anything about her appearance or manner that seemed off, he didn’t show it. Thank God for small favors.
She went over to the U.S. Marshals’ building soon afterward. Murrah, the big djinn who’d been one of Margolis’ guards, was loitering around the place and offered to take her down in the elevator. Julia knew the way well enough, but she thought refusing him would be rude, and so she allowed him to get in the elevator car with her and guide her to the cell in the lowest sub-basement, after which he waited off to one side like the world’s most oversized bellhop.
As she’d expected, Miles and Lindsay were already there. By that point, it seemed as if Lindsay had given up any pretext at working and was propped up against one wall, a mug of coffee in her hands and a frown pulling at her brows. Miles, of course, was still tapping away at his iPad. Julia wondered if he slept with that thing…or if he slept at all. Poor Lindsay.
“Okay, troops,” Julia said, hoping she sounded at least halfway authoritative. If only she wasn’t so damn tired. “Time to pack it in. We’re heading back to Los Alamos.”
An expression of relief crossed Lindsay’s features, but Miles only shook his head. “I’m still tabulating — ”
“I’m getting the impression that there isn’t anything to tabulate,” Julia broke in. “It’s okay to admit every once in a while that you’re flummoxed.”
“I am not flummoxed,” Miles protested. “I am gathering data. Because you aren’t a scientist, perhaps you don’t — ”
“You’re right. I’m not a scientist.” Usually Julia tried to be a little more patient with Miles, because she knew his contributions to the Los Alamos community were what had kept everyone there alive, but at that moment she’d had it. She wanted to go home and get the hell out of Santa Fe. Maybe once she was back in familiar surroundings she’d be able to forget that kiss she’d shared with Zahrias. She had to. Otherwise, Shawn Gutierrez’s prospects were looking pretty bleak. “But I am the leader of our group, and I’m saying we’re going home.”
Miles’s lips compressed. “Lindsay, tell her we’re not done.”
“ You’re not done, Miles. I was done yesterday.” Lindsay lifted the coffee mug she held to her lips and drained the remainder of its contents. Her expression softened as she looked over at her companion. “Sweetie, there just isn’t anything to find here.”
Julia didn’t have time to reflect on the incongruity of Miles Odekirk being referred to as “sweetie.” Without looking back at Murrah — for all she knew, the djinn would report their entire conversation to Zahrias after this was all over — she said, “I think you need to listen to Lindsay, Miles. You’ve been over and over the same ground ever since we got here. There’s just nothing to find.”
“I’m staying,” he said mulishly. “You go, if you feel it necessary to go back to Los Alamos. Lindsay can go with you.”
“Oh, no way,” Lindsay said at once. “If I leave you here, I just know you’ll forget to eat, and I doubt anyone is going to hang around to babysit you. If you’re staying, then I’m staying, too.”
Crazy, the both of them. The universe had been kind in allowing them to find each other. Too bad it hadn’t been nearly as kind to her. Julia shoved that self-pitying thought aside. “So how are you supposed to get home whenever you decide you are done? We only brought the one device with us.”
Miles didn’t blink. “We can keep in contact by radio. When I feel we’ve sufficiently exhausted our options here, I’ll let you know, and you can send a team to retrieve us.”
Using up more fuel and putting more people at risk. But maybe that was being a little harsh. The drive over here had certainly been uneventful. Yes, it would waste some gas to come back and get Miles and Lindsay, but Julia was certainly in no position to drag them away from their work. Maybe if she’d
She went over to the U.S. Marshals’ building soon afterward. Murrah, the big djinn who’d been one of Margolis’ guards, was loitering around the place and offered to take her down in the elevator. Julia knew the way well enough, but she thought refusing him would be rude, and so she allowed him to get in the elevator car with her and guide her to the cell in the lowest sub-basement, after which he waited off to one side like the world’s most oversized bellhop.
As she’d expected, Miles and Lindsay were already there. By that point, it seemed as if Lindsay had given up any pretext at working and was propped up against one wall, a mug of coffee in her hands and a frown pulling at her brows. Miles, of course, was still tapping away at his iPad. Julia wondered if he slept with that thing…or if he slept at all. Poor Lindsay.
“Okay, troops,” Julia said, hoping she sounded at least halfway authoritative. If only she wasn’t so damn tired. “Time to pack it in. We’re heading back to Los Alamos.”
An expression of relief crossed Lindsay’s features, but Miles only shook his head. “I’m still tabulating — ”
“I’m getting the impression that there isn’t anything to tabulate,” Julia broke in. “It’s okay to admit every once in a while that you’re flummoxed.”
“I am not flummoxed,” Miles protested. “I am gathering data. Because you aren’t a scientist, perhaps you don’t — ”
“You’re right. I’m not a scientist.” Usually Julia tried to be a little more patient with Miles, because she knew his contributions to the Los Alamos community were what had kept everyone there alive, but at that moment she’d had it. She wanted to go home and get the hell out of Santa Fe. Maybe once she was back in familiar surroundings she’d be able to forget that kiss she’d shared with Zahrias. She had to. Otherwise, Shawn Gutierrez’s prospects were looking pretty bleak. “But I am the leader of our group, and I’m saying we’re going home.”
Miles’s lips compressed. “Lindsay, tell her we’re not done.”
“ You’re not done, Miles. I was done yesterday.” Lindsay lifted the coffee mug she held to her lips and drained the remainder of its contents. Her expression softened as she looked over at her companion. “Sweetie, there just isn’t anything to find here.”
Julia didn’t have time to reflect on the incongruity of Miles Odekirk being referred to as “sweetie.” Without looking back at Murrah — for all she knew, the djinn would report their entire conversation to Zahrias after this was all over — she said, “I think you need to listen to Lindsay, Miles. You’ve been over and over the same ground ever since we got here. There’s just nothing to find.”
“I’m staying,” he said mulishly. “You go, if you feel it necessary to go back to Los Alamos. Lindsay can go with you.”
“Oh, no way,” Lindsay said at once. “If I leave you here, I just know you’ll forget to eat, and I doubt anyone is going to hang around to babysit you. If you’re staying, then I’m staying, too.”
Crazy, the both of them. The universe had been kind in allowing them to find each other. Too bad it hadn’t been nearly as kind to her. Julia shoved that self-pitying thought aside. “So how are you supposed to get home whenever you decide you are done? We only brought the one device with us.”
Miles didn’t blink. “We can keep in contact by radio. When I feel we’ve sufficiently exhausted our options here, I’ll let you know, and you can send a team to retrieve us.”
Using up more fuel and putting more people at risk. But maybe that was being a little harsh. The drive over here had certainly been uneventful. Yes, it would waste some gas to come back and get Miles and Lindsay, but Julia was certainly in no position to drag them away from their work. Maybe if she’d
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