Two To Keep A Secret, 3/3.
Title: Two To Keep A Secret
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13 (But Part 1 does slide into R territory)
Pairing: Ariadne/Eames
Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to Christopher Nolan and not to me. His toys are fun to play with!
Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place during and after the movie. For the inception_kink meme prompt in round 15: They marry a year after the inception, and tell no one. No Arthur knowing, none of that. How they handle domesticity in their line of work. Also for the "bullet wounds" box on my hc_bingo card.
Summary: Despite being surrounded by people who discovered secrets for a living, Ariadne and Eames managed to keep a pretty big secret. Then again, they were really motivated to do so.
Prior chapters:
One - The Best Kinds of Secrets
Two - Balancing Work And Play
The tapestry from Yusuf was lovely, and Ariadne smiled as soon as she saw it and sent an e-mail full of smiley faces and praise. Eames received antique mirrors, and Ariadne knew exactly where in their apartment they would go well.
"He knows you oh so well," Ariadne teased. Arthur and Henry were going over the security detail for their subject, so she felt safe enough in letting her fingers brush across the skin at the nape of Eames' neck. She smiled at his shiver, eyes dancing. They were being very professional while on this job, keeping the smoldering looks to a minimum.
Eames made a low growl as he contemplated her. "Planning to stay late tonight, then?"
"Nah. I'm not needed, so I'll pack it in early. Head to my hotel room, order some very improper movies with a distinct lack of clothing to get myself into the mood." She flashed Eames a bright smile as his eyes darkened in desire. "How about you?"
"You're a bloody tease."
Ariadne let her fingers brush across the back of his neck again. "It's a hobby," she replied in a light tone of voice.
"If the walls in this place weren't so thin..."
She smirked and headed back to her own work space. "Do we need to go over the map on your level again? Just to be sure?"
Eames grinned at her. "Practice does make perfect." He looked over at Arthur and Henry. They wouldn't notice an impromptu practice session. They had gone over the levels with Ariadne dozens of times, too. It wouldn't be out of place at all. "I have the perfect hiding spot, too."
Ariadne's lips curled into a sweet smile. "In that case, let's go."
***
The job itself went well. There was no subconscious security; apparently Columbia Industries didn't know about dream share or discounted it as a potential threat. Henry had plenty of time to get the details of the new marketing campaign ideas as well as the various designs that the development teams were working with. Eames had done a flawless impersonation of the executive assistant in the first level as well as the CFO in the second, and Christian Fusel had no idea that all of this had been an elaborate con. As far as he would be concerned when he woke up, he had anxiety about his upcoming presentation to the Board and had dreamed about it before he had to actually do it.
The entire team had gone to Markneuheiten to present the information. Henry recited all of the information that he had gathered, and Ariadne sketched out the designs according to his direction. Once all of this was passed over, their contact with Markneuheiten passed them their payouts and thanked them for their work.
Leaving the building was hell.
Apparently, their contact at Markneuheiten didn't want any word of their involvement to get out, even on the dream share scene. Security guards ambushed them as soon as they left the elevator bank, and they were shooting to kill. While they hadn't expected any problems, Arthur and Eames certainly hadn't walked into the office building unarmed. Henry was more of a knife fighter, and he was caught in the side of his throat by a bullet as he shoved Ariadne out of the way. She watched in horror as he began bleeding out, blood escaping out through his fingers with every heartbeat.
"Leave," he rasped, pressing his cut of the payout into her hands. "Get out while you still can," he said, eying the elevators.
Arthur was shooting at the guards; one went down, but he was wearing a bulletproof vest and merely knocked out from the force of the shot. Eames was kneeling as he shot at the guards, eyes tracking the panicking crowd in the lobby.
Ariadne could only guess that Markneuheiten would try to pass them off as thieves or terrorists of some kind. There would be no way to refute that claim if they were dead.
Pocketing whatever Henry gave her, Ariadne looked around the elevator bank. There was an emergency stairwell entrance. From Arthur's talks with Henry about the various buildings, she knew that it led to the basement, which had an entrance to their parking garage. It might be a way out of this. "Think you can help us distract the guards?"
"Dead anyway," Henry rasped, nodding. His skin was ashen gray, and Ariadne thought he had perhaps minutes left.
She pressed her lips to his forehead. "Thank you. It was a privilege to work with you." It was a bit of an exaggeration, but it made him smile in appreciation.
As Henry stumbled toward the guards, blood pouring out of the side of his neck, Ariadne whistled for Arthur and Eames. Arthur exchanged a quick glance with Eames as another guard shot Henry in the chest. He went down the stairwell first, and Eames followed after dropping another vested guard. Ariadne winced at the sight of a bullet wound in Eames' arm, but at least it was his left. She turned and followed Eames after another glance at Henry. By sheer force of will, the extractor had stumbled forward another few steps before falling.
