by Anna Hackett
“It has to be there,” Claude said. “We go west and follow the instructions.” He scanned the sky. “And we travel fast. Whoever the hell sent the drone isn’t going to give up. If we travel quickly, we might reach the mines before dark.”
They climbed back down the hill. Back at the Land Rover, Elin was happy to let Hale drive. She fastened her seatbelt, and they pulled out behind the others.
“Some of those cuts look bad,” she said.
Hale swiped his sleeve over his face. “They’re fine. I’ll deal with them later.” He glanced her way. “If we find the mine, we call in Dec.”
She nodded. “If we find it, it’ll be time to really ruin Claude’s week.” She glanced ahead. “Who was controlling the drone?”
“I don’t know. Maybe Silk Road has a rival.”
They kept driving through the heat of the day. Soon, the noon heat gave way to the afternoon. Off in the distance, she saw the silhouettes of some animals, but they were too far away to tell what they were.
As the sun sank toward the horizon, there was no sign of a mountain or any ancient mines. Finally, Claude pulled over. One look at the man’s face said he wasn’t happy.
They all set up camp, and this time, there was no fireside revelry. Instead, the group was tense and unhappy.
Elin climbed into her and Hale’s tent and flicked on the lantern. Hale came in behind her. She eyed the dried blood on his scratches. The one on his neck was still bleeding dully.
“Let me clean those scratches.” She fished around for her first aid kit.
“I told you they’re okay.” He sat down and winced. “I think I have a couple on my chest as well.”
“Stop being a baby and let me sort them out.”
He grabbed the back of his stained shirt and yanked it over his head.
Holy hell. Elin stared at all the solid muscles. She hadn’t really gotten a full, unimpeded view of him that morning. The guy clearly spent all his time working out.
His shoulders were broad and toned, his arms were unreal. She slid her gaze down his chest, taking in the small cuts across his pecs, before she looked down at the tight ridges of his stomach.
“Don’t think I have any scratches down there,” Hale said in a dry voice.
She jerked her gaze up. “Sorry, I was just taking it all in. You are in excellent shape.”
His teeth flashed. “Thanks.”
Forcing herself to focus, Elin pulled some antiseptic wipes out of the first aid kit. She moved closer, and started cleaning the cuts on his chest.
Every now and then, her fingers brushed his skin. He felt so hard and so hot. Her breathing sped up, and a damp ache started between her legs.
She grabbed a clean wipe and started on the cuts on his face.
“I want you naked, Elin.” His voice was deep and gruff.
She stilled, her gaze locking with his. She saw need burning there, and she wasn’t sure anyone had ever wanted her as much as Hale did.
“I want to mess up that neat, efficient tidiness you have. Even in the middle of the desert, you look put-together.”
Her breath caught in her throat, and need was a hard, vicious thing.
“Are you turned on?” he murmured.
“Yes.” Her hand was a little shaky as she swiped at the last cut on his neck.
He lifted a hand, his thumb stroking across her lips. “I want to kiss you, taste you, watch your face as I slide inside you.”
His deep voice scraped over her enflamed nerves. “I want that, too.” She nipped the end of his thumb and saw his chest shudder. “I want to see every inch of your incredible body. I want you on top of me, under me, inside me.”
Hale let out a ragged breath. “Not tonight.” His voice was a growl. “I need time to make love to you properly, and I need to keep you safe. It sure as hell won’t be while we are surrounded by fucking Silk Road, and with an unknown assailant sending drones after us.”
It made sense, but her needy body didn’t like it.
“Soon,” he said.
She nodded. “We’ll see, Carter.”
He shot her one of his bone-melting smiles. “You aren’t going to make it easy, are you?”
“I think you’ve had enough easy.” She flicked off the light. “I want you to sleep tonight.”
He went still. “I’m not sure—”
“You slept this morning.”
“I think…knowing you can handle yourself helped. And…”
She waited. “And?”
“Can I hold you?”
