Reece Skelton didn't care too much for rules.
As a result, he'd slowly been squeezed out of the adventure tour game. His last jaunt was two weeks ago. And he didn't have another one scheduled for two more weeks. That was nearly a month without a paycheck. The last time he checked his bank statement, the news hadn't been good either. He had enough saved up to get him through a couple of months of bills. After that, he might actually have to do something he detested even considering.
He'd have to get a real job.
Worse, he might have to go work for one of his competitors. Not that they weren't nice guys. He'd been friends with some of them for years. It was the thought of having to tuck tail and fold up shop that really got under his skin.
The laptop screen glowed to life. Reece took another sip of beer before clicking on the little mail icon at the bottom of the desktop. He looked out the living room window as a late morning breeze rattled the wind chimes on his front porch. Five new messages popped up in the queue. Three were from creditors. One was from a prospective customer, apparently based in the UK. The fifth was from his old friend Annie Guildford. The subject line said it was urgent, and since he hadn't heard from Annie in a while he figured he may as well check it out first.
He checked the time it was sent and immediately felt a bit guilty for not having read it sooner. She'd sent it the night before at a fairly late hour. It came from her work email, which caused him to wonder what in the world she was doing on the job so late. Then again, it was Annie. She was more tied to her work than anyone he knew.
Reece clicked the email and started reading. It was only a few paragraphs long, but he could sense her urgency in the wording.
Annie said something about finding an old journal entry from a guy named R.H. Mathews. She claimed she'd found it in an antique desk in the museum vault but didn't know who the guy was or what the message meant.
Reece clicked on the attachment and narrowed his eyes to get a better view of the writing. It was a tad difficult to read, but he could make out well enough to get the gist.
"Aboriginal treasure?" he said. "Oh, Annie, someone's taken you for a galah again."
In the years Reece had known Annie, he'd learned she could be quite gullible when it came to practical jokes.
As he continued reading, however, his tune changed. "Baiame?" he said to himself. "I wonder if that's referring to the cave drawings."
He scratched his head for a moment then unconsciously took another sip of beer. He couldn't make much sense of the riddle at the bottom of the journal entry. Reece had a few Aboriginal friends, but they weren't around at the moment. They'd be of no use. And besides, if this thing Annie sent was legitimate, sharing it with one of the tribesmen might not be a great idea. They might not take kindly to someone like him poking around their heritage.
Reece racked his brain to come up with an answer to the riddle, but nothing clicked. He looked at his beer and realized part of the problem could very well be the alcohol slowing his brain. "Nah." He shrugged it off and took another swallow.
The television was still on in the background, and a commercial for a vacation to the United States appeared. The man was saying something about visiting the incredible countryside the States had to offer.
"That's it," Reece said. "The Americans. They'll know what to do with this. I bet ole Tommy will eat this up."
He pulled up a new email and started pecking away at the keys. Five minutes later, he had an email addressed to Tommy Schultz and sent it on its way. Reece was sure to include the bizarre attachment he'd received from Annie and asked his American friend what he could make of it.
Jokingly, he'd ended the email with a "Come on down and check it out if you've got time." Reece felt certain there was no way Tommy would just drop whatever he was doing and make the ridiculously long flight to Australia. The man was busy. Reece understood that, which is why he thought it was a funny joke.
His computer made a swooshing sound that signaled the email had been sent successfully. Reece shook his head as he stared at the other four new emails. "Not right now," he thought. "I'm enjoying my afternoon."
The wind chimes banged together again on the porch, drawing his eyes out the window.
Reece lived on the outskirts of the city. Some people called it the country, but he was barely beyond Adelaide's suburbs. Not far to the north of his property, oil had been discovered. The area was turning into a regular boomtown but luckily hadn't stretched as far south as Reece's property. Where he was situated, things were still quiet, which was why seeing the black Range Rover approaching down the long driveway was such a strange sight.
Reece set the laptop back on the couch where it was sitting before. He took another sip of beer and placed the bottle on the end table, keeping his eyes on the approaching vehicle.
"Who do we have here?"
He stepped closer to the window with his hands on his hips. "Looks like my luck is starting to turn around."
The black SUV was one of the higher-end models. He recognized that right away. With expensive cars came customers who had money to spend, money he needed.
He moved close to the window and stared out as the vehicle rolled along the gravel, kicking up a cloud of dust as it neared. Whoever they were sure seemed in a hurry. Probably Americans from the northeast of the country. Those types were always anxious to get things moving.
Reece crossed his arms and watched as the SUV rounded a short turn and headed toward the house. He was about to wave to the occupants when the vehicle ground to a sudden halt. At first his frown was one of puzzlement. It soon turned to one of panic as the back window opened and a gun barrel poked out.
The muzzle blazed, pouring an onslaught of hot metal through the windows, door, and walls. When the magazine ran out, the shooter immediately reloaded and fired again, repeating the process two more times until the home was a tattered shell of its former self. The driver stepped on the gas. The tires spun and kicked up gravel. As quickly as the SUV had appeared, it was gone.
Reece lay motionless on the floor.