Ariadne felt something burn along her back as she turned to enter the stairwell, and the breath left her lungs as she pitched forward. At her cry, Eames turned and caught her. His expression was drained of color and she could only imagine that meant she was shot. "I've got you, darling," he murmured as he pulled her down the stairs. They ducked out on the first landing, which was the parking garage level. "It's going to be a rough ride from here."
She ignored the feeling of something warm running down her back. "I'll make it," she promised.
Arthur shot the security guard at the gate and took his keys. He hit the car alarm button on the key ring, and they headed for the sound of the beeping alarm. Arthur got into the driver's seat as the door to the parking area banged open. Eames loaded Ariadne into the backseat and tumbled in behind her. Arthur started the car and headed right for the incoming guards. "Keep your heads down until we're clear," he said, lips compressed tight.
Eames had his arm around her and was shielding her body with his own. "When it's safe enough, I'll look at that wound. We'll have to avoid a hospital if we can."
She could hear the recrimination in his tone. It was one thing to get shot in a dream, since that didn't have any lasting effects on the body. He had promised up and down that he wouldn't allow her to get hurt, and here she was bleeding. There was no problem breathing, at least, so odds were good that the bullet hadn't gone past her shoulder blade.
Eames was calling an associate as Arthur drove through the parking area. Ariadne grit her teeth against the bright flare of pain that shot through her every time her shoulder or back hit Eames' chest. It was a bumpy ride; she could only assume that Arthur was using the SUV to hit the guards shooting at them before taking to the streets. She tried to focus on Eames' voice as he spoke, trying to figure out what he was saying without saying the words outright. It was something about clearing out hotel rooms, and Ariadne could only assume that Eames was being paranoid. They had all checked into their hotel using one set of assumed names and dealt with Markneuheiten with another set of names. There shouldn't have been any way to link them, but Ariadne was fine with taking no chances. It was only a matter of time before the guard's SUV would be on police scanners.
"Everything's being sent to a warehouse in Brussels," Eames told Arthur once he hung up. "We can sort belongings later. Rooms are being sanitized, too, just in case."
"Good. I lost them, but I'm sure this car is going to be found soon enough. We'll have to dump it and then stay lost for a while."
"We're both shot," Ariadne choked out. She was somewhat gratified to hear Arthur curse under his breath. Henry had talked about other people he'd worked with, and most of them seemed to take bullet wounds from angry employers as commonplace. She didn't want to have to expect bullet wounds on a regular basis.
Arthur made some sort of confusing circuit with his driving and finally parked the car in a desolate area. There were abandoned warehouses nearby, and he carefully wiped down everything in the car that they had all touched. Then, just to be certain there was nothing to find, he set it on fire. They wound up in a warehouse three blocks away. Eames' wound was a graze and easily cleaned with water and tied off with a makeshift bandage. Arthur hissed at the sight of Ariadne's back. "I don't have anything to take this out with." He made a sympathetic noise as he palpated the entry wound and the surrounding area.
"Hospitals will make a police report," Eames said in a low tone of voice.
"I've got fake ID on me," Ariadne said, voice wavering from the pain. "As long as we get this out, you can always break me out of a hospital if you need to."
Eames let out a hiss of frustration and paced with jerky steps. Arthur compressed his lips into a fine line, then came to a decision. "We'll have to get our story straight first. I'll deal with the paperwork later."
***
Nancy Horswill had been on vacation and unexpectedly mugged. While trying to run from her assailant, she was shot in the back. She was taken away immediately to the trauma rooms, leaving the two men to fill out the paperwork. Eames paced and looked haggard enough to make the triage nurse taking down information nervous. "He's her husband," Arthur lied smoothly. "It's all come as a shock."
"I should've been there," Eames muttered, falling into the role seamlessly.
The nurse seemed to calm down at the explanation and turned to Arthur. "And who are you?"
"Her brother," Arthur lied. He made a face that caused the triage nurse to cluck in sympathy for their plight. "We all came here on vacation a while ago. My brother-in-law's been here before, and I was thinking of maybe coming here with my fiancée after we get married, but I don't know now..." He made that sympathetic face again and shrugged helplessly.
"Oh, now it's not always like this here. Just fill this out and we'll see what I can do to get you all sorted, all right?"
Once the triage nurse had them go back to the waiting area to fill out paperwork, Eames eyed Arthur critically. "Why'd you say I was married to Ariadne?"
"I figured she could probably buy it if I said I was her brother. Coloring's not the same, but the slight build is similar. There's no way you could ever pass as a relative, and you won't get visiting rights for this unless you are. So, it had to be husband. We'll fill her in once they get her out of surgery."
"Thought about it much?" Eames asked, eyebrow lofted.
"It worked, didn't it?" Arthur challenged. "Someone had to think up a plan to get us out of this. Now she'll have to fill out a bogus report, but by the time the local authorities figure out that none of it happened, we'll be long gone."
