The Atlantis Cipher (The Relic Hunters Book 2)

by David Leadbeater

  Bodie tuned it out. They were flying back to America at the end of their operation. Atlantis was discovered and being diplomatically revealed to hand-picked nations, although Bodie guessed the term “international waters” was about to become one of the most frequently used on the planet. Cross was with them, but his carefully wrapped body was a suppressing factor for the team, overpowering any thoughts they may have had of victory or satisfaction. It even overrode their need for escape, for now.

  As they prepared to leave Morocco and return home, Heidi had gotten word that the Bratva had issued a worldwide kill-or-capture order not just for Bodie or Pantera but for the entire team. Including her. No doubt this was in reaction to the outcome of the battle for Atlantis, and because Bodie’s team had, again, bested them.

  Which meant the Bratva just declared war on the CIA.

  Not for the first time. Heidi had increased their fears by explaining that the Bratva were composed of over six thousand different groups, with over two hundred of those enjoying the resources of international reach.

  Bodie accepted the glass of dark rum that she held out to him. “Thank you.”

  Heidi eased herself into the empty leather seat to his right. “Don’t get used to it.”

  “I won’t. I prefer it with cola.”

  “And why do I need to know that?”

  “For next time,” he said quickly, and then kicked himself. Instead of continuing the banter, he let her see his true feelings. “For Eli,” he said, holding the glass up. “The best friend and colleague a team could ever have.”

  Heidi saluted the toast, as did everyone else. Long minutes of brooding, soul-searching silence followed.

  “So, what’s next?” Bodie asked Heidi. The team had a right to know where they stood, especially in light of their most recent success and loss.

  “What’s next? Slow down, dude, you’ll run out of relics to hunt.”

  “I don’t mean that and you know it, Heidi. Are we free? Are we still owned by the CIA? I think you’ll find that’s two wins out of two.”

  “Either way,” Yasmine said darkly from the rear of the plane, “we root out Lucien and cut short the rest of his days.”

  Bodie nodded, but wasn’t sure they would get to the Frenchman who had betrayed Yasmine and Hakim. Not personally, at least.

  “We’re thieves, not assassins,” Jemma said. “Or at least we were prior to joining the CIA.”

  Heidi drained her glass before she spoke. “The CIA is not known for releasing its grip lightly. I have no agenda, Bodie, not of my own. Remember, I am only a minion.”

  “Clean records,” Bodie said. “Worldwide. We don’t want to run anymore. You come up with that and we’ll consider a third run out, but only after we sort the Bratva and the guy who has their statue, and Lucien.”

  Heidi remained silent as she took the demand in. “You trust me?”

  “Of course we trust you.” He didn’t have the energy to argue right now and knew it was what she wanted to hear.

  “And does that mean no more repeats of the Pantera sideshow?”

  Bodie was caught off guard. “The . . . what?”

  “You thought I’d forgotten the insubordination you showed? Bodie, I ordered you back to DC and you ignored me.”

  Bodie recovered enough to affect a glare. “And I saved Jack, his wife, and his son.”

  Cassidy coughed loudly. “He means we.”

  Heidi sighed with a touch of exasperation. “If you run it through your head, my friend, you will find it was I who saved Pantera and his family. By placing them in a safe house after you tore through Winter Park. But that’s not the issue here—the issue is your mutiny.”

  Bodie gave her his best gleaming smile, spread his arms, and said, “Hey, welcome to the world of a thief.” It was too soon, and thoughts of what Bodie was brought back thoughts of Eli Cross and the remarkable man he had been. Bodie blinked tears from his eyes.

  Heidi shook her head and relented. “To answer your earlier question, I’ll look into the pardons, but don’t expect an answer soon. And people, please don’t fracture our relationship too often. I have enough of that in my life without the relic hunters adding their own crap.”

  “Fine by me.” Cassidy stretched out. “I’ll wait for my pardon. I need me some downtime anyway.”

  “Downtime?”

  “Yeah.” The redhead glared at Heidi. “This Bratva thing is gonna run and run. I’m thinking a safe house somewhere around Daytona Beach. Somewhere we can party, then chill. Somewhere to forget for a while. Party again, then—”

  “Surprisingly,” Heidi broke in drily, “Daytona Beach isn’t high on the safe house list.”

