by Anna Hackett
God, and that face and hair. Her face was damn near perfect, with lots of interesting angles. At Angkor, he’d noticed she had eyes that were different colors—one green and one brown. And it was hard to miss the hair. Long, black curls that she kept pulled back in a tail. It made him wonder what they would look like loose, particularly with his hands tangled in them.
Plus, she smelled good. She looked all businesslike in her sensible clothes made for trekking around a temple, and holding her camera. But the woman smelled like sin. Her perfume was something spicy that made him think of harems and hot nights.
The snarky words she’d thrown at him at the temple rang in his ears.
She wasn’t wrong. He liked to have fun with a woman. But he never lied, and tried not to hurt anyone. She didn’t have to act like he was a damned serial killer.
“Here they are.”
Dr. Oakley’s voice dragged Cal’s attention off Dani. Four others were settling into the chairs around them.
“Cal, I’d like to introduce Drs. Blake, Laurent, and Seng.” Oakley nodded at each. “And the final member of our team, Sam Nath.”
Cal studied the newcomers, recognizing them all from their pictures.
“Hello. I’m Gemma.” Dr. Gemma Blake gave him a wide smile and leaned in close to him. Her Australian accent added to the attractive package she made. “You’re a welcome addition to our little gang.”
He smiled at her. “Cal Ward.”
It took him about one second to note the annoyed look on Sam’s face. It seemed their tech guru had the hots for Dr. Blake.
“Jean-Luc Laurent.”
Cal shook hands with the French archeologist, and then with the Cambodian.
“Sakada.” The local archeologist’s English was near-perfect. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“Happy to be working with you all.” Cal leaned forward. “So, Dr. Oakley, why don’t you tell me about this expedition?”
The man nodded. “Well, you know about the scans…”
Cal sipped his beer. “Right, the lost city that wasn’t really lost.”
Oakley laughed. “Right. The media sensationalized it a bit. But what the original scanning project allowed us to do was reveal the true extent of Angkor and Mahendraparvata on Mount Kulen.” The archeologist pulled out a tablet and set it on the small table in front of them. He swiped the display and scanning maps filled the screen.
“Mahendraparvata is where the first Khmer king was crowned,” Gemma said. “It’s really a fascinating and important part of Cambodian history. And the city has just been lying buried in the jungle all this time.”
Cal listened as the archeologists peppered him with information about the site. He leaned back in his chair, and while he absorbed the information, he watched Dani wandering near the windows. She moved with the liquid kind of grace that he admired.
But there was something…lonely about her. Like she wasn’t connected to all the people and places she was studying. She was an observer, separate from the action.
Gemma bumped her arm against him. “Would you like to hear about the coronation?”
Focus on the job, Ward. “Sure.”
It was Dr. Oakley who answered. “It begins with the Hindu practice of devaraja—the cult of the god king. A ceremony was used to crown a king as a deity, a god king. Jayavarman II was the first to introduce the practice to this area. Prior to that, the country was all small warlord states, but he joined them all together.”
“A Brahman was brought in to conduct the devaraja ceremony,” Gemma said. “He used a sacred stone called a linga as part of the ceremony. It contains the essence of the Hindu god Shiva and conveys that power to the king, so he becomes the god king or the king of kings.”
“Linga?” Cal tapped a finger against his beer bottle. “I’ve done some work in India before, and I’ve seen linga there.”
Gemma smiled and leaned closer. “That’s right. A linga is a phallic-shaped stone that represents the energy and potential of Shiva.”
Cal got the impression that Dr. Blake was quite fond of linga.
“This linga used by Jayavarman was said to be a magical stone,” Sakada said.
Dr. Oakley leaned forward, his face eager. “We’ve been able to excavate some parts of Mahendraparvata, at least, what’s easily accessible. We uncovered mention of another temple located deeper in the jungles of Phnom Kulen. The Temple of the Sacred Linga.”
“I seem to recall linga shrines were fairly common,” Cal said.