Eames took a deep breath and nodded. Arthur didn't know anything. He was simply planning ahead for this disaster, just as he always did. He wasn't responding to any clues in their behavior at the office building or in dreams. Ariadne was still safe as far as dream share went.
"We need to put the word out that Markneuheiten aren't to be trusted. It won't do much for us, but some enterprising soul out there might do a number on them."
Arthur smiled thinly and showed Eames the e-mail he was composing on his phone. "Already ahead of you. Columbia's going to get quite a lot of detail about this, and I know someone that can get any potential files on us pulled from Interpol servers. We should be in the clear."
Eames nodded and sat down heavily. "Henry was a good man. You know, for being one of us."
Arthur nodded. "His death won't go unpunished."
Now all they had to do was wait for word on Ariadne.
***
Ariadne was held in a recovery room long enough to allow police to arrive to take a statement. Eames texted her in the meantime, which she surreptitiously read before the nurse returned with the police officers. Arthur told triage he's your brother, I'm hubby. We're on vacation, he's engaged and checking out honeymoon spots.
With that in mind, she played up the distressed tourist angle. The police officer tried his best to calm her down, and didn't question her background too hard. It probably helped that her back hurt and she continually winced or looked for the nurse to tell her that this was a normal reaction. She described one of the guards at Markneuheiten as the assailant that had tried to mug her, and let her eyes water a little. The police officer didn't seem to be disturbed by the sight of a young woman in near tears, but Ariadne thought it probably helped sell her story. She'd never been shot before, so her reactions were genuine.
"Can I see my family please?" she asked finally. "Please? It hurts and this is freaking me out and I want to go home," she cried, letting her tears fall. In the car she had been too frightened and in pain to cry. Now she just wanted Eames to hold her and tell her that she would be fine, that this didn't happen all the time on jobs and it would heal with time.
"I think we have what we need for the report," one of the officers said. "We'll find them."
One of the officers hovered in the doorway when Eames and Arthur returned. Eames immediately went to her side and kissed her, holding her gingerly. "Are you... Did they say it would be fine?" he asked, sounding nervous. If Ariadne didn't know any better, she would have thought he had no experience whatsoever with gunshot wounds.
Arthur had his concerned look on his face. "Are they keeping you overnight? Did the doctor say anything at all?"
"Nothing. It hurts, and the nurse just said I should wait for the doctor," Ariadne replied, shaking her head. "He didn't say anything at all."
They were all aware of the police officer in the doorway, listening to every word.
Eames stroked her face and hair, giving her a tender look. "You look okay," he said, voice rough with emotion. "They wouldn't let us in if it wasn't going to be fine, right?" He let his thumb trail along the corner of her mouth, and she leaned into his touch. "As soon as they say it's okay, we'll go home. Okay? I think we've seen enough of this place."
Ariadne nodded and smiled. "I'd like that. I want to go home."
Arthur sat down on the chair beside the bed. "Sorry about all this. It was my idea to visit..."
"We were having a perfectly good time until today," Ariadne said, giving Arthur a wilted smile. "But maybe you should pick someplace else. Hawaii is always a good place to go..."
"Or the Bahamas," Eames suggested. "We liked it there."
The police officer left the doorway, and none of the three moved right away. Reluctantly, Eames let his hand fall from Ariadne's cheek. "We probably need to keep this up for another few days."
Ariadne held Eames' hand tightly in her lap. "We'll need to hide after, just in case."
"I'm making arrangements," Arthur said in a low tone. His eyes flicked to the open doorway behind them. "Even if they want you to stay a little longer, we're leaving tonight."
"Am I going to be able to get on a plane?" she asked, brows furrowing.
"I'll take care of you, then," Eames said quickly, before Arthur could offer to help. He patted her hand in a friendly way, careful not to arouse Arthur's suspicions. "I know some people in Mombasa, and Yusuf can mix up some painkillers for you."
Arthur nodded after a moment, considering that. "That would work well, then. He's a much better chemist than the other ones I know. I can't go with you, but I can create a few more false trails in case Markneuheiten is keeping an eye out for the three of us."
It seemed almost surreal to be sneaking out of the hospital later that night while the nurses were changing shifts. Arthur headed to one airport where he had hired two private planes to depart to different destinations. Eames brought Ariadne to the train station, and they paid in cash for two tickets. Once in a different country, they would fly to Kenya.
Eames pulled her close on the train, careful not to jostle her back and shoulder. "I suppose this is the 'for worse' we talked about in those vows," he began slowly, stroking her arm gently.
Ariadne chuckled. "I always thought you would be the one with the 'for worse' and I'd have to take care of you."
"And you married me anyway?"
"You're good in bed. And hot. And did I mention good in bed?"
