by Jaclyn Hardy
Someone sat down next to her and she caught the scent of expensive cologne. Braden smiled at her and Carlie grumbled at the reaction she had sitting so close to him. She couldn’t decide whether to call him out now for being a spy or wait to see if she could get more proof. Either, she couldn’t let him sit next to her while she had all of the information sitting in front of her.
“You’re in the wrong seat.” She nodded toward where he’d been sitting before. “You’re a few more rows up.”
“I know. I just wanted to say hi to a fellow professor.” His smile made Carlie’s stomach flutter, but she squashed the feeling, focusing more on the annoyance that he seemed to be following her.
“You’re a professor?” she asked, surprised. How had she missed him? She thought she knew everyone in the anthropology department.
“Yeah, I’m in the archaeology department.” He played with the zipper on his jacket. His nervousness intrigued Carlie. Here was this hunk of a man trying to be casual, but he really seemed like a shy schoolboy.
She frowned. Surely she would still know him. The two departments weren’t too far apart and they shared several of the same classrooms. It was time to learn more about this guy.
“Interesting. So what brings you on this flight?” He seemed too sweet for something like that, but weren’t those the ones that always turned out psycho? She leaned away from him, wondering where the woman had gone that was supposed to be sitting next to her.
“Work.” His eyes flicked around, almost watching for someone. He seemed a little too on edge to be on this trip for pleasure. “You?”
“Oh, you know. I’m visiting family.” She glanced down at her tablet, worried that he would see what she was working on.
“You have family in Egypt?” Braden cocked his head to the side.
“Uh, yeah. We’re having a family reunion there.” Carlie seriously could have kicked herself. How lame could she get? No wonder she didn’t have a boyfriend. She couldn’t talk to one for the life of her. There’s no way she would have bought the story if she’d been in his position.
“Ah. That’s pretty cool.” He stood. “Well, I’d better get back to my seat. Seems like your friend has called security on me.” He gestured toward the woman who was talking to several stewardesses. He flashed another smile at Carlie before moving up to his seat.
Carlie sat staring into space, wondering what had just happened. He’d left her completely out of breath with that smile of his, and she missed the touch of his arm on hers. After the lighthearted conversation with Braden, she found the woman’s complaining jarring. Carlie apologized that the seat was taken and sighed when the woman continued on.
It was time to escape, even if it was just for a couple of minutes. Praying that the line was shorter this time, Carlie jumped up and excused herself. There were a couple of people in front of her, but it was better than sitting in her seat listening to the importance of staying in the assigned seats.
“We just keep on running into each other, don’t we?” Braden said behind her.
Carlie jumped and turned, raising her eyebrows. “You just happen to need to use the bathroom at this exact moment?”
Braden’s grin was sheepish. “Well, when nature calls and all.”
Carlie took a step forward and tried to ignore the fact that he was behind her. This mission was too big for her to mess it up because of some guy. No matter how good looking he was. She was grateful when she could get in to the stall and hide from her feelings.
As she left the bathroom, Carlie slammed into something hard and heard an “ooph” just outside the door. She looked around to see Braden holding his head.
“I am so sorry.” She pulled his hand away from his head to find a large red lump. “Why were you standing right there?”
“I had just come out of the bathroom when you attacked.” He chuckled, wincing in pain.
Carlie pulled him out of the way so other passengers could use the bathroom. “Are you okay? Do you need ice?”
“I’ll be fine.” He blinked a few times. “I think I need to sit though. I’m seeing stars.”
Carlie put her hands on his shoulders and helped him to his seat. “You sure you don’t need some ice on that?”
“I’m okay. Really. Although, I wouldn’t say no if you wanted to kiss it better.” He grinned.
“Nice try. If you think you’re fine, I’m going to go sit down. I’m kinda blocking traffic.” She stood up straight.
“Sounds good.” He closed his eyes and Carlie returned to her seat. Mortified didn’t begin to explain how she felt right then. She shook her head and went back to her research.
CHAPTER FOUR
Braden undid the clasp on his seatbelt and stood to stretch. His head still pounded where he’d been hit by the door, but thankfully the swelling had gone down.
The trip to Egypt had lasted way longer than he liked to sit still. He wanted more sleep before heading on to do the job, but time was of the essence, and if he didn’t push through the jet lag, he wouldn’t sleep that night.
He quickly grabbed his coat and turned to follow Carlie, but she was nowhere to be seen. She must have headed off to go find her so-called relatives. He left the plane and found a man in a suit and sunglasses holding a sign with his name on it. Nice. Like that didn’t give anything away.
Braden walked toward him and held out his hand. “Hey, I’m Braden.”
The man turned and started walking. “Follow me. You have much to catch up on.”
Braden raised his eyebrows and hurried to catch up. “What do you mean? I was briefed on the way here.”
“I will explain in the car.” The man was silent the rest of the way through the airport, giving Braden time to look around. People hurried to their various destinations, talking on phones or waving to others in their group. He passed by the indoor palm trees and walked outside.