“This one is unique,” Dr. Oakley said. “A temple dedicated to the linga used to crown Jayavarman.”
“There are several mentions of this temple in different sources,” Jean-Luc added. “Based on this, we got funding to carry out more lidar scans on an area of the mountain that we hadn’t looked at before.” He looked beside him. “Sam?”
The younger man grabbed the tablet and turned it around. He tapped the screen and then swiveled it so Cal could see the images. “These are the new scans. It’s an uncharted area of Phnom Kulen. It’s the thickest jungle on the mountain, and even the locals don’t go there.”
Cal studied the map, noting out of the corner of his eye that Dani had moved closer and was looking over his shoulder. On the screen, he could see the outlines of something beneath the jungle.
“The temple was likely built in the distinctive quincunx formation, representing the sacred Mount Meru,” Sakada added. “Four towers at the corners and a fifth in the center.”
Then Cal saw it, in amongst the lines on the map— a vague square outline of a temple.
He looked up at them all. “Okay, so we need to get to here?”
“That’s it.” Dr. Oakley nodded. “The Temple of the Sacred Linga.”
“Sam, can you send me a copy to my email?” Cal asked, handing him a business card.
The man nodded.
“We might even find the magical linga in the temple,” Gemma said. “I wouldn’t be surprised. There are already clues that lingas were particularly sacred on Phnom Kulen. Have you heard of the River of a Thousand Lingas?”
Cal looked up and caught Dani’s eye roll. “I can’t say I have.”
Gemma’s smile widened. “It’s a popular tourist destination on Phnom Kulen. A stretch of the river there has thousands of linga images carved into the rocky bottom of the river.”
“And other sculptures as well,” Sakada added. “Quincunx designs, as well as images of gods and goddesses, nagas.”
“Nagas?” Cal asked.
“Serpent deities,” Sakada answered. “Cambodian legend says they were a reptilian race who helped create the Cambodian people.”
Gemma’s eyes gleamed. “I know the Temple of the Sacred Linga is there, just waiting for us to find it.”
Cal couldn’t fault the archeologist for her enthusiasm for her work. “Okay, I’ll make plans to get us there and ensure we have all the supplies we need.” Thoughts ran through his mind as he planned out the trip in his head. He’d need to get Darcy to send him information on Phnom Kulen and the mountain’s jungles. “We’ll need camping gear as well.”
“When do you think we can leave?” Dr. Oakley asked. “We’re eager to get started.”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Oakley’s brows rose to his hairline. “So soon?”
Cal smiled. “We have a very good team at Treasure Hunter Security. Let me get to work, and I’ll have everything arranged.”
“Very good,” Dr. Oakley said. “Now I know why you came so highly recommended. We’ve arranged a dinner tonight to celebrate the beginning of our expedition.”
“I’ll need to get my work finished first, but dinner sounds great.”
When Oakley lifted his glass of wine, Cal lifted his beer and they clinked them together.
“To a good expedition,” Dr. Oakley said.
The rest of the team traded clinks. Cal stood and moved over to where Dani stood alone by the bar, sipping what looked like a gin and tonic. He lifted his bottle.
She let her glass touch his. “In their eagerness, they forgot to mention that Phnom Kulen was used by the Khmer Rouge in the seventies, as their final stronghold. Parts of the mountain are riddled with old landmines.”
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
“Well, to a successful trip, then,” she said.
“These days, I’m just happy when no one is shooting at me.”
“I’ll be shooting you,” she muttered. Then the corners of her lips quirked into a smile. “With my camera.”
“A camera I can handle.” He leaned his elbows on the bar. “But it always pays to be prepared for the worst.”
Chapter Three
Dani zoomed in on Cal’s face and hit the shutter button. She’d call this one smart toughness.
Behind her, she heard the tinkle of Gemma’s laugh, and cutlery hitting plates. The team had shared a meal in a private dining room off the hotel’s restaurant. The others were still picking at the delicious local foods, but Cal had eaten quickly and gone back to work.