Eames laughed. She had to be feeling better if she was joking about sex again. "I've always wanted to have sex on a train."
"Eames..." she began in a warning tone.
"What? The rocking back and forth, no one paying attention..."
"We're not in a private car."
"There's the bathroom."
"That's just gross."
"I could make it worth your while," he wheedled.
"Absolutely not," Ariadne insisted. "And especially not with my shoulder injured."
"So if we take a train in Kenya once you recover..."
"You are awful."
"That's not a no," Eames pointed out playfully, grinning down at her.
Ariadne looked up at him, lips quirking into a smile. "That's not a no," she agreed. "You'll have to catch me on a really good day."
Eames grinned in response. "Well, I know how to make it a good day..."
She snorted. "Knowing you, sex on a dream train won't count."
"Of course not! The challenge is to get away with it in real life."
Ariadne laughed and settled back against his chest again. "You can ponder that while I sleep, okay? That ought to keep you out of trouble for a while."
Eames couldn't help but snort. "You obviously don't know me very well."
"Of course I do. Why do you think I'm the one sitting in the aisle seat draped all over you? You won't dare wake me up when I obviously need my rest."
"Devious woman," Eames chuckled. He kissed the top of her head and tightened his hold on her a fraction. If the bullet had gone even an inch to the left, it would have missed her shoulder blade and passed straight through her lungs.
It was a chilling thought, and one that left him terrified.
Ariadne merely burrowed into his warmth. "Of course. How else will I keep you in check?"
He laughed and let her sleep. There would be time enough to play with her once she healed.
***
Yusuf met them at the airport and swept Ariadne up into a careful hug. "You look fabulous given the warnings I got," he teased. "Come, I have everything set up for you."
"You got Ariadne her own place?" Eames asked, hefting their luggage. He refused to let Ariadne hold anything other than her laptop bag and purse.
Snorting in disbelief, Yusuf shook his head. "Yours is still perfectly safe, Eames. I did put in a few gifts so that Ariadne would feel comfortable. You are quite the slob, my friend."
"You didn't have to," Ariadne protested.
"You're married," Yusuf said firmly. "You should stay together when you can, and no one is after you here. This is a safe place for you both."
"Yusuf..." Eames began uncomfortably.
"Of course I'll keep your secret," he continued. "It isn't safe, so every tie is precious." Yusuf took one of the suitcases and put it into the trunk of his car. "That's why my messages only called my gifts housewarming gifts and not wedding gifts."
"How did you know?" Ariadne asked, voice faint with surprise.
Yusuf snorted. "I can read between the lines very well, of course." He grinned at their shock and continued to load up his car with their luggage. "Oh, come now. Did you really think you could keep something this important a secret from me?" He laughed at their expressions. "Come now. I notice things, such as how close you two got when we all first worked together a year ago. You deserve some happiness."
"Wow. Um..."
"I would have come to Paris to be there, you know. But I understand the secrecy." He smiled as he shut his trunk. "You do have pictures, yes?"
"We do," Eames said. He looked like he had regained his stride. "Most are in Paris, of course. I have a few encrypted on my phone, though. Ariadne was an absolutely stunning bride."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Yusuf said with a warm smile. "Are you tired from the trip? Or shall we sit at the shop and talk?"
Ariadne grinned. "Let's talk a bit. I haven't seen you in over a year, and there's lots to catch up on." She gave Eames a sly grin. "It'll be nice to have someone I can complain about him to."
"Oi! That's not fair..." Eames began, settling into the car.
Yusuf and Ariadne both laughed, and Yusuf kept up steady conversation with them as he drove into the heart of Mombasa. Ariadne cuddled up next to Eames and kissed his cheek. "It is nice to be able to do this without sneaking around all the time," she commented, grinning at him.
"You do realize that recovery after a bullet wound takes time," Yusuf said helpfully, grinning at them through his rearview mirror. "So you may get to know Mombasa very well."
"I'd like that," Eames said, running his fingers along the inside of her thigh. "I've a comfortable flat here, show you the fun places to be..."
"Not to mention a wide network who'd help hide you in a heartbeat on our say-so," Yusuf added with a fond smile.
"Thank you." Ariadne leaned forward and touched his arm with a smile. "It means a lot to me."
"Now, of course I would be the godfather of any children, right?"
She laughed and settled back against Eames. "Let's see if we decide to have any. We're still figuring out this whole married and working thing."
"Yusuf Eames just doesn't sound right," Eames added.
"I think it sounds distinguished," Yusuf teased, making them all laugh.
Ariadne could feel the prior dose of her painkillers wearing off as Yusuf parked in his usual place and ushered them into his shop. At least she was in a safe place with people she cared about. She would recover from this wound, and she could still dream.
Threading her fingers through Eames', she felt completely at home.
