“That’ll be my priority when we get back to the office.”
The rest of their lunch continued wonderfully and Bo prayed that they could have more outings like these.
***
Professor Shawn Whitaker shook his head as he studied the engravings on the shield. To finally be confronted by something he had spent his whole life searching for, was inexpressible. He sat back and looked up at the other person in the room. Hanna Holm had a glow on her face. To be honest, the woman had been like that since they had opened the tomb.
“I don’t know what to say.”
“There isn’t much to say, Professor.” She threw her arms wide, taking in the large room with its rows of tables. Every table was heaving with relics found in the queen’s tomb. “Each item here speaks for itself.”
Shawn stood and walked to the nearest table. He gently picked up a ring and turned the piece around as he studied it. It looked like a wedding band. The historical tombs didn’t mention a consort in the queen’s interpretations. He replaced the ring and looked at Hanna. “These are all priceless. How are we going to keep them secure?”
“I’ve hired a local security firm. They specialize in dig site security and they have already deployed a team. Some are disguised as diggers and students. Others worked on setting up surveillance cameras around the area as well as patrols of the site and the nearby camp.”
Shawn smiled at the woman. He was invited to deliver a talk at Uppsala University when he noticed her first. Shawn was struck by her intensity and intelligence. She took notes and asked thought-provoking questions. He recruited her on the spot and dragged her along on digs during her school breaks. Upon her graduation, Hanna walked into his firm as a Senior Archaeologist and he had placed her on the project closest to his heart.
To find the tomb of Queen Gurith Haraldsdottir.
The notorious Viking Warrior Queen.
Chapter 2
“She did what?” Bo asked incredulously, while she used a tissue to mop up the spilled coffee on her desk. She’d been sipping her latte whilst talking to Teardrop, a hacker she made use of when she wanted information that wasn’t ‘hidden’ anywhere in the public domain. “Could you say that again?”
A loud sigh came over the line. The youth of today was so impatient and Bo had been tempted a few times to tell the young girl to stuff it and find someone else. But the nineteen-year-old was amongst the best in the business. Since her clients expected quality service, Bo only recruited the best to work with.
“Lisa Vaughn paid a bribe to a Nepalese official a decade ago. Although the money couldn’t be traced back to her, the official sang like a canary when questioned soon afterwards. He’s serving a twenty-year prison service. His daughter is married to some high-ranking official in the government, who’s blocking any attempts at Vaughn’s request to have the artefacts shipped to New York for a showing.”
“Thank you, Tear. I’ll have the funds wired to you before the end of business today. There might be one other person I’d like you to check up on later. Bye.”
She hung up and sat back, trying to clear her mind before she spoke to Lisa Vaughn. Maybe a trip to the gallery might just be what she needed to calm herself down before their talk. The woman knew why there was a holdup, but instead of coming clean, she’d put Bo and her reputation on the line.
Bo walked out of her office and her assistant looked up. “Martin, I’m going out. You can reach me on my mobile.”
“What time will you be back?”
“An hour, maybe longer. Why?”
He pointed at the calendar on this desk. “You have that meeting with Mr Dobrov at three.”
She raked her brain, trying to remember the name. “Dobrov?”
“Marion set up the meeting for you. She said she spoke to you about it.”
Ah, the man who wanted to pay them ten million dollars. “Yes, she did. I’ll make sure to be back for the meeting. Is Marion in?”
“I saw her coming in an hour ago.”
“Please ask her to be on standby for the Dobrov meeting. Depending on the outcome, she might be needed.”
“I’ll let her know.”
“Thanks, Martin. See you later.”
Grabbing a cab at the curb outside the office, she was on her way downtown to where the Vaughn International offices were located when her mobile rang.
“Witteman.”
There was a slight pause. “Am I speaking to Miss Bo Witteman?” A deep, rich voice said from the other side of the line. Bo felt a thrill chase down her spine at the deep timbre of the voice. For all its deep notes, it was also unmistakably female.
