Chapter Two

"So, how'd it go?" Ben asked as soon as Riley walked through the door.

"Not as well as I had hoped," Riley replied. "He's not talking."

"Well, there were certain things he wouldn't say to me, either, so we're in the same boat."

"Let's hope this one doesn't blow up on us."

Ben let out a dry laugh and let a corner of his mouth turn up in a half-smile. "Riley, Riley, Riley."

"Did you just triple Riley me?"

Ben rolled his eyes, and Riley shot his friend a dirty look before making his way to the guest bedroom.

NTNT

Ian eased his sportscar up the walkway and parked. He plucked the keys from the ignition, slipped out of his car, and continued up the rest of the walkway on foot, locking the car behind him as he did so. He noticed the breeze was slightly cooler than the previous day, but he paid little attention.

He walked into the mansion and hung his keys on the rack. Phil and Viktor were in the dining room, engaged in a Ninja VS Pirate debate, and Powell was drinking perhaps his third or fourth cup of coffee for the day in the living room, watching a random cop show. He walked up the stairs and tapped lightly on the door to the guest bedroom.

"Yes?" Tanya replied from the other side of the door.

"It's just me."

"Oh, come in."

He slipped inside and sat on the edge of the bed. Tanya was seated at the foot of her bed, staring at the far wall, with her arms wrapped around her knees. "So, how are you?" he asked.

"Other than the fact that I'm absolutely certain something will turn up which will throw this whole endeavor either down the drain or in a whole new direction, I'm just peachy, Ian. How was your day?"

"My day was absolutely fine, save your little report that we learned absolutely nothing from Riley's meeting with the President."

"Oh, that little sweetheart? Not a pleasant one, is it?"

"Quite frankly not, given the circumstances. However, we'll try again, I'll make all the arrangements. All you need to do is spend a few days resting, perhaps resuming Andy's affairs."

"I'm actually considering quitting that job. Being Andy for only eight hours out of twenty-four is becoming increasingly annoying."

"Well, then, I'll let you handle that as you see fit, and I'll take care of the rest. You have nothing to worry about, Tanya." He kissed her hair gently. "Don't worry."

"I'm your sister, Ian, and as you should recall, you now have a criminal record. Tell me again why I shouldn't worry."

"Because I'll take care of everything. You know how good I am at that."

"Until you screwed up and managed to walk away from your attempted theft of the Declaration of Independence empty-handed. Oh, and while I'm on the subject, may I remind you that had you compromised the document, you'd have compromised the map? This is no time for you to take care of everything. I don't know where this ends, but whatever happens next should be handled by an expert."

"That happened but once, and it will not happen again. I can assure you of this."

"And I'll be on the sidelines laughing my arse off when you fail miserably and everything explodes in your face."

"Assuming that does happen."

"Don't expect it not to."

Tanya sighed and rolled her eyes. "Some people's brothers," she mused.

"Some people's sisters," Ian said with an almost identical tone to his sister's. He got to his feet and headed out the door without another word.

NTNT

Tanya had managed to push all concern regarding the current treasure hunt from her mind come tea time the next day. Ian even noted, "You look well."

"Well, I feel well, better than I felt yesterday," Tanya replied, taking a sip of her tea. "I guess you were right. Rest has been good for me."

"Good. You see, I know a few things."

"Of course, ask any average American who reads the New York Times, and they'll tell you Gates is the one who knows everything about everything."

"It sure seems that way sometimes." Ian set his tea cup on its coaster and licked his upper lip, leaning forward and propping himself up on his elbows. "I wonder what they say about me in the London Times."

"Perhaps exactly the opposite of what they say of you here. I didn't check, but it must be archived somewhere."

"That wouldn't surprise me. It's happened before. Just compare history books from the States and England. Two entirely different stories."

"I've noticed that when preparing for my citizenship test."

"The one you took under Tanya Howe?"

"What other name would I take a government test under?"

"Ah, good point."

She took a sip of her tea and set the cup in its saucer. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and my big question has almost always been, why? Why are we doing this, pursuing whatever is at the end of this, and why are they trying to send us back to some form of beginning? If this is an elaborate set-up, then what's the point?"

"You haven't been resting, have you?"

"I have been, but I can't shut my mind off. I'm not a Buddhist monk."

"I'm not asking you to be, and it might be too much to ask of you to take a break from this hunt, since you seem to not be able to stop thinking about it. I just don't want you getting too worked up over something like this. Treasure hunts have been known to kill people."

"Do we need to have this conversation again?" She gave her brother a look which clearly said, "are you serious right now?"

"I'm your brother. Worrying about you is my job, and I don't intend to lose it at this particular point in time."

"Ian, has anyone ever told you exactly how weird you are?"

"You have, on more than one occasion."

"Oh, I must've done it so many times I've lost track. Who's counting, anyway?"

"Exactly."

Ian smirked and looked down at the table right in front of him. Tanya watched him for a moment more before studying the intricate floral pattern on her tea cup. Eventually she took the tea cup in one hand and took a sip of her tea, which had cooled slightly over the course of her conversation with her brother. At about the same time, Ian looked up and glanced out the dining room window, but he saw nothing of interest, so he followed his sister's lead and took a sip of tea.