The End
Author: Eustacia Vye
Author's e-mail: eustacia_vye28@hotmail.com
Rating: PG-13 (But Part 1 does slide into R territory)
Pairing: Ariadne/Eames
Disclaimer: Everyone here belongs to Christopher Nolan and not to me. His toys are fun to play with!
Spoilers/Warnings: Takes place during and after the movie. For the inception_kink meme prompt in round 15: They marry a year after the inception, and tell no one. No Arthur knowing, none of that. How they handle domesticity in their line of work. Also for the "bullet wounds" box on my hc_bingo card.
Summary: Despite being surrounded by people who discovered secrets for a living, Ariadne and Eames managed to keep a pretty big secret. Then again, they were really motivated to do so.
Prior chapters:
One - The Best Kinds of Secrets
Two - Balancing Work And Play
The tapestry from Yusuf was lovely, and Ariadne smiled as soon as she saw it and sent an e-mail full of smiley faces and praise. Eames received antique mirrors, and Ariadne knew exactly where in their apartment they would go well.
"He knows you oh so well," Ariadne teased. Arthur and Henry were going over the security detail for their subject, so she felt safe enough in letting her fingers brush across the skin at the nape of Eames' neck. She smiled at his shiver, eyes dancing. They were being very professional while on this job, keeping the smoldering looks to a minimum.
Eames made a low growl as he contemplated her. "Planning to stay late tonight, then?"
"Nah. I'm not needed, so I'll pack it in early. Head to my hotel room, order some very improper movies with a distinct lack of clothing to get myself into the mood." She flashed Eames a bright smile as his eyes darkened in desire. "How about you?"
"You're a bloody tease."
Ariadne let her fingers brush across the back of his neck again. "It's a hobby," she replied in a light tone of voice.
"If the walls in this place weren't so thin..."
She smirked and headed back to her own work space. "Do we need to go over the map on your level again? Just to be sure?"
Eames grinned at her. "Practice does make perfect." He looked over at Arthur and Henry. They wouldn't notice an impromptu practice session. They had gone over the levels with Ariadne dozens of times, too. It wouldn't be out of place at all. "I have the perfect hiding spot, too."
Ariadne's lips curled into a sweet smile. "In that case, let's go."
***
The job itself went well. There was no subconscious security; apparently Columbia Industries didn't know about dream share or discounted it as a potential threat. Henry had plenty of time to get the details of the new marketing campaign ideas as well as the various designs that the development teams were working with. Eames had done a flawless impersonation of the executive assistant in the first level as well as the CFO in the second, and Christian Fusel had no idea that all of this had been an elaborate con. As far as he would be concerned when he woke up, he had anxiety about his upcoming presentation to the Board and had dreamed about it before he had to actually do it.
The entire team had gone to Markneuheiten to present the information. Henry recited all of the information that he had gathered, and Ariadne sketched out the designs according to his direction. Once all of this was passed over, their contact with Markneuheiten passed them their payouts and thanked them for their work.
Leaving the building was hell.
Apparently, their contact at Markneuheiten didn't want any word of their involvement to get out, even on the dream share scene. Security guards ambushed them as soon as they left the elevator bank, and they were shooting to kill. While they hadn't expected any problems, Arthur and Eames certainly hadn't walked into the office building unarmed. Henry was more of a knife fighter, and he was caught in the side of his throat by a bullet as he shoved Ariadne out of the way. She watched in horror as he began bleeding out, blood escaping out through his fingers with every heartbeat.
"Leave," he rasped, pressing his cut of the payout into her hands. "Get out while you still can," he said, eying the elevators.
Arthur was shooting at the guards; one went down, but he was wearing a bulletproof vest and merely knocked out from the force of the shot. Eames was kneeling as he shot at the guards, eyes tracking the panicking crowd in the lobby.
Ariadne could only guess that Markneuheiten would try to pass them off as thieves or terrorists of some kind. There would be no way to refute that claim if they were dead.
Pocketing whatever Henry gave her, Ariadne looked around the elevator bank. There was an emergency stairwell entrance. From Arthur's talks with Henry about the various buildings, she knew that it led to the basement, which had an entrance to their parking garage. It might be a way out of this. "Think you can help us distract the guards?"
"Dead anyway," Henry rasped, nodding. His skin was ashen gray, and Ariadne thought he had perhaps minutes left.
She pressed her lips to his forehead. "Thank you. It was a privilege to work with you." It was a bit of an exaggeration, but it made him smile in appreciation.
As Henry stumbled toward the guards, blood pouring out of the side of his neck, Ariadne whistled for Arthur and Eames. Arthur exchanged a quick glance with Eames as another guard shot Henry in the chest. He went down the stairwell first, and Eames followed after dropping another vested guard. Ariadne winced at the sight of a bullet wound in Eames' arm, but at least it was his left. She turned and followed Eames after another glance at Henry. By sheer force of will, the extractor had stumbled forward another few steps before falling.