She trembled. “Yes.”
They both lay down, but this time, he curled his big body around her, and she let him. She heard him let out a shuddering breath before he nuzzled his face into her hair.
Something felt far too right about relaxing into Hale Carter and drifting off to sleep.
Chapter Eight
Hale woke with his arms full of Elin. He lay there, just enjoying the simple act of holding her. Once again, he’d slept like a rock. No nightmares. No waking mid-scream. Holding her was something he could get used to.
He stilled, looking at the plastic of the tent. He’d never, ever wanted to get used to holding one particular woman before.
Slowly, the sounds of the others waking outside in the camp filtered through the nylon, and he felt Elin stir. When she stiffened, he knew she was awake.
“Are you going to run again?” he murmured.
“No.” Her voice was husky with sleep.
Neither of them moved, holding each other as the colors of the breaking dawn lit the sky outside. He breathed in, pulling in the scent of her hair. She smelled like fresh water, even in the middle of the desert.
Suddenly, another sound broke the early morning stillness. A steady thwap thwap thwap in the distance.
Both he and Elin scrambled up, yanking on their clothes.
“Another drone?” she asked, pulling her hair back and tying it.
“No. Helicopter.”
Dressed, they finished stuffing their gear into their bags, and climbed out of their tent. Outside, the rest of the group had gathered, looking toward the west. Hale threw their backpacks in their Land Rover, eyeing the incoming helicopter.
Had Dec decided to come in early?
Together, he and Elin closed up the rooftop tent and latched it down. Then they joined the group.
“Who is it?” Elin asked.
Claude had his hands on his hips, staring up at the chopper. When he turned to look at them, he had a sour look on his face. “It’s my boss. He’s one of Silk Road’s top people.”
Hale felt a rush through his veins. Dec had been trying to identify the group’s top people for years. But as the chopper got closer, Hale’s gut cramped.
Why was this guy coming in now? This couldn’t be good. He moved closer to Elin.
The helicopter—a sleek black Airbus Colibri—landed just outside the camp, kicking up a swirl of dust. The door opened and a man, dressed in khaki outdoor gear, tossed a headset onto the seat and leaped out with athletic grace. He strode toward them, mirrored sunglasses hiding his eyes.
Hale finally got a good look at the man’s face. “What the fuck?” he muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Elin shook her head, her face incredulous.
It was a very-well-known Hollywood actor. A man famous for his action movies. Several tall, muscled, and armed men jumped out of the helicopter behind the man.
John Drift, million-dollar star, strode forward. He was far shorter than Hale had expected. “Claude. Update.”
“We have the direction of Ophir and the mines.”
The actor stopped. “But you haven’t located the mine yet.”
“We’ve found two outposts, each with engravings pointing to Ophir. The final engraving gave us the location of the mine.”
“You have a problem,” Drift said.
The man was so still. Hale watched him steadily. Like a damn tiger waiting to pounce.
“The drone,” Claude
said. “I know.”
Drift froze. “Drone?”
Claude straightened. “Yes, we were attacked by an armed drone yesterday evening.”
Drift cursed. “No, that’s another issue to deal with. The problem I’m referring to is that I’ve learned you have an FBI agent and a Treasure Hunter Security agent undercover on your team.”
All sound died away. Even the air was still.
Shit. Hale stayed calm and relaxed, ready for anything. He saw Elin doing the same, a perplexed frown furrowing her brow. Like this was all news to her.
“I took care of Rex,” Claude said. “He was the undercover agent, and he was delaying our expedition.”
Drift pulled his glasses off, his cold, blue gaze sweeping over the group. His eyes touched Hale for just a second, but it was enough to know that he was dangerous. This was no simple actor.
“No.” Drift turned back to Claude. “I think you’re incompetent.”
Claude spluttered, rounding to face the man. In a fast, experienced move, Drift yanked a pistol from a holster at his side. He aimed and shot Claude point-blank in the forehead.