He was currently standing at a long table pushed up against one wall, looking for all the world like he was planning for war.
A map covered the table, and he was leaning over it, his sleeves rolled up and showing off his muscular arms. He was jotting down notes on a paper pad, and a tough-looking tablet was propped up against some books. Dani snapped another shot. She’d already pegged him as tough. Treasure Hunter Security had a reputation for it.
But as he frowned, tapping the pen against the map, she realized she hadn’t expected the sharp intelligence she saw on his face.
“You sure we’ll be ready to leave tomorrow?” she asked.
He looked up. “That’s the plan. You want to get out there, right?”
“Oh, yes.” There. That look on his face. She had to capture it. She lifted her camera again.
He shot her an irritated look.
“You have a face the camera likes. A rugged sort of handsome.”
“You think I’m handsome?” A smile flirted around his lips.
“I’m stating that in a purely factual way. And I’m pretty sure you know exactly what you look like.”
“How’s the planning going?” A voice interrupted their conversation.
They both turned as Dr. Oakley appeared.
“Great,” Cal said. “I’ve got our route mapped out, local guides organized, and I’m just waiting for a call from my office in Denver to confirm the last details. But we’ll be ready to go in the morning.”
“Wonderful.”
The excited look on Dr. Oakley’s face had Dani turning her camera his way. She zoomed in on his face and clicked.
Then she swiveled to Cal and took a shot of the answering smile on his face. He scowled at her again.
Suddenly, the tablet on the table flared to life. A woman with dark hair in a sleek bob and blue-gray eyes appeared. “Hi, Cal.”
“D, my love. How’s Denver?”
“Fabulous. You’d know if you spent any time here.”
“You keep sending me on jobs.”
The woman was beautiful. Black hair, pretty face, a crisp shirt that matched the color of her eyes.
The woman’s smile sent her from beautiful to stunning. “I’ll schedule you a vacation. You can take me up to that little cabin of yours in the mountain for a weekend.”
“It’s a date,” Cal replied.
Dani frowned. He was making a date? Right now?
The woman’s face turned serious. “Okay, ready?”
“Hit me,” Cal said.
“I’ve organized another four-wheel-drive vehicle for you. It’s stocked. I’ve arranged everything you need from food to basic camping supplies. You saw my email about the best route to Phnom Kulen, and the names of the local guides from the villages.”
“Got it. Made a few tweaks.”
“You always do. You’ll meet the guides at a site called Srah Damrei. It’s also called Elephant Pond.”
“Excellent. You’re a marvel.”
“Of course.”
The others wandered over from the dining table. Cal nodded at them. “Everyone, this is Darcy. She’s our tech whiz and organization expert back at Treasure Hunter Security headquarters.”
The group called out greetings.
“Hi. Okay, at Srah Damrei, the local guides will be bringing motorbikes. The tracks into the temple site are too narrow and overgrown for cars.”
There were a few groans from the team.
Dani watched as Cal shot questions at Darcy, and the woman deftly fired back answers. Clearly, she was organized and well prepared. Smart and beautiful. Dani didn’t like her.
“D, amazing as always. What would I do without you?”
She shot him a sour look that didn’t lose any of its impact across the computer. “And you are a charmer. Remember it doesn’t work on me.”
“Love you, D.”
The easy camaraderie between the two, and those words Cal had just said, hit Dani in the gut. She decided not to hang around to hear any more. She backed away. The words “love you” were cheap when she was growing up. Her parents had tossed them around like confetti. Apparently, Callum Ward did, as well.
She heard Gemma call out. “Let’s have one last drink to celebrate.”
Dani slipped through the large French doors, and into the lobby. She felt a familiar, driving need to take more pictures. From the first moment one of her nannies had given her a camera, she’d felt the instant spark to capture the world around her.