“Speaking.” The cabbie swerved out for a pedestrian and Bo was tossed to the side. Her mobile was jarred from her hand and it dropped on the seat next to her. She tossed the cabbie a poisonous look as she reached for her mobile. “Hello, you still there?”
The line was dead. She glanced at the screen. She must’ve disconnected the call by accident. Checking her call log, she noticed that it was registered as a private number. There was no way to call back and apologize. Hopefully, the woman will call back.
The cabbie pulled up at her destination and looked expectantly over his shoulder. Bo reluctantly gave him a twenty and got out. As she walked across the gleaming foyer of the high-rise towards the bank of the elevators, she could still feel the lingering effects of that voice. It made her glance at her mobile.
***
“Hey, boss.” Magnus peered in around the door. “The surveillance equipment has been tested and the last bugs fixed. Anything else I can do for you before I leave for the dig site?”
Hlif pushed her mobile into the inside pocket of her jacket. “Thank you, Magnus. I’m going that way; can I give you a lift?”
“No need. Jon is driving the four of us. The night patrol will change in an hour. See you there.” He jogged from the building and down the stairs. Hlif walked over to the large window of her office overlooking the city. A panel wagon idled at the curb. Magnus jumped in as the vehicle pulled away.
She glanced at her watch. It was four p.m. Hlif slid her phone from her pocket and caressed the buttons with her thumb. After millennia of waiting and reminiscing, the time was finally here. She had managed to keep herself from flying to New York to claim her mate.
However, to protect her, Hlif had to maintain her distance.
Sven and Ebba Witteman’s death had been far from a break-in as the authorities suspected. The grandmother was wise to send Bo away. Had she not, the young girl would’ve been the next target. Only, the thugs who had brutalized the couple never got the chance. They were no match for Hlif when she paid them a visit at their hideout in a deserted fish packing plant. The men came to an equally brutal end. But not before she had extracted the name of their master from them.
Her phone vibrated in her hand, stirring her from her thoughts.
“Yes.”
“Boss, we need you on-site. The Professor would like to meet you and has a few questions.”
“Tell him I’m on my way, Frederic. Could you arrange a setup in the surveillance tent for me? Projector. Site map, etc. Have some coffee ready. I’ll pick up some kleinur on my way.” Foreigners simply loved the traditional Icelandic donut and she hoped that professor Shawn Whitaker would not be an exception.
She grabbed her laptop and jacket. It was about twenty minutes to the dig site and if she still wanted to pick up donuts and avoid the evening commute back, she had to leave now.
***
Lisa Vaughn was in her mid-fifties, but it didn’t show. The woman had taken good care of herself. Tall and with salt and pepper locks, she was still turning heads. It didn’t hurt either that she was stinking rich. Bo was ushered into her office and the woman looked up, acknowledging Bo’s presence.
“I’ll call you back, Harold. In the meantime, keep your thumb on the pulse. No, my dear, it’s not a favour. I actually pay you to do this. Good. Talk to you again later.”
Bo turned away
from the window overlooking the Manhattan skyline and found the older woman watching her closely. She had met Lisa on many occasions and every time she felt like the woman was sizing her up. A few times, she could swear there was a flash of lust in the woman’s eyes. Powerful women, sometimes, felt the need to conquer a mate and who better than another female. Bo had met and slept with a lot of woman like that. She found them to be quite insecure when the masks came off in the end.
Bo wanted a complete woman. Not one who wanted to conquer her; nor one who felt she had to compete with her. Just a woman who was ready to give and receive.
“You being here in my office don’t fill me with reassurance, Bo.” She rose from behind her glossy desk. Bo took in the tall, trim figure and sighed. It would be so easy to let this woman take her to bed. Bo might even make it pleasurable for them both. However, business and pleasure made for tragic bedmates.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the bribe you paid to a Nepalese official?” She noticed the woman’s eyes narrow slightly. “It would’ve helped us to know that you were blacklisted in Nepal.”
