by R. D. Brady
“Have you talked to her? How’s she doing?” Jake asked, his face expressionless.
Henry read the shift in Jake’s attention, though, the tautness of his shoulders. “She’s good. She took a leave of absence from the University of Syracuse and started researching everything she could find on ancient civilizations.”
Jake chuckled. “She started that from the hospital bed. Can’t tell you how many books I lugged back from the library and bookstore for her while she was recuperating. What’s she doing, going for another Ph.D.?”
“Actually, she is. With her master’s classes, her doctoral work in criminology, and her work with her uncle, she was only a few credits shy. She finished them up and now she’s working on the research for her dissertation.”
Jake took a long drink. “Well, good for her. Where’s she doing the research? Out with her uncle in Montana?”
“Umm, no. Actually, she’s working with an old friend of hers, Jennifer Witt.”
Jake raised his eyebrows. “Jen? Jordan and Mike’s sister?”
“Yes.”
Jake had been surprised when he learned that one of Laney’s friends was the sister of two of his friends. He and Laney had been only one degree of separation away for years. “So, where’s Jen doing her research?”
“Ecuador.”
Jake grinned. “Jen always did like being off the beaten track. What are they researching?”
“The lost library of Atlantis.”
The grin fell from Jake’s face. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
Jake shook his head and looked out the window. “Any sign of the superhumans?"
Jake's shoulders had tensed up again at the mention of Atlantis. Henry knew the topic was a difficult one for him. Jake was a soldier, not an academic. He didn't have the innate curiosity to seek out the secrets of the past. For him, security always came first. And God knew, the last time someone had gone searching for an Atlantis artifact, it had been brutal.
"Happily, no. For now, she seems to be spending the bulk of her time in a bank in Cuenca cataloguing artifacts."
"Good. I hope it stays that way."
"She's a pretty tough woman. I'm sure she can handle anything that comes her way."
Jake finally met his eyes. "I know. I'd just prefer if she didn't have to."
CHAPTER 9
Ten Miles from Cuenca, Ecuador
Light from the church glowed in the distance. All the lights appeared to be on and a murmur of noise crept through the air. But no gunfire. No overt indications of the mercenaries could be heard.
Laney came to a stop two hundred yards away, in a small copse of trees hidden from the path. Elena lay asleep in her arms.
Jen turned to her and whispered. “You two wait here. I’ll go check it out.”
Laney nodded wearily, her arms aching as Jen disappeared silently through the trees. Laney envied her ability. She still felt like an elephant crashing through the underbrush. Jen moved without sound.
Usually it took about an hour to travel from the village to the church. Their trip had taken over two. It wasn’t just the dark that had slowed them down. A couple of times, they had stopped and hidden, convinced one of the mercenaries was near.
Laney's nerves were at the breaking point, as were her arms and back. She and Jen had traded off carrying Elena, even though Jen had tried to persuade Laney to let her carry her the whole time. But tough as Jen was, even she couldn't carry Elena for that distance. Especially after Elena had fallen asleep, becoming dead weight.
Laney lowered herself to the ground, her back against a polylepis tree. Its scales rustled as she settled in.
She darted a glance at Elena, who lay nestled quietly in her lap. The noise didn’t seem to have woken her. Elena had only fallen asleep an hour ago. Before that, she’d bounced between trembling and quietly sobbing.
Hugging Elena to her, Laney wished she could wipe this incident from her memory. No child should have to remember a night like this.
“Are we safe?” Elena’s big eyes stared up at her, although Laney could tell she was fighting sleep.
Laney smiled softly. “I thought you were sleeping, little one.”
“No. I just shut my eyes. I imagined I was with Nana in the garden.”
Laney ran a hand over Elena’s hair. “That’s a nice place to be.”
“It is. Are we safe?”
“I think so. We’re at the church. Jen went ahead to be sure.”
Elena sat up straight, her voice full of fear. “By herself? We have to help her.”
