Rattled

by Kris Bock

  The man’s eyes went wide and he sank back, covering his crotch with both hands.

  Camie leaned closer and gave a vicious smile. “You’re not going to give me any reason to use that knowledge, are you?”

  The man just stared. He looked a little green. For that matter, so did Drew.

  Camie gave a satisfied nod and crouched to remove the man’s belt. He whimpered when Camie tugged his hands away from his crotch so she could bind his arms behind his back. “We can’t take them back to town yet,” Camie said.

  “What are you talking about?” Drew snapped. “These guys belong in jail. After what Erin went through today, after what they did to you—”

  “Have you forgotten why we’re here?” Camie said. “Why they’re here?” She glared at Drew, then turned her gaze to Erin.

  The treasure. Erin had forgotten. She’d been thinking they were done, that she could finally relax. That the hard work and pain and fear were over. But they’d yet to reach their original goal.

  “So you’ll come back later,” Drew said. He hauled the men to their feet and got them marching. Erin, Drew, and Camie followed behind, with Tiger grumbling as he stepped delicately across the wet ground.

  “There’s one problem with coming back later,” Camie said. “If we take these guys to town, to the police, we’ll have to explain what happened. There’s no way to do that without telling them about the treasure hunt.” She waited for that to sink in.

  Erin thought about what it meant. They hadn’t been able to keep the hunt secret before and had been followed despite all their precautions. The police would surely want to know the location where the crime had happened. They might want to come out to search for evidence. The newspaper would pick up the story, probably newspapers across the state or even nationwide. She groaned. “Publicity.”

  “That’s right,” Camie said. “We won’t be able to keep it quiet.”

  They’d draw more treasure hunters, unscrupulous thieves like these who were only interested in the money, not the history. There might already be more crooks ready, waiting for a hint of the treasure’s location. Mitchell would know she’d been lying to him, and she might not be able to dodge his questions again.

  Mitchell. She’d forgotten about him. They reached the entrance to the side canyon. Erin grabbed the arm of the man who’d had the gun. “Wait. What about Mitchell? Is he part of this? Did he hire you?”

  The man shook his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Who are you working for?” Erin demanded.

  “I don’t take orders from anybody,” he sneered. “I heard rumors about this treasure. Thought we’d see if we could snatch it.”

  “Rumors where?”

  He shrugged. “At the bar. I was watching you the night that sissy guy in a suit tried to drag you away.”

  Erin thought back. So much had happened that it took her a moment to remember the sequence. “You came to my house before that. That morning.”

  “I heard that guy talking about it at the bar a few days earlier. Bragging about how he was going to be rich once you’d found this treasure. Guess he’d had too much to drink.”

  Erin couldn’t imagine Mitchell getting drunk and bragging in a bar, but she’d already realized she didn’t know him very well. She studied the goon but his expression gave away nothing.

  Drew grabbed the bigger man by the back of the neck. “You, who do you work for?”

  “Him!” the man exclaimed, nodding toward the gunman. “I just work for him.”

  Drew pushed the man into the side canyon. “Up.” He pointed the gun at the other man. “You two go first. Don’t try anything, or I won’t hesitate to shoot.”

  “We can’t get through that with our hands tied,” the smaller man complained. “It’s too muddy and slick.”

  “Too bad,” Drew snarled. “Move.”

  Camie scooped up Tiger and propped him on her shoulder. Erin fell into step next to her. “Could we have two different groups after us already?”

  Camie shrugged. “Why not? Given the value of the treasure, why not a dozen?”

  Erin shuddered. “Let’s stick with two for now. I don’t know if it makes it better or worse if these guys are alone.”

  Drew called back over his shoulder. “They’re not just opportunistic thieves, if they bugged your house, and now I’m thinking, possibly my helicopter.”

  “That guy did claim he worked for a mining company,” Erin said. “I don’t know if it’s true, but....”