Ariadne felt something burn along her back as she turned to enter the stairwell, and the breath left her lungs as she pitched forward. At her cry, Eames turned and caught her. His expression was drained of color and she could only imagine that meant she was shot. "I've got you, darling," he murmured as he pulled her down the stairs. They ducked out on the first landing, which was the parking garage level. "It's going to be a rough ride from here."
She ignored the feeling of something warm running down her back. "I'll make it," she promised.
Arthur shot the security guard at the gate and took his keys. He hit the car alarm button on the key ring, and they headed for the sound of the beeping alarm. Arthur got into the driver's seat as the door to the parking area banged open. Eames loaded Ariadne into the backseat and tumbled in behind her. Arthur started the car and headed right for the incoming guards. "Keep your heads down until we're clear," he said, lips compressed tight.
Eames had his arm around her and was shielding her body with his own. "When it's safe enough, I'll look at that wound. We'll have to avoid a hospital if we can."
She could hear the recrimination in his tone. It was one thing to get shot in a dream, since that didn't have any lasting effects on the body. He had promised up and down that he wouldn't allow her to get hurt, and here she was bleeding. There was no problem breathing, at least, so odds were good that the bullet hadn't gone past her shoulder blade.
Eames was calling an associate as Arthur drove through the parking area. Ariadne grit her teeth against the bright flare of pain that shot through her every time her shoulder or back hit Eames' chest. It was a bumpy ride; she could only assume that Arthur was using the SUV to hit the guards shooting at them before taking to the streets. She tried to focus on Eames' voice as he spoke, trying to figure out what he was saying without saying the words outright. It was something about clearing out hotel rooms, and Ariadne could only assume that Eames was being paranoid. They had all checked into their hotel using one set of assumed names and dealt with Markneuheiten with another set of names. There shouldn't have been any way to link them, but Ariadne was fine with taking no chances. It was only a matter of time before the guard's SUV would be on police scanners.
"Everything's being sent to a warehouse in Brussels," Eames told Arthur once he hung up. "We can sort belongings later. Rooms are being sanitized, too, just in case."
"Good. I lost them, but I'm sure this car is going to be found soon enough. We'll have to dump it and then stay lost for a while."
"We're both shot," Ariadne choked out. She was somewhat gratified to hear Arthur curse under his breath. Henry had talked about other people he'd worked with, and most of them seemed to take bullet wounds from angry employers as commonplace. She didn't want to have to expect bullet wounds on a regular basis.
Arthur made some sort of confusing circuit with his driving and finally parked the car in a desolate area. There were abandoned warehouses nearby, and he carefully wiped down everything in the car that they had all touched. Then, just to be certain there was nothing to find, he set it on fire. They wound up in a warehouse three blocks away. Eames' wound was a graze and easily cleaned with water and tied off with a makeshift bandage. Arthur hissed at the sight of Ariadne's back. "I don't have anything to take this out with." He made a sympathetic noise as he palpated the entry wound and the surrounding area.
"Hospitals will make a police report," Eames said in a low tone of voice.
"I've got fake ID on me," Ariadne said, voice wavering from the pain. "As long as we get this out, you can always break me out of a hospital if you need to."
Eames let out a hiss of frustration and paced with jerky steps. Arthur compressed his lips into a fine line, then came to a decision. "We'll have to get our story straight first. I'll deal with the paperwork later."
***
Nancy Horswill had been on vacation and unexpectedly mugged. While trying to run from her assailant, she was shot in the back. She was taken away immediately to the trauma rooms, leaving the two men to fill out the paperwork. Eames paced and looked haggard enough to make the triage nurse taking down information nervous. "He's her husband," Arthur lied smoothly. "It's all come as a shock."
"I should've been there," Eames muttered, falling into the role seamlessly.
The nurse seemed to calm down at the explanation and turned to Arthur. "And who are you?"
"Her brother," Arthur lied. He made a face that caused the triage nurse to cluck in sympathy for their plight. "We all came here on vacation a while ago. My brother-in-law's been here before, and I was thinking of maybe coming here with my fiancée after we get married, but I don't know now..." He made that sympathetic face again and shrugged helplessly.
"Oh, now it's not always like this here. Just fill this out and we'll see what I can do to get you all sorted, all right?"
Once the triage nurse had them go back to the waiting area to fill out paperwork, Eames eyed Arthur critically. "Why'd you say I was married to Ariadne?"
"I figured she could probably buy it if I said I was her brother. Coloring's not the same, but the slight build is similar. There's no way you could ever pass as a relative, and you won't get visiting rights for this unless you are. So, it had to be husband. We'll fill her in once they get her out of surgery."
"Thought about it much?" Eames asked, eyebrow lofted.
