by Anna Hackett
“Heebie-jeebies?” Ronin said slowly.
She waved a hand. “I know tough guys like you don’t use terms like that, but the guy was off.”
Ronin understood instincts and he knew when someone was off.
“He gave me a company name. Karakorum, Inc. The company had a website, and it looked professional, but I still didn’t like it.”
Darcy cleared her throat. “The southern route of the historical Silk Road ran through the Karakorum Mountains on the border of Pakistan and China. It was called the Karakorum route.”
Something flickered over Peri’s face. “Shit. I should have dug deeper. I turned the job down, but my sister, Amber…she was between jobs, bored, and looking for something to do. She’s an adventurer at heart. We were raised traveling all over the world.” Peri pressed her lips together. “My parents are free-spirits, and said the world was our school.” She dragged in a deep breath. “I own a climbing gym, Anti-Gravity, down near the University of Denver. I take guide jobs occasionally, but the gym’s busy right now.”
“Hey, I’ve heard good things about that gym,” Logan said. “Think Cal’s been there before.”
“Her story checks out.” Darcy looked up from her tablet. “Except it appears your legal name is Peridot Butler.”
Peri winced. “Yes, thanks to my mother, my sister and I ended up named after gems. But I don’t answer to Peridot. It’s Peri.”
“Your sister took the job?” Ronin said, pushing the conversation back on track.
“Yes.” Peri’s eyes closed. “She went, and I’ve lost contact with her.” Her eyes opened again, and Ronin couldn’t look away. “She was supposed to have been back a week ago. The website for the company’s gone, and all the phone numbers are disconnected. I did some digging, and found out that the website had originally been listed to a shell company that linked back to Silk Road.”
Ronin shared a look with Dec. This wasn’t sounding good. “Where was the expedition headed?”
Peri swallowed. “My sister and I are experienced polar guides. We specialize in ice expeditions, and glacier and crevasse travel.” She twisted her hands together. “The expedition went to Antarctica.”
Peri sat at the long conference table, staring at the polished wood surface. Someone set a hot mug of coffee down in front of her.
She looked up at Ronin. “Thanks.”
The rest of the THS team sat around the table, and as Peri sipped the coffee, she wondered if Amber was warm, and had food and drink. If she was still alive.
“I wouldn’t be very thankful, because Dec made the coffee today.” Darcy Ward sat in the chair beside Peri. “That’s why I sent Coop out to the coffee shop.”
A blonde woman in a fitted skirt and classy blouse sat on the other side of the table. Peri knew from her research that she was Sydney Granger, former CEO of Granger Industries. Both Sydney and Darcy were polished and elegant, and made Peri feel rumpled and disheveled.
“We’d like to help you,” Darcy said.
Sydney leaned forward. “THS helped me find my brother. Silk Road had kidnapped him in South America.”
Peri had read the articles about the fantastic adventure into the Peruvian cloud forests. Sydney’s brother had been rescued by THS, alive. Peri had so badly wanted to believe the story was true.
“I can pay your going rate,” Peri said. While her gym was still growing, she had a good nest egg. “Polar guiding pays very well.” And Peri wasn’t the kind of woman to spend a fortune on clothes and jewelry. No, she spent her money mainly on climbing gear, and on the house she’d recently purchased.
The big man with the shaggy hair, Logan O’Connor, came up behind Sydney, resting his hands on the woman’s slim shoulders. Peri had read that these two were a couple. At first glance, they looked like complete opposites, but even after knowing them for just a few minutes, she could see that they fit. Sydney was always smiling at Logan, and the man watched Sydney with a heated, possessive warmth in his eyes.
Peri had never had a man who’d looked at her that way. She’d dated a long string of adrenaline junkies who were always looking for a good time, and that was about it. She had a weakness for hard, muscled male bodies.
“So, the expedition left a month ago?” Ronin’s voice cut through her thoughts.
Peri cleared her throat. “Just over. It was a four-week trip to take ice samples and monitor the rising temperatures on the Antarctic ice sheet.”