  “He could be smarter than he looks,” Camie finished. “That wouldn’t be hard. On the other hand, if they are professional muscle for hire, Mitchell didn’t get his money’s worth.”

  Erin ran her fingers through her hair, which felt damp and tangled. “What I really want to know is, does anyone else know we’re out here?”

  They considered the question as they scrambled up the gully, a surprisingly short and easy trip when Erin didn’t have anyone after her and wasn’t trying to hide.

  Drew surged ahead so he could get to the rim a few steps behind the two men. “Hold it right there.”

  Erin and Camie joined him on the plateau. “If they are involved with Mitchell, he’s probably waiting back in town to hear from them,” Camie said. “If Mitchell is working separately, he probably has no idea where we are. Either way, I’d guess we’re safe for a while.”

  “Maybe,” Drew admitted, “but I’d still feel safer with them behind bars.”

  Camie tossed her tangled curls and gave him a saucy look. “Are things getting too exciting for you?”

  Drew scowled. “I’m just thinking of Erin. She’s had a hell of a day.”

  “Oh, and mine was just peachy.”

  Drew opened his mouth, looked at Erin, and closed it again. Erin wasn’t sure if she should be flattered by his concern or annoyed that he apparently thought her more fragile than Camie. It might have been true, but that didn’t help.

  Camie linked her arm through Erin’s as they started across the plateau. “Look, I’m not trying to pressure you, but we have to accept what will happen. And there’s something else you should know.”

  “What?”

  Camie squeezed her arm and grinned. “I think I found the cave!”

  Erin gaped at her. “You found it?” She shook her head, struggling to keep up with the turns of events. Of course, Camie couldn’t know she’d found the right cave. They wouldn’t know that until they explored. But still—could they really be that close to the treasure? Somehow it didn’t seem possible.

  “The boys and I made a couple of passes before the rain started and we had to hole up in that mineshaft,” Camie said. “There’s a big tunnel underground, angling downward. I’ve been all along the edge of the cliff now, so if there’s an entrance to the cave in this area, that’s got to be it.”

  Erin looked at the men ahead but couldn’t tell whether or not they had heard. Maybe it didn’t matter now that they were prisoners. Drew dropped back beside Erin and Camie, though he still kept his gaze and the gun on the goons. “You really found something? We thought you were just saying that to drag those guys to the rattlesnake nest.”

  “I was, partly. I realized what I’d found, and when I pictured the canyon, I realized the rattlesnakes must be right there as well. That’s why we didn’t notice it before.” She grinned at Erin. “The cave entrance must be right behind the rattlesnake nest!”

  Erin was glad Camie was still holding onto her, or she might have collapsed. “Behind the snakes?”

  Camie nodded. “I didn’t take a close look before, with everything else happening. But you remember how they were in kind of a hollow? With erosion over the years, of course the cave entrance would get filled up with sand and dirt. The cave entrance must be at the back of the nest.”

  “Camie.” Erin hoped her voice sounded steadier than she felt. “If that’s where the cave is, we can’t get in. We can’t get past the snakes!”

  “We’ll have to mov
e them,” Camie said with a careless shrug. Erin moaned.

  “This is ridiculous,” Drew said. “Erin, you need to go back to town, take a few days to rest, see a doctor. An hour ago you were about to pass out. How much do you think you can take?”

  Camie leaned forward to look around Erin at him. “It’s Erin’s decision, not yours.”

  He glared and muttered, “I just want what’s best for her.”

  Camie’s expression softened. “I know. That’s why I haven’t kicked your ass yet. Erin, you don’t have to stay if you don’t think you can handle it. You two can go back, take those jerks. I’ll keep exploring. But I’m sure that once word gets out, we won’t be able to keep this place to ourselves. We could try to alert the authorities now, but they might not take us seriously without proof. And we don’t yet know for sure we’ve found the right place. Once we go public, treasure hunters and the media will swarm the whole area. If this isn’t the right cave, we won’t have another chance to find it without tripping over people. If it is the right one, everyone will want a piece of it and antiquities laws won’t discourage thieves like these.”

