Photograghic Memory

Photographic Memory
Warnings: None
Word Count: 1728
Disclaimer: This is fiction. I don't own the people or the characters. I make no claims about their sexuality or lifestyles. Still no profit being made.

Chapter 24
**********

~Right where we left off...~

"Elijah and Dom are missing." Sean repeated himself just to make sure he had Viggo's attention.

"I heard you the first time." Viggo responded as he headed toward the door with Orlando in tow. He then flipped on the floodlights and peered out.

The rain was really coming down now and the normally bright lights did little to penetrate the thick darkness. Viggo couldn't see any sign of them. He yelled their names several times, only to be drowned out by the booming thunder.

He tossed his torch out into the night and the drenching rain smothered the flame before it even hit the ground. Stepping back, he shut the door.

"Sean, stay here in case they show up. You guys can make yourselves comfortable; Orli and I are going to check the security tapes. We should be able to spot them." He grabbed his box of pictures almost as an after thought as he drug Orlando from the room.

*********

"Viggo?"

"Yeah?" Viggo shut the door behind them and started across the living room.

"Didn't you need that torch? Something about the fireplaces and all?"

Viggo stopped at the door to the hall. "I didn't know what else to do with it." He shrugged, "We have to find out where Dom and Elijah have run off to and I couldn't exactly carry it around with me. I lit the one in the kitchen and the one in the den, that will just have to do."

"Viggo?"

He heaved a deep sigh and turned away from the door to face Orlando. He placed his hand lightly on the side of Orli's face and leaned over to briefly press their lips together before whispering in his ear, "I have everything under control."

Stepping into the hall, they saw no sign of Victoria. Any relief they were feeling for her absence quickly evaporated as they realized they would have to pass the door to the dining room in order to get to the stairs. The dining room and that thing..
Remembering the foul air in the kitchen, they moved slowly across the hall, taking shallow breaths and expecting the worse.

By the time they reached the entrance Orlando had his faced pressed firmly between Viggo's shoulder blades. His eyes clinched tight and his hands fisting Viggo's shirt on each side. He never wanted to see that thing again; he never wanted to smell that thing again. He definitely didn't want to hear that thing again! In fact, he wanted no part of this at all and was actively trying to hold Viggo back.

The older man looked around the doorway a moment or two before stepping inside. "Orli, there's nothing in here."

He peeked carefully over Viggo's shoulder. The room was just as they had left it earlier. Even the chair he had pulled out when he was talking to Eric was sitting just as he left it. The only difference was a small dark puddle in the middle of the table.

When Viggo started toward the table to check it out, Orlando wrapped one arm around his waist and grabbed the doorframe with the other to stop him. "NO! Just no, Viggo! Pleeeeese...."

He paused, as much as he wanted to check this out, he really needed to find Dom. Well, Dom and Elijah, of course. Viggo nodded silently before turning to push Orlando ahead of him to the steps. Speaking softly, it came out almost like a purr, "Yeah, Babe, let's go check those cameras." While Viggo spoke, his hands slipped down Orli's back to cradle the young man's firm bottom as he climbed the steps ahead of him.

********
~In the Den~

Sean had heard Viggo speak to him. On some level he even understood him. Just not on a conscience level.
Sean felt as if he were looking at Viggo through a long tunnel. His voice sounded distant, with a metallic ring or echo. Sean gave him a puzzled look, but Viggo failed to notice as he quickly turned to address the others.

With a strange detachment he watched Viggo drag Orlando across the room. Sean watched all of them from his post by the door, feeling like he was invisible, not at all a part of the scene playing out in front of him.

Feeling so separated from the people in the room there were even instances when he didn't recognize them. Like he was on the other side of a glass wall, watching a play and they were the unknown players.

A slight twitch at the corner of his mouth was the only sign Sean showed of the jolt he felt when, like a wave; reality washed over him only to recede moments later, leaving him once again confused.

He tried shaking his head in an attempt to clear it before the haze would settle back in...
He continued watching..
Waiting..
Seemingly hypnotized by the events unfolding around him.

**********

The very instant the door clicked shut behind Viggo and Orlando, Eric nudged Billy and pointed at the tape.

"Karl!"

"Bills!" He responded as he and David descended upon the bar.

