The Relic

by Maggie Nash

  Piece of cake.

  Luckily for her, he missed her momentary lapse in personal confidence and continued giving her instructions. “It leads to a hallway. From there, we can use the fire stairs and make a clean getaway.”

  “I have no idea how you know that, but since I don’t have much choice…”

  She wrapped her hands in the scarf she’d grabbed on the way out of the room, took a huge deep breath and held it in. She bolted over the rail, quickly abseiling the short distance to the balcony below, before deftly swinging her body toward the ledge where she landed, giving Vince the thumbs up sign. He didn’t waste any time leaping over quickly and joining her. As she opened the door to the hallway, they both stood pressed against the wall to either side of the opening while Magda checked the corridor. She nodded and Vince led the way as they swiftly padded to the stairway then repeated the process so smoothly that any onlooker would think they’d been doing this together for years, and not a few hours.

  They raced down a flight of rickety stairs, ignoring the loud sound of their feet on the uneven wooden steps. Luck was on their side as they reached the car park, jumped in the jeep and drove off before, whoever was following caught up.

  Five minutes down the road, after avoiding several maniac Penangese drivers, a dozen or so pushbike riders and two rickshaw-type vehicles, Magda released the breath she’d held since jumping into the jeep. Okay, she hadn’t really been holding it for that long, but it bloody well felt like it!

  Vincent was checking out the rear, his eyes sweeping from side to side as Magda slowed down and pulled into a small market place at the side of the road.

  “Whoa, baby, that was exciting. Where to next, double-oh-seven?”

  Vincent grinned that million-dollar grin. “My place.”

  “Your place? Won’t the bad guys be watching it?”

  “They’ll be watching my hotel. This is my other place. Nobody knows about it except me.”

  “You have your own place here in Penang? You never mentioned it before.”

  He shrugged. “I haven’t used it for years. It’s probably a bit dusty, and possibly overrun with wildlife. Does that bother you?”

  Bugs? Spiders? She hated them all and he knew it. Just great.

  “I’m sure I’ll cope. Are you sure this place can’t be traced to you?’

  He smiled. “Yep, because it’s registered to Jacko, the bloke who used to own it. I never got around to transferring title. Anyway, we’re wasting time. Switch places and I’ll drive. It’ll be faster.”

  “I’m not sure about that. I know what your driving is like, Stone. Just give me directions and I’ll get us there.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Do you think I would volunteer to drive if there was any other way?”

  He was probably right. Acquiescing, she jumped out of the jeep and moved around to the passenger side. “I know I’m going to regret this, so prove me wrong and get us there safely.”

  Vincent jumped over the gear stick and took over the driver’s seat. For once, he didn’t have a snappy comeback, which made her a tad nervous.

  “I’ll do my best, Mags. It’s been a while, so I hope the local landmarks haven’t changed that much.”

  “So why haven’t you been here lately?”

  He screwed his face up and shuddered. “I hate jungles.”

  She laughed. “So why keep it then?”

  He hung a left and changed down the gears as the jeep chugged up a steep hill. “I always meant to sell it, but never got around to it. Good thing I didn’t, because it’s finally come in handy.”

  “Let me guess. You won it in a bet?”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “You know me so well, Mags. But this time I didn’t. It was given to me for safe keeping, then a few months later, the person who owned it died.”

  “Didn’t he have family who could claim it?

  “Not that I know of, and I checked. I was going to give it back to them, but couldn’t find evidence of any. Hence, the place is still mine.”

  A sudden downpour of tropical rain stopped any further conversation as the roar of the wind battered the small jeep. Magda braced her feet firmly on the floor while holding on for dear life with both hands to the bar above. The whining sound of the tires as they slipped on the swelling mud had her doing the sign of the cross inside her head. There was no way she was moving her hands from where they were. They were stuck like glue and keeping her from falling out of the jeep while it precariously continued its climb up the winding track to wherever this bloody hut was.