The sun beat down on Braden as he followed the man to the waiting car near the curb. He climbed in and pulled on his seatbelt, just as the car took off into traffic. They clearly felt the same sense of urgency that he did.
“Get comfortable. You’ll be here for a while. I’m Mr. Davidson.” The man smiled for the first time since Braden had climbed off the plane.
“Thanks. So what did you mean by catching up on details?” Braden pulled off the light jacket he’d been wearing, regretting the lack of shorts in his bag. He’d melt in the jeans he’d brought.
“It seems as though we aren’t the only ones here to retrieve the necklace. We must hurry in there or you will lose out to another agency.”
Braden sat there in shock. “But all the research I’ve done …”
“Has been done by someone else as well. We have tried to track down the other team but have been unsuccessful. It is imperative you get there first. Don’t let anything come between you and the goal. Anything.”
Now that he knew there was someone else after the necklace, all thoughts of Carlie and everything else were forgotten. “Of course. I already have everything I need to get there. We can head straight to the site.”
“Excellent.” Mr. Davidson reached down into a cooler near his feet and pulled out a sack. “Here is your lunch. We’ll provide dinner tonight as well.”
“Thank you.” Braden took the bag and found a sandwich inside. The meal on the plane had been good, but it had been a few hours since they’d served it.
Outside, sand stretched out as far as he could see. After an hour, he could see the pyramids in the distance. He couldn’t help smiling to himself as he fulfilled a childhood dream to visit Egypt. These pyramids were one of the biggest reasons he’d gone into archaeology and now he was here. Adrenaline ran through his body as he waited to get going.
They pulled into a hotel and Braden looked over at Mr. Davidson. “What are we doing here? I thought I had to get started.”
“You will. We have to get your transportation.” He checked Braden into his room, then handed him the key. “Drop off your stuff and me
et me in the front of the hotel. I suggest you hurry.”
“Right.” Braden ran up the stairs and opened the door to his room. It was small, but well furnished, and had windows from floor to ceiling. He dropped his bag off and changed into his hiking boots. Details from the mission ran through his mind as he slipped his supplies into a backpack and made sure he had his keys in his pocket. He checked his duffel bag one more time to make sure he hadn’t missed anything, and then went back downstairs. Mr. Davidson stood in front of the hotel holding the reins to a large camel who eyed Braden before turning away.
“Here is your transportation.” He handed off the reins. “Join the tour over there and don’t break away until you’re near the third pyramid. Good luck.”
“But the Nec—” Braden stopped at the look on Mr. Davidson’s face. Mentioning his mission out in public was a bad idea.
“I know where it is. Those are your orders. Now go.” He helped Braden up and turned to leave.
It took a few tries before he was finally able to make it up onto the camel. Getting comfortable was a whole other problem, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. With a nod to Mr. Davidson, he caught up to the rest of the tour group, then slipped in between several of the tourists and tried to blend in.
It was a few miles to the first pyramid from where the group started. It seemed like the distance continued to grow between him and their destination. The group listened silently to the guide as she talked about the history of the pyramid, but Braden couldn’t concentrate on what she was saying. As they traveled, Braden studied the rest of the group. Older couples, newlyweds, and a family with teenagers who looked like they’d rather be anywhere else but there. Typical. His breath caught when he saw the profile of one of the tourists just ahead. His heart jumped up in his throat. He knew that woman.
CHAPTER FIVE
Carlie shifted her position on the camel and groaned. She was not cut out for this kind of transportation. Her legs were going numb, and they’d only passed the first pyramid. She hadn’t wanted to ride a camel—she was scared of even riding horses. But when she couldn’t get ahold of any cabs or buses, it was her only choice.
The necklace was close. She had to just keep telling herself that. Not that she wasn’t enjoying being in Cairo. The pyramids were beautiful and she could see the sphinx in the distance. But the jet lag was getting to her and the heat was almost suffocating. She was just glad there was space in the first hotel she’d tried. Ed was usually pretty good about getting her reservations but the hotel, he’d arranged had fallen through when she got there.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket so she pulled it out, hoping it was important. It was a notification from her GPS letting her know she was nearing the destination. Perfect. She checked to make sure her bags were in a good position to grab once the distraction hit. In another hundred yards, she’d jump off and run for an underground entrance to the pyramid. That was the last thing she had been searching for. There were several rumors about the entrance but no one could seem to find it. Carlie had been able to track it down with maps of the different floors inside the pyramids.
Suddenly a group of men on horseback came around the pyramid and headed straight for the tour group. The tourists screamed hysterically as their camels panicked and bolted. Carlie grinned. Ed always had a fun time with distractions. She grabbed her bag and jumped down from her camel, waiting until just the right moment before darting toward the pyramid. She had to get the location just right because it was invisible to anyone didn’t know what to look for. There. She could see the slightly darker area and dove in. She covered her head with her arms to protect herself from the sand that caved in around her.
