Page 17 of Sypher

In stark contrast to my own upbringing, which involved extensive international travel and exposure to a wide array of cultures and lifestyles, Sypher’s childhood was spent in the isolated mountains of Tennessee, a region where I strongly suspected same-sex relationships were uncommon, thus limiting his exposure to alternative lifestyles. Surrounded by three older brothers and numerous male cousins, all of whom were aggressively pursuing romantic relationships with women, Sypher found it difficult to escape the rather crude, rudimentary simplistic model of relationships that they had established.

A low grunt and the rustle of the cot let me know he was finally waking up. Checking my watch, I noticed the time. He’d only slept for ten hours. Not nearly enough, but it would have to do.

I didn’t know when Montana or the others would come barging in demanding results, and the faster I could get Sypher behind a computer so he could tell me where I went wrong, the faster I could fix my tracking program.

Getting up from my seat, I walked over to the small coffee pot I had and poured him a hot cup, knowing he preferred his coffee black. Walking over to him, I said nothing when he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at me.

“I’ve got a full pot for you. Are you hungry?”

Shaking his head, he sat up and rubbed his hands down his face and groaned. “How long was I asleep?”

“Not long enough,” I replied, holding the hot coffee cup out in front of him. “Drink this.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, ‘cause Montana and Maxim want results, and I need your help to get them.”

Taking a sip of the coffee, he moaned. “Damn that’s good.”

Getting to his feet, he stretched out his back and looked around my office before asking, “Where is my computer?”

“Montana has it. He said you will have to use what I have.”

Sypher shook his head and walked over to my computer, sitting down in my chair, placing the coffee cup next to the keyboard.

“Did you run a diagnostic?”

“Yes, twice.”

“Double check the algorithm?”

“Yes. But I never configured my tracker for air travel.”

Nodding, he stretched out his arms in front of him, moved his head from side to side before he started clicking away on my computer and got to work.

It took Sypher longer than I expected to figure out the problem, but when he did, he wasted no time tracking Illyria, and with her location found, we hastily gave it to the club, who all ran from the building to go get her.

Heading back to my office, I started cleaning up when he walked back in, leaning against the wall, watching me.

“You not gonna talk to me?”

“What are you talking about? I’ve been talking to you.”

“That was work.”

“What do you want me to say? You were crystal clear when you left my apartment. I didn’t think it needed further discussion.”

Pushing off the wall, Sypher closed my door before walking over to me. “I’m sorry. I was an ass.”

“Yes, you were, but I knew that going in.”

“I miss my friend.”

Slowly turning to face him, I simply said, “And I miss the man that you were.”

Sighing, Sypher shook his head. “I can’t be what you want, Dante.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

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