  The hilly track flattened out and widened, creating a fork in the road. Vincent stopped the jeep, opened the door and stood on the running board, raising his hand to shield the rain from his eyes. He was swearing under his breath so Magda decided against asking for a progress report just yet. Vince obliged her anyway with his swearing.

  “Shit, fuck, shit! Where the bloody hell is this place?”

  She thought about the most logical question to ask, but given his current mood, she hesitated. Should she? Smiling, she braced herself. Yeah, why not! “Want to ask a local for directions?”

  The thunderous look he gave her convinced her that perhaps that question wasn’t such a good idea. But it was funny. Men never changed. Even if they were lost and circling in the desert for days, they still wouldn’t ask for directions, and Vince was no exception.

  It must have been at least fifteen minutes later before Vincent pulled up in front of what could only be described as a dilapidated shack. The door hung half open and the glassless windows were covered with frayed and torn material of dubious origin. As Vincent turned off the engine, a squawking bird flew out from the front door, the high-pitched sound echoing through the valley below.

  Magda shivered, flicking a large spider web out of her face as she followed Vincent inside. “Looks like someone was using the place while you were gone.”

  The place didn’t look too bad actually. A ripped mattress lay in the middle of the floor, its grass stuffing spilling out as evidence of repeated pecking from the feathered visitors. Dust and spider webs covered most other surfaces in the sparsely furnished room. But apart from those minor inconveniences, the walls and roof looked sturdy and the floor didn’t appear to have any holes in it.

  Vincent walked across the room to where a piece of material covered a small door to another room. He pulled aside a moth-eaten curtain, confirming that the smaller room was also empty.

  “At least we can say none of the native locals have been here. From what I saw of them the one time I was here a few years ago, they are a lot more fastidious than this. If they’d been here, the place would at least be swept clean. In fact, there would probably be three families living here.”

  Magda bent down and opened the lid of a chest that sat to one side of the main room. All it contained was a few chipped items of crockery, some more bugs and loads of spider webs. “I find it surprising they didn’t take it over. It’s obviously a solid structure, and the furniture is still here. Most tribes would have burnt it for firewood by now. I wonder why they’ve left it alone?”

  “I’m guessing it might be because Jacko was a scary bastard. He used to keep them from stealing his stuff by spinning all these yarns about spirits and curses and the like. He had a good laugh about it when he told me.”

  “Really? How cruel. He was lucky they didn’t sic the witch doctor on to him.”

  “You’ve been watching too many Tarzan movies, Mags.”

  “What movies? I’ve done my homework. The tribes in Penang have some very strongly held beliefs regarding spirits and curses. In the outer villages, the practices are still going on. The witch doctor is one of the most influential people in the tribe. And from some of the stories I’ve read, pretty strange things can happen to people who cross them.”

  Vince laughed. “Come on, Mags. They’re just fairy stories like the ones Jacko was spreading. Designed to frighten, but not real.”

  “Go ahead and laugh. I p
refer to keep an open mind on these things. Think about Alexander’s relic. The magic that object is supposed to wield is mind boggling.”

  “I believe that many people believe in this sort of mumbo jumbo. The power of suggestion is a formidable thing, but I’m just not convinced myself.”

  “Forever the cynic.”

  “One of my more endearing qualities.”

  Magda picked up a stray seedpod from the table and threw it at Vincent. He caught it in one swift movement of his hand and winked at her.

  “You’re a pain in the arse, you know that?”

  “You say the nicest things, Mags, but if we’re going to stay here, we should quit the sparring and clean up a bit.”

  Magda spied an old straw broom, half eaten away, but still worth a shot. Picking it up, she shoved it in front of Vincent’s face. “Sounds good to me. You do the floors and I’ll sort out some food for us.”

  Vince took the broom without any hesitation and started whistling as he worked, leaving dust flying in his tracks.

  Magda ventured outside the hut, scanning the scene for any signs of trouble.

