Chapter Nine

Riley watched Ben and Abi closely, having nothing better to do, and he could feel Viktor's and Powell's eyes on him no matter what he did. The talk around him was light, like he was a ghost at a party, but at the same time, it was awkward, like Ben and Abi were gauging whether or not they could still trust Ian and his crew.

Ben checked his watch and said, "Oh, God, it's getting late. We better go." Abi quickly agreed, but Riley was more hesitant, even though he eventually did follow his friends' lead as they walked out of the mansion.

Viktor leaned back in his seat, his fingers brushing the base of his shotglass, as he watched the three unexpected though welcome guests leave. "Maybe we shouldn't have invited them in," he said.

"What about Riley?" Powell asked.

"I dunno. Tanya was completely welcome, but I'm not sure about the other two."

"You think we'll have tae go after Riley? It sure looks like somethin' he said tae her out there had a real effect on 'er, and not a good one."

The phone rang, and even though Viktor tried to get to his feet, Powell proved far more steady on his feet and consequently answered the phone. "'Ello, who's this?"

"Oh, has Ian gotten the group back together?" a raspy, though definitively English, voice asked. "It'll be such a pleasure seeing you all together again."

"What are yae talking about?"

"I'm talking about dropping by and paying my children and their friends a visit. Can I not do that as a loving father?"

Powell had to surpress his laughter before it betrayed him and made the caller think he thought he was crazy. "Who are yae, anyway?"

"What? You don't recognize Nathaniel Howe?"

He gestured to Viktor, who grabbed a notepad and paper and quickly scrawled the name Powell mouthed to him in between faking small talk with Nathaniel. Eventually, he talked Nathaniel into hanging up and asked Viktor, "Should we tell Ian?"

Viktor shook his head. "Not until tomorrow. Let him commiserate with his sister."

Powell nodded and returned to his seat at the dining room table.

NTNT

Riley paced back and forth across his apartment, from computer desk to door, until the clock read eleven thirty, and he tried to pass out on his couch, but sleep wouldn't come as easily as he hoped it would.

Tanya had lied to him about her identity, sure, but he understood. She needed to know she could trust him, and this fact alone made him regret pressing her so hard the way he had. In a way, he wanted the same thing, which made his regret deeper.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialled Tanya's number. She didn't answer, but she did have her answering machine set up, so when the tone came, he said, "I'm sorry about last night. I just...I like you a lot, whether you're Andy or Tanya, and if I said something to make you feel bad, I'm really sorry." He snapped his phone shut and pocketed it before collapsing across the length of the couch.

NTNT

The sun's rays drifted through the half-open guest room curtain just as Ian's eyes fluttered open. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw Shaw standing in the corner, his hands loosely clasped in front of him, watching him the same way he watched Ian in life.

Ian blinked, and the transparent form of Shaw disappeared, leaving him wondering if he'd lost his mind or not.

Even so, he adjusted Tanya's position so that she was laying on the bed on her side, and he walked out of the guest room, down the hall, down the stairs, out to the kitchen/dining room. He could hear Viktor snoring on the couch in the living room, and there was a note on the table in Powell's handwriting. 'Nathaniel called last night. Thought it'd be good to see us all together. Probably doesn't care about what happened. Powell'.

Ian crumpled up the note and tossed it in the wastebasket, collapsing into a chair with a sigh. Someone knocked on the door, so he forced himself to his feet and answered to the thirteen-year-old that delivered his mail, except he was closer to nineteen or twenty now. "Here's your mail, Mr. Howe."

"Thank you, Jason," Ian replied, taking the few magazines and envelopes Jason handed him. "Have a good one."

"You, too."

Jason walked off, and Ian shut the door and sorted through his mail. There was a plane ticket which had been mailed to that address, but the return address was that of a travel company. Judging by what Tanya had told him the previous night, this must've been for Viktor. There was a letter from Phil, which Ian promptly opened.

'Ian,

'They still think I'm Phil, and I'm gonna be released next week, so I don't need to keep this up much longer. Just a few more days, Ian, but I think that's about as normal as it's gonna get after that.

'Anyway, I'll see you in a few days, and this might even be my last letter.

'Phil'

Ian folded up the letter and slid it back into its envelope, setting it on the table next to, but in a new pile separate from, the letter from the travel company. The magazines and catalogs went in a third pile, and finally there was a postcard. "As if your call isn't enough, Nathaniel," he muttered, tossing the postcard in the wastebasket.

Viktor's snoring stopped, the only clue Ian had, from his present location, that he'd awoken, and lo and behold, a few minutes later, a slightly hungover, more than a little sleepy Viktor stumbled into the kitchen/dining room, rubbing his eyes.