  “Once we find the treasure,” Erin said, “we’ll be able to get guards in here. Get one of the big universities interested, or National Geographic or the Smithsonian. But not based on a rumor. We’ll need something to show.”

  Camie nodded. “I don’t want to pressure you. Take some time to think about it.”

  They neared the copse of trees where the helicopter was hidden. “How would we get past the snakes?” Erin asked.

  “It’s not that hard. We get one of our big rubber tubs, put it next to them, and make some noise or poke at them. They’ll go into the tub because it’s a safe, dark place. Rattlesnakes aren’t aggressive.”

  Erin remembered the one that had headed toward her. She made a skeptical grunt.

  “Hey, you landed practically in their laps,” Camie said. “If rattlesnakes had laps. You can’t blame them for getting worked up about that. Normally they’ll try to warn you off rather than attack, which is pretty gracious, if you think about it. I’ve moved a dozen of them over the years, whenever they’re around the climbing areas.”

  “I don’t suppose you’d consider just killing them?” Drew asked.

  “Absolutely not! They’re wild creatures and this is their home. They have more right to be here than we do. Even transporting them isn’t good for them; they have a hard time adapting to new territory. I only do it when the snakes are someplace where people might stumble across them, and that’s mainly for the snakes’ sake. There are too many people like you who will kill them if they’re in the way.”

  Drew rolled his eyes.

  They entered the trees. “You two down on your knees,” Drew told the goons. He passed the gun to Camie. “Hold this on them a minute.” He turned to Erin and put his hands on her shoulders. “Look, we can find some other way to deal with this. Give the police the wrong location. Hell, I’m okay with taking these guys back to town and sticking them in a basement for a week, if that’s what you want.”

  Erin sighed. He was trying to find a way to give her a break, but his alternatives weren’t realistic. Even if they told the police the wrong location, the goons knew it. If they were working for someone else, they would spread the news with their first phone call. And keeping them prisoner would be difficult, dangerous, and illegal. “I appreciate your concern, but I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.” She sounded rude, but she didn’t like being pulled in two directions. It made it hard to figure out what she wanted.

  Drew sighed and dropped his forehead to rest against hers. “You know I believe in you, in this quest. But you don’t have to be a superhero. It’s okay to say that you’ve had enough.”

  Erin wrapped her arms around him, feeling the warmth that came from knowing somebody cared about her, wanted to protect her. She glanced over at Camie. She still had energy and enthusiasm, even after she’d been held at gunpoint for several hours. Erin thought back on the long months of research, the giddy excitement whenever she found a clue. The dream that this could be a turning point in her career. The joy of sharing the hunt with Camie and, in the last few days, with Drew.

  She studied Drew. She knew her decision might upset him. But ironically, knowing that she could back out made it easier to go forward. “I don’t feel that bad,” she said. “I could use some lunch, but other than that....”

  She met Camie’s gaze and they smiled. Excitement started to build up in Erin. “We’re here. We have a chance. Let’s go for it.” She pointed at Camie. “But you’re in charge of moving the snakes.”

  Camie squealed and threw her arms around Erin and Drew. “Boy, are we going to have some fun now!”

  Chapter 28

  Drew sighed. It was hard to stay annoyed when he had two beautiful women wrapped around him. Now that the adrenaline from the fight had worn off, he didn’t feel quite so much like throwing Erin over his shoulder and hauling her off to safety. He reminded himself that he wasn’t a caveman. He had already accepted, even admired, Erin’s core of steely determination. If he wanted her, he had to be on her side, even if that side meant doing something that sounded insane.

  He saw the smaller man shift as if to rise and said, “Don’t even think about it. Camie, where exactly are you pointing that gun?”

  She released him and Erin. “Don’t worry, soldier, your ass is safe with me.”