This was the danger of using this entrance. The traps that were set would bury someone that wasn’t prepared for them. Carlie used the flashlight on her phone to see the path she needed to follow. The noise from the tour group was muffled by the sand that had covered the entrance behind her. It was all or nothing now. If she didn’t get through to the door, she’d suffocate.
Carlie had studied all the different weapons and traps the Egyptians used in ancient times so she would know what to expect once she got there. The only problem was, she didn’t know the order or what would actually be used. It had been hard enough finding anything on the entrance.
The hallway had sconces with unlit torches on each side and the walls were covered in runes. Warnings of death and pain were pasted all over, but this was the quickest way to the necklace. Other parts of the pyramid sent anyone looking for it through a maze of tunnels that would take them outside or to a pit where they’d fall to their death.
The floor was a dirt path that had been untouched for what could have been centuries. The tunnel had a musty smell that came with old structures. It was one of Carlie’s favorite smells. Her adrenaline rushed as she thought about how close she was to finding the treasure.
She took a deep breath and stepped forward, eyes darting around the ceiling and walls. A blade suddenly flew past her face, making her yelp and jump back. That was way too close.
There were a couple of choices at this point. She could sprint through the hallway and hope she didn’t get hit, or she could find something to throw and hope the knives hit that instead of her. A glance at the knife stuck in the wall told her the second choice was the best idea. Her heart was still beating rapidly from the knife flying across the room.
There wasn’t much on the ground besides sand and a skull. Apparently someone else had come this way and it didn’t end well. Carlie shivered and picked it up. “Sorry, about this. At least you’ll do some good, right?”
Carlie threw the skull as hard as she could and the tunnel erupted with sounds of knives flying through the air. A few spears went by and clattered to the ground. Carlie breathed out slowly, her stomach clenched in anxiety. It was a good thing she’d gone with the second option.
Now that most of the weapons had been triggered, Carlie prepared to sprint through. The ground appeared solid, but she couldn’t be too sure. She made sure her shoelaces were tied, then took off.
She stumbled just as she got to the end of the hallway and a dart hit her boot. She sat on the ground and pulled the dart out, thankful that it hadn’t gone through and hit her ankle. By the look of the point, it had been poisoned. She pulled out a shirt from her bag and wrapped the dart inside, just in case she’d need it later.
The necklace would be down just a few more hallways. Carlie took a right, watching for any traps that could be hiding. The air grew cold, and the smell of something rotten made her gag. Hopefully that meant there was a burial room nearby. A few more steps and the wall opened into a small room, confirming her guess. She was going in the right direction then.
After a left and then another right, Carlie found the door she’d been looking for. It was smaller than most doors and covered in runes. There were more warnings of death all over, but she was too close. The clues to open the door were hidden among the runes and Carlie studied them, making sure to get it right. She froze at one point, sure she’d heard something in the passageway. When she was sure no one was there, she reached out and pushed on two of the runes. The door sunk into the wall and moved to the side.
CHAPTER SIX
Where had she gone? Braden panicked as he searched through all the tourists. The chaos hadn’t calmed down for several minutes after. Braden helped calm down the older people in the group and he’d given his bag of hard candy to a small child who wouldn’t stop crying. The people who had ridden their horses into the pack of camels were long gone and security had gone after them.
But that didn’t tell Braden where Carlie was. Had he imagined her? Everything had happened so quickly, that it could have been his imagination. But she was hard to mistake, and he knew she was somewhere here in Cairo.
His phone beeped and he pulled it out.
Where are you? You should be at the pyramid by now.
Braden sighed. He would have to wait to find her. He typed out a quick
message.
Going there now. Our group was ambushed.
He checked for Carlie one more time before grabbing his bag and running for the pyramid. He watched carefully for a darker patch of stone as he rounded the corner. He hoped the rumors were true that there was another entrance.
Suddenly he slipped and fell down into a hole. Braden’s ankle wrenched painfully as he landed. He’d found the entrance and just hoped no one had been watching as he fell. He chuckled to himself and moved into the hallway.
The earthy smell welcomed him in like an old friend. He pulled out his flashlight so he could see in front of him and jerked to a stop. There were footprints in the dirt. This should have been completely unused. Braden took his gun out of the holster and held it up next to his flashlight, breathing rapidly. Someone was here. The footprints were smaller than his, and they smeared in a way that looked like the person had been running. By the amount of knives and darts lying on the ground, it looked like they had good reason.
Braden cocked his gun and kept his finger on the trigger as he crept slowly toward the other side of the tunnel. Most, if not all, of the traps should have gone off already. He couldn’t help the sigh of relief as he reached the end of the hallway and went through another doorway.
The map Braden had followed told him to take a left, but the footprints went to the right. He hesitated. Most hallways went all around the pyramid, so either way, he should end up in the same place.
Instead of going along with whoever it was that really shouldn’t be here, Braden took a left. The path was clear and undisturbed. The rooms he was supposed to pass weren’t there. He pulled out his flashlight and took a step into nothing. He cried out and jumped back grabbing onto an outcropping in the pyramid for support. The path was gone. Whether it had crumbled naturally or not, this was a dead end.
