"Oh, no," Thomas groaned. "I'm staying right here." He shrank away from her toward the wall.
She shook her head. "I can't do this alone, Thomas. And Drake is his permanent dorm. We don't even have to
go outside."
Relief seeped through her heart. Sergei was a lot of things, but intimidating wasn't one of them. They could
handle this. Together. She checked her watch. Two hours until breakfast.
"We'll wait until everybody leaves for breakfast and sneak in."
"I don't really have a choice, do I?" Thomas handed her the half-empty bottle of water and tore into a Zone
bar.
"No. You don't," she said happily.
Ariana brought the bottle to her lips and let the cool water slide down her throat, calming her. In less than two
hours, they'd have their answers.
188
THE MISSION
***"Can you walk?" Ariana glanced worriedly at Thomas's ankle as they started up the basement stairs.
"Yeah." He grimaced at the first few steps. "Nothing I can't handle." He gripped her face in his hands, a
serious look suddenly hardening his features. "Your mission, Agent Osgood, is this: Break into the Russian's
room and make sure he's not hiding your picture in there." Thomas's eyes danced with amusement.
"Questions?"
"Thomas," she giggled, "it's not funny. This is serious. Now come on." She held his hand as he limped slowly
up the rest of the stairs.
"That's Agent Pearson to you," he retorted. "And I know it's serious. Should you accept this mission, the path
through the Russian's room will be a dangerous one. There will be corduroy pants. There will be chess sets."
"Again, Latvian." Ariana rolled her ice blue eyes. "The Latvian's room."
189
"And worst of all, Agent Osgood, there will be ..." Thomas paused dramatically, narrowing his eyes at her.
"Argyle."
"I think you're still a little drugged, Agent Pearson," Ariana said with a laugh.
"Nothing wrong with that," Thomas said.
Ariana paused and leaned back against the stairwell, wanting to enjoy the lightness of the moment. After
everything they had been through in the past two days, laughing with Thomas felt good. It felt normal. And,