by Addison Fox
For all the guilt she carried and the remorse that had shaped her as an adult, she wasn’t the only one with baggage. Wasn’t the only one who saw less of a person when she soul-searched for her own personal meaning.
When he looked inside, he saw the emptiness that had shaped him. Saw the shortcomings of his parents that had brought him to his choices in the first place.
And knew that they’d long since stopped being a part of the decision.
“Because, Rowan, when you do it too long, it becomes your identity. And I don’t know who I am without it.”
* * *
Bright, unyielding sunshine greeted them when they arrived in Cairo. Rowan dragged on her sunglasses and reveled in the warmth for a brief moment before descending the steps of their private plane.
They’d made the decision the day before to fly into Cairo instead of Luxor to meet Will’s contact, and she couldn’t hold back the very real concern they were putting someone else into danger. Despite the concern, she had to trust her brother’s skills on that front.
She’d used a good portion of the flight over connecting with Campbell via a phone chat and nearly nonstop email over the plane’s Wi-Fi. He’d filled her in on all the things he’d discovered when hacking into the computer forum Will had used. The most suspicious part was the presence of a lot of behind-the-scenes traffic from a London IP address that had been rerouted around the globe several times over.
Finn stepped off the last step of the plane and came to stand next to her. “You look upset.”
“I’m concerned whether Campbell and I made the right decision about not contacting Briggs yet.”
“Campbell hid the man’s back-end information from the site forum so he can’t be traced.”
“Yes, but is it enough?”
The confirmation that the forum site had seen higher-than-usual traffic and suspicious activity was concerning. But it was the fact the signal had been deliberately rerouted that had put Campbell in a geek-induced rant. When she finally got to the bottom of what he was talking about, he’d confirmed he was hiding the data from Briggs’s computer so his presence on the forums couldn’t be traced.
Finn laid a hand on her arm. “If the people behind this are using data to control the situation, there’s no one I’d trust more than your brother to handle things.”
There was no one she trusted more, either, but it was the faceless threat that she couldn’t get past. “They’re out there, Finn. And I hate that we still have no clue who they are.”
“We’ll find them. And if Campbell can trace the signature of that London IP address, we’ll have more to work with.”
She was still worrying about the decision to include Briggs a few hours later as she and Finn set off from the hotel. “I told you I could get us a car.”
“I don’t want to draw attention to ourselves.”
“This is a cosmopolitan city. A car isn’t going to attract attention.”
“It will if someone’s watching out for us. Besides, we’ve got a lot more flexibility on foot.”
The early-morning sun that had greeted them when they’d arrived had given way to an even sunnier day, and the heat surrounded them as they traversed through Old Cairo. Rowan adjusted her large bag before Finn reached out and grabbed it. “I can carry that.”
“It’s no big deal.”
He grunted as he hefted the strap over his arm. “You carry rocks in here?”
“It’s my bag. I carry everything in there.” She tried to take it back but he sidestepped her reach. “You really don’t need to carry it.”
“Consider it my fall fashion statement.”
She shook her head but kept walking. Her grandfather’s worry the other night had been sweet, but she’d felt his sentiments were misguided. Now, with Finn’s heavy footfalls keeping pace with her own, she couldn’t deny how wonderful it was to have someone along for the journey.
A partner.
And when had she begun seeing him that way?
“I don’t know why I’d ever doubted you would know where you’re going.” Finn’s voice interrupted her thoughts. “I don’t think you’ve missed a turn once.”
“I spent a lot of time here during college.”
“Was that the Hanging Church we passed a few blocks back?”
“Yep. I wish we had more time and I’d take you through it.”
“I’ve been through it once myself, but it’s been a long time.” He linked his hand with hers, entwining their fingers. “We should come back after this is all over. I’d love to see Egypt through your eyes. I thought I knew it, but it’s nothing compared to what you’ve seen and done here.”
The tender words were spoken so casually, Rowan suspected he didn’t even know what he implied under his words.
To come back meant they’d be together after their work on the Valley of the Queens ended. It meant permanence and a relationship and time spent together that wasn’t framed by a project they both worked on.
To come back meant they were a couple, sharing their lives with each other.
“I’d like that.”
She couldn’t see his eyes behind his dark shades but his broad shoulders—shown off to perfection by the black T-shirt he wore—relaxed ever so slightly. The motion was so insignificant she’d have missed it if she weren’t looking, but it spoke volumes.
Maybe he did know what he was saying after all.
“Is that it?” Finn pointed toward a hanging sign that proclaimed the word books in English and Arabic.
“That’s him.” She shook off the curious question of what might happen to them once they got home and focused on the task at hand. “Look. We can’t just blurt it out about Will. Briggs and I emailed earlier and I could tell he still doesn’t know.”
“We’re not blurting anything. But we do need to know what he knows. We also need to know if Will trusted the right person.”
“I know him, Finn. Briggs is not a bad guy.”