  Seeing none, she walked a short way down a track to the side of the hut. Flipping out her cell phone, she pressed the speed dial. Thanks to the LAW’s special satellite phone chip, she could use it in remote areas most times, as long as the cloud cover wasn’t too thick. Thankfully the call picked up after only three rings.

  “’Hey, Mags, what’s up?” said Phoenyx, who was manning headquarters this month.

  “Hi, Phoe. It looks like we’re not the only ones looking for the relic. I ran into Stone here in this godforsaken jungle.”

  “So you picked yourself up a partner?”

  “Not exactly. That’s one of the things I was calling about. Stone wants to go fifty-fifty on the recovery fee. He figures if we work together, we’ll wrap it up a lot sooner. I wanted to discuss it with you guys before I agreed, but from where I’m sitting, it doesn’t look like I have any other option. Some not very friendly folk also know we’re on the trail, and we’ve had a few pot shots taken at us already. At the moment, we’re holed up in the jungle trying to keep out of sight before we plan our next move.”

  “Sounds like a good plan, Mags. I’ll clear it with the others and get back to you. In the meantime, I’ll download that research Sakura dug up on the relic. It’ll give you some light reading to keep you occupied until your next move.”

  “Thanks so much, Phoenyx. This is wild country—I have a lot to keep me occupied already, but the info is much appreciated.”

  She heard the deep, sexy laugh of Phoenyx coming through the receiver. “Of course, how could I forget? You and Stone had a thing going once, didn’t you? Trust you to land a job where you get stranded with a grade-A hunk!”

  “Yeah right—and you know how that ended the last time. I know we all like to have our fun, but with him, it was different. I can’t afford to let him under my skin again. No way, José.”

  “Oh, but think of this as a perfect opportunity to get back at him—no strings sex—then leave him. Give him a dose of his own medicine, so to speak.”

  Magda closed her eyes as visions of steamy wild monkey sex in the jungle with Vincent flashed across her mind. Stop it right there, Mags!

  “I repeat—no way! It took me too long to recover last time, and I am finally happy with my life the way it is. I can’t risk it again. Besides we have our work cut out for us finding this relic. We can’t afford distractions.”

  “Okay, if you’re sure.” Phoenyx gave a dramatic sigh. “Seems a shame to waste such luscious man flesh, though. Do you need a couple of the others to fly in and back you up? I think Joell and Crowe are somewhere down there in the Pacific having a short break, but I’m sure they would jump in and help if I called them.”

  “God, no…I wouldn’t want to interrupt those lovebirds. Nah—I’m fine for now. I’ll check out that research, and between Stone and me, we should be able to sort something out.”

  “If you’re sure, then we’ll leave you to it for now. You take care, girlfriend. Remember we’re all just a call away.”

  “No worries, Phoe. I’ll let you know as soon as I know something. And can you do me a favor?”

  “Sure, anything. What do you want?”

  “Shoot Boss for me, will you? If he’s not dead when I return, I’m going to kill him myself! I am so over these crappy jobs that send me to places with mosquitoes and snakes and jungles! From now on, it’s five-star all the way! Tell him that from me.”

  She signed off to the sounds of raucous laughter and smiled to herself. She loved her LAW sisters to death, and she knew she could always count on them. She blessed the day they’d come into her life.

  “How’s that meal coming along?”

  Trying desperately to stop her body jumping in surprise, Magda slowly turned around, simultaneously replacing her phone in her pocket as she plastered a smile on her face.

  “I’m on it.” Looking to her left, she spied a banana tree. “See,” she said as she pointed to the large hand of bananas. “Here are some bananas for starters.”

  “They’re green.”

  Oh crap, so they are. She should have found the food first before making her call.

  Never mind. Vincent would just have to wait a little bit longer.

  “Picky, picky. Go back to sweeping the floor and give me another ten minutes.”

  “I’m almost done. I thought I heard voices so I came out to check on you.”

  “Thanks for the concern, Stone. I was just checking in with the girls.

