(93) Trevor Wallace – Dhampir

(Del)

"No one by his description at this one either," Pete said as he called the last hospital listed in the phone book. We'd split the list, hoping for something. Trev wasn't at any of them, hospitals or clinics, anywhere close to Lecompte.

"Now what?" I asked him, lying back on my bed staring up at the cracked ceiling.

"Now we get some sleep and in the morning we go searching for the crash site." He flopped down on the adjoining bed and looked over at me. "Del, we're going to find him one way or another."

I turned my head to glance at him. "How? Even if we do find where he crashed, we know he's not there now. He could be anywhere. If he's alive. Gods, please let him be alive and just lost or...or..."

"Or with someone who maybe found him. If he was conscious, it's quite possible, knowing him, that he refused to go to a hospital, especially since he would have been carrying his sword. That would be a bit hard to explain. He did have it with him, right?"

"Always." I sighed. "But who would let him make the decision if he was hurt as badly as the bike?"

"Think positive Del. If he was thrown from it he could have just sustained minor damages."

"Then why hasn't he called?"

"That, Del, we won't know until we find him. If he staggered away, well." His mouth tightened. "There's bayous out there as well as farm land, fields." He was looking at his iPhone as he talked, checking MapQuest or whatever. "A few scattered houses." 

"This is a wild goose chase, isn't it Pete?"

"Absolutely not! We know more than we did before we got here, and tomorrow we'll find where he crashed. Then we'll go from there." He snorted and I looked at him, wondering what was so amusing. "I can see us hiring out a bloodhound, just like in the movies, to track him."

"Actually, you know, that's not such a bad idea."

"Del, they need something of his to sniff, I think. You can't just say 'Find Trevor' and they take off." He thought about that. "On the other hand, if there's still any blood there..."

I nodded. I didn't want to talk about that, even though I knew it was a definite possibility. He reached across the space between our beds and patted my arm.

"We won't do him, or ourselves, any good if we don't get some sleep. So go shower and get to bed."

Managing a small smile I asked, "Is that an order?"

"Damned straight. And don't even think about whapping me upside the head young man."

I actually laughed then, looking at him as I slid off the bed. "If we were different people and the circumstances were different, I might take up that challenge."

He grinned. "That could be interesting. Now, off with you. And if I'm asleep when you come out, do not wake me. The alarm's set for six."

Twenty minutes later I was curled up, trying to sleep. I heard Pete say softly, "We're going to find him Del."

I prayed he was right.