Return to Dark Earth

by Anna Hackett

  Niklas turned over two cups and poured the tea from the pot. Fragrant steam filled the air. He pulled one cup closer and pushed the other one in her direction. She shot him a wry smile and breathed deep. She caught the scent of berries and citrus oil.

  Then, she noted movement at the edge of the room.

  The man had never left. Instead, he was pulling out a disruptor pistol and sneaking up behind Niklas.

  Gunn.

  She should have recognized him, even wearing that ill-fitting uniform. God, Niklas messed with her senses. She rose, pulling out three of her shuriken throwing stars.

  Niklas was staring at the documents again, completely oblivious.

  Gunn got closer, raising the pistol. Nera’s hand tightened on the throwing star.

  Suddenly Niklas moved. Fast. He spun, shoving his chair back into Gunn. Gunn stumbled and Niklas landed a hard punch to the man’s face. Gunn hit the floor, and a second later, Niklas pressed the chair over the downed treasure hunter. One chair leg was pressed against Gunn’s throat, making him choke and splutter.

  “Attacking from behind,” Niklas said, his voice calm and controlled. “Why am I not surprised?”

  “Fuck you, Phoenix.”

  “Ah, and there’s that sparkling intellect of yours.” Niklas pulled the chair back and set it back at the desk. “Get out of here.”

  Gunn rose and Nera saw his hands flexing, forming fists. Niklas was already turning away when Gunn let out a short roar and ran at him.

  Gunn rammed into Niklas, driving them into the wall.

  Nera had had enough. She shimmered out of her camouflage and tossed the shurikens in quick succession.

  “What the hell?” Niklas fought against the two throwing stars pinning his shirt to the wall. He shot her an angry glare.

  She ignored him and focused on Gunn. He was cradling his hand. Her third shuriken was lodged in his palm. Blood flowed down his arm.

  “You nearly cut my thumb off!” he yelled.

  “Just be grateful I didn’t slice it off…like I did your finger.” Nera walked toward him and reached over her shoulder. She pulled her Tauvi sword from its scabbard on her back. It looked like a black baton…until she shook it and the long, silver blade extended.

  She had the pleasure of seeing every drop of color drain from Gunn’s face. She held the tip of the blade to the man’s throat.

  “If I see you attack anyone on our team again, I’ll gut you.” She let the blade kiss his skin before moving it downward. She sliced two buttons off his shirt and let the point rest against his belly. He gasped and she took a step closer, the sword end putting uncomfortable pressure on him. “And if I see you come after Phoenix again, I’ll hurt you so badly, you’ll be sobbing for me to kill you.”

  A large drop of sweat rolled down Gunn’s forehead and down his scruffy cheek. “You his guard dog, then?”

  “No. But if anyone is going to cause him pain, it’ll be me.” She stepped back and lowered her sword.

  Gunn stared at her for a second before he dropped his gaze. Muttering, he stalked out.

  Nera strode over to Niklas and yanked one star out. Niklas poked a finger through the hole in his shirt and shook his head. “I had it under control.”

  This close to him, she smelled his scent. That dark, masculine essence that she found intoxicating. “Gunn doesn’t like you.”

  Niklas snorted. “He hates you more.”

  “But he’s scared of me.” She pulled the second star out.

  “And he underestimates me.” Niklas grabbed her arm. “I did have it under control, Nera. I’m hardly helpless.”

  Oh, she was very aware of that. “You shouldn’t underestimate Gunn, either. He may not be smart, but he’s mean, and you aren’t.”

  “And you?” Niklas said.

  She lifted the star to his neck, and pricked his skin. “I’m the meanest of all.”

  He reached up, closing his hand over the star. He leaned closer to her, which pushed the star harder against his skin. His lips came very close to hers. Just a few short centimeters that could be crossed in one tiny movement.

  “I seem to find your brand of mean attractive.”

  Her stomach clenched and she felt a low, warm heat inside. “Maybe you aren’t as intelligent as I thought you were.”

  His blue eyes burned with an intensity that threatened to steal her breath. “I will have you, Nera. We both know it’s coming.”