“Shh, shh. It’s okay. This is Jen.”
Elena still looked around wildly.
Laney hugged her to her. “It’s okay. This is Jen Witt.”
At Elena’s dubious look, she put on her best carnival barker voice, albeit in a whisper. “Who’s the person who talked down all those men who came to your village to find Louis? Who faced that mountain lion and scared him off with only a stick? Jen Witt, that’s who.”
Elena’s tremors seemed to calm some. “She is pretty strong.”
“That she is.”
“She’s also as tall as a man.”
“That she is.”
“In fact, she might be a man.”
“That she – what did you say?” Laney looked down at Elena.
Some of the sparkle was back in Elena's eyes. “Well, maybe not a man, but she’s as tough as one. And Nana thinks she can be trusted. You, too. She even said you could be trusted with our secret.”
“What secret?”
Elena closed her eyes with a big yawn, her voice now full of sleep. “The reason our village stays where it is. The Cave of Etsu Nantu.”
Etsu Nantu. The hiding place for the lost treasure of Atlantis.
CHAPTER 10
“It’s me.”
Laney lowered her gun as Jen stepped out of the trees. “Sorry. Wasn’t sure.”
Jen smiled. “I knew we should have worked out a safety word.” She leaned down to Elena, who’d opened her eyes. “Guess who I found?”
“Nana?” Elena asked, her face full of hope.
Jen nodded.
Elena launched herself at Jen, her arms encircling her neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Relief poured through Laney. At least Elena still had her grandmother. “Everything okay at the church?”
Hefting Elena into her arms, Jen stood. “Chaotic, but no bad guys. The police were called but . . . “ She shrugged.
The police might show up or they might have been paid off. It was anybody’s guess. Sometimes, Laney really missed the States. “Well, I guess it’s better than wandering through the mountains in the dark. We’ll head back into Cuenca at first light.”
Laney and Elena walked the short distance to the church. As they drew nearer, the chaos Jen mentioned became apparent. Torches lit the way, bathing the area in a wavering light. Adults and children cried, a few wailing loudly before they were shushed. Piles of belongings with families camped around them were strewn across the courtyard.
More crying poured through the church’s open door as they passed. A few priests and volunteers ran between rooms, medical supplies in their arms, their clothes stained with blood.
A tremor ran through Elena. Laney tightened her hold on the little girl’s hand. “It’s okay, little queen.”
They followed Jen as she made her way through the crowded courtyard, heading for the back corner. Ahead, a crowd of people sat on the ground, listening with rapt attention to Nana, seated on an office chair. Her voice crackled with emotion, but also rang with authority and confidence.
“Our ancestors faced persecution and danger. They survived. It’s our turn to be tested. And we’ll face this challenge. We have lost those we love tonight. But we’ll see them again. They’ll be reborn to a new world, a better world.”
Heads nodded, her audience agreeing with her. Some dabbed at their eyes as they did. Elena squirmed free from Laney and sprinted
ahead. “Nana!”
Nana looked up, a smile spreading across her face, a sheen of tears in her eyes. “My child.” Stick thin arms wrapped around Elena, pulling her close.
Murmurs rose from the crowd.
“Little queen.”
“She is safe.”
“God be praised.”
Faces turned to look at Laney and Jen with nods and smiles of appreciation. Some people clapped them on the back. A few women pulled them into back-crunching hugs. Beginning to feel uncomfortable with the attention, Laney tugged on Jen’s arm. “Maybe we should give them some privacy.”
“Yeah. Let’s see if we can help with the wounded.”
They turned to leave.
“Jen, Laney, wait.”
Laney glanced back. Nana beckoned them forward. People parted in front of them as they made their way towards her. They were stopped more than once by hugs and more pats of affection.
When they reached Nana, the older woman pulled Jen into a giant hug. Elena stood just behind her, beaming. Nana then turned to Laney and engulfed her.