“Probably not, but do you want to risk it?”
“No.”
“Then we have to figure out what he knows first.”
They stepped into the store, the scent of old books heavy in the air. She took a deep breath, the comforting smell going a long way toward calming her nerves.
She hoped Finn was being overly cautious about Briggs, but also knew he was right. With a deep breath, she pasted on a smile and walked toward the counter at the back of the store.
Delighted surprise lit Briggs’s face as he caught sight of her the moment she and Finn emerged from the floor-to-ceiling bookcases.
“Rowan!” He slipped from around the desk and pulled her into a tight hug. “It’s been so long.”
The sweet archaeology student she remembered filled her mind’s eye as she hugged him back. “Too long.”
She introduced Finn and Briggs and couldn’t quite hide her amusement at how the two men sized each other up. Although Briggs hadn’t been in the field in a long time, he hadn’t gone soft, either. Briggs’s impressive frame and dark good looks had clearly put Finn’s back up, and Finn’s movements were stiff and stilted.
A small wave of happiness broke through the tension that rode her body at the silly display of machismo. She’d been around her brothers long enough to recognize the signs, but it was funny to be the subject of that testosterone battle.
When Rowan settled a hand on Finn’s arm, Briggs relaxed. Whether it was her overt body language that she trusted the man she was with or something else, she didn’t know, but it was enough to change her old friend’s attitude. “I have some of the books and papers Will asked me to pull together for you.”
Finn’s arm muscles flexed under hers at the mention of Will’s name but she kept up the pleasant facade. “He said you had information that might help us on th
e dig.”
“Come on back. I’ve laid everything out in the reading room.”
The clutter of the main store gave way to a small, comfortable room full of overstuffed chairs and a few study tables. Just as Briggs promised, the table was full of several old books, a few maps and what looked like an oversize piece of papyrus preserved in glass.
“You’ve got an incredible collection.”
Finn’s comment seemed to be the last piece to defuse the tension, and Briggs’s features relaxed completely. “Some of it was my father’s and the rest I’ve acquired over the years. He was part of a British archaeology team stationed here for several years. He and my mum eventually moved back home to settle in Wales but Cairo got its hooks in me. Unlike our Rowan here, my love is in the recording of history, not the discovery of it.”
The truth of his words had her throat tightening and Rowan swallowed hard around the lump. She, Will and Briggs had been part of the same program in college, and while all three had started in excavation, convinced it was their great love, the men had both found other avenues to live their passion.
Finn picked up a book and flipped through it, his gaze never leaving the pages. When he did speak, his tone was casual. “Will mentioned you and he were communicating on a chat board, too.”
“It’s a bad habit of mine. A true waste of time.”
Rowan smiled. “It’s something you enjoy.”
“It still doesn’t mean it’s not a waste of time. But despite that, it’s a fun way to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s happening. The dig you’re going on is big news here.”
“There’s little still left to discover in the Valleys. Everyone loves a good Egyptian dig story.” Rowan ran her hands over the glass-enclosed papyrus. “It fascinates all of us.”
“Will seemed a bit concerned in his emails, especially around the curse nonsense, and I have a few ideas there.”
Her gaze locked with Finn’s over Briggs’s bent head as he shuffled through a few books, opening to pages he’d clearly tabbed in preparation for their visit. He flipped through several before landing on the piece he was searching for. “Here it is.”
Rowan scanned the passage Briggs had earmarked. “This says the curse is a deterrent, nothing more.”
“Exactly.” Briggs nodded. “Another technique Ramesses II used to keep his world ordered and controlled.”
“But scholars know this.” Finn took the book from her to read the passage. “Right here, it says as much and this book is clearly rather old. Why would a forum that modern day scholars use to communicate believe any of this?”
“Good question.” Briggs snagged a small laptop off the edge of the desk and moved the mouse. The screen came to life, the site they’d all focused on filling the screen. “This forum has been a source of community and conversation for well over a decade. But I got curious, so I went back through the archives.”
Although it pained her to think Briggs’s curiosity could put him in the same danger as Will, she also couldn’t hold back her own ready curiosity. “What’d you find?”
“Every time there’s been something suspicious in the last few years, the same sort of rumors surface. It’s always from a new poster who hasn’t been on before.”
Finn tapped the screen. “People must come on and off these things pretty regularly.”
“The community is small, Finn. You know that in your authentication work. It’s a highly competitive field and only the truly determined survive.” Briggs’s wry smile only reinforced his point. “Everyone knows everyone or knows of everyone.”
“And these people who keep coming off and on aren’t known.” Rowan thought about some of the posts she’d read over the years and had simply ignored, passing over the hobbyist to get to real information.
“And it’s an easy place to hide.” Briggs snagged a small notebook off the table. “Here’s what’s also interesting. There’s a strange similarity to the user names.”