A surprised look crossed Claude’s face as he fell forward and collapsed on the ground.
Hale expected Sabine to explode into action to avenge her lover, but instead, she looked at Claude dispassionately. Then, she sauntered over to stand beside Drift and his guards.
The man turned toward Hale and Elin. He nodded, and his four guards moved forward. Hale and Elin found themselves flanked by the men. Two of them grabbed Hale’s arms in a firm grip, taking his SIG.
“Hey, hands off,” Elin snapped, yanking against her captors as they grabbed her. One man patted her down, taking her Glock and her tablet.
“Now, I want to know exactly what the FBI and Treasure Hunter Security know about our mission, Special Agent Alexander and Mr. Carter.” Drift stared at them.
The others in their group gasped and cursed, staring at them.
“What is your plan?” Drift stepped closer, his gun still in his hand by his side. “I will not let anything jeopardize this mission, and I have no qualms about leaving your dead bodies here beside Claude’s to rot in the desert sun.”
***
Elin’s heart was pounding. She was jerked roughly and patted down again.
“I’m a freelancer,” she said. “I don’t—”
The blow slammed into her cheek, knocking her sideways. She managed to keep her balance, and through the ringing in her head, she looked up. Beside her, Hale jerked against the men holding him, almost knocking them over.
She caught his eye and gave a quick shake of her head.
“I want the truth,” Drift bit out.
Elin’s mind whirled, trying to find a way out that kept her and Hale alive. “How did you find out?”
“I have friends in South African law enforcement. I got wind that one of our men in Cape Town had been brought in with FBI and THS assistance. I did some digging, and paid some bribes.”
Dammit.
Drift nodded his head and one of the guards moved, knocked the butt of his assault rifle into the back of Hale’s legs. He fell to his knees on the sand, glaring at Drift.
Then, a second guard stepped up behind Hale and drew a machete off his belt.
Elin’s chest contracted.
“I’ll have them start with Mr. Carter’s hands, Agent Alexander.”
“Fuck you,” Hale said.
“You Navy SEALs are all just expendable grunts,” Drift said.
Hale snorted. “Right, because being an actor is so intellectual.”
“It’s art. The world sees what I want them to see.”
Elin took a step forward. If Hale kept taunting the man, he’d end up hacked to pieces. “The plan is to call for backup when we reach the mines. They’ll come in from Namibia and arrest everyone.”
Drift tilted his head. “How do you contact them?”
“My tablet,” she lied.
One of the guards held it out, then threw it on the ground. The man brought his huge boot down on the device, smashing it to bits.
“What’s so special about the mines?” Hale demanded. “Even if you find them, you can’t exploit them. The government will discover you and shut you down.”
“It’s not about the mines,” Drift answered.
“Right,” Elin said. “It’s about King Solomon’s ring.”
The man’s blue eyes narrowed. “Claude had a big mouth.” Then the actor shrugged one shoulder. “You’ll be dead shortly, so I guess you deserve to know what you’re dying for.”
Elin turned her head enough to catch Hale’s gaze. She nodded imperceptibly at their Land Rover and tried to communicate her plan to him. She hoped to hell he understood.
He gave no reaction.
“The Seal of Solomon,” Drift said. “That’s what this is all about.”
Elin’s eyebrow shot up. “A ring that can control genies? You don’t really believe that, do you?”
“Stories get twisted over time, Agent Alexander. All the stories that reference the Seal of Solomon talk of djinn, instantaneous travel, communication with animals, information on building great structures, and ways to gather immense wealth. The ring has a jewel on it, and I believe it is an uncut diamond.”
Elin still wasn’t sure how this made the ring worth all this trouble and death.
Drift moved closer, his square-jawed face animated. “I believe the ring is a repository of knowledge of an advanced race that flourished before devastating floods at the end of the last Ice Age destroyed their civilization.”
Elin shook her head. “There is no proof that any advanced civilizations existed before the Ice Age floods.”