3
Atlanta, Georgia
Sean Wyatt was done, and he knew it.
He'd faced his fair share of adversity and been able to escape every single time. More than once, the margins of his getaway had been narrow at best.
There'd be no escaping this time. His government training and years as a special operative in the elite Axis agency couldn't save him.
He stared into the dark brown eyes of his opponent with his icy grays. The enemy's orbs gave away no secrets and allowed him no mercy.
"I don't suppose we could just forget this happened and walk away?" he asked.
Sean knew he sounded desperate. At this point he didn't care.
"No," the opponent said.
How could someone make one word sound both sinister and sexy at the same time?
He looked down, hoping there might be some solution he'd missed, a move he could make. There was nothing.
He sighed. "Well, I guess this is it. I had a good run."
"No you didn't. It took less than thirty minutes."
"It's a figure of speech."
Sean lifted his right hand and placed his fingers atop the king on his side of the chessboard. "Anywhere I go, you've got me. You win."
The stone cold face across from him broke into a grin. "You really aren't very good at this game," Adriana said.
"Why do you think I never want to play?" He mirrored her smile and then grabbed his coffee cup. "Want a refill?"
"Always."
Adriana leaned back in her chair and glanced out the huge window of Sean's kitchen. The rebuilding of his home in Buckhead, which had been leveled by a fire, had just been completed a month earlier. Sean had barely escaped the attempt on his life. His home hadn't been so lucky.
Fortunately, he had other places to stay during the reconstruction.
He walked over to the coffee machine and poured two fresh cups. As the rich brown liquid fil
led each one, he savored the aroma for a moment before returning to the table.
He set Adriana's cup down in front of her and took his seat, still holding the cup. Her gaze fell on him, and the two simultaneously enjoyed a quiet sip in mid-stare.
"It's good to have you back," he said, breaking the silence. "I missed you."
The words must have been the right ones because they produced another smile. "I know you did," she said.
He guffawed at her reply and shook his head.
She laughed and eased his suffering. "I missed you, too."
"Thank you. And I know."
Her eyebrows went up a notch. "Oh do you?"
Sean shrugged. "Sure. What's not to miss? I'm cute, funny, dashing."
"You're not that dashing."
"Maybe not dashing. Charming?"
She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing again. "Yes. Charming, definitely. I wonder, are you so charming when I'm not around?" Adriana stared at him with a playful glimmer in her eyes.
"When you're not around, I'm usually running for my life. At least that's the way it seems."
"That's not entirely true. Your last two assignments with Tommy didn't involve anything out of the ordinary."
He nodded, thinking about the past month. "You're right about that."
Her expression changed to one of pity. "Aww. You almost sound sad about it."
"No," he dismissed the notion. "It was nice to not be chased. Don't get me wrong, there's something thrilling about the chase."
"Is that why you chased me?"
His lips creased. "As I recall, there was no chasing involved."
"You mean after I saved your life in the hotel in Vegas?"
"Right. You just kind of showed up."
"So you flying to Greece to save me from that maniac wasn't chasing?"
Sean blushed. "That was a guy just trying to save the woman he loves." He started to lean across the table to give her a kiss.
"And where are you off to next?"
The question caught him off guard, and he paused. "What do you mean? I have some time off. Tommy hasn't lined up anything until later next month."
Her eyes flickered. "Then why is he here to see you?"
"What?"
Sean turned his head and looked out the window. He hadn't seen his friend pull into the driveway. Tommy was already getting out of his new BMW.
"Not expecting him?" Adriana asked.
Sean sighed. "No. He's probably just popping by on his way into the office. You know how he is about his coffee."
"I'll get the milk out," she said and got up from her chair.
"No, don't worry about it," Sean insisted. "Relax. I'll get him set up."
She eased back into the seat but wore a suspicious look on her face.
Sean backed over to the refrigerator, keeping an eye on her. He almost ran into the kitchen island but deftly swiveled his hips to avoid it. As the front door opened, he placed the milk on the island's granite surface next to a clean coffee cup.
"Hello?" Tommy's voice echoed from the foyer. "You guys in the kitchen?"
"Yeah, Tommy. We're in here."
A few seconds later, Tommy stepped into the room. His laptop bag hung from his shoulder across a crooked tie and an untucked button-up shirt.
"I thought I smelled coffee." He noticed the cup and milk on the island. "Oh, is that for me?"
Sean slipped back into his seat at the table and nodded while taking another sip.
"Sweet." He moved like a wild animal taunted by the smell of fresh meat, making quick work of the milk and coffee pot until his cup was nearly brimming. He started to raise the mug to his lips and then realized he'd not greeted his hosts.
"Where are my manners? I'm so sorry, Adriana. How are you?"
She laughed. "I'm fine, Tommy. Drink your coffee."
"Thanks," he said and took a long sip. Afterward he let out a long, satisfied "Ahh."
"So what brings you over at this hour of the morning? On your way to a meeting, perhaps?" Sean raised an eyebrow. He knew better. Tommy was up to something.
