“I’m serious,” Brigit insisted.
Rachel snorted and Jac snickered. She knew Jac didn’t believe in those kinds of things any more than she did, but Rachel picked up the newspaper clipping and glanced at it before tucking the horoscope into her purse, so that she didn’t hurt Brigit’s feelings.
“Well?” Brigit glared.
“Thanks, girlfriend. I’ll take the fact I’m going to meet a handsome man from a far away land into consideration.” Rachel glanced at Jac, who seemed to be trying desperately not to crack a smile.
“Did you read the bottom?”
Rachel sighed and met Brigit’s gaze. “I read that ‘trouble may come if I choose to travel’, but it’s not going to stop me from going. If I used my horoscope to determine my movements, I wouldn’t leave the house.”
Brigit shook her head and sighed. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She took a big sip of tea, and the loud sucking sound caused people at nearby tables to turn and stare.
Brigit cocked her head and glared at the strangers’ faces until they turned away. When her attention came back to the table, she changed the subject. “What hotel are you staying at?”
Rachel giggled behind her napkin at her friend’s question. “There are no hotels where I’m going.”
Brigit’s jaw dropped. “Then where are you going to sleep? A cottage or something?”
“Nope. A tent.”
“A tent!” rang out in unison as her friends’ voices converged.
“You’ve never been camping a day in your life!” The color drained from Jac’s usual creamy features. “I thought you’d be staying in a village hut or something.”
Brigit was aghast. “B-But there are bugs in the jungle and snakes and goodness knows what all.”
“You guys.” Rachel held up her hand to silence their verbal assault. “I realize that I may not have much experience in the field…”
Jac’s brow arched. “Did you take an extension course that we don’t know about?”
“Okay, no field experience.” Rachel glanced at Jac and then down at her salad. “But I have waited my whole life for an opportunity like this, and I’m not about to let it pass me by. You know that if I can make a discovery of any kind while I’m there, then Dr. Rumsinger won’t be able to block my promotion.”
“That bastard is just stringing you along,” Jac muttered. “There’s no way he’s going to sign off on your promotion no matter what you find.”
Rachel’s chin shot up in determination. “That’s why I’m going down there.” She clenched her fork to shore up her courage. “The last thing Rumsinger wants is to draw the attention of the board of directors. If I find something, I’ll take it directly to the board if I have to. This is my chance to outmaneuver the slippery bastard.”
“I don’t know, Rachel.” Jac shook her head. “It seems like an awfully big risk for the possibility of no returns. We don’t want to see you get hurt.” She looked to Brigit, who nodded her head in agreement.
Rachel was Jac’s pet project. She’d taken Rachel under her wing and had shown her the ropes of socializing and corporate climbing in New York. Rachel hadn’t excelled at either, but Jac still remained her staunchest supporter and fiercest protector.
From the outside, Jac had it all. The fact that she was a five-foot eleven, ice blond with riveting blue eyes just made her an even more intimidating corporate attorney. Rachel was five-foot four in heels and had a few too many curves for today’s fashion conscious society. If Jac was Vogue magazine, then Rachel, with her curly brown hair and her hazel eyes, was Home and Garden.
Jac ate men for breakfast, lunch and dinner in her personal life and professionally. She had enough guts to take on an army and win, but Rachel didn’t. To Jac, men were toys to be fucked and forgotten, unless they amused her, in which case they normally lasted a week or two. Her heart lay behind well-protected barricades.
Rachel wasn’t a doormat, but she couldn’t intimidate a fly. That’s why it had taken her months to break up with Brad. Months of heartache she could’ve done without. Like Brad, her boss, Dr. Rumsinger had been giving her the runaround about her promotion. He put her off repeatedly, telling her that he was working on it, when in fact he’d done nothing. Rachel knew the only way to change things was to go on this expedition.
“Reconsider,” Jac said. “There has to be another way, a better way to get around Rumsinger.”
“There isn’t,” Rachel said. “Believe me, I’ve tried everything. This is my best shot, my only shot if I want that promotion. And you guys know how desperately I want that promotion. I’ve earned it.”
