, I really meant it. It wasn’t until we were in the room and you were all talking together that he started getting to me.”
“That was before anyone took their clothes off, right? And you weren’t actually that close to him. I mean, we were sitting on the bed, he was in the chair, and you were sitting on the other bed, correct?”
“Yeah, I guess I was about as far from him as you were.”
“Well, that kind of rules out any effects of close contact. Maybe it has something to do with confined spaces? Maybe he’s giving off some kind of pheromones, and in the concert hall or outside it didn’t affect you, but in the closed in room it did?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t recognize anything, but as I said, I wasn’t actually thinking at that point. What’s more, I wasn’t angry at you. If anything, I was upset you were trying to stop me. I mean, you were trying to warn me what he could potentially do to me, but I just felt angrier that you were trying to protect him.”
“That’s the thing with him, Alex can’t detect his own energy, so he always downplays its effects. I don’t think he has any idea of what he’s truly capable of, but the rest of us can feel it. While I used to get vague feelings about people, with him it was like standing in the face of a hurricane. I could feel his power washing over me, and I knew if he were to direct it against someone in a fit of anger he could do tremendous harm without even having to think about it.”
“Yeah, that’s what I figured afterwards. That’s why his actual response cut so deep. Instead of acting out, or just shouting at me or insulting me, he very carefully explained what both he and I had been doing, and then he asked me what I was trying to do, as if he was more interested in what upset me than in what I was doing to everyone. That’s when I figured he probably was a real angel, because it seemed like the kind of thing Jesus would do, asking the Roman Centurions how he could help them while they were marching him to his death.”
“Let’s keep this on topic. I know that’s important, and we’ll get to that, but I want to follow your train of thought before we get sidetracked. So you started getting upset while we were talking. You also said you stopped thinking at some point. Can you figure out just when you stopped thinking?”
“Not really. It was a slow process which seemed to escalate. At first I just found him annoying, then cloying. Then I think I started to invent things to justify the way I was thinking. I mean, the business about his being smug. You’re right, he wasn’t acting like that at all, but I convinced myself that he was, and that he was simply up to no good, trying to take advantage of you and Lauren.”
“It sounds like your emotions were getting ahead of your thoughts,” Megan replied. “Like you were feeling things first and then trying to justify them somehow.”
“Yeah, that’s what it felt like. Like you just knew something, and then you were casting around for a reason why you knew it. And then, after a bit, you just stopped thinking about it, since you figured you already knew everything you needed to know.”
“OK, just when did that happen? Did it happen when we were all naked and on the bed together?”
“Hmm, again, I’m not really sure. I was pretty angry as we were making love, and I was trying to insult him. But it was after we finished that I started making a real ass of myself. That’s when I got up and started actually accosting people. I think I was trying to provoke him, like I was trying to pick a fight with him or something.”
“That would make more sense. When we were making love, you were closer to him and you didn’t have the interference of the clothes to block anything you were picking up from him.”
“Do you think I was reacting to something he was giving off?” Ryan asked, hoping there was a better explanation than that he had merely been as ass.
“I’m not sure. Right now I’m trying to find something the others can evaluate. No one has any real clues why Alex seems to antagonize guys. If we can identify it, we can at least know what to expect, and hopefully learn more about how these processes work.
“So what else happened? You seemed to turn around when he started talking to you. I know he was trying to disarm you, which you didn’t seem to relate to, but when he started discussing his ‘techniques’ with you, you seemed to become more interested and animated. Is it possible you were functioning on a more primal basis at that point? Like you thought ‘Ugh, me can gets me woman too?’”
“I’m not sure. Maybe. I remember being interested in what he was saying. And I remember getting an erection again, and that’s when I climbed on the bed and shortly after I started to grab Lauren, which she wasn’t pleased by.”
“Yeah, that’s what finally set Alex off, and what I’d been trying to warn you about. So it’s possible there was something that only works in enclosed spaces, which affects your thinking, and which reduces you to a very basic unthinking level that invents justifications to rationalize your behavior? Does that make sense?”
“I guess. As I explained, I wasn’t really thinking much at that stage, I was just reacting.”
“Good. That’s very useful information. You did good, and you more than made up for anything you did that night. After all, I would have hated to have had him do anything to you. I kind of like having you around. What he gave me wasn’t sexual. True, we had to get sexual to do it, but it was both more and less than that as well. But I can see what you’re saying about getting an erection from your exposure to him. I could at least feel his energy, and being bathed in it like we were it clearly had an effect on me, making me feel sexual, even more than simply being around him was. I suspect that was the effect of his energy on you, even if you couldn’t perceive it directly.”