Whenever his friend popped by on the way to the office it was because he either wanted something or had a new gig for them. Sean had quit working for the International Archaeology Agency a few years back. As fate would have it, he hadn't remained retired for long. His attempt at running a business in Destin failed miserably, in large part due to the fact that he had to leave it more than once to fly across the world.
Tommy put both hands out wide in a display of innocence. The coffee in his right hand sloshed to the point it nearly spilled over the edge. Somehow he managed to keep that from happening.
"What are you talking about? I don't need a reason to come visit my best friend in the entire world." His eyes shot from one side of the room to the other. "House looks great by the way."
"So what's going on now, Tommy? A new assignment pop up out of the blue?"
Tommy slid into one of the open chairs at the table and stared at the chessboard. He ignored the question at first. "She beat you again?" he asked, motioning to the board. He passed a playful glance at Adriana. "He's never been very good at chess."
"You're not here to talk about my chess career, buddy, so just spit it out." Sean sounded irritated, but he was partially amused.
Tommy's nose crinkled as he nodded at Adriana. "You beat him again."
"Of course I did. He's terrible."
The two turned their judgmental gaze at Sean, who just rolled his eyes. "Fine. Yes, I suck at chess. I don't care. Just tell us what it is you want so we can get back to our vacation."
Tommy leaned his head back a bit as if he were being blown by a bitter wind. "Whoa, someone is a little defensive."
Sean started to say something again, but Tommy cut him off. He put a hand out to keep his friend from standing up. "Okay, I kid. Seriously. I won't bother you about your chess skills—or lack thereof—anymore. You're right. I'm here to ask you a question."
"And by question you mean you want to see if I'll go with you somewhere on the other side of the planet."
Tommy bit his top lip and pointed his finger at Sean. "Funny you should say it that way."
"What?"
"As it turns out, that's exactly where I'm going. The other side of the world, I mean."
"Look, Tommy, I've been looking forward to spending some time here with Adriana. We're going out to Las Vegas next week, and I'd really like to play some golf."
Tommy raised both eyebrows and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Sean had noticed them when his friend came in. Tommy typically had to wear his glasses when he'd forgotten to get more disposable contacts.
"I'm not here to ask you to go somewhere with me."
Sean and Adriana exchanged a curious glance and then looked back at their guest.
"You're not?" they almost said simultaneously.
"No, I'm not." Tommy pretended like he was hurt by the insinuation.
"Oh," Sean said. "Okay. So you really did just stop by to say hello?"
Tommy winced. "Not exactly. There is something I need you to do."
"But it doesn't involve flying across the globe?"
"No, nothing like that. I was just gonna see if you would take care of HQ for me."
Sean wanted to make sure he understood correctly. "You mean you want me to take care of the lab and offices?"
"Yeah, but it's not that involved. No one will be there. I gave the kids next week off. They protested since they're pretty much there all the time by choice. But I basically made them an offer they couldn't refuse."
"Wow. I'm impressed."
Alex Simms and Tara Watson, affectionately known as "the kids," were Tommy's laboratory assistants. They were two of the most brilliant researchers he'd ever met and had an incredible knack with technology. It was Tara and Alex who'd brought in the new quantum computer units and elevated IAA capabilities years beyond any competitor. If they had a weakness, it was that they enjoyed their toys a lit
tle too much.
"Tara was starting to get a little pale. So I booked them a vacation to the Caribbean."
"Sounds romantic," Adriana said.
Tommy rolled his shoulders. "Maybe. I don't know about those two. You'd think working together all the time there'd be some kind of feelings, but I've never sensed it."
"And those senses of yours are so astute."
Tommy cocked his head to the side. "You mean like yours were about the girl in Japan?"
Sean snorted a laugh. "Fair enough."
"So anyway, I need you to come in with me so I can just show you a few things. All you'll have to do is check the systems to make sure they're all online in case I need to access anything remotely. While you're there, you can just make sure everything is okay."
"Sounds like I'm taking care of your cat."
"If I had a cat, yes. That's probably accurate. If you're not doing anything, I figured you could come in with me this morning, and we could knock it out. I'm flying to Australia in a few hours."
"I love it when you assume I've got nothing else going on in my life."
Tommy's lips creased and displayed a toothy grin. "What are friends for?"
Twenty minutes later, the three were headed into Downtown Atlanta. The IAA building was located near Centennial Olympic Park. When Tommy's parents died in a plane crash, he'd used the money to found the agency and carry on their legacy in history and archaeology. The area around the building had been fairly trashy at first, but in the years since he created the IAA, things had changed dramatically.
Entire blocks had been torn down and replaced by the massive Georgia Aquarium, museums, conference centers, and expensive hotels.
Tommy brought the car to a stop at a red light and tapped his fingers on the wheel.
"So, Australia?" Sean asked from the back seat.
"Yeah. You remember our old friend, Reece Skelton?"
"Yep. How's he doing?"
"Okay, I guess. Got an email from him out of the blue yesterday. Said a friend of his found this old paper in an antique desk. Turns out it was from a guy named R.H. Mathews."
"Never heard of him."
The Sean Wyatt Series Box Set 4 Page 3