by Molly E. Lee
She scooped it up, and Rain hissed.
“That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”
“Call off your dog,” I said, my eyes locked onto Frank. The second he fastened that weapon I’d fly across the cave and rip his fucking head off for threatening Rain’s life.
Frank kept the gun trained on us as Corrine opened the journal and skimmed the pages. As she neared the middle, she showed a page to Frank and the men behind her. Whatever was on that page engrossed them enough to give us our shot.
I forced Rain backward and to the right, into the narrow tunnel that led to a series of tunnels within the cave. Some led out, some were dead ends.
“Stop!” Corrine yelled. Her screech was followed by a loud pop and a crumbling of rock right behind us.
“Asshole!” Rain screamed as I pushed her as fast as she could go down the tunnel until we met the center where it split off into six different directions. I closed my eyes and sank inside my brain for all of five seconds, mentally counting from my time here before.
“Four.” I snapped my eyes open and barreled past Rain, grabbing her hand and tugging her behind me.
After racing down the tunnel about thirty yards, trying desperately to maintain footing on the uneven, rocky ground, I stopped us, and put my finger to my lips as I stared at her. She slowed her breathing from our run in an attempt to make herself as quiet as possible.
“Find them!” I heard Corrine’s order echo throughout the tunnels, bouncing off the rock in all different directions. I prayed she wouldn’t get lucky and pick this one first, but there were four of them so the odds were not in our favor.
Rain mirrored my wide but near-silent strides as we forged ahead. I didn’t want to give them any clue, so I tried hard not to even brush the rock wall with our packs. Sweat coated my face as we strained against the narrowing tunnel, and I was pissed to lose the precious water from my system. A few more yards and a bright, white light lit up the end of the structure, like a beautiful, beckoning beacon.
I made Rain go first, and then I followed her out, squeezing through the small exit that popped us out in a small valley between this mountain and the next.
“We have to cross as fast as possible,” I said, breathless and pointing to the mountain across from us. The valley was riddled with trees, rooted and fallen, and would offer us good cover if the team happened to choose the right path.
She nodded. “On three?”
I kissed her hard and fast. “Stay in front of me, just in case.”
The look in her eye told me she thought about arguing but knew we didn’t have the time.
“One,” I whispered. “Two.” I kissed her one last time. “Three.”
We bolted into the trees, weaving in and out of the thick trunks as fast as the terrain would allow us. Rain was quick on her feet, and I tried to keep her steady with the sheer will of my mind. One slip or roll of the ankle would cost us precious seconds we didn’t have, plus I didn’t want her to get hurt in any way, shape, or form. This damned expedition was supposed to be a walk in the park compared to what it had become. Rain’s life in danger not once, but twice, definitely hadn’t ever crossed my mind. I’d assumed it would be a rough hike and climb, sure, but the thought of having a gun pointed at her wasn’t something I’d ever pictured.
I was going to fucking kill Frank. Ruin them all.
The anger roaring in my gut pushed me harder, filling me with energy from the stores managed by rage.
We skidded to a stop at a bank of trees that hugged the mountain, our breaths matched in hurried huffs. My lungs ached like they’d burst, and yet I couldn’t get enough air. The heat sank into my bones and scorched the insides as we crouched behind a large trunk.
I scanned across the distance, but the trees didn’t give me any hint as to whether Corrine’s team had heard us or made it out. “I’d kill for a pair of binoculars right now,” I whispered between breaths.
Rain shifted and dug in her pack, fishing out the high-definition handheld we had.
“Smart.” I nodded as she flipped open the screen and pointed the lens toward the mountain. I kept my hand hovered over the top of it to try to stave off any glare that might catch the glass and give away our location.
She zoomed in as best she could, crouch-walking to get a better vantage point. A small clearing between the trees finally gave her the shot she searched for. Our bodies relaxed almost simultaneously as the screen showed no signs of movement from where we’d exited.