"Your plane ticket," Ian said, handing Viktor the envelope from the travel company, his expression brightening instantly.

"Great. Can I start packing now?"

"If I may, and this is my curiosity speaking, why are you so eager to go to London?"

"I just need to be on a mission. I need to do something. Helps keep me sober."

"I see. Whatever works, I guess. Go ahead, get ready. The sooner this is out of the way, the better." As Viktor ascended the stairs, Ian added, "Oh, and call either myself or Tanya if you have any questions." Viktor nodded over his shoulder and continued on his way up the stairs.

For his part, Ian found himself alone once again, and he glimpsed Shaw watching him for the second time that morning, this time from the doorway leading to the first floor study. "I'm losing my mind," he whispered when Shaw's image disappeared. "I should get myself checked."

NTNT

Tanya's eyes fluttered open to find herself completely horizontal on the bed. She adjusted her position and pulled her phone out of her pocket, noticing that she'd had a missed call. She checked her messages, of which there was one, from Riley, apologizing for the previous night, and she called him back.

"Hello?" Riley asked when he answered his phone.

"I...I got your message, and...it's not your fault, Riley," Tanya replied. "I meant to tell you when I was absolutely certain you were worthy of my trust. You just...you just..."

"I pushed too hard, I know. I'm sorry, and that's why it's my fault."

"It's not your fault. It's mine, because I'm too afraid of men. You're a really nice guy, Riley, and it's bloody stupid of me that I just...that I felt like I couldn't count on you. You're the type of bloke I'm pretty certain I can count on, and I'm worried I'm going to miss my chance if I'm too careful."

"Tanya, I was too curious for my own good."

"No, curiosity is good. It saved our back ends in London."

"So, can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

Riley chuckled, and his tone regained its seriousness when he asked, "Was some of what you told me true, that you have a brother who got in a prison riot and stuff like that?"

"I have a brother, he's still heavily bruised from his prison riot scrape, but he's fine. I can't quite remember everything else I told you about him, but I have a brother."

"Okay."

"I've got the feeling Ian's not your favorite person in the world."

"He pointed a gun at me."

"Where did he do that?"

"In the tunnel, just before we found the treasure. All the details are in my book."

"Oh, I remember now. I'm just not sure I want to touch on such a sensitive subject with these men, especially Ian."

"What's so sensitive about the hunt for the Templar Treasure?"

"You know." Tanya lowered her voice and glanced around the room on the off chance she would be overheard. "Shaw's death."

"Ooooh. Okay. Have you tried instilling a sense of normalcy?"

"We're working on it. Viktor's been assigned a mission, and Powell's supposed to make sure Phil makes it back, though I have the strangest feeling Phil doesn't need Powell's help."

"Okay." She could hear someone call Riley's name, and he added, "I've gotta go, but I'll talk to you later."

"Alright. Talk to you soon." She snapped her phone shut and put it on the nightstand, and just as she walked out the door, she almost intercepted Viktor.

"Sorry, T," he said quickly. He had several bags on his arms.

"So, the plane ticket must've arrived."

"Oh, yeah. I'm so excited to be on a mission again."

"Call if you have any questions."

"Yeah, that's what Ian was telling me. Can't wait." He walked off down the hall and she to the upstairs bathroom, where she washed her face off. She took a pass on the foundation and colored contacts, instead walking downstairs to the kitchen, where she poured herself a bowl of cereal. Ian elected to drive Viktor to the airport, and she saw them both off before resuming her day.

Her eyes drifted to the open envelope on the table, so she picked it up, pulled out a piece of paper and read it once through as Powell walked into the kitchen. "It looks like you're off, bloke," she said, handing him Phil's letter. Powell read it twice, furrowing his brow during the first time through and widening his eyes and raising his eyebrows during the second time through. "What'ya think?"

"I think pretty soon we're gonnae have us a crew. No' a full one, but a crew nonetheless."

"Will we have the resources to deal with Nathaniel?"

"I dunnae about that, but I hope. Speakin' of, he called yesterday."

Tanya narrowed her eyes and turned her head to the side just slightly. "Why?"

Powell shrugged and set the letter back on the table. "Beats me."

"Did he say anything?"

"Said he wanted tae see the whole crew together, got no idea Shaw's dead, like he drops by every year er sae fer a visit. Ain't seen him since we left London."

"Oh, God, Viktor."

"What about him?"

"He's going back."

"Yes, but Nathaniel's here, last time I checked, and as long as he stays in the States and Viktor's in London long enough tae complete the mission, he should be fine."

Tanya allowed herself to relax and return to her cereal. Powell poured himself a cup of coffee and took a seat across the table from her.

Ian walked in a few moments later and said, "Looks like everything's going off without a hitch."

"Well, that's good," Tanya said. "That's very good."