  “There’s a safe house list?”

  “Not officially, but . . .”

  “Can we choose?”

  “This isn’t an open house, darlin’, and besides . . . don’t you have a plan for the Bratva?”

  Bodie assumed she’d been reading between the lines because, realistically, there was only one way out of it. “I guess we have the beginnings of one.”

  “And I have a choice of new relics to hunt.”

  “Not a chance!” Jemma snapped. “My friggin’ bones are still aching from this jaunt. And . . . and . . . it will never be the same.”

  “You’ll heal,” Heidi said. “Time heals all.”

  “Bollocks,” Bodie said. “Time dulls the pain, but only until you let yourself remember.”

  “And me?” Lucie asked quietly. “What will I do?”

  Heidi assessed her with an inquisitive glance. “The Bratva are unaware of you,” she admitted. “I’ll give you a choice.”

  “What choice?”

  “Leave or stay.” Heidi shrugged, curls bobbing up and down. “The pay’s not good here but you sure do see some sights.”

  Lucie sat back, clearly thinking it over. Bodie hoped partly that she would join them—the historian’s help had been utterly invaluable—and partly that she would break away from the grip of the CIA. He wasn’t surprised by her next question; in fact, he’d been expecting it from her inquisitive mind for some time.

  “I have to know what you plan to do about Atlantis,” she said to Heidi, speaking in calm, even tones.

  “Teams are on their way to secure the site,” the CIA agent replied, “and the larger area. We’re moving fast, before other interested parties can get close. It’s going to take some time, Lucie, but we will explore the ruins and potential treasures that are down there; we will study them and, perhaps, share them with the world. But for now, it will be behind closed doors. Do you want to help?”

  “I think I’d love to.”

  “And the Chinese?” Cassidy asked. “I doubt they’ve simply slunk home with their tails between their legs.”

  Heidi nodded her agreement. “The government faction in question has denied all knowledge, as you’d expect, but our field offices in Morocco are seeing the arrival of a much larger group of men. They’re gonna be trouble, for sure.” She shrugged. “But not for us. Not anymore. We won!”

  Bodie smiled at her dismissal of their enemy and enthusiasm for the hard-won victory. He looked at the future of his small family then, and saw nothing but pure turmoil—a barely controlled, barely survivable madness.

  His past was little else. All the way back as far as he could remember . . . all the way back to . . .

  The friends of his youth. The Forever Gang. Solid companions before any of this new life existed. Solid companions who reminded him of his current crew. They represented the real path his life should have taken. How can turning a different corner change the course of a person’s entire life?

  But there it was. Fate. Destiny. Whatever it was—a man or woman could change it if they chose. Grab it, twist it, mold it to the shape you wanted. If the friends of his youth had taught him anything, it had been how to belong to something bigger than a single person.

  He looked around now, took in the whole plane and every person with him. It didn’t really m
atter what the CIA did next. Or the Bratva.

  Family is a sense of belonging.

  Seated there, among friends, he felt almost content again.

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  While The Atlantis Cipher is the second part of a new series, it shares the same theme of escapist adventure, camaraderie, and cinema-style action as my Matt Drake series, starting with The Bones of Odin, which is also available for the Amazon Kindle.

  My next novel, Matt Drake #19, will release in November 2018.

  If you enjoyed The Relic Hunters or The Atlantis Cipher, please consider leaving a review.

  And keep up with all the latest news and giveaways by following me on Facebook—davidleadbeaternovels—or at my website: www.davidleadbeater.com.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  David Leadbeater has published twenty-three Kindle international bestsellers. He is the author of the Matt Drake series, the Alicia Myles series, the Chosen trilogy, and the Disavowed series. The Atlantis Cipher is the second in his Relic Hunters series of action-packed archaeological thrillers. David has sold over three-quarters of a million e-books on the Amazon Kindle.

  For a list of his books and more information, please visit his website, www.davidleadbeater.com. You can also join him on Facebook for news and paperback giveaways: www.facebook.com/davidleadbeaternovels.