“Well, I think all those details are above my pay grade, but I’m glad it makes sense to you. It certainly makes me feel better there’s some explanation for my behavior, even if we don’t understand it yet. After everything was said and done, I really like the guy and I support what you’re doing with him. But there was just something about him which irritated me.”
“I know, honey,” she said as she enveloped him in her arms. “I could see it did. That’s why I was asking you about it. Now let’s try to get your mind off of that topic and on to more productive thoughts.”
After a quick breakfast, Alex led them outside and flagged down a cab, not bothering to tell anyone where they were going. Leanna had to take off on her own. She had an appointment that morning to visit the detectives investigating the jewelry story robbery, though she assured Alex she’d let him know how it went.
Cate and Gail were curious where they were heading, but they knew better than to ask. Georgia accompanied them, while Ally and Betsy went home to change and head in to work. When Alex announced where they were going they were surprised at the apparent subterfuge.
“The mall?” Cate asked. “Why make a big deal out of going to the mall? We go to one every time we stop in a new city.”
“It’s not the mall that’s the surprise,” Alex assured them. “But, yes, that’s what we’re doing today. We’re scouting for any Seekers or Seers we can find, like we should have done when we first arrived here. The way I figure it, we’re several days behind, so we need to see how many we can find before the concert tonight.”
The others nodded at that. It made sense, and they had no better alternatives. Besides, it seemed fairly safe. No one yet knew what he looked like, and even if they did, he seemed to be the current celebrity du jour in the city, so they didn’t expect he’d have much trouble even if he was identified.
However, when they got out of the cab and entered the same mall entrance they’d so hurriedly fled previously, Alex pointed down the hall to the food court. “Save me a table, I’ve got to make a stop.”
Gail eyed him nervously. “I should come along. You know very well someone may recognize you from the other day.”
“No thank you,” he told her. “I plan on visiting René. We have some unfinished business, and I wanted to ask him something in private.”
“Now wait a minute,” Gail responded, looking at him askance, “you mean to tell me you’re voluntarily walking into the place where you were publicly identified, expecting no one to recognize you? And that you want to do it unprotected by us? What’s going on?”
“Nothing that you need to be concerned about,” Alex reassured her, even if it did anything but. “I’ll be fine. As you said, I’m Oklahoma’s darling right now, so I should be fine. If I run into any trouble I’ll alert you. But until then, order me a drink. If you want, you can stop by and see if anyone has some nice shirts I could wear. I haven’t had anything new to wear for a while. After all, if I’m going to be famous I should at least look the part.”
Both Cate and Gail looked at him curiously, trying to figure out what he was trying to pull. However he didn’t relent, so they finally shrugged.
“Fine. Just don’t come crying to me when this all goes to hell,” Gail quipped. Georgia didn’t seem to be concerned. As far as she was concerned Alex could do no wrong, so if he had something to do, he’d know better than them what was needed. So they took off, heading away from him towards the food court.
Alex waited until they were well down the mall concourse before he turned and headed for Mizrachi & Sons’ Jewelry store. He’d wanted to make sure they weren’t going to double back and try to follow him.
When he entered the store no one noticed him at first. Then one girl looked up and did a quick double take. She quickly ran over to another girl behind the counter and whispered to her. After that, one person after another seemed to remember who he was. Not all of them, though. Alex couldn’t remember the people, but he suspected only a few of the same people had been here the other day. The others probably just noticed how the ones who had responded to him.
“Bon Jour, Mr. Mizrachi,” Alex called out as he approached the store’s manager and co-owner. Alex knew nothing of René’s family, but he assumed his brother still retained some control over the place.
“Guten Tag,” René replied instead.
“Sorry, I assumed René was a French name, Alex said as he approached.
“Alex?” René asked, halting to consider him. “I was expecting you to call. How nice of you to come in. And please, don’t start with that ‘Mr. Mizrachi’ nonsense. You know my name. I expect you to use it.”
Alex reached across the counter and shook René’s hand. “Sure thing, Bob. Or was that Joe?” he asked with a grin.
“I’ve got your things in the back,” René told him, smiling at Alex’s joke. “Give me a second and I’ll get them.”
After René left, Alex glanced around the store. It seemed all the sales people had identified him, and by now the customers had figured out he was important in some way. Some of the quicker ones had already made the most likely connection, but several of the others were a little slower to come to the realization.
