“Maybe,” Andrew bantered back.
The beep of the microwave interrupted, and Andrew retrieved his now steaming containers while Isaac replaced them with his.
“Expecting some dramatic treachery, Andrew?”
“I don’t want to. But I guess it’s human nature.”
“To expect betrayal or to enact it?”
“Depends on motivation. When there’s nothing worth wanting but something for yourself, it’s hard to see beyond being selfish. But when you have something worth fighting for,” Andrew smiled like he had Isaac all figured out with the arrival of Dalton in his life, “your perspective changes.”
“What peoplewantchanges. Doesn’t make us any less selfish.”
“Maybe, but the bad guy isn’t always black and white, not even for the Shadow.” Andrew continued smiling around his first few bites, chuckling and finally quoting in a hilarious parody of a deep announcer voice, “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?”
Isaac played along, less ridiculous but still deep and rumbling as he finished, “The Shadow knows.”
Andrew giggled, lighting up like a dream, so much younger than he usually allowed himself to appear. “Do you ever take it out?”
“That’s a bold question.”
“Thebook.”
“I know. Still bold.” Isaac ignored the intermittent beeps as his leftovers signaled their end too. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I wouldn’t!”
“I do, however, have a copy worth absolutely nothing when I want to remind myself of the stories.” Isaac first claimed his food, and then opened his junk drawer to take out a beat-up old copy of the same magazine that he’d found at a comic shop and paid a whopping $5 for. Half the front cover was missing, and the pages were all faded, but it was readable.
He handed the copy to Andrew, and despite its roughened state, Andrew excitedly started paging through it as soon as they moved to the kitchen table, like it was some glorious prize.
Watching him, amused by every snicker and gasp as Andrew read, Isaac tried not to think about how, despite all their romps together, he’d finally bought Andrew dinner.
Then suddenly Andrew stopped.
“What?”
“Are my T-shirt and sweats here?”
Isaac almost dissolved into laughter when Luke appeared in the doorway.
“Are you going to enjoy your date all night or are we hitting the road?”
Date. They both took a moment to recover from that.
“Sorry.” Andrew set the book aside with a shamefaced shrug. They’d finished eating a while ago, but somehow, Isaac had lost track of time.
“Just making sure our new recruit doesn’t faint on the job,” Isaac said. “Let’s get going.”
“There’s one thing you left out of the plan,” Andrew said on their way out the door. “The original thief didn’t leave any evidence of how they got in. So, how are we going to?”
Luke chortled, while Isaac flashed a grin.
“You’ll see.”
ANDREW
Timingwaseverything,especiallywhen avoiding a camera above an entrance into a building that should have been one of the most secure places in the city. They had seconds to get to the door, break the lock, and get inside, and it was all up to Ford, who’d promised, given the type of door, that he knew how to breach the defenses in moments.