“Silk Road are black market antiquities thieves,” Ronin said. “They’re not interested in ice samples or global warming.”
“I know that. That had to be their cover story. But I know there are no antiquities or ruins in Antarctica, so I’m at a loss to know what they were after.”
“Could they be after relics from early Antarctic explorers?” Sydney asked.
Dec drummed his fingers against the table. “A few years back, old huts used by the early explorers were uncovered. They were perfectly preserved. They were like time capsules, filled with lots of old items. Tinned food, bottles of whiskey, journals written by the explorers.”
“But nothing valuable enough for Silk Road to find it interesting,” Ronin said.
“Right,” Dec agreed. “Peri, do you have any information on where this expedition was headed exactly?”
Peri shook her head, pushing back the all-too-familiar despair. “I don’t know. Somewhere near the Ellsworth Mountains.” She blew out a breath. “I realized something was wrong a couple of days before they were due back.”
Ronin frowned. “Before?”
She nodded. “Amber left a strange voicemail on my phone.” Peri pulled her phone out of her pocket. She set it on the table and hit the speaker button. The message played.
“Find it, Peri. 1881, 17th, 12, 22, 112, 1971.”
“She must have gotten access to a satellite phone,” Dec mused.
“What do the numbers mean?” Ronin asked.
“I don’t know.” Peri lifted her shoulder, battling back the frustration chewing at her belly. “I’ve tried to decipher it, but it doesn’t mean anything to me.”
Darcy pulled out a sleek tablet and started tapping on the screen. “I’ll run some searches and see if anything pops. I’ll also start searching to see what might have sparked Silk Road’s interest in Antarctica.”
Sydney stood. “I’ll make a few calls and see if I can track supplies or flights for an expedition to the Ellsworth Mountains.”
Dec nodded. “I’ll make a few calls, too.”
“Thank you.” A moment later, Peri found herself sitting at the table with only Ronin for company. “Sorry for spying on you.”
“It’s fine. You weren’t that good at it.”
She snorted. “You didn’t catch me the first few times. And I got away from you twice. I almost got away from you this last time, too.”
“Almost doesn’t count.”
Peri gripped her hands together. “Amber is a great guide and good in the snow.”
“Then it sounds like she has all the skills she needs to survive this,” Ronin said.
“By the time we were twelve, we’d both visited Antarctica before. Not to mention, climbed the Himalayas, trekked through the Sahara, and dived with sharks in Australia.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“It was, but…sometimes you just want to stay in one place for a while. To not live out of the bag.”
“I wouldn’t really know.”
She looked into his lean face. “I just bought a house. And I’m going to get a dog.” Everything inside her went cold. “My sister is my family. I love our parents, but they’re currently living in an ashram in India. I don’t think they’ll ever stop traveling. But Amber wanted to be here in Denver with me, as well.”
A big hand covered hers. “We’ll find her.”
His skin was so warm, and his touch surprisingly comforting. She gripped his fingers. “You can’t promise that, but thank you.”
Suddenly, there was a muted ping from th
e computers nearby.
Darcy scooted her office chair over and tapped a screen. Her beautiful face froze. “Holy cow.” She was scanning whatever was on the screen. “Everyone needs to see this.” She leaped up and her fingers flew over a keyboard. An image filled one of the screens on the wall.
Peri’s chest tightened, filling with anticipation, worry, excitement. Was this good news or bad? She stood, and, keeping hold of Ronin’s hand, they moved closer to the screens.
Everyone gathered, studying the aerial image of an ice plain.
Peri frowned. She guessed it was somewhere in Antarctica. A few darker, rocky, mountain peaks poked through the ice.
“Antarctica. So?” Declan said.
Darcy tapped the screen and the image zoomed in. “This shot is from the western side of the continent. The ice is melting faster on that side, and it’s uncovering mountains that haven’t been free of ice and snow in years. There’s been some recent chatter on the internet…”
The image zoomed in again. Everyone gasped.
Peri blinked. Surely that wasn’t what she thought it was.
