Tomb Raiding PHD

by Martha Carr

  “Yeah, not bad.”

  Harry averted his gaze.

  Lily sighed. “I need to take you back to the entrance, Shay. I don’t think you’ll be able to get back yourself.”

  Shay laughed. “Yeah, without my gadgets, I’m more of a surface kind of woman.”

  By the time they returned to the entrance, Shay was struck by the extensive knowledge Lily and the other teens had demonstrated about the tunnels under the city. Without that knowledge, they wouldn’t have been able to help their friends.

  These kids might be more useful than I thought.

  Shay sucked in a breath. “You sure you don’t want to stay at a warehouse? Way more comfortable than some musty old tunnel.”

  Lily nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  They stared at each for a moment.

  Fuck it. I can do warm and fuzzy without kicking someone.

  Shay swallowed and leaned in for something very unnatural to her—a friendly hug. “See you around, Lily.”

  4

  An hour later, Shay settled into a chair and sighed. She’d just meant to drop Lily off, not run halfway across the city and fight gangbangers. It’d been a busy couple of nights.

  Still, need to get my notes together for my lecture tomorrow. Glad I at least skimmed the material before I went to Connecticut.

  As the years passed since her faked death, doubt had crept into her head. One question kept popping up again and again—had she made the right choice, pursuing a career as a tomb raider?

  Her original new life plan had been simple enough: make a pile of money, retire, and live the rest of her life on some remote island where no one dangerous would ever think to threaten her. Tomb raiding was a great way to combine her love of history, particularly ancient magical history, with her skills from her old career.

  Should I have been playing the stock market instead?

  Shay sighed as she flipped open a book, Huitzilopochtli, Cortez, and the Lost Lake: A New History of Mexico.

  Her life plan had been designed by a woman who trusted no one and had no real friends; by a woman who certainly didn’t love anyone. Now, though, she had friends, a boyfriend, and even a protégé. There was even the start of a legitimate career.

  The cartel that had forced her into hiding had been destroyed. While she still needed to be careful, the extermination of the Nuevo Gulf Cartel meant she no longer had to constantly look over her shoulder.

  Except for all the new enemies I’m making as a tomb raider. Good times.

  Shay didn’t have a new life plan that took into account all the changes. She already had more than enough money to disappear for the rest of her life, but that would take some hard thought. She couldn’t leave the people she cared about behind, not without a damned good reason.

  Too late for some choices, it would seem.

  The lecture she was preparing for tomorrow only reinforced the disconnect between her past and present. She loved ancient history and archaeology, and a position as an adjunct archaeology professor at UCLA had turned out to be a good choice.

  Originally, Peyton had helped her forge the appropriate credentials to score the position. The school didn’t mind that she was so busy with fieldwork that she only gave a small number of guest lectures throughout the semester. She addressed packed rooms of students on hidden history scheduled around her digs.

  Nobody needed to know they were also tomb raids.

  Shay shook her head at the memory. Peyton had done a good job of creating a past for her that excluded her time as a hired killer. She was interested in history’s truths but had lied through her teeth to get a position centered around exploring and uncovering them. Funny how that worked.

  The surprising thing about the whole experience was that once she had started lecturing, she’d found she really enjoyed it. She was eager to get back into a lecture hall every time and drop truth bombs on unsuspecting college students.

  But no one could change the past—not even Oriceran magic, as far as she knew. Her path as an assassin had been set when she’d made her first kill at fifteen, but now, whatever came next was up to her.

  A full-time position at a college wasn’t out of the question, but she’d have to put aside tomb raiding. It’d be a chance at a normal life, and it wasn’t like she needed more money.

  Shay took a deep breath and shook her head. It was a fleeting and stupid thought. She might love talking about history and archaeology, but she also loved being in the thick of danger and finding hidden artifacts that required not only quick thinking but training. I’ll never be satisfied just digging pots up from the desert.

  Adrenaline junkie? Maybe, at least on some level. A woman interested in the truth couldn’t deny the truth about herself forever.

  Shay had spent most of her life without reflecting on why she did something, and instead just did it. Introspection was hard, and not always welcome.

  Was that why I decided to take on Lily? Am I trying to do something different with my life? I honestly don’t know anymore.

  She flipped to a bookmarked page, a chapter titled, A Consideration of the Puebla Tunnels.

  Shay grabbed a pencil and a pad of paper. Tablets and phones were convenient, but taking notes the old-fashioned way helped her remember things more easily. She skimmed the chapter, looking for useful information for her lecture.

  Dismissed as legend for many years, the confirmation by workers of the existence of the tunnels under the city of Puebla in 2015 surprised and tantalized the world. Additional testing confirmed that the tunnels have existed since the founding of the city…

  In the years that followed, the tunnel system was regarded as merely an artifact of the colonial history of the city, but excavations that started in 2024 revealed an additional and even deeper hidden tunnel system that predates the main tunnel system by at least a millennium.

  Shay took a few notes and read a few more background paragraphs before coming to something else of interest. This was what they were going to want to hear about.