“I could draw up a discrimination lawsuit,” Jac said.
“No!” Rachel said. “I’d lose my promotion for good and most likely my job. It and you guys are the only reasons I have to stay in the city. It’s not like I’ve got family holding me here. I love what I do. I’d like to continue doing it.”
Most people could never understand why they’d remained friends, but Rachel knew the real Jac. The Jaclyn Patricia Ward who showed up with chicken soup and a good chick flick when Rachel was sick. The one who sent Rachel flowers if she had a stinker of a date, which wasn’t often since she’d sworn off dating a couple years ago. The one who admitted deep down that she was just as lonely as Rachel.
Rachel loved Jac like the sister she never had. It was that love that made her take a different tack. “Brigit, remember when everyone told you that you couldn’t break into clothing design without a degree? Who encouraged you to go for it?”
Her delicate features pinched, Brigit stared for what felt like forever, before nodding begrudgingly. “You did.”
Rachel released the breath she’d been holding and turned to Jac’s cool gaze. “When you thought you were unprepared to take on the Hiro Corporation as head negotiator in the merger, what did I tell you, Jac?”
“That I’m the ballsiest broad you know and that I could negotiate a boat from a drowning man.” Jac ran a trembling hand through her cropped blond locks. Her hair fell back in place.
“And you did.” Rachel paused and looked from Jac’s blue eyes to Brigit’s green. “You both did. Now it’s my turn.” Her voice pleaded for understanding.
Jac sighed, a wistful sound that seemed unnatural coming from her. “I’m sorry. You’re right. We should be more understanding, but I just don’t get why they need you.” She took a sip of tea, then patted the side of her mouth with a linen napkin without mussing her blood red lipstick.
With a shrug, Rachel replied, “You know I specialize in ancient languages, among other things. The point of this expedition is to try to locate a mysterious ‘lost tribe’ that the natives in the area fear. If we succeed, then it wouldn’t hurt to have someone along who might be able to communicate with them. That’s where I come in.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Personally, I think the stories about the ‘lost tribe’ are nonsense. No one from the outside has ever encountered them or seen signs that they exist. I suspect it’s just superstition that has been passed down from generation to generation.”
“So if you don’t believe that they’re real, then why go?” Brigit asked.
“I’m hoping to discover a new species while I’m down there or stumble across an artifact.” Rachel took a sip of tea and giggled before adding, “I’m sure it pissed Donald off big time to have the board of directors order him to take me along, seeing as this is his pet project.”
Jac snorted. “Why did they agree?”
“Because I bugged them until they said yes,” Rachel said. “I learned that from you, Jac.”
Jac’s lips twitched in amusement.
Brigit’s head bobbed in approval. “So you’re like ‘DATA’ or ‘C3PO’?” She picked up her sandwich, turning it around and around, examining every angle as if to decide which spot was best to bite.
Rachel laughed. “Leave it to a sci-fi junkie to make that warped analogy.”
“What about safety precautions? What if you get hurt?”
Brigit’s eyes rounded, concern showing in their green depths. “If I understand you correctly the area you’re going into hasn’t been well explored.”
Rachel nodded. “It is definitely remote, but we’ll have several armed guides with us. And the surrounding areas have been mapped and cataloged. Most of them anyway.” She pulled out her guidebook to show them.
Jac snatched it from her hands and thumbed through the pages. “This only talks about the animals and plants indigenous to the area.” Her gaze bored holes in Rachel. “Are you going to carry a gun?”
Rachel nodded. “I’ve been told it is mandatory, due to unknown factors.”
“What unknown factors?” Brigit’s brow furrowed. She put her egg salad sandwich back down on the plate. “A minute ago, you implied it was safe.”
“It is safe. Well, as safe as any jungle can be.” Rachel couldn’t hold back the sarcasm. “As for the unknown factors, if I knew, then they wouldn’t be unknown, now would they?”