“Here we are,” René said as he returned carrying a small bag which he opened on the glass counter.
“Did the police get my fingerprints OK?”
“Oh, yes. They were most appreciative of them. I was tempted to leave them there as a testament to what you’d done, but then thought better of it. While I can see you wanting the police to rule you out as a suspect, I can see you not wanting everyone having access to your fingerprints.”
“And they were OK with my not showing up?”
“Well, I explained what was said, and why you didn’t want to be identified. I also said that you high-tailed it out of here, so they took my word for it that I didn’t know you. Of course I didn’t mention you called me the next day to arrange a private meeting in your hotel room.”
“As long as they aren’t putting out an all-points bulletin on me, I’m happy,” Alex responded, as he looked over the pieces René revealed. “Very nice work. They came out even better than I’d hoped.”
“I took a little extra time with them. I added the rubies to both, figuring it would make them a little more memorable while not making them ostentatious or obscuring the meaning.”
“Again, I can see why everyone believes in you so much,” Alex told him. “Now what’s the damage?”
René laughed. “If it were up to me, they’d be free. But alas, someone doesn’t seem to appreciate that sentiment.” He quickly glanced around the room, then bent over and wrote a number on a pad of paper he had with him and showed it to Alex.
Alex glanced at it, then stood and pulled a wad of bills from his pocket, handing several to René. In return, he went to the register and rang the purchase up, hand writing up a sales ticket making no mention of who the product was sold to.
“I don’t think there’ll be any need to return it, but if you’re ever in town, or if the recipients ever need an adjustment, the receipt has the inventory number on it. That will be good for anything they need. In fact, if you aren’t here to object, they could probably get any repairs done for free,” he responded with a smile.
“Thanks,” Alex said, again reaching across to shake the owner’s hand. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”
“No, the honor is all mine,” René responded. “I’m pleased I could have been of service. You’re welcome anytime you want to return, though I doubt you will. Still, take care and try to keep out of trouble. It was a pleasure knowing you.” With that Alex took his purchase and walked away, aware everyone in the store was watching every move he made.
The girls noticed Alex approaching. Of course, the fact they were waiting for him, scanning everyone to spot either him or potential followers, helped. Thus he couldn’t quite surprise them.
They’d taken a table near the entrance of the food court, which was easy to access and thus easy for people to approach. Alex was nearly to them when he was distracted.
‘Alex, this is Jamie Stone. I just wanted to inform you the Dallas police just issued a statement about you.’
That got Alex’s attention, and he came to a dead stop. ‘Go ahead, Jamie, what did they say?’
‘Well, there were news reports recently of your being seen in Oklahoma, so it’s triggered a lot of talk here. Apparently the police felt they needed to respond to it, since the shooting here was directed at you, and if they missed you, the source of the attack, their investigation could be called into question.’
‘Yeah, that makes sense,’ Alex said, concerned about where this was headed.
‘I just watched their announcement, and I can’t repeat it word for word, but I got the gist of it. They said that it didn’t matter if you were seen in Oklahoma, as they were already aware the shooter went to the Cotton Bowl looking to confront you there. However, there’s no evidence you were there, nor that you were even in the city for long, so they aren’t looking for you.’
‘Ah, now that’s good news.’
‘Wait, there’s more. They then said that the shooter, who they identified as Anthony Barlow, went to the concert expecting to confront you, and then grew angry to find you weren’t there. He then shot into the crowd at random. But since he was gunning for you it was still an attempted murder charge, and the injuries he inflicted on the two girls would be treated as such, even though he wasn’t specifically trying to murder them.
‘They went on to say the district attorney's office has been in negotiations with the assailant and they’re close to resolving the case. You’ve got to understand the case has attracted a lot of attention, and the local city councilman representing the district is pressing for a full trial, since he sees it as a wealthy white man running wild and getting off easy, whereas if he was a black man he’d be facing several life sentences.’
‘Yeah, I can see how that could impact how they viewed it. So what did the police say about that?’
‘I guess it was the prosecutor who was speaking, in conjunction with the Dallas Police Chief. He said they were close to resolving the case, that Mr. Barlow had realized he’d made a serious mistake and was willing to plead guilty, saving the city from an expensive and potentially divisive trial, but he was pushing for leniency, assuming he could get psychiatric counseling. The prosecutor then made an oblique reference to the Councilman, saying they could put this to bed if certain individuals weren’t purposely trying to interfere with a police investigation.’