“Knightsbridge 21. Kensington 42. Hampstead 84.” Finn read them off. “They’re all London neighborhoods.”
“And he just doubled the number, whether consciously or as a way to keep track of something.” Rowan let her gaze drift over the books, then to Finn.
He must have read the question in her eyes because his subtle nod encouraged her to continue.
“Briggs, there’s something I need to tell you.” She took his hand and pointed to the chairs. “Let’s sit.”
“What is it?”
“Will was murdered the other night in London.”
Briggs’s features clouded immediately and he cried freely as she told him about Will’s attack and what they believed.
Long minutes later, he wiped his eyes. “We must find the ones who did this. Tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it. Anything.”
Panic swelled in her throat and turned the light breakfast she’d had at the hotel over in her stomach. “I can’t put you in this danger, too. I can’t lose another friend over this.”
“Will was my friend, too.”
“I know, but we can’t leave you unprotected, and Finn and I can’t stay in Cairo. We’re needed in Luxor tomorrow to begin the excavation.” She debated telling him about what Campbell had done to his computer account—knew Briggs deserved to know the truth—but also knew his grief was fresh and his ideas were more about avenging Will’s death than any real sense of malice. “I need to know you’re safe.”
“I’d like to arrange for security detail.” Finn’s tone was somber, but any traces of the machismo she’d seen earlier had vanished. In its place was the man she’d come to care for more than she ever could have imagined. “I’ve already secured a firm that I trust, and I can have them here within the hour on your okay.”
“I don’t understand.” Briggs shook his head. “It’s a website, nothing more. It can’t be dangerous.”
Rowan reached for his hand, wrapping it in her own. “That’s what we thought. What Will thought.”
A range of emotions flitted across her friend’s face, but that same determination to find who was responsible wouldn’t leave. “We still must find who did this.”
“And we will.” The lethal tone of Finn’s voice laced his words. “We will find who did this.”
The store’s electronic alarm dinged when the front door opened, and Briggs nodded. “Let me go greet this customer and then we’ll determine next steps.”
The bell rang again, the innocuous sound punctuating Briggs’s comments. It was only when he neared the doorway of the reading room that Finn leaped into action.
“Briggs, no!” Finn tackled him to the ground before the man cleared the door frame.
Rowan watched in horror as a wave of fire blew through the outer room, followed by the devastating, earsplitting ring of an explosion.
Chapter 15
Finn rolled off Briggs, desperate to find Rowan. The walls shook around them and the fire’s flames were already consuming the bookshelves outside the door frame with shocking speed.
“Rowan!”
“I’m here!” She got to her feet on the other side of the reading room, where she’d been thrown by the force of the blast. Her movements were shaky, but she was in one piece and he offered up a quick prayer of thanks.
Briggs lifted his head, rising horror filling his face. “What is this?”
“We need to get out of here. Now.”
Finn’s harsh tone was clearly what the man needed to focus and he was on his feet, despite several glances toward the outer portion of his store.
“Back door, Briggs! Come on.”
They both waved Rowan toward the door in front of them, but she raced back to the table where they’d set everything up.
“Rowan! Come on!” Finn knew the old building had little structural integrity to begin w
ith, but the fact it was filled with ready kindling ensured it would go quickly.
“I’m coming.” She snagged her oversize bag and Briggs’s computer before running back to grab the glass-enclosed papyrus and the book they’d left open next to it.
“Rowan!” Finn grabbed her arm and pulled her in front of his body, and they both followed Briggs out the back of the store. A small alley consumed them and it was Briggs who led them through the narrow space.
“Why the hell did you go back?” Finn muttered the words as they wove through the restrictive alley, veering around potholes and various other things he had no interest stepping in.
She kept a brisk pace but was busy trying to stuff the computer and book into her bag all while juggling the glass.
With a groan, he reached out for the bag and dragged it open. “Here, give me the computer.”
She did as he asked, then followed with the glass when he had the computer settled in the seemingly bottomless bag. There was no room for the book, so he held it. The urge to ditch it was strong, but she hadn’t been entirely wrong to grab it.
“That’s an ancient papyrus. I couldn’t leave it behind.”
“It’s not worth getting killed.” He dragged the bag back onto his arm.
“I wasn’t killed.” She shot him a cheeky smile. “And I have the papyrus.”
He shook his head. Damn, but how did she do this to him? Even in the midst of her own personal danger, she was focused on other things. “Crazy woman.”
Briggs came to a halt at the edge of the alleyway. “Wait for a moment.”
“What is it?” Rowan leaned forward to look around the man’s shoulder but Finn snagged her arm and pulled her back.
“I heard footsteps.”
They both waited, holding their breath as they listened to the quiet air that swirled around them. Finn pressed against Rowan’s arm, dragging her a few steps farther back into the alley.
When did Briggs suddenly realize they were being followed? And shouldn’t he be more shell-shocked over his store instead of leading them down the alley?
