The Stone of Secrets

by K. L. Nelson

  But Skye’s room was. As he stepped into the bedroom the first thing he noticed was how well-kept everything was, as he expected. Skye liked things in order. He smiled at the woman’s tidiness as he began to look around.

  While snooping he noticed something else: It smelled like Skye. He tried to dismiss this totally irrelevant bit of information. But he could not help enjoying her scent. It was intoxicating. He imagined himself catching the same scent fifty years from now and thinking of her. He saw a bottle of her perfume on the dresser. It was called, “Reminiscence.” He committed the name to memory. If Skye ever dumped him, he would buy a bottle.

  Shaking himself, he quickly went through every corner of the room. He used a small device issued by the FBI that detected hidden listening equipment. There were none in Skye’s room. He went through the whole house and found no monitoring devices had been planted anywhere. There was evidence of the break in to abduct Skye, but the alarm was never on during the sting. No one thought they would need it. There were signs of the struggle where Lindsay had been knocked out. But no bugs anywhere.

  The security system had done its job. That much was reassuring; but Emmett was not happy. The absence of bugs in the house meant there was only one possibility: There was a mole on the team.

  There had to be a leak. There was no other explanation. He checked one last time to see if all the security apparatus was still in place and operational, almost hoping to find something amiss. Nothing was. He reset the system and went back to his own house to rest. But he couldn’t. He was not looking forward to this conversation with Skye. Especially after what she’d just been through.

  His mind turned to the woman as he sat looking out the window. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this stricken. Going over previous women in his mind, he realized none of them had ever meant this much to him. There have been a few, he thought as a smile crept over his face. There were some good memories, and he’d been lucky. He’d known some fine ladies in his life. He was glad for every one of them. And there was one thing that brought both satisfaction and pain to Emmett Burke: He’d never broken up with any one of them.

  It was true. Every one of them went their own way for one reason or another when they were through with him. He didn’t blame them. Things change and so do people. He buried the pain. And he treasured the good times he had with all of them, how each one changed him in some way.

  But Skye was different. Emmett wanted to be more when she was around. He saw great strength in her, but beside the strength there was something else. Sometimes when Emmett looked into her eyes, he could almost see an emptiness in Skye. She never spoke of it, but Emmett could sense she’d been let down hard. And of all things, Skye McAlister did not deserve that.

  Emmett wanted more than ever to be there for her. He’d never felt quite this way about anyone. With the other women, he mostly wanted them. Sure, he wanted Skye too. She was gorgeous. But this new feeling was so much more.

  Emmett imagined his heart was giving him an assignment, a mission, much like Maddox gave him assignments for the FBI. He laughed at how cheesy that would sound if anyone ever found out. But it was the way his brain worked. Take down this mafia boss. Break up that corruption scandal. Plan the sting operation and get it done.

  Take down Skye McAlister. He smiled at the idea. No, he thought, don’t take her down. Lift her up.

  Suddenly Emmett felt completely inadequate for this mission. He was well-trained in catching bad guys, but this was a whole different world. How does one capture a woman’s heart? This was going to require the most solid plan he’d ever thought of. And the most perfect execution.

  He would start tonight. He knew a quaint restaurant in the old quarter; he was sure she would like it.

  Operation Skye was on.

  FBI Field Office

  Aberdeen

  10:20 a.m.

  Dax pressed his eyeballs to make the pain stop. It was going to be a long day. He had two dead bodies, an injured civilian, an injured agent, and a helicopter sitting in a field with the turbine engine in a million pieces, not to mention the captured suspect who wasn’t talking. Explaining all this to his liaison in the British government was going to be interesting.

  And then there was the paperwork; stacks and stacks of paperwork. Dax wondered if he could get a nice transfer and just be a field agent again.