  Her heart was beating so hard it hurt. “No.”

  He leaned in another centimeter, his breath brushing over her lips. “You’ll scream my name.”

  Nera had to work hard to keep her voice cool, controlled. “I thought you were the least arrogant of your brothers. Clearly, I was wrong.” She hid her shaking hand by her side.

  He stepped back and she gratefully pulled in a breath.

  “I have a proposition for you.”

  She looked up, her pulse tripping. “Niklas—”

  “I suggest we team up. Work together.”

  Oh. “I’m not into teamwork.”

  “Just for this mission to Earth. You watch my back, and I watch yours.”

  She’d already planned on watching his back…and very fine ass. “I see the benefit in that. I don’t have any friends on this ship.” She didn’t have any friends, full stop.

  He extended a hand. “Shall we make it official?”

  She shook it and let a frisson of something hot and electric skitter up her arm. With his palm pressed against hers, she felt the calluses on his hand, the warmth of him.

  Now she raised a brow. “Are you going to let go of my hand?”

  He pressed his thumb against her pulse point. “Your skin is so much softer than I imagined.”

  Her lips parted a little, and she tried to pull her hand back, but he held fast. “My skin isn’t relevant to the deal.”

  “No, but I still plan to explore it.” He pulled her closer, until her chest brushed his.

  “No.”

  “Let me in, Nera.”

  She swallowed. “I…I can’t.”

  Frustration crossed his face. “Dammit, I don’t want to hurt you.” The words burst out of him.

  Seeing his control snap made her belly clench.

  “I want to get to know you, Nera.” His fingers flexed on her skin. “I want to pleasure you.”

  She dredged up some much-needed willpower from somewhere. “A business partnership, Phoenix. I’ll watch your back, you’ll watch mine. That’s it.”

  He scowled. “And if I want more?”

  Nera stepped away from him. He was asking for the impossible. It was time for her to go. “I don’t have more to offer.”

  Chapter Five

  Nik stepped out of his cabin, gritty eyed. He’d slept like shit, haunted by sexy dreams of a dangerous and out-of-reach woman.

  He strode down the corridor, intent on taking more of a look around the ship. He knew they’d docked at Enterprise Station during the night. He’d visited there once or twice. It was a nice, neat space station that existed mainly for trade. It had good security and clean, sparse corridors. It lacked the rustic charm of some of the space stations closer to the galaxy’s edge. And it had none of the danger of the truly wild ones like Galaxy’s Edge.

  He watched the Institute crew bustle around, in their neatly pressed uniforms. He felt a pang of something akin to regret. When he’d first joined the Institute as a teenager, hungry for knowledge and with a huge thirst to learn, he’d loved being a part of something bigger than himself.

  Then he’d uncovered the dirty little secrets some of the people he’d respected were hiding. He shook his head. It was sad what some people would do for money.

  He paused on the mezzanine level above the cargo bays. The large cargo door into the station was open. People hurried in and out, some operating small cargo lifts, carrying pallets of goods, while others wore powered exosuits with mechanical arms for heavy lifting. Stacks and stacks of goods and supplies sat in neat rows. Avr
il certainly wasn’t short on money for this expedition.

  “Sleep well?”

  Like she’d stepped from his dreams, Nera appeared beside him, her impassive gaze on the controlled chaos below.

  “Not really.” She was in another all-in-one suit, black, that hugged every one of her slim curves.

  She leaned a hip against the railing. “Nightmares about Gunn?”

  “No. Dreams about you.”

  Her head swung back to him, her multi-colored eyes assessing. Then she turned back to the work below. “It appears they’re almost finished with the loading. I’d guess we’ll be underway soon.”

  Frustration choked Nik. Nera wasn’t a coward. If she kept dodging him, she had reasons. Deep, dark ones he’d only guessed at. He focused back on the movement. He noted rations, weapons and stacks of parts. All standard supplies. Then he frowned. “Are those containment boxes?”

  Against the far wall were four large, reinforced boxes. They were heavy duty, with an electrical containment system built into them. He’d seen them used by animal hunters who captured exotic alien wildlife.