She made her way past the reception desk, and headed out the front door. Outside, she pulled in a deep breath of fresh night air. Without thinking too much about it, she turned and walked down the street toward the main part of town. Soon, the quiet street gave way to the hustle and bustle of Siem Reap’s busy center. The crowds thickened.
Dani lifted her camera. She spotted a family—tourists—walking together. All of them were sunburned, but happy, the parents sharing a funny moment with their teenage kids. There were plenty of locals, some sitting together, some working, others out on the town. Everywhere, there was noise, lights, life.
It was so different from the reverence of the ancient temples just a few kilometers away. There, Dani had captured the quieter, tranquil moments. There was so much depth to be caught in the stillness.
Here, it was all about the movement.
She moved deeper into the crowds, into the heart of the bustle. No one paid her much attention, which was how she liked it. But, as a group of laughing women passed her, she wondered how she could feel so alone in the middle of all this.
A couple passed, arms twined, smiling up at each other. Why was she still thinking about love? And the fact that, while her parents had said the words to her many times, they’d never meant them. They’d never shown her any kind of love.
Jeez, she was getting miserable over old news. She set her shoulders back and shrugged off the stupid thoughts. She moved along the street, taking pictures of the buildings jammed together, and ahead, the bright colors of the night market. Neon lights glowed, and the bright-colored stalls offered all kinds of trinkets.
Before she reached the market, she stopped at the entrance to an alley. She aimed her camera. Down here was the darker, danker, dirtier underbelly of the city. It wasn’t pretty, and it wasn’t fun, but it was still part of life.
Her photography gave her everything she needed. She didn’t need meaningless words. She didn’t need anything but the camera in her hands. Right here, she had the power to experience and capture love, hate, joy, despair…any emotion, all without ever letting it affect her. Without ever letting it break her into tiny painful pieces.
Someone bumped into her.
Figuring it was a tourist not watching where they were going, she turned with a smile.
The second shove was harder, and sent her sprawling to the ground in the alley. As her hands and knees scraped across the dirty concrete, she felt the sting. Her camera dangled from the strap aro
und her neck, bumping her chin.
The next thing she realized, someone was grabbing at her camera, yanking hard. The strap dug painfully into her neck.
A mugging. No way. She pulled back and tried to scramble away. No one was taking her camera.
She looked up. The man attacking her had a scarf covering the majority of his face, so she couldn’t tell what he looked like. He strode toward her and lunged at her again.
With a cry, Dani dodged his grasp, and pushed to her feet. Getting her balance, she raised her hands and turned to defend herself.
The man swung out, trying to grab her camera again. Dani let instinct take over. She’d taken multiple self-defense courses. She kicked, aiming for between the man’s legs. But he was quick and moved at the last minute. Still, she got a good kick into his thigh and she heard him grunt.
But he recovered quickly, dark eyes settling on her.
He moved fast, grabbed her shoulders, and spun her. Her back hit the brick wall and all the air rushed out of her. He raised a large fist and Dani fought to get free.
Dammit. This was going to hurt.
Then, suddenly, he was pulled backward.
Dani fell to her knees, confused. For a second, she thought the shadows had grabbed him. Then, she saw the silhouette of a tall, muscled man in the darkness. He had a good grip on her attacker.
The would-be thief was slammed hard against the wall of the building. Then her rescuer smashed a hard punch into the man’s face.
The men moved again, spinning around. The attacker let loose with a series of wild, desperate punches, but the taller man retaliated with powerful, restrained blows.
They scuffled a bit more, and then suddenly her attacker broke free and sprinted out of the alley.
Dani got one foot under herself as her rescuer turned to face her.
Cal Ward’s blue gaze met hers.
***
Cal reached down and helped Dani to her feet. “You okay?”
She looked pissed. There wasn’t a single flicker of fear in her face. A smile of reluctant admiration tugged at his lips.
“I’m fine.” She dusted off her trousers and then lifted her camera and checked it. “This camera’s been around the world, and it’s not the first time someone’s tried to snatch it. Probably won’t be the last.”