  They had gotten the helicopter pilot. Southerland’s .50 caliber round had penetrated clean through the engine, scattering little pieces of titanium for perhaps miles around. When a compressor wheel spinning at 25,000 revolutions per minute comes apart, it does so in a big way. The sudden loss of power forced the pilot to bring the helicopter back down. It hit the field with a thud that disoriented him and allowed the agents time to get to him before he could take the suicide pill. It was the first time a Pact operative had ever been captured, and Dax knew very well what he had. The man was locked up under 24 hour guard. Dax wasn’t concerned at all that he wasn’t talking. A few months in Gitmo would change his mind.

  Dax’s biggest worry of all was this team of archaeologists. They were in real danger, and Dax wasn’t sure he could protect them if things got out of hand again. In spite of everything that had happened, the professor had no intentions of abandoning the dig. Dax’s only reassurance was that the season was coming to a close and the team would soon be going back to the U.S. for the winter.

  Not a minute too soon, he thought.

  Moonfish Cafe

  8:43 p.m.

  “This place is amazing,” Skye beamed as she looked across the table at Emmett. “How did you know about it?”

  “Oh, I come here all the time,” he replied. “A guy’s gotta eat.”

  Skye loved Emmett’s charm. “You Googled it, didn’t you?” she asked.

  “An agent never reveals his sources,” he said, the smile covering his whole face.

  Skye burst out laughing. “Emmett Burke, you are one in a million.”

  Emmett just grinned back. He thought of the time he had said that very thing about her.

  “So,” he broke in, “archaeology. Pretty serious stuff.”

  “It can be,” Skye replied, still giggling. “It has its moments. It seems to be much more intense when you’re around.”

  “Yeah, well I have that effect,” he joked with her. “Seriously, what made you choose this path?”

  Skye grew thoughtful. Choosing her phrasing carefully, she replied, “I just think the past has something to tell the world. I mean, you know as well as anyone how the world is. This is a crazy place right now. If people just stopped and paid more attention to how things were before; the things they tried, the mistakes they made; we could learn a lot.” She paused for a moment and raised her fork for emphasis. “We could learn a lot about ourselves.”

  Emmett sat back and raised his brow as he stared at the piece of fish on Skye’s fork. The way she was pointing it, he thought it might come flying at him. He was relieved when she put it in her mouth and started chewing it.

  “So that’s what drives you,” he said, “trying to save the world, one discovery at a time.”

  “Pretty much,” she replied. “And I just like old things.”

  “Well, you are a classic,” Emmett said with a smile.

  Skye put her fork down and looked at Emmett. “If you’re referring to my age, I think you’re ahead of me by several years.”

  “Not at all,” Emmett replied seriously. “Some things are classic the minute they’re born. It has more to do with rarity of character than age.”

  Skye could feel her face start to flush as she realized Emmett had just paid her the sweetest compliment she’d received in a long time, perhaps ever. She didn’t quite know what to say, but for a moment she lost herself in his gaze. Emmett was smiling, but it was not a deceptive kind of smile. It was a smile of confidence, assurance. And his eyes were deadly serious. He was looking straight into her soul.

  “Wait a minute,” she said, tearing herself away fr
om his eyes. “You know way more about me than I know about you. What about the FBI? That’s certainly not your average career choice.”

  “No, well,” he replied, “there’s really not much to talk about there. The Navy spat me out and I ended up here. At the time it was the only gig in town.”

  Skye laughed. “Emmett Burke I don’t believe that for a second. Navy, huh? So you’re a sailor?”

  “SEAL,” Emmett replied.

  “No kidding!” she said. “My Uncle Robert was a SEAL in Viet Nam. Well that explains a lot.”

  “What do you mean?” Emmett asked.

  “Well, you know. No soldier left behind; it explains why you were so driven to save me from that kidnapper.”

  Emmett’s face grew serious. He leaned forward and looked straight into the woman’s eyes. “Skye,” he began, “that’s not why I was so driven to save you.”