Rain shut the camera off and secured it back in her pack. “What now?” There was an exhilaration in her eyes I understood all too well. The chase, the mission—it fueled her fire as much as it always had mine. If I wasn’t careful, she’d be hooked like me.
“We keep moving until we can’t forge another step. Destination is only a two-day hike from here.”
She cracked a wild grin, shifting on her heels. “What are we waiting for?”
Rain
“WHAT EXACTLY IS in that journal?” Easton asked me after we’d hiked up the new mountainside a good length, putting enough distance between ourselves and where we lost Corrine’s team to feel safe.
I was still trying to catch my breath from the run and hike, and I leaned over with my hands on my knees, sucking in lungfuls of air.
“Anything worth shooting us over?” he continued after I still hadn’t answered, his breath matching mine.
“Mainly he talked about me and Mom. You. Various finds he’d had.”
“And King Solomon’s treasure?”
I shrugged. “He was obsessed. Of course he wrote about his theories.”
Easton raked his fingers through his hair, gripping his hat in one hand. “Specific theories?”
I stretched my quads and shook out my limbs. “He focused a great deal on his belief that the treasure was scattered throughout the many natural caves in Israel in an attempt to throw off anyone hunting for it, as well as to keep it pristine and safe in the homeland.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Did he emphasize one range more than another?”
“He talked about the benefits of a cave near a large water source. One where the looters would have had time to make camp and stash the treasure properly, deep within a natural cave that would be hard for a passerby to spot.”
He sank to his knees, and the quick motion made me think he might pass out again. “Easton?”
“That’s his cave, Rain.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “He didn’t give coordinates—”
“The mention of the water narrows it down significantly.” He clenched his hands behind his neck. “We have to move. I have to get there first. Catch the evidence on film and lay claim to the full horde that is in there.” He jerked to standing, stomping forward on the path.
I chuckled.
He stopped in his tracks and craned his head around. “What could possibly be funny?”
“You don’t have to worry about Corrine finding any of that out.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked. “Clearly I do, since she has the journal now. She knew with how well-trained and desperate Harrison was to find the treasure, that he’d write it down, and that you would be the only one who would have the journal. I have no idea why she didn’t assume it’d been lost with him—that’s what I had thought—but she’s always been a cunning bitch. I don’t know what scares me more—how she figured out you had it, or what she’ll do with the information within it. No wonder she was prepared to kill us. If she gets there first, she’ll make history for uncovering the bulk of King Solomon’s treasure, when in reality, that honor should go to Harrison.”
“Did he find the bulk? I thought you two only found a few pieces.”
“It’s there. Harrison wasn’t wrong. We didn’t get time to bring in a full team.”
“And you don’t have one now, either.”
“No.” He sighed. “I have to have proof. Tangible proof in order to get the backing I need to run a full-scale excavation. And now we h
ave to hurry, or we’ll lose our chance.”
I gripped the straps of my pack. The thrill of the hunt and the exhilaration of the chase still pumped through my blood like liquid fire. The challenges this job had presented me with were overwhelming and incredible, and I was only slightly scared of how much I enjoyed it. Something had to be wrong with me, since this job had nearly killed me twice.
“Again, you don’t need to worry. At least not about the information. As for her knowing how I had it . . .” I sighed. “I’ve had offers on its purchase . . . it would only take a little digging to find out he left it to me before he died. Now, as to who would put the idea in her head that she needed it? I have no idea. Mainly the offered buyers were scholars, or other archeologists who wanted to use his notes on a past number of excavations.”
The muscle in his jaw ticked, and I smoothed my palm over it.
“Corrine can’t read Hebrew, can she?” I highly doubted it, with the way the woman seemed allergic to actual, good old-fashioned hard work, and it wasn’t the easiest of languages to learn to speak, let alone read, if it wasn’t your first.
“No. She butchers Italian, and she’s half that.”