A sharp smile. “You’re wrong, Agent Alexander, and I will hold that proof in my hands. But I’m sorry to say that you and your friend Mr. Carter will not.”
The man nodded at the guards.
“Hale, now!” Elin shouted.
In unison, both she and Hale exploded into action. She slammed her fist into the guard closest to her and spun to grab the second man. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hale fighting with his guards, landing brutal blows.
She heard Drift shouting as she grabbed the guard’s shirt. She yanked him around, she slid her hand around the butt of his handgun, and pulled it out of the holster. Then she slammed him into Drift. Both men tumbled to the sand.
Elin ran for the Land Rover.
***
Hale landed a vicious kick on the man closest to him. The man fumbled for his gun, but Hale rammed a hard punch to the man’s face. He groaned and went down.
Behind him, Hale saw one of the other guards bringing up a rifle.
Hale moved fast, grabbing the end of the rifle and yanking. The man got close enough, and Hale jabbed a hard chop to the man’s throat. As he choked, Hale swung him around, using him as a shield.
Bullets slammed into the man, his body jerking.
Hale moved backward toward the Land Rover. He prayed no one aimed for Elin as she streaked toward the vehicle.
As his captive became deadweight, Hale shoved him toward the guard firing. Then he turned and ran. He caught up to Elin and grabbed her arm.
More gunfire ripped through the air. Hale yanked Elin down, and together they hit the ground.
“Stay low.” They scrambled across the last few feet of sand and reached their vehicle.
Elin had managed to snatch a handgun from one of the guards. She swiveled on one knee and aimed behind them.
Hale closed the distance to the Land Rover. He wrenched open the passenger door, and dived across the vehicle for the driver’s seat.
He started the engine, gunning it. Elin leaped into the car and slammed the door closed. Hale jammed the Land Rover into drive and slammed his foot down on the accelerator.
The back end of the vehicle skidded out behind them and Hale tightened his grip on the wheel, righting their wild slide. Bullets pinged off metal, and a window shattered.
“Down!” he shouted.
They bounced out onto the rough dirt track and sped off.
Staying low, Elin looked back behind them. “They’re following. Two vehicles.”
He sped up. “Put your belt on.”
They both buckled in and Hale drove as fast as he could on the dirt road. If he rolled them, they were dead.
“They aren’t following in the helicopter?” He tried to see anything through the dust cloud behind them.
“No. But the two Land Rovers are closing in fast.”
Hale saw them now. The two pursuing vehicles moved up close behind them. One Land Rover jerked to the right, trying to come up beside them. Hale yanked the wheel, cutting him off.
“Hold on,” he said grimly.
Elin glanced at him. “What are you—?”
He slammed on the brakes. They skidded to a halt and the Land Rover behind them rammed into the back of them.
They both pitched forward, but Hale was already pressing his foot back to the accelerator. They took off again.
“One down, one to go.”
“You nearly killed us.” Her tone was calm. “But good move.”
He looked at her. Her face was set and focused. Nerves of steel.
Hale saw the second Land Rover appear out of the dust behind them. They weren’t giving up.
The Land Rover put on a burst of speed and shot up close beside them. Hale looked over and saw the passenger window lowering. A rifle appeared, aiming at them.
Fuck. Hale jerked the wheel, ramming into the side of the other Land Rover.
He heard Elin curse, and the Silk Road Land Rover bounced off the track, onto rough ground, and rolled.
“Two down.” He grinned.
She looked back behind them. “Sorry, but the first one is still coming.”
In the rearview mirror, Hale saw the first Land Rover pulling up behind them. The front end was badly crumpled, but clearly still operational. Dammit.
Suddenly, gunshots shattered the window behind them. They both ducked.
Shit. If they lost their vehicle, they’d be as good as dead. They couldn’t survive on foot in the Kalahari, and Silk Road would track them down long before help could arrive.
Elin lifted the Beretta she’d stolen from one of the guards. She lowered her window, leaned out, and took aim at their pursuers.