  Skye could feel her pulse quicken as she looked back at him. “Well, why were you then?” she asked softly.

  Emmett reached across the table and took Skye’s hand. “If you don’t know by now,” he replied, “it wouldn’t do me any good to explain it.”

  Tintbay Garden

  9:08 p.m.

  “I tell you they are on a date,” Mert said conclusively.

  Damien let out a sigh. The whole group was annoyed at Mert launching into another discussion about Emmett and the professor. Not now. Andrew grabbed the remote and turned up the volume of the flat screen on the wall. Week three of The Stars are Dancing was beginning, and they had to see if Billy Jo Prather was finally going to be eliminated. He really needed to stick to country singing.

  “Even if they were,” Lindsay countered, “who cares. They are adults.”

  Mert geared up to argue his point, then realized he had no point. Lindsay was right. He had finally grown tired of looking for the scandal.

  Hallelujah.

  As they settled in to watch the show, Lindsay snuggled in close to Mert. “I’m just glad you were there for me,” she said. When Lindsay had regained consciousness the night before, Mert was right there. It was his finest hour.

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” Mert said. “That was scary.”

  “I just can’t believe we’re out of here,” Sebastian said. The team would be on a plane for the states the next day. Winter semester was beginning and it was time to hit the books.

  “Don’t worry. We’ll be back here in the spring,” Andrew said. “The professor’s going to want the rest of that stone found.”

  “Okay quiet,” Damien said. “Here comes Billy Jo. Let’s see if he trips again while doing his rumba.”

  10:20 p.m.

  Skye and Emmett giggled across the table at the Moonfish. They’d been there talking for almost two hours, but neither of them wanted it to end. The staff was starting to give them the look.

  “I think the chef wants his restaurant back,” Emmett said under his breath, motioning with his eyes to the bar.

  “Yes, we’d better go,” Skye agreed, laughing at the situation. “We definitely don’t want to get thrown out of the Moonfish.”

  For the first time in over an hour, Skye suddenly grew serious.

  “What is it?” Emmett asked.

  “It’s nothing,” she replied. “It’s just that…we met months ago. But I haven’t really known you until tonight. And now that I do, it’s like we’ve known each other our whole lives. Is that silly?”

  Emmett shook his head. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He was so relieved he didn’t have to pretend with her anymore. “Skye, I can’t tell you how many times over the summer I wanted to…”

  “I know,” Skye interrupted taking his hand. “You’re a good man, Agent Burke.”

  A good man. Emmett reflected on the incredible woman he was with. He realized if he were to someday become a good man, it would be because of her.

  Emmett smiled to lighten the mood. “Well now that you know me, I hope you’re not too disappointed.”

  Skye laughed. “Not in the least. Quite the opposite, really.”

  “Wow. You haven’t even seen my gun collection yet.”

  Walking back to the car, Skye thanked Emmett for dinner. “The restaurant was amazing,” she said.

  “I’m glad you liked it,” Emmett replied. “You deserve it.”

  “You are far too kind.”

  “No really. You were due for a good day. I’m just glad I could share it with you.”

  “Well I enjoy being with you too and I appreciate it. But Emmett, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.”

  Emmett thought she may not realize how close she came to death the night before. And that is how he would keep it.

  On the drive home Emmett hated himself for ruining the evening with work concerns, but it had to be done. He tried to think of the best way to say it, but in the end he knew with Skye it would be better straight up.

  “Skye have you noticed anyone strange poking around the site; anyone talking to you or the team?”

  “No, why?”

  “I think we need to take a closer look at the team,” he said suddenly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Last night The Pact saw us coming. When that happens you either have bugs all over the place, or you have a leak. I swept the house. There were no bugs.”

  “So you think a member of my team is working for The Pact? Emmett that’s absurd!”

  “Maybe not intentionally,” he explained. “They’re young. They may not even realize it. But somehow The Pact is getting information out of your group and we need to find out how.”

