by Anna Hackett
Then her chest tightened, flutters taking up residence in her belly. She realized that he looked at her exactly the same way.
She turned to stare blindly at the temple, trying to contain the big emotions inside her. Giant stones were balanced on other upright stones, like lintels on a doorway.
Zach smoothed his hand over one of the rocks. “This feels almost warm. It’s amazing.”
“The rock looks a bit like the uncut diamonds.” She froze. Surely the temple wasn’t made of diamond?
Zach scratched a nail against the rock. “It’s not diamond, but I’ve never seen rock like it before.”
She looked around again. “This place feels…”
“Peaceful?”
“Yeah.”
They skirted some large rocks, heading toward the center of the space. There was a large, altar-like boulder, sitting in the very center.
And resting on top of it was a necklace.
They both froze, staring at it.
“Go on.” She nudged Zach.
He moved forward and reached for the necklace. He lifted it in his hands, and turned back toward her. It had a sturdy metal chain that had been tarnished by time. The pendant itself was a circle, made of what looked like gold, but it wasn’t tarnished at all. It looked like it had just been polished.
In the center of the pendant was a stone orb, made of the same milky-pink, translucent material as the temple around them.
“That was how the locals who found Luang Sri Wisan knew the amulet belonged here,” Zach said. He turned and grinned at her. “We found the Phaulkon amulet.”
“Congratulations, Dr. James.”
Sounds suddenly echoed around the cavern.
Morgan spun and lifted her gun. She heard the splash of water, and voices. Quickly, she waved Zach down and she ducked behind a massive stone.
She peered around it and saw Paris Wirth and her guards coming out of the water, all wearing dive gear.
Morgan ducked back. “Shit. It’s Wirth. Somehow she found us.”
Shots rang out, pinging off the large stones. She crawled over to Zach. “Keep your head down.
“I know you’re in here, Miss Kincaid, Dr. James.” Wirth’s voice rang in the space. “Unfortunately for you, we have trackers in our diving equipment. We followed you right here…to this amazing temple.”
Zach muttered a curse.
Morgan ground her teeth together. “I should have thought of that.”
More bullets ricocheted off the rocks nearby.
“I want that amulet,” Wirth called out.
Morgan popped up to take a shot. More bullets pinged, and she ducked back down.
Suddenly, Zach hissed out a breath. She turned, and saw a tear through his wet suit, on his bicep. There was blood.
He’d been shot. “Zach!”
He slapped a hand over it. “It’s just a graze. I can’t even feel it.”
Morgan looked around. Where could they go? Wirth and her team were blocking the way back to the water. And even if they could get there, they wouldn’t have time to steal dive gear.
Morgan was well aware that now that Wirth had found the temple, the woman had no reason to keep them alive.
“Back.” Morgan jabbed a finger toward the back of the temple. They scooted behind some other rocks, more gunfire sounding.
At the back of the cavern, behind the temple, there was an entrance to a tunnel in the rock. Her pulse spiked. “That could be a way out.”
“Or a dead end,” Zach said grimly.
They were edging toward the tunnel, when a strange noise rumbled out of the dark space. A deep-throated sound that made the hair on Morgan’s arms rise.
They both froze, and stared into the darkness. What the hell was down there?
Chapter Eighteen
Zach stared into the tunnel. Shadows were moving around in there. Big shadows.
Bullets ricocheted off the wall nearby, and Morgan returned fire.
“There’s something down there, Morgan.”
“I know. But the Silk Road guards are getting closer, Zach. We need to get out of here.”
“I think going down there would be a very bad idea.” They were caught between Silk Road, and whatever the hell was lurking in the darkness.
A volley of gunfire hit the wall above their heads. They both crouched low.
Zach caught a flash of movement from the tunnel. Something huge rushed out.
“Get down!” He tackled Morgan, rolling them out of the way.
Massive, dark shapes leaped over them.
Shocked screams filled the cavern. More gunfire and deep, explosive grunting noises, echoed deafeningly through the cavern. Then, there were thumping sounds, and some of the screams cut off.
“No!” Wirth’s higher-pitched scream. “No, stop!”
Zach lifted his head to peer around the pillar and saw…creatures.
They were leaping over the temple stones with ease, and attacking the Silk Road people. They looked like gorillas. They had large, powerful bodies, and black-and-gray fur. When they moved, they thumped their giant hands, or paws, down. He watched in horror, as one animal swung its arm and hit a guard. The guard’s body flew through the air, and smashed into a stone.
“Come on.” He grabbed Morgan’s hand, and pulled her away from the chaos. They moved right to the edge of the cavern, hiding in a pocket of darkness.
One of the giant creatures lifted up another guard, holding him high in the air. As the animal started to slam the screaming man down, Zach looked away.
Morgan was shaking her head, her eyes wide. “What the hell?”
“They’re giant lemurs,” Zach whispered.
Her eyes widened even more. “But they’re extinct.”
“Apparently not.”
“These animals don’t have tails, and they aren’t cute and friendly.”
“No.”
“I thought lemurs were vegetarian,” she said.