Nana grasped one hand of each of the women, her back to the crowd. Tears swam in her eyes and her chin trembled. “You have saved my granddaughter. For that, I am in your debt. You have given me the greatest of gifts.”
She turned to face the crowd, putting her hands up for silence. The crowd went quiet. In fact, the whole courtyard seemed to have gone still.
“These two women have returned our little queen. They have been friends to our people since they first arrived. But with tonight’s action they have shown that they’re more than friends. They are family. They are worthy of our trust.”
Nana stared at the crowd and Laney knew there was a battle of wills at hand. Nana was daring anyone to cross her. The crowd nodded as one, agreeing with her words. The tension eased from Nana's shoulder. "Thank God," she whispered.
The sound of squealing brakes drew Laney’s attention to the courtyard’s entryway. She craned her neck, trying to see over the crowd.
The bark of a machine gun tore through the night air. Two men by the front entrance dropped, their shirts stained red.
“Everyone down!” Laney yelled. Spinning around, she grabbed Elena, flinging her over her shoulder. She sprinted for the back of the courtyard. A stonewall ringed the courtyard but there was a door in the back corner. Jen was just a few feet behind her, pulling Nana along.
At the rusted wooden door, Laney placed Elena on the ground. Oh God, this thing looks like it hasn’t been used in years.
“Is it the bad men, Laney?” Elena asked.
Laney wrestled with the ancient lock. “Yes, sweetie. Damn it.” The lock was jammed. She took a step back and fired a sidekick at the door. The wood cracked. Jen arrived and Nana wrapped Elena in her arms.
“You got this?” Jen asked, eyeing the courtyard.
“Just a few more hits.” Laney kicked the door two more times. The door flung open.
Laney grabbed Elena's hand and rushed out the doorway, Jen and Nana on their heels. They all skidded to a stop.
An old army truck stood idling, thirty feet away. A dozen armed men stood in a semi-circle, their weapons at the ready.
CHAPTER 11
Laney grunted as she was shoved to the ground in the middle of the courtyard. Ignoring the pain in her knees, she turned to catch Elena as she was also thrown. From the corner of her eye, she saw Jen do the same for Nana.
They’d been ordered back into the courtyard at gunpoint by the men from the truck. Once again, they had wended their way through the Shuar. This time, though, everyone was kneeling, their hands resting on their heads. A few bodies lay bleeding into the dusty ground. One child, no more than two years old, lay in a pool of her own blood.
Laney jerked her eyes from the sight, her breathing becoming rapid. Flashbacks of a Montana pit filled with decomposing bodies filled her mind.
Don’t think about that. Focus on now. Just get through now and then you can curl up in the fetal position for a week, she promised herself.
Laney and Jen’s weapons had been confiscated when they’d been caught. Even if they hadn't, they couldn't shoot their way out of this situation. She counted at least a dozen armed men inside the courtyard and another dozen outside.
Over at the entryway, she saw a man with small eyes, a non-existent chin, and slim build. He was dressed in a safari outfit that still had pleats in it, and looked like a catalog picture of what the well-dressed man wears in the jungle, complete with a brand new pith helmet.
The man he was talking to, who wore camouflage, had his back to her, but there was something familiar about him. He turned around and pointed at Nana.
Her intern, Warren. That little weasel.
Warren shook hands with the man.
“I really should have kicked his ass earlier.” Jen’s eyes burned with anger.
“Let’s make a deal. When this is over, we find Warren. Kick his ass, let him heal, then kick it all over again.”
Jen nodded, a deadly glint in her eyes. “Deal.”
The brown haired, Safari’s-R-Us man walked towards them, Warren trailing behind him.
Laney stiffened at their approach, but Safari man paid her and Jen no attention. He only had eyes for Nana. “So, I hear you’re the leader of this group,” he said in English.
Nana looked at him, her face not betraying nothing.
The man hesitated.
Laney restrained the urge to roll her eyes. Try Spanish, you idiot.
Recognizing his mistake, the man switched languages. “Do you understand Spanish?”