  The precision layout and construction of the more ancient system wasn’t consistent with the technological capabilities of the indigenous human cultures. Prior to public contact with Oriceran, it would have been difficult to understand the true nature of the tunnels, or they might have been dismissed with pseudo-archaeological claims of ancient aliens. Follow-up research in conjunction with Oriceran scholars has confirmed that the original tunnel system was in fact of Oriceran origin and excavated originally with the use of earth- and soil-manipulation magic at the behest of dwarves.

  Interestingly enough, despite the confirmation of the fantastical nature of the tunnels, there remains a mystery on both Earth and Oriceran about why the dwarves chose to excavate the tunnels. The Oriceran sources claim they lack extant documentation on the tunnels, other than a few brief mentions of the ordering of their construction.

  Adding to the mystery are claims that, until recently, strange noises could be heard from the deeper tunnels. Additional expeditions, both technological and magical, haven’t revealed anything of note other than a small number of stray artifacts that suggest the tunnels might have been in use well into at least the opening decade of the twenty-first century.

  Shay chuckled. Given what she’d learned from Lily, who was one of her inspirations for the lecture, the tomb raider couldn’t help but wonder if some hidden Oriceran magical train used to run in the tunnel system, and once humans started poking around, they’d decided to move to a new line. The existence of magic might be out there, but the magical community still kept plenty of secrets.

  I better leave that little tidbit out of the lecture. Lily hasn’t betrayed my secrets, so I don’t want to betray any that might get people poking around where she lives.

  Shay grinned. She’d just play up the mystery. Everyone loved a little mystery.

  A couple hours later, with the lecture notes well prepared, Shay finished brushing her teeth. She was grateful to be at home and away from any gangsters
, gang members, or gnomes. She fell face-first into her bed and let out a long sigh.

  She’d been too busy to see James for the last few days, and she missed her man. Calling him might be too clingy. They each had their own lives, and he’d accepted that. So had she, or at least she thought she had.

  She snorted. The guy managed to be both high- and low-maintenance at the same time. He was used to living alone and doing his own thing, but he didn’t understand anything about women. It made even the simplest romantic conversation an interesting adventure, if not a frustrating one.

  Her phone sat on her nightstand, almost taunting her, telling her to call or text James.

  “No, if I’m gonna keep being a tomb raider, I need to know I can handle a few days without calling or seeing the man.”

  The dawn sun had barely crawled above the horizon when Shay found herself in the middle of a park in her tank top and sweatpants. The other members of Free-to-Move, the parkour group she’d joined, stood around, stretching in preparation for their run.

  The crane stunt from the night before popped into Shay’s head.

  She stretched her arm across her chest. “Ever wonder how far you can take all this?”

  Aaron, who was stretching his quads on the ground next to Lana, laughed. “Always. Why do you ask?”

  Shay considered her words carefully. She wanted some feedback on the awesome moves she’d seen Harry’s and Lily’s friends pull off, but she had to be careful not to get them too much attention. Admitting that she’d seen anything strange was a bad idea. People were naturally curious—just like she was.

  “Just wondering.” Shay shrugged. “I mean, imagine jumping off a building, then pushing off while you’re falling and catching the metal lattice on a crane or shit like that. Next-level parkour.”

  Lana shook her head. “Oh, that’s just movie stuff. The problem is, people forget what parkour is and what isn’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s about mobility, freedom, and movement. It’s kind of a movement martial art, almost. It’s not about being a daredevil. There are plenty of daredevils on the net doing stupid crap that I would never try, and it has nothing to do with me not being good enough at parkour.”

  Shay stretched her other arm. “But it’s not like there’s no overlap. Sure, half the time we’re just running on ground level, but when you’re jumping from rooftop to rooftop, it’s dangerous. We’ve all done dangerous stuff that might get normal people killed.”

  Lana sighed. “What you’re talking about goes well beyond that. It’s crazy, or magical, or maybe both. It’s not something I’d even attempt. It’s not about mobility and freedom.”

  Well, it’s about the freedom that comes with escaping from gang members.

  Aaron stood and surveyed the gathered people. Everyone appeared to be ready to go.

  “Sure,” he offered. “It’s not that we never do dangerous stuff. It’s just that if you start getting into your head that parkour is about the next stunt, you’re missing the point, and you’re going to get hurt. Confidence is key, but overconfidence is a killer.”

  Lana furrowed her brow. “I guess there are the Night Spiders.”

  Aaron rolled his eyes. “They’re just an urban legend.”

  “Night Spiders?” Shay asked.

  “I’m not saying I’ve seen them,” Lana began, “but I’ve heard about them. Supposed to be a group of kids who roam the streets at night pulling off stunts like you’re talking about. Stuff no one should be able to do.” Lana shrugged. “It’s like Aaron says… No one has any video of them, so maybe it’s all an urban legend. I’m not sure I believe they are real.”

  Aaron shook his head. “I definitely don’t believe they are. If some kids had magic and could do badass parkour, I don’t think they’d hide it. No reason to.” He gestured and took off at a jog. “Let’s get going.”

  Shay followed, along with Lana and the others.