  “I chose those people personally. I know them. Emmett they’re good kids. They would never do something like this.” The tension was growing in Skye’s voice.

  “And you can vouch for their whereabouts all summer? Look Skye, sometimes you have to face facts you don’t particularly want to. People can get killed.”

  Skye stared out the window for a minute. She knew the interns could be knuckle heads at times, but she didn’t think they could be this stupid.

  “So, you’re going to interrogate them then?”

  “Not me,” Emmett replied. “I’m too close to them. It’s going to be someone at the field office. It’s just questions, Skye. And this could give us a lead on The Pact. This could be a good thing.”

  “Fine,” Skye said with finality, “but they’re not criminals Emmett. I will not have you treating them like one.”

  “Of course,” Emmett replied. “I’ll tell them. I promise.” He knew better than to not give Skye the last word.

  So many things were going through his mind; about the investigation, about her. He hoped the FBI was going to come out on top this time. For once, he wasn’t sure of that. And whatever happened with the investigation, he hoped even more that he would not let Skye down.

  No. There was no hoping. Come what may, he would be there for her.

  They pulled into Tintbay Garden and Emmett parked the SUV in front of his house. Turning off the engine, he looked at Skye. He was relieved that she was smiling again.

  “Thanks again for a wonderful evening,” she said. “I had a great time.”

  “It doesn’t have to end,” he said. “I could show you that gun collection.”

  Skye let out a laugh and put her hands on her face. “Oh my gosh, you’re going to hate me.”

  “Why?”

  Skye held her hand on her mouth and looked at Emmett, not sure what to say. She knew exactly what Emmett wanted, and she knew she would end up here one day. If she went inside with him, they would end up in a place she wasn’t ready to go. She dropped her hand and took a breath, looking away. Her heart was racing for this man, the thoughts that were going through her mind.

  “I would like…nothing…more than to see your gun collection, Emmett. Believe me.”

  Emmett looked at Skye and waited patiently for her next words. He smiled at the metaphor he’d just created. But he knew this wasn’t going well for him right now
. Skye turned to face him. She spoke slowly, not quite believing how hard it was to say the words at this moment.

  “Emmett, I was raised with certain standards. I believe with all my heart that certain things…things like examining your gun collection…” She closed her eyes for a moment, not believing she’d said that. She took another breath. “…are best left for…later.”

  Emmett smiled and stared at her for what seemed like forever. Slowly he got out of the car, walked around and opened the door for Skye. Closing the door behind her, he put his hand on the glass to trap her with her back to the car. Gently he lifted her chin and touched his lips to hers. Skye put her hand behind his head and ran her fingers through his black hair, pulling him in tighter. She’d never felt so right about a kiss before.

  When it was over Emmett looked into her eyes from inches away, still holding her captive against the car.

  “They’re just guns,” he said. “I wasn’t going to shoot you.”

  “Good night Emmett.”

  Slowly Emmett backed away, releasing her from his hold. He put his hands in his pockets and spun around, resting his back against the car to watch her walk away. He wasn’t going to need any hot water in his shower that night.

  “Good night, Skye McAlister,” he said under his breath, long after she was gone.

  Chapter Twelve

  The interns missed their flight because of the FBI interrogations. No one was particularly happy about that, but it was overshadowed by what those interrogations revealed.

  Andrew had met a reporter that summer named Cara White and the two hit it off instantly. Cara convinced Andrew to keep their relationship from the others. While poor Andrew was building all kinds of expectations, Cara had other plans. Dax and his team were sure this was the leak. They obtained her address and paid her a visit.

  “Look, the money’s already spent. I’m afraid you’re not getting a refund guys,” the woman said through a three inch gap in the chained front door.

  Dax and Emmett looked at each other and pocketed their badges, not exactly sure what was going on. “We just want to ask you some questions, Miss White,” Dax said. “It’s about your relationship with archaeologist Andrew Milligan.”