"It worked, didn't it?" Arthur challenged. "Someone had to think up a plan to get us out of this. Now she'll have to fill out a bogus report, but by the time the local authorities figure out that none of it happened, we'll be long gone."
Eames took a deep breath and nodded. Arthur didn't know anything. He was simply planning ahead for this disaster, just as he always did. He wasn't responding to any clues in their behavior at the office building or in dreams. Ariadne was still safe as far as dream share went.
"We need to put the word out that Markneuheiten aren't to be trusted. It won't do much for us, but some enterprising soul out there might do a number on them."
Arthur smiled thinly and showed Eames the e-mail he was composing on his phone. "Already ahead of you. Columbia's going to get quite a lot of detail about this, and I know someone that can get any potential files on us pulled from Interpol servers. We should be in the clear."
Eames nodded and sat down heavily. "Henry was a good man. You know, for being one of us."
Arthur nodded. "His death won't go unpunished."
Now all they had to do was wait for word on Ariadne.
***
Ariadne was held in a recovery room long enough to allow police to arrive to take a statement. Eames texted her in the meantime, which she surreptitiously read before the nurse returned with the police officers. Arthur told triage he's your brother, I'm hubby. We're on vacation, he's engaged and checking out honeymoon spots.
With that in mind, she played up the distressed tourist angle. The police officer tried his best to calm her down, and didn't question her background too hard. It probably helped that her back hurt and she continually winced or looked for the nurse to tell her that this was a normal reaction. She described one of the guards at Markneuheiten as the assailant that had tried to mug her, and let her eyes water a little. The police officer didn't seem to be disturbed by the sight of a young woman in near tears, but Ariadne thought it probably helped sell her story. She'd never been shot before, so her reactions were genuine.
"Can I see my family please?" she asked finally. "Please? It hurts and this is freaking me out and I want to go home," she cried, letting her tears fall. In the car she had been too frightened and in pain to cry. Now she just wanted Eames to hold her and tell her that she would be fine, that this didn't happen all the time on jobs and it would heal with time.
"I think we have what we need for the report," one of the officers said. "We'll find them."
One of the officers hovered in the doorway when Eames and Arthur returned. Eames immediately went to her side and kissed her, holding her gingerly. "Are you... Did they say it would be fine?" he asked, sounding nervous. If Ariadne didn't know any better, she would have thought he had no experience whatsoever with gunshot wounds.
Arthur had his concerned look on his face. "Are they keeping you overnight? Did the doctor say anything at all?"
"Nothing. It hurts, and the nurse just said I should wait for the doctor," Ariadne replied, shaking her head. "He didn't say anything at all."
They were all aware of the police officer in the doorway, listening to every word.
Eames stroked her face and hair, giving her a tender look. "You look okay," he said, voice rough with emotion. "They wouldn't let us in if it wasn't going to be fine, right?" He let his thumb trail along the corner of her mouth, and she leaned into his touch. "As soon as they say it's okay, we'll go home. Okay? I think we've seen enough of this place."
Ariadne nodded and smiled. "I'd like that. I want to go home."
Arthur sat down on the chair beside the bed. "Sorry about all this. It was my idea to visit..."
"We were having a perfectly good time until today," Ariadne said, giving Arthur a wilted smile. "But maybe you should pick someplace else. Hawaii is always a good place to go..."
"Or the Bahamas," Eames suggested. "We liked it there."
The police officer left the doorway, and none of the three moved right away. Reluctantly, Eames let his hand fall from Ariadne's cheek. "We probably need to keep this up for another few days."
Ariadne held Eames' hand tightly in her lap. "We'll need to hide after, just in case."
"I'm making arrangements," Arthur said in a low tone. His eyes flicked to the open doorway behind them. "Even if they want you to stay a little longer, we're leaving tonight."
"Am I going to be able to get on a plane?" she asked, brows furrowing.
"I'll take care of you, then," Eames said quickly, before Arthur could offer to help. He patted her hand in a friendly way, careful not to arouse Arthur's suspicions. "I know some people in Mombasa, and Yusuf can mix up some painkillers for you."
Arthur nodded after a moment, considering that. "That would work well, then. He's a much better chemist than the other ones I know. I can't go with you, but I can create a few more false trails in case Markneuheiten is keeping an eye out for the three of us."
It seemed almost surreal to be sneaking out of the hospital later that night while the nurses were changing shifts. Arthur headed to one airport where he had hired two private planes to depart to different destinations. Eames brought Ariadne to the train station, and they paid in cash for two tickets. Once in a different country, they would fly to Kenya.
Eames pulled her close on the train, careful not to jostle her back and shoulder. "I suppose this is the 'for worse' we talked about in those vows," he began slowly, stroking her arm gently.
Ariadne chuckled. "I always thought you would be the one with the 'for worse' and I'd have to take care of you."
"And you married me anyway?"
"You're good in bed. And hot. And did I mention good in bed?"