“Hey don’t take that tone with me,” Brigit snapped, her voice rising with each word. “You’re the one who’s decided to go gallivanting off into the jungle unprepared.”
Rachel blew out a breath in frustration. “I won’t be unprepared. We’ll have first-aid kits and radios, in case we need to call for help.” She didn’t bother telling them that radios seemed to pick up weird interference when near the area, which made broadcasting spotty at best. “I’m even going to bring my new satellite cellphone with built in GPS. Hopefully it’ll work.”
“What do you mean by ‘hopefully’?” Jac asked.
Rachel shifted in her seat. “Nothing, really.”
“Rachel,” Brigit said, drawing out her name.
She rolled her shoulders. “The electronic readings in the area are a little odd.”
“Define odd.” Jac’s voice pinched with pent up tension.
Rachel rubbed her neck. “It’s almost as if the area is a giant vortex. Kind of like the Bermuda Triangle, but on land.” She paused, her mind churning with possibilities. “Cool, huh?”
Jac and Brigit frowned. A waiter appeared and refilled their glasses.
Rachel waited for him to leave before she continued. “To be honest, the readings have been off the charts. It’s possible there is an untapped energy source that exists in the heart of the rainforest. It would be the discovery of a lifetime if I could locate its source.”
Brigit stared at her. “I thought you were looking to discover a new species or the lost tribe.”
Rachel sighed. “I’ll take any of them at this point.”
“What about the terrain?” Jac asked.
“There are mountains on one side, sheer cliffs on the other, plus a treacherous river that snakes through the area, effectively cutting off the only traversable entrance.” Rachel grinned as she imagined what the area would look like once she arrived. The photos only gave a minimal idea of the vast expanse. “Oh, and let’s not forget the jungle. We really don’t know what we’ll find until we get there. Heck, it’ll take three days just to hike in.”
Brigit’s face lost all color. “You’re going to hike?”
“I realize I’m not a tri-athlete like Jac, but I’m not in too bad of shape.” Rachel shrugged. “Besides you’re one to talk, Brigit. Your idea of a walk is the distance it takes to cross the sidewalk to get to the cab door.”
Both women stared at her as if she had a third eye in the center of her forehead. Rachel had meant to lose those last ten pounds months ago, but excuses and Ben and Jerry’s got in the way.
The friends ate the rest of their lunch in silence, each left to her own thoughts. Rachel knew she was doing what was right for her. She’d thought by having this lunch that she’d be able to ease her friends’ minds and garner their support. Instead, it had backfired. They were now more worried than ever.
Not that she blamed them. If things were reversed, she’d be just as concerned for their welfare.
“If we’d have known we could have gotten you a going away present.” Jac grumbled, glancing at Brigit, who nodded.
Expelling a long breath, Rachel pulled out a couple of scraps of paper and a pen from her purse, scrawling while she spoke. “Listen, guys. I want you both to have this number—it’s my new cell. Don’t worry. I’ll be back in three weeks tops. I promise I’ll call when I get there. If you like I’ll check in every week.” She grabbed both their hands, shoving the paper in their palms while giving them a quick squeeze. “So, if you don’t hear from me in a week, send in the marines.” Rachel laughed at her own joke. “Or you could come, Jac,” she continued. “You had that SEAL training from your dad. I wish I’d—”
Jac frowned, her blue eyes clouding with pain from long ago memories.
Crap, why did I say that? Rachel thought. “I’m sorry…you know I didn’t mean—”
“Forget about it. I already have.” Jac’s face resumed its normal flawless mask.
Rachel rubbed her temple, attempting to ease the tension that had taken up residence there. She could just kick herself for being so insensitive. Even after all these years, Jac still had a difficult time dealing with her father’s death.
The women were silent as they tucked the papers into their purses. Rachel hated upsetting her friends; they were the closest thing to family she had. If it wasn’t for Brigit and Jac, she’d have nothing to return to once the expedition ended.
A cold feeling brushed along Rachel’s spine and over her shoulders, as if someone had just walked over her grave. She shivered and rubbed her arms, deciding it was better to keep that little sensation to herself.