‘Ah, it sounds like Anthony might get a break, but it’s going to be difficult because no one wants to be seen giving a rich man a break when they wouldn’t give anyone else one. I’ll have to talk to his daughter and see what her reaction is. She might have more information. Anyway, this means they aren’t actively looking for me as a material witness, which is a big deal for me. Thanks for the info. I appreciate it.’
When Alex finished the conversation, he noticed he was standing in the middle of traffic passing him on either side, so he crossed the short distance to the table.
“What was that about?” Gail asked, having recognized the telltale signs of his having a telepathic conversation.
“It was Jamie. She told me the Dallas police aren’t looking for me in regards to the shooting, and that they’re close to a deal with Anthony but there’s political pressure being applied.”
“Yeah, I didn’t think it was going to be an easy case. You can’t go shooting up a crowd in a situation like that and expect to get off lightly,” Gail remarked.
“I don’t think he’s expecting to get off lightly. Instead I think he’s hoping to get some concessions. Possibly some psychiatric counseling and a reduced sentence based on his supposed psychiatric condition.”
“It’s still a hard sell, especially in Texas.”
“Well, it’ll be good news for Grace and her mother. I know they’re both concerned about her father, even though they don’t want him back on the streets until they’re sure he’s not going to do something else crazy. I think everyone is assuming the best place for him at the moment is prison, though I’m sure he’d prefer a psychiatric facility.”
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Gail responded. “They really don’t have them anymore, and they’re not going to give someone like him that much leeway. The public wants blood in some form, so they’re not going to concede much.”
“Well, enough about that,” Cate impatiently interrupted them. “We’re all dying to know what you had to discuss with René Mizrachi which you couldn’t do in front of us.”
Alex simply smiled, sitting down across from both Cate and Gail. “Well, he gave me this,” he replied, pulling out a small jewelry box. He opened it, revealing a small gold ankh pendant, with a small ruby where the loop met the horizontal cross arm.
“This represents us,” he said, handing the box to Cate. “I know you’re concerned with my health, but I want you to know that what we share is eternal. What’s more, it’ll continue long after I’ve passed away, whether that occurs next year or forty years from now. You’re in this crusade of mine and you’re a central figure, so you’ll be involved with it long after I’m gone. I want you to remember it, and me, and what it means to me, and all those that will be helped by it. I thought this would represent all of those things.”
She took it, her mouth gaping open in surprise. This was the first piece of jewelry Alex had ever given her. After a moment’s hesitation she pulled it from the box, unraveled the chain, and fastened it around her neck.
“It’s beautiful, Alex, and I’ll always cherish it. I realize what this means, and how much of a concession you’re making by publicly acknowledging you may not be here with us indefinitely.” With that she leaned across the table and gave him a quick kiss.
“Now, I also have something else,” Alex continued, turning to face Gail, pulling out another small ring box and presenting it to her. She hesitantly opened it, revealing a gold heart enclosing a small shield, which held a small ruby within it.
“This represents what you mean to me. You’re in charge of keeping me safe, but you do it out of love, and not simply duty. You’re looking out for me, so your love covers everything else you do. The rubies, in both cases, represent both me and my heart, which you both share.”
Gail, unused to such things, and especially not used to them from a normally undemonstrative Alex, was struck speechless. However, a moment later both Cate and Gail got up and swarmed him on two sides, rewarding him with kisses and hugs. They continued with little whispered messages until they were interrupted.
“Uh, I hate to break up this tender moment, but we’ve got company,” Georgia informed them.
The two girls pulled back, remembering their positions of watching out for Alex and helping his movement. When they did, Alex turned and saw two women cautiously approaching him. He could immediately tell they were neither Seers nor Seekers, but he waved them forwards nevertheless.
“Pardon me, but we were in the jewelry store and we heard about what happened, and we just wanted to tell you how impressed we were with what you did, and how you asked nothing for it other than to just be left alone,” one said. She wasn’t old, but certainly older than most of the women Alex dealt with. She was more Leanna’s age, late 40s or early 50s, Alex guessed. She had a mix of blonde and dark hair with a nice smile. The other woman was young and thin, like many of the women Alex encountered. She had dark hair and a nice neutral pink top with a lot of lace. Although Alex had no basis from which to judge, he guessed she was probably Jewish, and then guessed she was probably in the store for reasons other than simply shopping.
“I was there the other day, I’m Sarah Miller, René’s daughter-in-law.” the second one added, confirming Alex’s theory. “I saw how the robber responded to you, and how you dealt with the other one when he tried to stop you from taking his money away from him. I can see she didn’t see a simple man. She was convinced you were an angel, and I think I’m convinced of the same thing.”