The woman's eyes blazed with something menacing before she closed them. When she opened them again, her hazel eyes were tranquil, but a little bruised. Bo was intrigued.
“I didn’t bribe him. He blackmailed me.”
Crap! There was more to this than she initially thought. “Would you like to tell me?”
The woman sighed and came to stand next to her. She was a few inches shorter than Bo, so she had to look up to meet Bo’s gaze. “I don’t know. Can you be trusted?”
“You need to decide that for yourself, Lisa.”
The older woman gave her a faint smile. “Veronica Smalls. Do you remember her?”
Bo frowned. She remembered the socialite. She suspected the woman and Lisa knew each other well. “What about Victoria Smalls?”
“We made a bet on who would get you into bed first.” Bo’s eyes chilled and she looked away. “She came very, very close. Oh, how envious I was of her. That was until she told me that you turned her down at the very last minute.” She placed her hand on Bo’s arm, making the blonde stiffen slightly. “The gorgeous Viking that every woman with a pulse lusted after, but couldn’t have.”
“Where is this going, Lisa?” Bo said from between clenched teeth. She wasn’t here to discuss her philandering.
“One day over lunch, Victoria put it all in perspective for me. She said that for all your promiscuity, you were also guided a strict set of ethics. You only pursued forgettable women and that we should be happy that you value us more than a quick one night stand.” She chuckled and Bo blinked down at her. “It might be true or it might not be. Nevertheless, for whatever reason, she trusts you unequivocally from that day on. I think I do too.”
Bo shook her head slightly. She didn’t know what to make of all this. She prayed that Marion never heard of this theory.
“The official caught me having sex with a married woman during one of my visits to Nepal. My lover was the wife of a general and the official decided to capitalize on the situation.”
Holy cow! Had Lisa admitted to having slept with the General’s wife, she could’ve been sentenced to a long prison sentence for sodomy. The General’s wife would’ve been killed for adultery as well as the practice of sodomy.
“And you still want to promote the country by showcasing their traditional antiques at your gallery?”
Lisa smiled sadly. “I do. It’s a beautiful country with a rich history.” Her eyes lightened slightly. “Gorgeous women, too.”
Bo threw her head back and laughed. This was a side of Lisa she had not been privy to. She liked it. A lot. “Well, in that case, I have a suggestion. Do you care to hear what it is?”
Almost immediately, the woman changed from the sad, melancholic woman of a few minutes ago, to a flint-eyed businesswoman. “I’m listening.”
***
Shawn wasn’t sure what he expected when he was told that the head of the security firm had set up a short presentation and was expecting them in the surveillance tent. The mouth-watering aroma of coffee filled the interior, feuding with the smell of freshly baked kleinur.
The tent was large with a bank of screens on one side and a round table in the centre. A pull-down screen was showing the logo of the security firm, which he found interesting. The emblem was of a revered mythical Valkyrie.
His eyes swept the rest of the area and he blinked when he met the penetrating dark grey gaze of a very tall, imposing woman. She was dressed in a light grey tailored, three-piece pantsuit, and a crisp white shirt. Her shiny dark hair, which she wore short, curled into her tanned neck. She smiled and the brightness of the smile almost blinded Shawn. It also brought a remarkable change over the woman’s handsome features. It made her appear years younger and less intimidating. When she approached him, Shawn noticed that she was taller than he had initially thought, for she towered over him.
“Hlif Svendson. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, professor Whitaker.” Her handshake was firm and pleasant. “Would you like to have a coffee first, while I take you through the tent to introduce my team?”
Shawn couldn’t believe his eyes. Hlif. He had been digging through layers of dirt for years now in the hope of excavating Hlif the Warrior’s tomb, only for him to encounter a living, breathing Viking woman called Hlif. His daughter would surely enjoy the irony. Hlif gave him a quizzical look and he nodded quickly.