* * * * *
Chapter Two
Rachel stared out the tiny plane window. Dirt and bugs were smashed to an even yellow colored paste against the pane.
Through the grunge, snow-capped mountains rose in the distance, their height imposing even from the current altitude. A muddy river wound its way through the jungle alongside a set of sheer cliffs. The rock face was so steep and brittle even the best climbers wouldn’t be able to manage scaling its heights.
The turboprop plane swooped over the jungle canopy after circling a dirt strip that passed for a runway. The cleared patch didn’t look wide enough to accommodate the plane’s wingspan, much less the rest of the aircraft. The endless sea of green managed to dwarf everything, including the tiny runway ahead.
Rachel tightened her seatbelt to the point of pain. The small airplane dipped and her stomach lurched and rolled violently. Her mouth watered as the nausea returned. Three hours earlier the turbulence had caused her to lose what little lunch she’d been able to eat.
The plane dropped and within seconds they were level with the treetops. Rachel’s heart remained up with the clouds. She started to pray, reciting Hail Mary’s even though she wasn’t Catholic.
Twin engines sputtered and the right wing dipped dangerously toward the primitive landing strip. The pilot pulled the nose up at the last second and slammed the wheels down. The jarring sensation rattled Rachel’s teeth. She probably wouldn’t be able to chew solid food again. “Thank God, we made it,” she mumbled, understanding now why some people kissed the ground when a flight ended. After this wild ride, she’d seriously consider other modes of transportation in the future.
She glanced out the tiny window as the dirt runway continued to rush past. By her calculations, the team should have already been here for five days. She had traveled the furthest since the Professor had left from a Chicago lecture, which meant she’d arrived last.
The plane halted, sending a cloud of swirling dust in its wake. Jet fumes flooded the main cabin, choking off the stale air.
She coughed, waving her hand in front of her face.
Rachel’s fingers trembled as she unfastened her seatbelt and stood on shaky legs. She had to hunch over in the aircraft, which was humorous, considering her height.
She grabbed her backpack, dragging it up the narrow aisle, and made her way to the open hatch. A crude step had been placed under t
he door by the pilot to ease her exit, but he had already vanished into the jungle.
Rachel looked down at the step and then back at her massive pack. How chivalrous of him.
She stepped off the aircraft into the thick sticky air. The musky scent of earth and flowers surrounded her, permeating every pore, alerting every sense. Her skin tingled. A kind of physical déjà vu spiraled through her, haunting the corners of her mind. Her hair instantly frizzed and clung to her neck like a wet blanket.
Man, I thought Central Park in July was bad.
Searching through her pack, she pulled out a ponytail holder and secured the mop of hair on her head in a half-knot.
Much better.
Rachel shielded her eyes against the sunlight glittering off the silver aircraft. She reached into her shirt pocket and retrieved her sunglasses, slipping them on to fight the midday glare. Lifting her pack onto her shoulder, she hiked a short distance toward what appeared to be base camp. Her boots made soft sucking noises in the moist dirt.
Rachel had walked a few feet when the hair clinging to her nape stood on end. She swung around, expecting to see someone standing behind her.
No one was there.
Muscles tense, she surveyed the area beyond the aircraft, taking in the dense rainforest. The light didn’t seem to penetrate its imposing façade. Her gaze darted along the edge of the vegetation, searching for any sign of movement—a stray monkey or sloth—anything to justify her sudden awareness.
Come on city girl, get it together.
She shook her head and continued on.
* * * * *
Eros watched the woman exit the silver plane, his eyes lingering on the rounded curves of her hips and voluptuous breasts that begged for his touch. Would her nipples be like the ripe berries growing on the vines, red, tempting and oh so sweet? Or would they be lush and round like ripening fruit? His mouth nearly watered at the thought.
The prediction had been correct—the woman from the seer’s vision had finally arrived. He’d staked out the encampment for five days, but hadn’t spotted any females.
Atlantean's Quest Volume 1 Page 2