Garner working as a waiter at an upscale restaurant with a growing attraction to a man named Alonzo, who always asks to be put in his section for dinner. One night after work, the man is assaulted while trailing Garner. Garner goes to his aid, but is shot for his trouble.<br><br>Taking time off from work to recover, Garner is resting on a park bench when Alonzo suddenly appears at the other end of the bench. Garner never saw him approach. He asks why Alonzo is trailing him.<br><br>After some hesitation, Alonzo explains he wants to recruit Garner to help fight against others who systematically hunt people like himself. Garner isn’t inclined to get involved in anything dangerous, but he does finds Alonzo more and more attractive, so he agrees to consider the idea. As he learns more about Alonzo’s bizarre and dangerous subculture, what Garner really wants to know is whether Alonzo is romantically interested in him at all.

Call to Love

And then there was the content of the remark. Thatmade Garner feel uneasy. But it also made him feel slightly giddy, for he could not dismiss the remark, and the idea that Alonzo considered him extraordinary—well, that was rather intoxicating.


“Not ordinary,” he said when he had recovered. “Okay, but what does that mean?”


Alonzo shrugged. “I would think that was self-evident. You’re special—of course.”


Of course?Garner wrestled with the idea.


“I’m special,” Garner repeated, a trifle scornfully. “Really. You’ve gotto be kidding! And you,” he gestured with his free hand toward Alonzo. “You—who can do the appearing and disappearing trick! You say I’mspecial.”


The other man studied his face, appearing to consider. Then he frowned and took a deep breath.


“It’s like I told you,” he said at last. “What I do, it’s nothing.” His gaze became more piercingly intense. “And haven’t you already made some headway in exploring your own ability—this very afternoon?”


Chapter 36