  Oh, they have their reasons to hide, Aaron.

  Shay was disappointed that Aaron and Lana didn’t seem to believe in the possibility, and surprised that a group of parkour practitioners wouldn’t be more excited about someone taking their sport to the next level. If she pressed them on the issue, though, it would only make them suspicious. Anyway, it wasn’t like they wouldn’t have a lot of time to chat while they were on their run.

  I need to push myself harder. Get faster. I need to do more than just keep up with them, I need to be better than them. They might be afraid of that edge, but you can’t get stronger until you work up the guts to take the step over it.

  Aaron headed straight for a bench and used it to launch himself over a wrought-iron fence topped with sharp points. Lana followed, then a few others before Shay.

  Not gonna die from that, but could have still gotten hurt. You’re all more into danger than you’ll admit.

  All of the runners landed with a fluid roll, including Shay. Aaron cut across an empty street and headed toward a narrow alley between two small buildings.

  Shay had not run this course with them before and had pointedly not asked about it, other than where it ended. The less she knew, the more she would have to react in the moment, which was better training for dangerous situations.

  They might view parkour as a sport or way of life, but she considered it another weapon in her arsenal.

  Shay looked past Aaron toward the alley, trying to anticipate possible handholds and sources of momentum.

  Window ledges on both sides in case he needs a handhold, only a few stories high. Bet he’s gonna head up to the roof.

  Aaron sprinted into the alley and charged a wall. He leapt up and pushed off it toward the other. He alternated between them as he climbed the side of the building, and Lana followed. Shay gritted her teeth and rushed forward, passing several club members.

  She was tired of bringing up the rear. Even if she was still new at parkour, she’d honed her body into a fine instrument for over a decade. She knew the limits of every muscle and every bone. She could do this.

  Shay jumped toward the wall and twisted before catapulting herself toward the opposite wall. She pushed away all thoughts except ascending the building. She hit the top in what felt like seconds and grabbed the edge of the roof to pull herself up.

  Aaron and Lana were already almost to the far edge of the roof. Everyone else was still ascending.

  Third place, huh? I’ll take it.

  The tomb raider hurried after the other two, ignoring them as they leapt from the roof and landed on the next. She launched herself from the roof and flew through the air, tucking into a smooth roll at the end. When she popped up, she’d lost none of her momentum.

  Shay risked a glance over her shoulder. The rest of the club members were close behind. She’d need to push if she wanted to retain her third-place position.

  Her side ached a little, but when she’d checked her wound that morning it was healing well enough.

  Another reason to not see James for a few days. Don’t want him asking questions about where and how I got injured when I wasn’t even supposed to be on a job.

  Another roof-jump pushed the thought out of her head, but it quickly returned. Guilt was still a novel feeling for her. She didn’t like lying to James, even by omission.

  Concealing the truth of the existence of other alien artifacts and the government conspiracy from the bounty hunter was at least arguably for his own good. She was protecting him from a head trip that might cause him to do something stupid against a group he couldn’t beat.

  Not telling him about Lily was a different matter. Part of it was to protect Lily’s privacy, and part was because she just didn’t want to complicate things between her and James.

  Well, he did try to get Peyton to not tell me about that woman using my likeness and the AET shit.

  Shay continued to follow Aaron and Lana. She leapt from the roof onto the landing of some metal stairs and rushed down toward the street. Their heavy footfalls echoed in the
morning air.

  A few secrets keep everyone happier and healthier. I’m sure someone has said shit like that. If not, then I’m saying it.

  Sweat dripped down Shay’s face. Running several miles would have been tough, even without all the jumping, grabbing, and rolling.

  Shay looked over her shoulder again. Still third place.

  This time third, next time second, and soon I’ll be the one in the front all the time.

  She let any concerns about Lily, James, and her relationship fade. For now, the only thing she needed to care about was moving fast, efficiently, and freely. She embraced the mobility.

  Her interest in parkour might have started when Marcus showed her up, but things had changed. She charged across another roof with a huge grin on her face.

  Damn. I love this.

  Two hours later, steam filled the room as hot water pounded onto her head and shoulders from her shower head. The run had gone well. Even if she’d fallen into fourth place by the end, she’d still proven that her skills had improved.

  Would she ever be able to pull off the kind of stunts she’d seen the tunnel kids accomplish? She didn’t know. From what Lily had told her, every single one of her friends had a magical heritage, and powers, even if unreliable.

  That might have meant they tapped into their special abilities somehow when they performed their parkour stunts. On the other hand, they might just be brave kids who were used to having to run from the police and dangerous criminals. Desperation could accomplish amazing things even when compared to careful training.

  Shay rubbed shampoo into her scalp as she listened to the news report on the radio.

  “Police are still baffled by a series of recent robberies in the Old Bank District. Although tight-lipped, the authorities have admitted that the thieves have disabled surveillance equipment during the robberies with what was likely a commercial-grade jammer.

  “In all cases, the thieves have entered the buildings from top-floor windows, but several of the buildings have locked roof access, leading the police to believe magic might be involved.”