"If we were back in high school, I might have taken you up on that," Alex said, shaking his head. He didn't really want to shoot Kyle now. He'd changed in some indefinable way. Or maybe he'd gone back to being the Kyle Alex had known when they were kids. The one who hadn't yet given in to peer pressure and dumped Alex on his ass.

He slowed to a stop in front of Isobel's. The benefits of living in a small town. They weren't friends, but he still knew where she lived. Of course, the fact that her dad had had her information in his database had helped. And made him feel a little like Big Brother.

"If we don't find anyone...yeah, drinking might be an option."

Except it wouldn't be. He'd want to be out there figuring out what was going on. Because to have everyone disappear all at once? That meant that something was wrong.

"I'll be right back." He slipped out so he could walk over and knock at Isobel's door. When that didn't work, he tried around out back. Nothing. He started cursing under his breath. Michael had been bloody the last time Alex had seen him. He said it hadn't been his, but...

He managed not to punch anything and headed back to the car instead. "We're heading to the Wild Pony. See if Maria's heard from anyone."