I smelled the nearby harbor. It was a mixture of salt, seaweed, and the smell of gasoline that had settled in my nose. Legolas was standing in front of me, staring into the water. Perhaps two minutes had passed since I had asked my question.
Finally, he replied, "I showed her what would happen if she didn't let me go."
What did he mean by that? "Showed who what?"
"The woman. She understood what it was all about."
"And what is it about?"
The elf glanced at the helmsman. "Not here. Just this: she let us go. She arranged this ride for us, and she promised not to interfere again. She can't stick to the latter if she doesn't want to betray her organization."
Oh, well that was very reassuring. If he meant the one I was thinking of, that meant the agency was still on our tail - only they had given us a bit of a head start to do the dirty work. "So you're saying she's going to let us do it until we-"
"Yeah, until we find what we're here for." He spoke so softly that only I could hear.
"And then what is our advantage? Then how are we supposed to..."
He put a finger to his lips. "All in good time, let's get our feet back on solid ground first."
Suddenly I became aware of his closeness and I slid a little to the side so that we were no longer touching. Nevertheless, I blushed, I felt it quite clearly. What was that all about? Why was he so touchy since I had saved him from Sattler? Was he actually happy that I was alive?
With a sigh, he sat down next to me on the bench and played with one of his knives. Maybe he was just trying to live up to my expectations? To get me to play along? Was this behavior his interpretation of including me in the planning? Did he think I wanted that?
It seemed so wrong. At least after the behavior he had displayed so far. I moved a little further away from him. "You don't have to do this."
"What?" he asked, and I heard the astonishment in his voice.
"The show you're putting on."
"I'm not putting on a..."
With a wave of my hand, I interrupted him. "It doesn't matter. Just stop it."
"With what?"
"Playing a role."
And as I said that, I realized that was exactly what I wanted him to do. What was bothering me. The uncertainty that overwhelmed me every time the distance between us closed was not infatuation. The racing of my heart wasn't part of any crush.
I was bound to him until this thing was over. I knew that as well as I knew that I had to trust someone I put my life in the hands of.
And I couldn't.
That's why I hoped again and again when I had the impression that he would open up to me and was disappointed time and again when I had to realize that it wasn't like that after all.
The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning.
Dazed, I looked over to him and then back at the water. In the meantime, the boat had left the branch of the Elbe and was sailing into a canal whose sides were lined with tall brick buildings. It wasn't the historical warehouse district, but we couldn't be far from it either.
The captain headed for one of the walls, to which ladders were attached, and made an exaggeratedly deep bow. "Disembark."
I ignored his rude tone and climbed up. At the top, I stepped aside to let Legolas through. "What now?"
"We go for a drink."
Elated, he crossed the parking lot ahead of us and headed straight for a waterfront pub across the street. I stopped for a moment, then I sprinted after him. "Legolas, we don't have time for this."
"Yes, we do."
"No."
He overheard me and opened the pub door instead. "After you."
Crossing my arms, I entered and looked around. The interior was lined with dark wood, as was the bar, in the center of which a mirrored post reflected the loudly celebrating soccer fans. It was cozy, if a drunk hadn't stepped on my foot at that very moment.
I turned around. Was there even a free seat here?
I finally found one in the far corner and slid onto the wooden bench, which was as dark as the rest of the interior. The elf sat down opposite me.
I slid back and forth in my seat, avoiding meeting his gaze. The restlessness inside me was unbearable. Almost as loud as the silence between us. "What are we doing here?"
"I'm waiting for you to listen to me."
"Excuse me?"
He shrugged. "You seem more preoccupied with your own thoughts."
"Nonsense, I'm sitting here staring holes in the air." My voice was an angry hiss, owing to the fact that he was right. Of course, my mind was elsewhere. But that was probably up to him and not me!
"Fine, I'll start then."
"Feel free."
"I will."
We measured each other with glances.
He was the first to let himself sink back into his chair. Ha! A small part of me celebrated the victory, even though I knew how pathetic it was.
"Haven't we been in this exact spot before?" He sounded tired. In a way, resigned.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"There's more here than what we're talking about. Isn't it?"
I bit my lips. "Yes."
"I can't give you what you're asking for, Ina."
"And what would that be?"
He looked at me, uncertainty reflected in his gaze. "You tell me."
"Honesty, Legolas."
"But..."
I shook my head. "I get the idea. It's all business."
The elf was just opening his mouth when a waitress stood up in front of our table. She was short and stocky and wore a fan club T-shirt in addition to a pair of tattered jeans."What can I get you?"
Without taking my eyes off the elf, I said, "A beer."
"And for you?" she asked, turning to Legolas.
"For me, too."
She looked back and forth between us, as if sensing the tension, the battle we were fighting. But then she turned and disappeared toward the counter without another word.
"Listen, Ina. I'm here to do a job. As far as that goes, you're right. I needed you to get my way, and after that I felt responsible for you, and I still do. I want you to be okay, I want you to come back home when I'm gone."
"I want that too," I murmured.
"I know you do. And I also know you want to take on more of my burden than you should. I tried to prevent that, but the more I tried to protect you, the faster you slipped away."
"Because I didn't feel it was protection..."
He nodded. "But rather patronization. I realize that now. It took me a while before I understood you, this whole world. It's different here than... at home."
I felt a lump in my throat. He had never been this honest before. Somehow, it didn't suit him at all. But hadn't I wanted it that way?
For the first time, I no longer felt like I was tilting at windmills or stuck in a morass of confused lies. "So what does that mean?"
"It means," he raised an eyebrow, "that you're getting exactly what you wanted."
I frowned. "More unsparing truth?"
He grinned. "Much more."
"Good." I felt liberated, like I was going to take off at any moment. If he really stuck to his word this time, maybe we'd actually make it. Together.
"But," he followed up, and I had a bad feeling, "you listen to me. If I say run, you run, if I say stop, you stop, and if I say you have to let me go, you'll do that too." His gaze bore relentlessly into mine. "Is that clear?"
"But I'm still allowed to think on my own?"
If I hadn't known better, I could have sworn he was about to roll his eyes or bang his fist on the table. He cared, I could feel it. So I let my snotty line be followed by a nod. "I'll do what it takes."
He rubbed his forehead. "All right."
I tightened my legs and leaned them against the edge of the table. Then I reached for the menu and looked at what was on offer. My stomach growled terribly. "Do you even have a plan? Last time it was nearly a complete loss."
"Indeed. But it's different now."
"Oh?"
The elf leaned forward, assuring himself with a glance over his shoulder that no one was listening. "I know not only who we're looking for, but where."
The menu slipped from my hand. "Where did you get that information from?"
"The file. They showed it to me without knowing who he was, and then it was all clear to me."
"Who is he?"
"The thief. They call him Jack Adams."
My heart leapt. "You know him?"
"Better than you can imagine."