“I would like that.”
A cup of coffee later and with fourteen names swirling through his head, they got ready for the presentation. It was short, powerful, and informative. Afterwards, he was allowed to ask a few questions. While Hanna and some of the men were discussing the rotation list and ways to link up with their digging schedule, Shawn found himself alone with the enigmatic woman again. He loved how she didn’t feel the need to say something to fill the quiet; instead, she simply looked at him.
“Hlif is an unusual name. Quite old.”
The woman’s brow shot up. “Don’t tell me you haven’t made the link yet, Professor.”
Her tone was gently teasing and Shawn smiled. He found that he liked her.
“I take it you refer to the emblem of Hlif the Supreme Valkyrie. Some say she was only a myth. Others believe that she was cast from Valhalla to roam the mortal realm forever.”
Hlif shrugged. “My grandmother told me the same stories and I think she might’ve been instrumental in naming me.” She took a sip of her coffee and her mysterious dark grey eyes studied him over the rim of the cup. “I read about your daughter and her spectacular find.”
Shawn smiled warmly. Aeron. He was expecting her and her spouse to visit him here. He had already booked rooms at a nearby hotel.
“She and her spouse will be joining me this week.” He noticed the look in the woman’s eyes change dramatically. “Did I say something offending?”
“No. Not at all,” Hlif said quickly. “I thought that the Sultana was a recluse.”
Shawn shrugged. “That was before she met my daughter. They travel between Ankara and the States regularly. Since we’ve found the tomb and started excavation three years ago, my wife had been left home alone for long stretches at a time. Their visits make my absence bearable.”
There was a strange light in the grey eyes. “You’re lucky to have such an understanding wife.”
“I know and I treasure her more for that. She’ll be joining us a little later in the week.”
Hanna came over to him. She gave Hlif an apologetic smile. “The students are ready to start with the labelling of the objects. Our input is needed.”
“Oh yes, true.” Shawn drained the last bit of coffee in his mug and turned to Hlif. “Thank you for meeting with us, as well as the informative session. If there is anything else we could do for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us?” He shook Hlif’s hand and with a small wave at the rest of the team, followed Hanna out of the tent.
They were halfway to their
tent, when Hanna spoke. “So, what do you think?”
“Oh, I think they know their business.”
Hanna laughed. “I meant what do you think of Hlif?”
He shrugged. “Too early to form an opinion, Hanna dear, but I must tell you that Hlif is quite a woman. Attractive, enigmatic, and very pleasant.” He glanced at her. “Are you interested?”
Hanna blushed furiously and stumbled slightly over her own feet. “I… Well, she… I don’t know. She seems way out of my league. Rich, gorgeous and mysterious. I’ve done a bit of research. She only dates supermodels and other powerful women.”
Shawn stopped and Hanna gave him a confused look. “I know I’ve said that it was too early for me to form an opinion, but I can tell you one thing. The woman I met back there doesn’t strike me as a shallow individual. There’s more to her than what she allows others to see. Maybe you should take the time to get to know her first before you muddle the situation with emotions and other stuff.” Hanna gaped at him. “I know I’m an old man, but I was young once and age has come with a fair share of wisdom.”
Hanna swallowed and nodded. “Thank you, Professor. I must say, I never thought I’d have this kind of conversation with you.”
“We’ve been working together for ten years now, Hanna. You’re like a daughter to me and like any parent; I want to see you happy. Our type of work keeps us from civilization for long periods. Having someone to come home to is the ultimate reward.” He cupped her cheek. “More than anything, I want that for you.”
He left Hanna standing there, allowing her the time to process both his words and the fact that their relationship had just entered another level.
***
Hlif bit into a kleinur and closed her eyes at the familiar flavours. Her phone rang and she hastily swallowed the bite when she recognized the number.
“Markus?”
“He’s here, Hlif. He’s here in New York.”
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