He said it slowly, as if Nana had the intelligence of a pet rock.
“Yes. I understand.”
“Good. Are you the leader of this group?”
“The Shuar have no leader.”
The man was taken aback by the answer. “But you speak for them?”
“Sometimes.”
“Well, that’s what I meant. Have you heard of the cave of the Etsu Nantu?’
Nana’s face betrayed no inkling of concern. Laney struggled to keep her face as serene.
“Yes. But it’s only a myth.”
The man’s polite façade disappeared into a sneer. “See, now you’re just lying. I told them we could do this the easy way. I guess not.”
He turned to Warren, who’d followed him over. “Your turn. Find out what I want.” He headed to the entrance without a backward glance.
Warren smirked as he strode forward. He stopped in front of Jen and Laney. "Told you two you'd be sorry."
Narrowing his eyes, he turned. Pulling out his sidearm, he aimed it at Elena’s head.
Nana leapt for her granddaughter. Jen jumped in front of the two of them. Simultaneously, Laney launched herself at Warren. Burying her shoulder into his hip, she tackled him to the ground.
But she wasn’t fast enough. The sound of the bullet left her ears ringing. She looked over her shoulder in time to see Jen thrown back by the impact.
CHAPTER 12
Blood was splashed across Jen’s arm, across her chest. The sight of it snapped something inside of Laney.
Anger like she’d never known boiled up inside of Laney and spilled out. “You bastard!”
Everything slowed down. All sights and sounds stopped, except for the sight of Warren in front of her. She whaled away at him, kneeing him in the groin repeatedly. She punched him in the face so hard and so often, her knuckles split. Without pause, she switched from punches to elbows.
He tried to block her, but she wouldn't let him. Fed up with his feeble attempts, she ripped two of his fingers back, breaking them.
Howling, he screamed for help. “Get her off of me!”
She felt his cheekbone snap, his nose burst with blood. She didn’t stop. Couldn’t stop. Blood poured from the wounds on his face. It wasn’t enough. The image of Jen falling back from the bullet's impact played over and over again in her mind, along with all the other horrific visions from tonight. The asshole needed to
stop breathing.
A man grabbed her shoulder from behind. Without looking, she elbowed him in the face. He released her with a yell.
Another man tried to snake his arm around her neck. She dropped her chin, not letting him. Trapping his arm with hers, she flipped him over her shoulder with a small twist, never leaving her perch straddling Warren. The man landed on his back, staring at the sky, a stupefied expression on his face.
With a running jump, a third man tackled her. She slammed into the ground with a grunt. He kept his arms wrapped around her. She threw her head back and caught him under the chin.
He screamed with pain, but didn't let go. “Someone knock this bitch out!”
The man who’d first tried to grab her stumbled over, his eye already swelling. He slammed the butt of his rifle into the side of her head. A starburst of pain pierced her skull, before everything went black.
CHAPTER 13
Baltimore, Maryland
“So what’s with the pup?” Jake asked.
He was sitting on the veranda at Chandler HQ watching Danny Wartowski throw a ball for a little black ball of fur called Moxy. The Chandler headquarters were set on a two hundred acre estate outside Baltimore. The estate had been in Henry’s family for generations. When he began the Chandler Group, he’d had the main house renovated to become the company’s headquarters.
Jake smiled, looking out on the rolling hills. If you had to work, this was a nice place to do it. The sun was beating down and he was enjoying it. The tension that always accompanied him on assignments had begun to fade.
And he'd looked into Laney's research in Ecuador. That part of the world seemed quiet right now. So he was forcing himself to stop and smell the roses.
Henry smiled over at him. “A gift from Laney. One day, she just showed up with her. Said she needed a good home and asked Danny if he could watch her for awhile.”
Jake watched as Danny tried to get the dog to chase a ball. He smothered a laugh as Danny got down on all fours, his light brown hair falling in his eyes, demonstrating what the dog should do. He smiled at the childish delight Danny took in the task.