Billy and Eric both pointed frantically at the tape. Karl got the giggles just watching them. They looked like a couple of fish, opening and closing their mouths and jabbing their fingers.

When he stopped laughing, Karl picked up the tape and stared at it, flipping it over and back until comprehension dawned on him.

"The taaaaape..." Eric whined at him.

"Oh! Fuck!" Karl ran to the VCR, slammed the tape in and started hitting buttons.

Billy was yelling for Karl to move and brandishing the remote like a weapon. This had Eric waving his arms wildly and chanting "movemovemove". Karl's random button pushing ejected the tape, he stuck it back in and continue button bashing.

Eric jumped to his feet when the tape ejected, which considering how much he had drank, was not a good idea. He toppled over; landing on Billy which sent the remote control sailing across the room. Billy dumped Eric in the floor and scrambled for it. Karl dived on it as well; he and Billy ended up rolling on the floor trying to wrench the clicker from the other's hand.

Eric crawled across the floor until he reached the TV, stood up long enough to hit "play" and plopped down for a front row seat.

At the bar, David had pretty much decided that Viggo must have the better liquor locked inside the cabinet. After unsuccessfully attempting to pry the doors open, he was looking around for where Viggo might keep the extra key. He was down on his hands and knees checking under the table, feeling around with his hand.

None saw Sean slowly reaching for the door.

******************
~Upstairs in the office~

"Oh. My. God." Orlando was never at a loss for words.

Viggo turned to quickly survey the room. Everything seemed in perfect order except for the addition in the center of the room. At first glance it appears to be a small nest of black and gray snakes. Upon closer inspection it turned out to be something far worse.

Every single cord, cable, and line in the room had been disconnected and piled on the floor. Any that didn't unplug had been cut or ripped out. Even the table lamp wasn't spared.

Viggo walked calmly over to the pile and picked up a random power cord. "You know what this means." It wasn't a question.

"No."

"Orlando."

"No!"

"I'm not joking."

"Neither am I."

"We have to go down there. That's where the back-ups are. You know that."

"Look mate, under the best of circumstances and in broad daylight I don't like going down there. There is no bloody way in hell you are getting me down there tonight! That's final, Viggo!" Orlando looked so cute stamping his foot for emphasis.

"Come on." Viggo tossed the cord back into the pile, hooked his fingers into the top of Orlando's pants and began pulling him to the door.

"I mean it, Viggo!" He really just couldn't do tough, no matter how hard he tried. He crossed his arms over his chest, then poked out his bottom lip.

"I know, Sweetheart."

Viggo wasn't even going to try to convince Orlando to go to the basement with him. They had to check the back-up computers and therefore they were going to the basement. It was that simple.

After several attempts to get a good grip on the wiggling younger man, Viggo grabbed him by the shoulders, spun him around, and was now marching him out of the office and into the hall. Orlando had NOT conceded to defeat. He was pushing back against Viggo and trying to dig his heels in.

"I said NO! I am not going down there, Viggo! Stop pushing me! NOW! NO NO NO NO NO! Do you hear ME?!?!"

Calmly pushing Orlando out of the room, Viggo didn't respond.

He tried to turn around, but Viggo's strong grip on his shoulders stopped that thought.
He tried stamping his feet, but that only seemed to help the other man. As Viggo continued to assist him across the threshold; he tried one last thing. He plopped himself down on the floor. The move was so sudden, and unexpected, that Viggo stumbled forward and would have fallen if not for the hand that instantly reached out, grabbing his arm.

"I can't believe you didn't see that one coming!" Peter was shaking his head and laughing. "Jonathan has tried it a time or two, they act so much alike. I would think he was Jonathan, except I know I left him sitting on your bed looking at some pictures."

Viggo turned around to look where he had set the case with the photographs. He knew before looking that it was gone.
And so was Orlando.
He had jumped up and belted down the hall yelling, "Those are MY pictures! Keep your bloody hands off!"

"You knew he would do that." Viggo commented as he took off after Orli, who was just ducking into their bedroom.

Peter shrugged at Viggo's back. "Whatever works." He responded when he saw Viggo enter the bedroom. "What ever works." He said it again slowly with a smile as he followed them down the hall.

~Continued~