“Then we’re fine.” My shoulders sank as I let my hand drop. “I am sad to lose that book, though, it hasn’t left my side in nine years.” The weight of the loss settled on my chest, not unbearable but definitely not pleasant. It was nothing compared to the actual loss of my father, though it had been the last piece of him I’d had. A hot rage bubbled in my stomach, churning a plot for revenge and retrieval after this gig was done.
“Harrison wrote in Hebrew?” Easton’s voice halted the fantasy of me driving Corrine deep into the African Bush and leaving her stranded there.
“Yes.”
“You can speak and read it?”
“Yes. I started studying it right after his death. I had to if I ever wanted to know what he’d written on the pages where he didn’t use English.”
A sly grin shaped Easton’s mouth as he looked at the sky and nodded. “Clever as always.”
I followed his eyes to the bright-blue sky above us, and my heart ached. I missed talking to Dad, missed his passion for each location he’d carted us to, but I also missed the way my life had been when he was alive. It’d been full, and it had included Easton. That portion of the ache was on the edge of disappearing, if only he’d let me in again. I was sure if he did, we could get past whatever had forced us apart in the first place. My heart dared to hope for the future, but I continued to shoot it down with a strong dose of reality—not every wound could be healed.
“Come on,” I said, nudging him. “We should still keep at it. You dropped the last of your water in the cave.”
“True.” He picked up his pace, the silence settling over us as I assumed he reflected on our past, and the future that he’d robbed us of.
“How far do we have?” I asked, unable to stay trapped in my own thoughts anymore.
“Half a day after we make camp tonight.”
“Wonderful.”
“And it should only take me a day to locate where the majority of the treasure is stored. After that, it’ll be a two-day hike back. Barring any more obstacles, you’ll soon be on a plane headed back to your life.”
The finality of the plan struck me, and my stomach dropped. Even after last night, the past few days, he still wanted to go separate ways? I shook my head. I had to get through to him. I knew he hadn’t lied when he’d spoken to me with such passion last night, but I didn’t have a clue what kept his heart in chains, or how to break them. I only prayed I had enough time to do it.
“Oh, now this is a real find!” Easton’s enthusiasm showed in his face and tone as he looked directly at the handheld I’d retrieved from my pack once we laid eyes on the concrete structure before us. He pointed at it. “This is one of the abandoned Israeli military bunkers used in the Yom Kippur War in 1973.” He turned his head left and right, scanning the area around us before bringing his attention back to the camera. “The path we’ve taken is dangerously close to Golan Heights, where military still actively patrol the border, keeping an eye on Syria, which is only a breath away. We’re basically playing hopscotch with the ceasefire lines that have been established since the civil war between them. Honestly, if we get caught out here on the wrong side of a line I can’t see, it would be really, really bad news.”
He took a deep breath and slipped downward into the bunker’s opening. The thing had been built right into a chunk of the mountain, mostly concealing its location but not entirely. He motioned me toward him.
“Nothing but three walls and a roof of solid rock, but when you’re alone and stranded in dangerous terrain like this, it’s a real treat. This will serve as a perfect shelter for camp tonight, protecting us from the harsh winds that whip through this mountain range, and will help guard us from the insects and wild animals that roam these ranges.” He reached around to his back pocket. “And,” he said, unpeeling the banana he’d plucked off the tree growing naturally just outside of the bunker, “I’ve hit the lottery with this one.” He sank his teeth into the fruit, devouring the thing in a matter of bites. It was his third one, and somewhere in the back of my head I knew I should tell him to slow down, but I didn’t want to ruin the great run he was on. “Finding naturally growing bananas in Israel is probably the last thing you expected, but it isn’t as uncommon as you’d think. Fields of these are grown here, offering another sustaining commodity alongside the ever-popular dates. And when you’re in need of an energy boost, not to mention hydration, a banana is one of the absolute best finds you can come across. The location of the bunker in range of the tree could be completely coincidental, but I highly doubt it.”