“I don’t think they are killing for hunger. They’re protecting their territory.”
The screams and gunfire were becoming sporadic now, punctuated by the grunts of the animals. Zach glanced around. They needed a better place to hide. His gaze landed on the water. “Morgan, we need to get into the water.”
She nodded and they carefully edged along the wall. They moved agonizingly slowly, not wanting to catch the attention of any of the creatures.
Zach and Morgan reached the water and slid in as quickly and quietly as possible. They sank down, until just their eyes and noses were above the water.
They had a perfect view of the frenzy.
Another guard slammed into a rock, accompanied by the macabre sound of bones snapping. Zach closed his eyes for a second and told himself not to feel sorry for those Silk Road bastards.
But still, he wasn’t sure anyone deserved a death like this.
The frenzy slowly died down. The creatures walked around, sniffing. All the Silk Road people had been dispatched. Zach could see Wirth’s slim leg sticking out from behind a pillar. She was motionless.
Then Morgan nudged Zach, nodding her head toward their original hiding place. One of the giant lemurs was sniffing along the wall where they’d secreted themselves. It was making its way toward the water.
“Fuck.” He tensed and grabbed Morgan’s hand.
The creature stopped near the water’s edge and lifted its gaze. It looked right at them, with large, yellow eyes.
It made some grunts and a chirping noise. The others crowded around it, all of them tense, energy pumping off them. All of them stared silently at Zach and Morgan in the water.
“I’ll attack them,” Morgan whispered. “You race through the temple and get to the tunnel at the back.”
He didn’t respond. He wasn’t leaving her to face these creatures alone.
Slowly, the two of them rose above the surface, water streaming off their bodies.
The
n the creatures tilted their heads and went still. Every pair of eyes was looking at Zach’s pocket. He glanced down. No. Not his pocket; they were looking at the amulet.
One by one, he watched the giant, muscular bodies relax, their aggression disappearing. A few even sat down, staring quietly at them.
What the hell? Zach looked at Morgan, and then back at the now docile giant lemurs.
***
Zach held up the Phaulkon amulet, understanding lighting his eyes. “The amulet is soothing them.”
Morgan had no idea how that was possible, but she lowered her gun. “All signs of aggression are gone.”
They all stood there, frozen in a strange tableau. Then slowly, one by one, the lemurs started to withdraw. They crossed back through the temple, walking on all fours, and disappeared back into the tunnel.
Morgan released a breath. “God.”
“That was close,” Zach said.
Morgan moved over to check the Silk Road diving equipment resting near the water’s edge. She cursed. “It’s all damaged.” She kicked a mangled tank. “It’s useless. Dammit.” Great, they were now stuck in an underground cave with killer lemurs.
“Maybe we should try the tunnel?” Zach said.
Her eyes widened. “The one with the killer animals lurking in it?”
He lifted the amulet. “We’ve got this.”
“That’s mine!” Paris Wirth lunged out from behind a standing stone.
Her clothes were torn and bloody. She was dragging one leg behind her, and holding a gun in a shaking hand.
She aimed the gun at Zach. “I want my amulet.”
Morgan lifted her own weapon, holding it tightly with both hands. “That’s not going to happen.”
“You shoot me, and I’ll fire. Dr. James will die.”
Morgan felt that familiar calm settle over her. Whenever she was on a mission, in combat, she felt a kind of peace and serenity that she rarely felt anywhere else. Her thoughts cleared, and her reflexes sharpened. This was what she did best.
She took a slow step forward. “I doubt that.”
Wirth’s hand tightened on her weapon. “I’ll do it.”
“Not with the safety on.” Morgan fired.
The shot hit Wirth in the chest. Blood bloomed, soaking her shirt. With a shocked look on her face, the woman fell backward.
Morgan stepped forward and kicked the woman’s weapon away.
Zach stepped up beside Morgan. “Have I told you how amazing you are? Especially when you’re being all tough and badass?”
Warmth blossomed inside her. Zach really loved her for her. He saw all the parts of her that had scared so many people off in the past, and he liked them. “No.”
He pulled her into his arms. “Well, you are.”
She felt the amulet jab into her belly. She looked at it. “Well, you found the amulet. Not to mention an ancient temple.”
“Yeah.”
She tilted her head. “You don’t sound very happy.”
“I’m not sure it was worth all of this.” He shook his head. “You know what? I couldn’t care less about this thing.” He shoved it into his pocket. “There’s a treasure of a different kind that I want even more.”
Morgan’s throat went dry. Now this adventure was over, he was already thinking of the next one? Would he feel the same way about her, given enough time? Just like every other man she’d brushed up against.
Zach shook his head. “God, I can read every thought going through your head.” He shot her a smile. “I want you, Morgan.”
“Really?”
“I want to take you on a third date.”
She frowned. “Huh?”
“Hale told me all about how you only have first dates, and rarely let a man have a second one. So, we’ll skip one and two, and just go right on to number three. Three’s my lucky number, you know?”
She smiled at his handsome face. “What would this third date look like?”