  “They do look like containment boxes.” Nera stared at them. “Perhaps for storing the artifacts?”

  “Yeah.” They could have been modified to be safe storage for artifacts.

  But containment boxes kept things in, not people out.

  A siren started wailing, and the large outer doors began to rumble closed. The crew was now busy securing the supplies on the deck with mag locks.

  “Dr. Phoenix?”

  Avril’s voice drifted up from below. He spied the astro-archeologist waving from the cargo area. He lifted a hand in return.

  “We’re ready to get underway.” She ran a hand over her ponytail. “And thank you for your well-thought-out suggestions for the hunt. I’ve assessed everything and think we have a very good plan of attack.” Her gaze slid to Nera, her face taking on a slightly pinched look. “Ms. Darc, your input was valuable as well.” She smiled back at Nik. “See you on the bridge shortly.” She bounced away.

  “She’s attracted to you,” Nera said.

  Nik turned his head. “Huh?”

  “Dr. Sickly Sweet.”

  He grunted. He didn’t really give a crap about Dr. Luma-Smythe. She seemed nice and competent, but best of all, she seemed to truly care about history and wasn’t a part of the darker muck of the Institute. “We should head to the bridge.”

  Nera pushed away from the railing with a nod.

  They navigated the corridors together. He was surprised to find the silence wasn’t charged. In fact, it felt kind of companionable.

  They entered the bridge. It was large and spacious. Two tiers of curved desks with high-tech comp screens were manned by an efficient crew consisting of a mix of humans and alien species. Everyone was busy with pre-flight preparations, making ready to push back from the space station.

  Nik spotted Solomon lounging in a chair at the back. The young man gave them a nod as they joined him.

  “Pretty nice ship,” the young treasure hunter said.

  “It is.” Nik sat down. “What lured you onto this hunt, Jonas? You usually prefer working solo.”

  Solomon grinned. “The chance to make a name for myself.” He looked back at the busy bridge. “I’m planning to find some awesome old Earth treasures this trip. I’ll be the best treasure hunter in the galaxy.”

  Nik stifled a smile. Jesus, the kid made him feel old.

  “You have to knock Dathan Phoenix off that perch,” Nera said drily. “Followed by Niklas and Zayn, not to mention myself.” She crossed her long legs. “You have a ways to go yet.”

  Solomon’s eyes glinted. “I’ll get there.”

  “Great, you made it.” Avril hurried by. “We’re just about to get under way, so strap in.”

  “How far to the bridge portal?” Nik asked.

  “Not far. Twenty minutes at most.” With a nod, she moved down to talk with some of the crew.

  Nik strapped in and noted Nera did the same, although she sat on the edge of her seat, like she was ready to jump up, if required. He wondered if she ever truly relaxed.

  “Prepare to take us out, Commander Da’Gon,” the captain said. She was a tall woman with dark skin and curly hair she’d tamed back into a braid. Nik hadn’t met her, but he’d heard good things about her skills as a captain.

  Solomon leaned forward. “So, what do you think, Phoenix? You think we’ll really find anything there? On Earth.”

  Nik shrugged. “Maybe. Maybe not.” But they had to try, had to see for themselves. “And call me Nik.”

  Solomon nodded. “I really hope we find something big.” Barely contained excitement flared in his voice.

  God, the kid reminded him of a young Dathan, bursting with the need to prove himself. Hell, Nik had been the same—he’d just been better at hiding it. Although he’d dreamed of making a name for himself at the Institute, not as one of the galaxy’s most notorious treasure hunters.

  He glanced at Nera, sitting so still, so straight. What had she dreamed of when she was young? And what did she want now?

  “Bridge portal in visual range,” someone called out.

  Nik leaned forward, studying the viewscreen. He spotted a glimmer of silver, just a little bigger than a star. As they flew closer, it grew, until he saw the portal. It looked like a funnel made of shimmering, energetic silver. The large, circular mouth of the portal tapered away to nothing. He knew that it was a natural formation but that markers embedded in the mouth by the Galactic Engineering Division held the portal open and steady for ships to travel through.