  He leaned against the pole of the makeshift broom and grinned. “Telling them about me, I guess,” he said, shifting his weight from one leg to the other. “How’d they take it?”

  “They’re going to have a meeting and get back to me. Just so you know, I voted to agree to your proposition.”

  Vincent lifted an eyebrow and started to laugh. “You did? I thought you couldn’t wait to get rid of me.”

  “You thought right, buddy, but I am also a realist. We’re both in the thick of this now, and whoever is trying to kill us has us both connected, so it makes sense to finish the investigation together.”

  “That is the only scenario that makes any sense, but then I never figured you for a fool, Mags.”

  “The only time I have ever been a fool is around you, Vincent.”

  “Huh? What do you mean?”

  “Don’t worry about it, Stone. I learned my lesson and I’m wiser for it.” Magda cringed inwardly. She hadn’t meant to bring that up, and now she had to talk her way out of that conversation. “Let’s change the subject.”

  She took Vincent’s arm in hers and steered him down the track with her toward the vegetation. “Know any good take away restaurants around here?”

  * * * *

  Vincent turned over for the fiftieth time since lying down on the makeshift bed. He could hear Magda’s soft sighs as she slept in the smaller room off to the side of the hut, where he’d found a reasonably clean mattress and set it up to give her some privacy. The moon was large that night, casting a long and bright light through the doorway, and the half-eaten curtain didn’t actually obstruct his view of her lying there. Which was a real bugger because every time she breathed, her splendid tits rose and fell, reminding him—particularly his dick—of better times. Although not a classic beauty, Magda had the type of soft curves you could easily rest your body against all night long, and that sexy red hair, all long and curly, was bloody amazing. But the thing about her that really got him hot was her quick mind and her selfless generosity. She was probably the most giving person he’d ever met, and because of that, she brought out a protective streak in him that was stronger now than it ever was.

  She scared him shitless.

  What was that bullshit about being a fool around him? Was she saying she’d cared more about him than he’d realized? Geez, he hoped not. He thought he’d broken things off before it had gotten too serious, at least on her side
, but maybe he’d been mistaken. Maybe she’d been in as deep as he was. That would explain the animosity he was picking up now. She’d blocked every one of his teasing remarks and hadn’t even laughed at one of his jokes.

  He missed her laugh.

  But shit, at least this way I have a chance of getting the job done without any complications. Maybe. If I’m really lucky.

  Bloody hell. His dick was standing up, hard and looking for complications right now though. He slid his hand inside his boxers and freed his friend, stroking himself lightly as he undid the button with his other hand. He stared at the sleeping Magda only a few feet away from him and focused on how the moonlight illuminated her beautiful breasts as he rubbed up and down, slowly at first, forming a circle with his thumb and forefinger and spreading the sticky fluid from his tip over himself as he remembered how talented she was with her mouth. Large beads of sweat trailed across his forehead, and his breathing kicked up a notch or two as he worked on relieving the painful hard-on that had plagued him all day since meeting up with this damn stubborn woman. His head tipped back as he increased the rhythm, moving his whole hand over the shaft from the tip to the base. Over and over. Up and down. Short, shallow breaths accompanied soft moans as the intensity of his arousal rose.

  Opening his eyes, he looked back over at Magda to find her awake and staring directly at him. She looked from his face to his hand and back. Her eyes widened and he could see her nipples harden through her shirt. She shifted slightly, placing a hand over her breast and squeezing it. He could hear her breathing shorten from where he lay, and it almost tipped him over the edge to realize she was getting off as much as he was. Although their eyes were locked, out of the corner of his line of vision he saw her throw off the sheet and slide her hand under her shorts. Her mouth opened on a sigh as she reached her tender flesh.

  Vince moved his free hand to pull down his boxers farther and cupped his firm sac, scratching it with his index finger. His dick was now officially larger and harder than he could ever remember.

  Magda replied by lifting her hips and sliding her shorts slowly down her legs then kicked them to the floor with a soft grunt.