She looked up and saw Ronin’s jaw was tight. He didn’t have the most expressive face, but she got the sense that he was as equally shocked as she was.
“Is that a pyramid?” Ronin said.
Chapter Three
Ronin stared at the screen.
There couldn’t be a pyramid rising out of the snow in Antarctica. He studied the symmetrical sides of the structure.
“It could be natural,” Dec said.
Ronin shook his head. That thing didn’t look natural to him.
“Hey, where is everyone?” a voice called out.
Dr. Layne Ward strode in, a bag on her shoulder. Dec moved over to claim a kiss from his wife. “Hey there, Dr. Ward. You might be able to help us out here.”
“Oh? Nice to be needed.” Layne’s gaze settled on Peri. “Hi. I’m Layne Ward.” She shot a smile at Dec. “Saying that never gets old.”
Dec hugged his new wife harder.
“Layne, this is Peri Butler,” Ronin said. “Her sister joined an expedition as a guide and hasn’t returned.”
Layne’s face turned serious. “I’m sorry to hear that, Peri.”
“Turns out the expedition was funded by Silk Road,” Dec added.
The archeologist dumped her bag on the conference table. “Now I’m really sorry to hear that.” She looked at her husband. “Are we going to help out?”
“Yes,” Ronin replied. He sensed Peri looking at him, but turned back to the screen.
“The expedition was to Antarctica. Peri and her sister Amber are polar guides.”
“Antarctica?” Layne frowned. “Silk Road goes after invaluable ancient antiquities. There was no civilization in Antarctica.”
Ronin saw Peri’s shoulders slump.
“You’re sure?” Peri asked.
“The continent’s been covered by ice for millions of years,” Layne said, sympathy on her face.
“So, what’s that?” Peri pointed at the screen.
Layne looked up at the image and blinked. She moved forward, her brow creasing. “I have no idea.”
“Think it could be manmade?” Dec asked.
“Oh, my God.” Layne was quiet for a moment. “It certainly looks too regular to be natural and has similar proportions to many Egyptian pyramids.”
The room fell silent, and Ronin noticed the way that Dec was watching his wife.
“You know something else?” Dec prompted.
Layne ran a hand through her brown hair. “Well, now that I think about it, I remember seeing some documents we combed through for a previous mission. The Ahnenerbe was interested in Antarctica.”
“Shit.” Dec thrust his hands on his hips. “This is shades of Madagascar again, isn’t it?”
Peri’s brows pulled together. “Ahnenerbe?”
“Hitler’s archeological group, tasked with proving the Aryan race was real.” Layne’s nose wrinkled. “It seemed they also believed that there were advanced civilizations that existed on Earth thousands of years ago. Civilizations that left possible advanced technology behind.”
Peri blinked. “Like aliens?”
“No.” Layne smiled and shook her head. “There is some evidence that, while not proven, could show that advanced human cultures existed that pre-date current beliefs. One of our other THS members, Morgan, has a boyfriend who is a bit of an expert in this. He’s been trying to convince me that advanced cultures existed, and may have been destroyed at the end of the last ice age.”
“So, what did the Nazis think was in Antarctica?” Ronin asked.
Layne shook her head. “I don’t know. There wasn’t a lot of detail in the reports I read.”
Darcy tapped one of her nails against her lips. “I’ll see what I can find.”
Dec nodded. “Layne, call Morgan and Zach. I know they have a few days off, but see if they can come in. And Darcy, I want you to talk to…”
“Special Agent Arrogant and Annoying.” Darcy grimaced.
Dec ran his tongue over his teeth. “Yes.”
Darcy heaved out a beleaguered sigh. “I’ll make the call.”
There was another ping from Darcy’s computer. She hurried over, tapping on the screen.
“Something’s come back on the search running for the words and numbers in your sister’s message.” Darcy looked up, meeting Peri’s gaze. “God, 1881 was the year Union Station opened on 17th and Wynkoop streets.”
Peri leaped to her feet, hope on her face. “That’s both 1881 and 17th. What about the other numbers?”