  They separated and Drew took the gun. He studied the thugs. If they were going to be here a while, he wanted to make sure those guys weren’t coming after his woman again. “We’ll need to tie them up better than this.”

  “We have webbing with our climbing gear.” Camie started rummaging through one of the rubber tubs.

  Drew made the men sit with their backs to the helicopter skids. Camie bound their arms to the skid posts and tied their ankles, using pieces of climbing webbing designed to withstand thousands of pounds of force. Drew made sure no sharp rocks lay within reach and searched the men’s pockets for anything they might use as a cutting tool. He checked their wallets and found drivers licenses, but nothing that gave useful information. Then he searched the helicopter until he found a tracking device. They must have hidden it the night they attacked him, while he waited in the hangar, and he swore at himself for not thinking to search the helicopter then. He’d looked for damage, but not for bugs. He destroyed it, just in case someone else had access to the signal. He considered the wisdom of moving the helicopter, but it seemed pointless now and would only delay their search.

  Drew looked at Erin, leaning against a tree and watching with half-closed eyes. Damn, she had spirit, but she looked exhausted. “Food and a nap,” Drew declared. “Camie and I will take care of the snakes while you rest. I gave in about staying, so do this for me.”

  “I can live with that.”

  Drew hated to leave Erin behind with the thugs, especially asleep, but he didn’t see a better alternative. She wouldn’t be truly safe until they were back in town with these guys behind bars. Maybe not even then, since they didn’t know who else might be after the treasure. The best way to protect her was to find the treasure and finish this.

  Camie fixed a quick hot meal while Erin changed into her own clothes. After eating, they emptied the tub that held sleeping bags and laid one out for Erin in the trees away from the men. Drew leaned over her and brushed the hair off her forehead. “Will you be all right here alone with them?”

  She nodded, her eyelids already drooping. “You two be careful. I’d rather be with these snakes than the ones you’re going to tackle.”

  He kissed her gently. “I think your friend is crazy, but she seems to know what she’s doing. We’ll take care of it.”

  Erin was already breathing heavily as Drew and Camie started out of the clearing, each holding one end of the rubber tub. Camie paused to grab a four-foot-long branch that had fallen from one of the juniper trees. “Snake poker,” she explained.

  They started a
cross the plateau toward the canyon. Drew couldn’t help glancing back several times, though he couldn’t see much of Erin or the men through the trees. It felt wrong to walk away and leave her there, even if he knew she’d be better off for the rest. It was unsettling to worry about someone that much. He wasn’t sure he liked it.

  Camie broke the silence when they were halfway to the side canyon. “So what are your intentions toward Erin?”

  Drew stumbled. Intentions? What the hell did that mean? He didn’t have any intentions.

  Camie laughed. “You should see your face! Don’t worry, I’m not asking if you’re intending to marry her, and I’d be worried about both of you if you were thinking that way already.” Her tone grew more serious. “But Erin is a sweetie, and I don’t want to see her hurt. I want to know if you’re a player.”

  “I’m not a player,” Drew snapped. He wasn’t, was he? He had a strict rule about only dating one woman at a time. Well, maybe not when it was just a casual date or two, but certainly if he was sleeping with somebody, if it was as serious as this—

  Drew stopped walking.

  Camie took another step before she noticed. “What? You walk into a cactus or something?” She moved forward to see around the rubber tub.

  Drew shook his head, his mind elsewhere. Had he ever been as serious as this? Erin intrigued him. She was beautiful, smart, spirited. Frankly, probably way too good for a guy like him. But that didn’t mean....

  What the hell did it mean?

  He shook his head again. Camie was right, it was too soon to be thinking about big commitments. They had time to see where it would all lead. Especially if he signed that long-term contract with the college. He took a deep breath. He didn’t usually sign contracts for more than a few months, not since he got out of the military. This one would be two years, with an option for renewal. Why did that suddenly sound like a good idea?

  Camie was peering into his face. “You all right, soldier? You look like you’ve taken a direct hit.”