Eames laughed. She had to be feeling better if she was joking about sex again. "I've always wanted to have sex on a train."
"Eames..." she began in a warning tone.
"What? The rocking back and forth, no one paying attention..."
"We're not in a private car."
"There's the bathroom."
"That's just gross."
"I could make it worth your while," he wheedled.
"Absolutely not," Ariadne insisted. "And especially not with my shoulder injured."
"So if we take a train in Kenya once you recover..."
"You are awful."
"That's not a no," Eames pointed out playfully, grinning down at her.
Ariadne looked up at him, lips quirking into a smile. "That's not a no," she agreed. "You'll have to catch me on a really good day."
Eames grinned in response. "Well, I know how to make it a good day..."
She snorted. "Knowing you, sex on a dream train won't count."
"Of course not! The challenge is to get away with it in real life."
Ariadne laughed and settled back against his chest again. "You can ponder that while I sleep, okay? That ought to keep you out of trouble for a while."
Eames couldn't help but snort. "You obviously don't know me very well."
"Of course I do. Why do you think I'm the one sitting in the aisle seat draped all over you? You won't dare wake me up when I obviously need my rest."
"Devious woman," Eames chuckled. He kissed the top of her head and tightened his hold on her a fraction. If the bullet had gone even an inch to the left, it would have missed her shoulder blade and passed straight through her lungs.
It was a chilling thought, and one that left him terrified.
Ariadne merely burrowed into his warmth. "Of course. How else will I keep you in check?"
He laughed and let her sleep. There would be time enough to play with her once she healed.
***
Yusuf met them at the airport and swept Ariadne up into a careful hug. "You look fabulous given the warnings I got," he teased. "Come, I have everything set up for you."
"You got Ariadne her own place?" Eames asked, hefting their luggage. He refused to let Ariadne hold anything other than her laptop bag and purse.
Snorting in disbelief, Yusuf shook his head. "Yours is still perfectly safe, Eames. I did put in a few gifts so that Ariadne would feel comfortable. You are quite the slob, my friend."
"You didn't have to," Ariadne protested.
"You're married," Yusuf said firmly. "You should stay together when you can, and no one is after you here. This is a safe place for you both."
"Yusuf..." Eames began uncomfortably.
"Of course I'll keep your secret," he continued. "It isn't safe, so every tie is precious." Yusuf took one of the suitcases and put it into the trunk of his car. "That's why my messages only called my gifts housewarming gifts and not wedding gifts."
"How did you know?" Ariadne asked, voice faint with surprise.
Yusuf snorted. "I can read between the lines very well, of course." He grinned at their shock and continued to load up his car with their luggage. "Oh, come now. Did you really think you could keep something this important a secret from me?" He laughed at their expressions. "Come now. I notice things, such as how close you two got when we all first worked together a year ago. You deserve some happiness."
"Wow. Um..."
"I would have come to Paris to be there, you know. But I understand the secrecy." He smiled as he shut his trunk. "You do have pictures, yes?"
"We do," Eames said. He looked like he had regained his stride. "Most are in Paris, of course. I have a few encrypted on my phone, though. Ariadne was an absolutely stunning bride."
"I wouldn't expect anything less," Yusuf said with a warm smile. "Are you tired from the trip? Or shall we sit at the shop and talk?"
Ariadne grinned. "Let's talk a bit. I haven't seen you in over a year, and there's lots to catch up on." She gave Eames a sly grin. "It'll be nice to have someone I can complain about him to."
"Oi! That's not fair..." Eames began, settling into the car.
Yusuf and Ariadne both laughed, and Yusuf kept up steady conversation with them as he drove into the heart of Mombasa. Ariadne cuddled up next to Eames and kissed his cheek. "It is nice to be able to do this without sneaking around all the time," she commented, grinning at him.
"You do realize that recovery after a bullet wound takes time," Yusuf said helpfully, grinning at them through his rearview mirror. "So you may get to know Mombasa very well."
"I'd like that," Eames said, running his fingers along the inside of her thigh. "I've a comfortable flat here, show you the fun places to be..."
"Not to mention a wide network who'd help hide you in a heartbeat on our say-so," Yusuf added with a fond smile.
"Thank you." Ariadne leaned forward and touched his arm with a smile. "It means a lot to me."
"Now, of course I would be the godfather of any children, right?"
She laughed and settled back against Eames. "Let's see if we decide to have any. We're still figuring out this whole married and working thing."
"Yusuf Eames just doesn't sound right," Eames added.
"I think it sounds distinguished," Yusuf teased, making them all laugh.
Ariadne could feel the prior dose of her painkillers wearing off as Yusuf parked in his usual place and ushered them into his shop. At least she was in a safe place with people she cared about. She would recover from this wound, and she could still dream.
Threading her fingers through Eames', she felt completely at home.
The End