“12, 22, and 112. Union Station has twelve train tracks, twenty-two gates in the bus station, and one-hundred-and-twelve rooms in the hotel in the historical terminal building.”
“And 1971?” Ronin asked.
Darcy shook her head. “No luck on that one. I can’t match it to anything, yet.”
Ronin gripped Peri’s shoulders. “Your sister must have left you something at Union Station.”
“How could she get something there from Antarctica?”
“She might have sent it on her way down to Antarctica? They would have stopped in South America to get supplies.”
Peri nodded. “If she’d realized something was off, she might have sent me something, just in case. Then called and left me the message when things went bad. But why not send it to me directly?”
“Because she was afraid Silk Road was watching you,” he said.
She shivered. “I should never have let her go.”
“Who would she send something to? Does she know someone who works at Union Station?”
“I don’t know all her friends. She likes to go out and party. She has loads of friends.”
“Think, Peri.”
“I am.” She shoved her hand through her hair.
“They might work at the hotel,” Ronin suggested.
“And there are several restaurants and shops,” Darcy said. “Let me see if…found something!” She looked up, her blue-gray eyes gleaming. “There’s a Tattered Cover bookstore in the terminal, and the first store opened in 1971.”
“Amber and I go to the Tattered Cover a lot! The one on Colfax.” Peri sucked in a breath. “She has a friend who works there and floats between stores, I think. Stella, no, Sam…Stacey!”
Darcy snatched up the phone on her desk, tapped in a number, and pressed it to her ear. “Hello, is this the Tattered Cover Union Station? Is Stacey working today? She is? Great, thank you.” Darcy ended the call.
“I need to get there,” Peri said.
Ronin looked at Dec. “I’ll take her.”
Dec nodded. “We’ll keep working at this end. Be careful.”
Ronin was always careful. He led Peri outside. She was vibrating with energy as he led her over to his bike.
“Where’s your car?”
“Parked in the garage of my condo.” He nodded at his bike. “This is my ride.”
“We’re riding on tha
t?”
He handed her his extra helmet. “It’s not far.”
She took the helmet and smiled. “I’ve ridden a few motorcycles, but they were rickety, noisy things for riding through rice paddies or down jungle tracks.”
He swung onto the bike. “Well, you’re in for a treat.” He gestured for her to climb on behind him. “I’ll take care of you, Peri.”
“Are you trustworthy, Ronin?”
“No.”
She eyed him for a second before she pulled the helmet on, leaving the visor up. She settled behind him. “Is there a handle for me to hold on to?”
“You hold on to me.”
She gingerly wrapped her arms around his waist. Ronin gunned the engine and pulled out. Peri quickly leaned forward, her arms gripping onto him, hard.
He set off down the street, weaving through the traffic. She was a pleasant weight behind him. He’d never had a woman on his bike. Hell, he generally avoided women.
Union Station wasn’t far away. He pulled in to park at the front of the historic main building, and ignored a quick, niggling feeling of disappointment that the ride was already over. He glanced up at the bright-orange letters that spelled out Union Station above the entrance.
He turned back, and helped Peri unfasten the helmet. She looked up at him with flushed cheeks, her eyes glittering with pleasure.
“After this is all over, will you take me for a ride again some time?” she asked, her voice husky.
Shit. Ronin’s cock instantly went hard. She was looking at him just how he imagined she’d look if he’d spent time touching her, stroking her, kissing her.
But then he remembered what she’d said to him back at the office. She was looking to settle down and make a home. Ronin wasn’t the home-and-hearth kind of guy, and never would be.
He climbed off the bike. “Come on, let’s find this bookstore.”
They walked into the station’s Great Hall. Ronin waited a second for his eyes to adjust to stepping out of the bright sunlight. The building had been renovated some time ago, and the Great Hall was the main waiting area, rimmed by bars, the hotel, and shops. It was decorated in a grand, historic style, with lots of bright white, and accents in black and gold. Several people were striding through the space, dragging suitcases or carrying bags, heading for the modern train hall and bus station behind the main building. He spotted the bookstore and pointed it out.