Chapter Fifteen
Nadia and Thomas' clothes, the ones they had changed out of at the Icarus building, lay strewn about the entryway to her apartment. The pair, utterly spent and no longer powered by the adrenaline boost that had kept them going all evening, had collapsed against the inside of her front door, still wearing their 'borrowed' guard uniforms. Facing one another, their heads resting against the door, they grinned weakly at each other.
"So. That could have gone... better."
Nadia giggled softly, more from exhausted relief than amusement. "We got home in one piece, Thomas. I'm counting it as a win."
He attempted to shrug, but his shoulders barely moved. "I guess. Let's review, just to be sure. We have our stuff." He flailed an arm in the general direction of the mess around them, prompting another giggle from his exhausted partner-in-crime. "And I don't think they got anything significant on the cameras, so the only one we have to worry about coming after us would be Burgess."
"And he has to act nice for the cameras and police until their investigation is put to rest," Nadia interjected.
He nodded slowly. "True. So yeah, I guess I have to agree that we didn't do so badly."
She grinned, but he cut her off before she could say anything. "But we are still without the documents we were hoping to find, meaning we are still working with a limited amount of time."
"All right. A draw, then," she sighed. "And it sucks, too, because there just isn't any way we'll be getting back into the Icarus Development building. Not after tonight. Burgess will probably move the stuff he knows we've seen into his office and step up security to boot."
Thomas nodded. "Agreed. I don't know what tipped him off, but it's safe to say we left a clue of some kind behind at the motel. This is officially beyond our ability to handle."
"Black's going to be thrilled, I'm sure." She paused, her frown slowly shifting into a thoughtful smile. "Actually, that gives me an idea."
He groaned. "Well, whatever it is, leave me out of it, at least for tomorrow. I need a day off before I have some kind of nervous breakdown."
She smiled sympathetically. "That's fair, I've been dragging you all over the place, and you deserve a break. You crash here tomorrow; I'll be paying my folks another visit."
Beginning to struggle upright, she paused as she saw the amused smirk on the young man's face. "What?"
"I may just tally today in the win column after all; I really dodged a bullet there. Your mom is great, but I'll pass on being glared at all evening by your father."
Nadia shook her head with a sigh and a patient smile. "I suppose I can't blame you for that. Good night, Thomas."
Staggering to his own feet, he moved into the living room and flopped, rather ungracefully, onto the couch. His own 'good night' was somewhat muffled and unintelligible, given that it came from around the cushion his face was now embedded in, but it brought a small smile to Nadia's face nevertheless. Entering her room, she took a moment to at least change out of the ill-fitting guard's uniform and into her pyjamas before sliding into bed; oddly, she did not fall asleep as quickly as Thomas had, who she could now hear snoring softly from down the hall. The audible reminder of his presence reminded her of what Thomas had said about preferring to avoid her father. It was bothering her far more than she thought it would, or should and there was no reason for it she could see, except for one. One that she had been denying to her parents for the last week; possibly one she had been denying to herself, too. But, if it was true, then was it so bad?
"No," she decided, rolling onto her back and smiling softly up at the ceiling. "I suppose it isn't."
Feeling more relaxed, she settled back into her pillows and began to drift off at last. Her only lingering worry was bringing it up with her parents tomorrow and whether she should do it before or after she asked them for help on another of her crazy schemes.
In Icarus' Shadow Page 26