  Then Nik noticed the two massive starships flanking the portal. Both bore Institute markings, and were decked out with an impressive array of weapons. He frowned. Obviously they were protecting their new asset. He really wanted to believe they were ensuring the safety of the galaxy’s history…but he knew better.

  The bridge portal loomed above the ship. “This distortion just…appeared?” he asked. “Leading straight to Earth.” It seemed too impossible.

  Avril gave him a smile. “Amazing, isn’t it? Here we go.”

  Nik noticed Nera gripping the edge of her seat. He leaned over, his voice pitched so only she would hear. “Never crossed a bridge?”

  “No.”

  “Nothing to worry about.”

  “Except if any of these people I don’t know mess up and we end up bridge fodder.”

  He patted her hand, pleased when she didn’t shrug him away. “Sometimes a little trust goes a long way.”

  She made a noise in the back of her throat and glanced up…just as the ship slipped through the portal and smoothly onto the Sol Bridge.

  There was a happy murmur from the bridge crew. The viewscreen showed a steady stream of silver outside the ship, as though they were passing through metallic rain.

  “Okay, everyone,” Avril said. “In two days, we’ll reach Earth. I’ve assessed all of the proposals, and as per Nik’s suggestions, we’ll start in the ruins of New York. We’ve sent probes through to Earth, but radioactive interference has made getting reliable intel problematic.”

  “How are we going to survive on the surface?” Solomon asked. “Can you vaccinate us?”

  Avril shook her head. “Due to the nature of the radiation, we can only treat it after you’ve been exposed. Depending on the location on the planet and the radiation levels, the exposure times will vary. After you reach the limit, you have to get back to the ship and receive the antidote.”

  Nik didn’t like the sound of that. “You’re saying that if something goes wrong on the planet, if we stay on the surface too long, we’ll die.”

  “It is of prime importance you do not stay on the planet longer than the exposure time and receive your treatment.”

  “Can we take the shots with us to the surface?” Nera asked.

  “You could, but it won’t help. You need to be away from the exposure source for the treatment to successfully remove the radiation from you
r system.”

  Great. Nik frowned. If there was one thing he knew about treasure hunts, it was that the unexpected always happened. And despite precision planning, things often went wrong.

  “So, after New York, we’ll head south. Both Mr. Solomon and Ms. Darc made some good suggestions. We’ll make for New Mexico City in what was the country of Mexico. It was an area rich in ancient history in Terran times, with some world-class museums. There have always been rumors some of the museums were not evacuated, and it is quite possible that some artifacts remain in place.”

  Mexico. Nik had studied what he could on the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. Unfortunately, so many records had been lost, and he only had tiny jumbled and damaged bits and pieces about the vast pyramids and complexes they’d built. To see anything of their historical artifacts would be amazing.

  Avril clapped her hands together. “So, ladies and gentlemen, as of this moment, you have two days to rest, relax, research and prepare. As soon as we hit Earth, it’ll be go time.”

  ***

  Nera was starting to like the library. She was watching Niklas working—it was becoming a favorite pastime—but this time, she wasn’t wearing her camouflage. She flicked through her own book, every now and then looking up to watch him mutter about something, grunt when he found something interesting, or let out a long breath when he didn’t find what he was looking for.

  She’d also spent some time trailing Gunn. An unpleasant task, but if he hurt Niklas, if he even breathed too close to Niklas, she’d gut him.

  “What are you reading?”

  She glanced up and saw Niklas watching her.

  “The Lost Treasures of Earth,” she said.

  He nodded. “A good read. Dr. Dalzarro is a bit prone to hyperbole.”

  She knew. “I was reading about the Lost Inca Gold.”

  “An interesting legend. But I think it was just that, a legend. And certainly exaggerated.”

  “A treasure hunter who doesn’t believe in a lost treasure?”

  He tilted his head. “You only go after verified treasures. I don’t see you chasing the Lost Treasure of Hesperia or the Hoard of Ramun-dal.”

  “And I never searched for the lost colony of Star’s End.”