Uncharted: A Thief's Legacy

Chapter V - Just An Old Friend

"Come on in, then," Nathan said awkwardly. "Friend of Sam's is a friend of ours."

"Thanks," Eli said, stepping through the door. "Shoes on or off?"

"Doesn't matter. We're pretty casual." Nathan closed the door behind him.

"Dammit, Eli, how are you?" Sam grinned. They clasped hands and hugged, thumping each other firmly on the back.

"Oof, watch the ribs, buddy," Sam winced.

"Oh man, I'm sorry. How am I? Are you kidding, how are you? Good to see you up and about, Sam. I wasn't sure what I was going to find." Eli furrowed his brow.

"Oh, you know me. Nothing I can't bounce back from," Sam said, shrugging.

"Wait, back up," Elena said. She stepped forward towards them and narrowed her eyes accusingly at Eli. "You gave him the intel on the job?" He shrank back away from her slightly.

"I did."

"And you didn't know they would be attacked?" she asked indignantly.

"No. I didn't hear anything." Eli looked grim. "I can't tell you all how sorry I am about that."

"No, man, it's not your fault. Victor and I knew what we were getting into," Sam said quickly, reaching out to pat Eli's shoulder.

"You thought you were working a safe job!" Elena exclaimed.

"And so, did I," Eli replied. "I couldn't believe it when I heard from Sam. I always double check my sources, but I guess the house you guys were going after was a bit of a hot spot for treasure hunters."

"No kidding," Sam groaned.

"But I can't stress this enough, I feel terrible about your friend," Eli said. He shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably and stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets. "I'm really sorry. I genuinely thought that you guys would be okay, I mean, I haven't messed up like this before."

"I know. You've never steered me wrong and guys like them are good at flying under the radar," Sam said. "Trust me, I don't blame you."

"So, you two have worked together a lot?" Nathan asked.

"Yeah, I've been going to Eli for odd jobs for years," Sam said. "He's got contacts everywhere. It's impressive. You've come a long way, kid." He smiled at Eli.

"How did you meet?" Nathan pressed, glancing between them.