I carefully stepped down to join him, trailing the camera along the small chamberlike structure, and finished the shot pointing at the view from the entrance—wide, open horizon, a gorgeous dark-blue sky, and the tips of faraway mountains in the distance.
Shutting the high-definition camera down, I turned toward Easton. “That was spectacular. You’re extremely passionate when talking about how dangerous this all is.”
He chuckled. “That’s what the viewers live for. Experiencing something so far outside the safety of their own homes.”
“Right. Nothing like watching someone suffer while sunk into a nice, comfy bed . . . sofa.” I tried to correct the slip of tongue, but the smirk only deepened on his face. I turned away from him, trying to hide my blush at getting caught in a lie.
He forced his face into my view. “Wait, how do you know I suffer? You said you never watched my show. And you watch it in bed? That’s fucking hot.”
I shook my head quickly. “I . . . don’t . . .” The words had to be forced out of my mouth.
“Don’t lie. I can see it all over your face.” He tipped my chin up with his fingers. “You missed me.”
I swallowed hard. “Of course I did. Why wouldn’t I?”
He let go of my chin and took a step backward, having to hunch so his head wouldn’t hit the ceiling of the small bunker. “I assumed you’d hate me.”
I scanned his face as his eyes focused on the floor. “Don’t you mean you planned it that way?”
His eyes snapped to mine. “What do you mean?”
I broke the distance he’d put between us, taking his hands in mine. “You pushed me away on purpose. You still are. Why?” His breathing quickened as I moved one of my hands from his, trailing it up his muscled forearm, bicep, and finally placed it over the center of his chest. “Tell me.”
His lips were a forced, straight line as he shook his head. “I can’t.” He gently removed my hat in order to finger the strands of my hair.
“Why?” I asked again, not bothering to try to hide the desperate plea in my voice. “I have to know, Easton. If nothing else ever happens between us, please, at least give me a reason.”
“I can’t, Raindrop. I want to. I do. I never thought I’d say that to you . . . but I do. It just can’t
be today.”
“When?” I asked, needing something to go on. The energy between us had grown so charged that I didn’t know how much longer my heart could take the battle between knowing what it needed to protect me from and knowing what it wanted more than anything else in the world.
He sighed and took his hat off, then clenched his eyes shut and pressed his forehead against mine. “Soon. Once we finish this excavation. Can you give me until then? I know I don’t deserve it—”
I cut him off with my lips, parting his with my tongue. I took his kiss, flicking the roof of his mouth until he groaned. I pulled away from him to catch my breath. “Whatever it is, I don’t care. I only want the truth.”
He didn’t respond in any way other than yanking my body so it was flush with his and kissing me so hard my lips burned. I jerked my pack off my back and tossed it gently to the side, it hitting the concrete wall with a loud scratch. Our hurried breaths filled the small space as he spun me, forcing my back against one of the walls, pinning me with his hard body. I gasped, the sensation of his hardness against my center so sweet I shamelessly ground against him. He slipped his hands underneath my shirt, their rough texture contrasting with the smoothness of my stomach and raising chills over every inch of skin he touched.
“Wait,” I said, breathing deep as I broke our kiss.
He groaned. “I’ve waited almost a decade to taste you again.”
“This can’t be smart. You’re still dehydrated and—”
“I’m perfectly replenished,” he interrupted. “I’ve drank water, eaten protein, and just inhaled three bananas. Trust me, I’d know if I wasn’t fit to task. And I’m more than fit.”
His words were enough for my body, which blazed at his declaration. The darkness in his eyes deepened as he pulled off my shirt, tossing it on top of my pack. Once he’d removed my bra, he exhaled at the sight of my breasts, and my nipples hardened as he took one in his mouth, rolling his tongue over the tip. He gently bit it, and I hissed and arched against him with need. He kissed his way back up to my lips.