Alex resisted sighing in exasperation, since he knew these two women were serious.
“Well, I’m…” Alex started to say before he caught himself. He then took a moment to reconsider what he’d been about to say and started again. “Yes, I am who you think I am, but I’m as human as either of you are. It seems Alexandria, for her own reasons, feels it necessary to have those I’m sent to help see me as more than I really am. Thus, when they see me, they see more than how I look to you. Instead, they see this image of a towering angel, even though I’m anything but. However it’s useful, since they take what I tell them much more seriously as a result.”
They both seemed to soak up this story, and each seemed to feel compelled to touch him. Alex assumed it was for good luck, he wasn’t quite sure, but he wasn’t about to deny them this simple balm.
“So you’re actually ministering to poor souls?” the first asked.
“Actually, I never know who I’m supposed to help, nor even why. All I know is they often address me first, and when they do I always know what I need to do to help them. In the case of the other day, I knew the one needed to redeem herself. So I stepped up, took the results of her act from her, and told her she needed to change her life and the course she’d chosen,” Alex told them, inventing material as he went. “I’m happy to report she’s done that, and through her the other robber has also decided to try to turn his life around.”
Gail had been simply observing this discussion, smiling at how well Alex seemed to handle these types of encounters, when she reached across the table and quietly tapped his arm. When he looked at her she indicated something behind him. Turning, he saw a girl in a gray top with darker, somewhat reddish, brunette hair and a pale face and large eyes. When their eyes met she paused briefly, but then continued forward until she reached him. Then she did like the other women had. Instead of making a scene, she merely reached out and touched his chest with her hand, as is trying to measure whether he was real or not, or whether he was actually as immaterial as he appeared to be.
“You’re real?” she stated, as if shocked by the thought.
“Yes, I am. I’m… well, we’ll get to who I am in a second. Who might you be?” he asked.
That was the start of their morning in the mall, which proceeded much like that. Alex spent more time addressing normals who thought they recognized him, or who were attracted by the others surrounding him, then he did actual Seers or Seekers. Those he fended off on Cate so they could discuss what they needed to unobserved by everyone focusing on Alex. This was certainly a new approach to his mission, and it would take some time to decide whether it was better, or whether it would ultimately bite him in the ass.
“Hello?” Linda asked, not even bothering to ask in the formal manner she’d been so careful to teach her children. She knew her kids were good about calling, but she also knew they were preoccupied, and she was often at the end of their lengthy call list.
“Hey, Mom. This is—”
“Don’t worry, Cate, I know exactly who it is. You don’t think I’d mistake the sound of my own daughter’s voice do you?”
“Especially when she’s been waiting all evening for the call,” Frank grumbled from his easy chair. But he had the good sense to turn the TV off so it wouldn’t interfere with their call.
“So what’s been happening? The girls have been talking about what you’ve been up to, but mostly they’re saying that the whole town knows who Alex is, and that he’s facing exposure the whole time he’s there.”
“No, it’s OK. Actually, it’s worked out surprisingly well. I’m sure they told you about the robbery. We managed to walk in during the middle of a jewelry store heist, and one of the criminals was a Seer. As soon as she saw Alex she collapsed in front of him, asked his forgiveness and handed him all the money they stole.”
“That damn son of mine is going to get himself killed one of these days,” she growled.
“From what Alex says, it wasn’t very likely. But we didn’t know it at the time. The other guy tried to grab the money from Alex. He had a gun, even though he didn’t try to use it. Anyway, when he went to grab it, Alex just goes into this spin, yanking the money away from his hand and coming around and clocking the guy. The gun flies off behind the counter, the guy falls hard on his shoulder, and Alex calmly walks up and hands the money to the owner of the jewelry store.”
“How could you let him do that? I mean, I know he got away with it this time. But you know just as well as I do that his luck can’t hold forever. He just barely managed to squeak by when Rakeem shot him. Where the hell was Gail? Isn’t that her job?”
“Mom, when was the last time you heard of Alex doing what he was told?”
“Well, he was pretty good about listening to people before that little trip to New Orleans. It seems a couple of people gave him a bit of a big head, so now he thinks he can do no wrong.”
“Frankly, we spend enough time telling him to trust his instincts. Usually when he does decide to do something, it works out pretty well. Gail’s job is to protect him from the things he doesn’t expect.”
“Like Rakeem? Or the guy who tried to shoot him the other day?”
