Anraí MacEibhir

Takes place after events in this thread.

Anraí leaned against the porch railing, listening to his younger brother's voice on the other end of the phone connection. "So I don't know if I'm overreacting or not," Rory was saying. "She hasn't been gone that long, and yet I can't help thinking something's wrong. Not only does she just not normally behave like this, I keep remembering that strange conversation she told me she had with someone who looks like you. And you seemed uneasy when you mentioned speaking to him yourself."

Uneasy. Yes. Something about that man had lifted the hairs on the back of his neck, something beyond the strange resemblence. He remembered a smug smirk, an arrogant attitude ... and a pair of very cold hazel eyes. The thought of Rory's Pippa catching the attention of those eyes made his gut tighten.

"Have you called Tadhg?" he asked softly.

"No, I haven't yet. I only called you this soon because of that coincidence ..." Rory trailed off, and he heard a faint hiss of breath. "You don't think I'm overreacting, do you. You don't think it was a coincidence." They weren't questions, exactly.

Anraí spoke slowly, measuring his words. "I think that if there's any doubt at all, you'd better have backup in place sooner rather than later. And if Pippa is in danger, you'll need someone who can track her down quicker than the police." His fingers flexed unconsciously around the rail, making the wood creak slightly. "That someone is our little brother."

A pause lingered for several seconds. "I'll call him," Rory replied at last.

"You do that. And keep me posted as well."