“Well, to be fair, Alex told her to stay behind the day Rakeem came after him. And Gail was the one who shot the guy who came after him.”
“Still, I don’t like the idea of people shooting at him, or at any of you. And I especially don’t like the idea of anyone else getting shot. Especially one of his girls. It’s strange, but somehow I feel close to each of them. I know it’s unrealistic, but we’ve been so close.”
“It’s like the mother of a gay guy, he and his friends always treat their mothers like queens.”
Linda laughed. “Yeah, you’re right. The girls are always treating me like I’m the Queen Mother. And it’s hard to think badly of anyone who loves my son that much.”
“Anyway, it’s worked out well. Word about Alex spread quickly, but everyone was intrigued. We stumbled into a lesbian bar and—”
“Alex walking into a lesbian bar? You’ve got to be kidding me,” Linda teased. “Frankly, that doesn’t surprise me much.”
“No, it doesn’t. The big joke was that he’s finally run out of straight women, so now he’s going where the only remaining women are. After all, we know he’s an equal opportunity activator.”
“It’s not the activation which worries me.”
“Yeah, well, he tries to limit who he boosts. But as you know, there’s a lot riding on it. But, surprisingly, we spent most of our time dealing with the normal type 3s. Everywhere we went they were all over him.”
“What, normal women finding Alex attractive? Were there more than a handful of girls in your high school who weren’t chasing him?”
“No, but let me tell you what else happened. Today he wouldn’t tell us what he had planned, but he got us into a cab and took us back to the mall.”
“Wait, the same one he’d been identified at? Wasn’t that kind of… I don’t know, kind of stupid?”
“That’s exactly what we were thinking. Especially when he told us he was going back to the jewelry store to talk to the owner, and didn’t want either Gail or I to accompany him.”
“I’ll tell you, for a couple of near genius kids, sometimes you can both be a bit headstrong.”
“Tell me about it. Anyway, he insisted, and neither of us was going to confront him about it, so we went and waited for him. One of the girls we met, Georgia, came along with us.”
“Wait, wasn’t she the one that—?”
“That he spontaneously boosted? Yeah, that’s the one. It sounds like you’re getting information from other sources than just me.”
“Honey, if I waited for you to get around to telling me what’s happening, I wouldn’t have anything to talk to the girls about.”
“Anyway, when he came back, he presented me and Gail with a couple of presents. He actually had René custom make some jewelry for us. You know just how undemonstrative he is? Well both Gail and I were flabbergasted. He gave me this Ankh, the Egyptian symbol of eternity with a small ruby which represented his heart, telling me it represented our love which would last forever, long after either of us were around.”
“Wow. As much as we always talk about how clever he is, we keep underestimating him sometimes.”
“I know. I mean, I know what he was trying to tell me in his unsubtle manner, but it was still very effective.”
“I can imagine.”
“He also gave Gail something similar. He gave her this little gold heart with a shield within it, which was then inlaid with another ruby like he gave me. He explained it represented she was his protector, but that he realized she did it out of love for him, and that she too shared his heart forever.”
“Stop, you’re making me tear up. As much as it still freaks me out that you two are involved with each other, it still affects me knowing how much you both care for each other.” Frank grunted from the other seat, letting her know what he thought, even though she could also see a smile he tried to hide.
“Your father agrees with me, even though he hasn’t heard the details yet.”
“Anyway, we’ve got to be going. We still have a concert to do yet, and a bunch of new followers. I just wanted to call you before we left, since we’ll be up late tonight as a result.”
“Well, as you know, I’m always glad to hear from you. Now put that damn expensive phone we bought you to use and send me a picture of your present. After all, the other girls may already know what it looks like, but I still want a chance to show off.”
“I’ll do that, Mom. And Alex sends his love. He says he’ll call you later, but he doesn’t know when he’ll be able to reach you.”
“Tell him not to worry about it. I don’t mind being awakened if it’s to hear from either of you. After all, I’d rather be awakened hearing something positive than I would to hear someone else is shooting at him.”
“I’ll tell him, Ma. Tell Dad we love him, and that we miss you both. Anyway, we’ve got to run. It takes a long time to set up before the concert begins, so—”
“Go on. I know how busy your lives are now. And thanks for calling. I always appreciate hearing from you.”
With that Cate hung up. Sighing, Linda turned around to tell the entire story to her husband. They both knew she could just as easily have turned on the fancy speakerphone option they had, but Frank had long ago learned that she enjoyed the retelling at least as much as she did the initial conversation.
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