“We’ll have it at the museum. It’s got this rooftop terrace that looks back over the city skyline. I’ll set up a table for two, we’ll have cocktails. I know you’d prefer beer, but you need to try new things sometimes, too. To eat, something chocolate. Maybe chocolate fondue.”
He knew her. Tears threatened and she fought them back. Not since her father had died had anyone truly known her.
“I want that.” She stepped close, pressing her hand to his chest. “I want you.”
“What do those rules of yours say about saying ‘I love you’?”
God. “Zach—” she could barely get the words out as she cupped his cheek “—let’s find a way out of here, and then you can tell me.”
***
Zach watched an agitated Morgan stride around the cave for the tenth time. Frustration was coming off her in waves.
“There has to be some way out,” she snapped.
They both knew they’d never make the swim without tanks. And they’d even explored the lemur tunnel at the back. Unfortunately, it had narrowed to nothing.
They had no idea where the creatures had vanished to.
So, Morgan and Zach were trapped.
Finally, she spun to him, her hands on her hips. “I’ll dive out. I’m the best swimmer.”
He scowled at her. “It’s too far. You’ll never make it, Morgan. I’m not going to let you die.”
She stepped up to him, toe to toe. “And I won’t let you die here.”
He gripped her shoulders. “You aren’t swimming—”
“You two still arguing?”
Declan Ward’s deep voice made them both spin.
Dec, flanked by Hale and Ronin, along with another man who looked like a slightly-less-rugged version of Declan were coming up above the water, all of them dressed in dive gear.
Morgan broke into a wide smile. “We are damn happy to see you guys! How did you find us?”
“Well, we found out a Silk Road helicopter had left Tolagnaro airport not long after you two went missing,” Declan said. “I called Cal in to help, and while we waited for him to arrive, Darcy managed to track where the helicopter went. Cal arrived with a chopper of our own, and we followed you.”
“How did you find the cave?” Zach asked.
“Oh, we had a nice chat with the Silk Road chopper pilot,” Cal said. “He told us how to follow the signal from their diving gear.”
Declan scanned the temple, taking in the dead bodies. “You’ve been busy.”
“It was the lemurs,” Morgan said.
When Declan shot her an incredulous look, Zach waved a hand. “It’s a long story.”
“It really is,” Morgan added.
Zach reached into his pocket and held up the amulet.
Declan nodded. “Well done, Zach. So, do you two want to finish your argument, or get out of here?”
“Let’s go,” Morgan said, leaning into Zach. “Please.”
Zach found himself buddied up with Ronin, using his spare regulator. Morgan swam ahead with Hale. As they made their way back through the flooded cave, Zach was too tired to even look at the bones littering it.
Soon, he was climbing out of the pool where they’d spent the night. As he stood by the water’s edge, his muscles protested, and fatigue threatened to swamp him.
“I just want to curl up in a soft bed,” he said with a moan.
Morgan smiled at him, shaking the water out of her hair. “You’ll get a bed soon enough.” She looked away, looking a little nervous.
Morgan was never nervous.
Zach strode up to her, sweeping her into his arms. He felt her teammates stop what they were doing to watch.
“I love you, Morgan Kincaid. Every strong and fascinating inch of you.”
Color filled her cheeks. “Zach, the others are listening—”
“I don’t care.” He laid a finger on her lips.
“I know you mentioned…love.” Her voice hitched. “But we were trapped in th
e cave, thinking we might not make it out—”
He cupped her cheeks, tilting her head back to force her to meet his gaze. “So now you think I’ll change my mind?”
“No one’s ever wanted me like you do,” she said, her tone charged with emotion.
He nuzzled her lips. “I want you more every day.”
“God, I think I’m falling in love with you, too, Zach.”
“Don’t worry, you aren’t alone. I’ll be with you every step of the way.” He grinned. “Now, let’s get out of here. As soon as we can arrange it, I want you naked under me.”
“Deal.”
He yanked her close and kissed her. Around them, he heard her workmates whistling and catcalling.
“Knew you’d be next to take the fall, Kincaid,” Hale called out.
“Better watch out,” Declan warned. “You might be next, Hale.”
The man looked aghast. “Nope. Not me.” He jerked a thumb at Ronin. “Coop can go next.”
The silent Ronin just raised a brow, and Zach had trouble imagining a woman brave enough to take on the dangerous-looking man.
It was a short trip back to the Treasure Hunter Security chopper. Callum climbed into the pilot’s seat, Declan beside him. Soon, Zach found himself sitting in the back of the chopper, with Morgan leaning against his shoulder. As they took off, he stared out over the tsingy stone forest.
As interesting as it was, he was happy to be leaving.
As the THS team joked and talked around him, Zach stroked the amulet in his lap. He thought of Phaulkon and marveled at the artifact’s journey. There was so much to learn from it, and the temple they’d left behind. A mystery to piece together and bring to light.
As the helicopter neared Tolagnaro airport, Zach felt odd, but relieved. They’d left here under dire circumstances…it was strange to be back and all in one piece.
Once the skids touched down, Declan opened the side door. “I radioed your team to let them know you were okay. They’ll be happy to have you back.”
“Thanks,” Zach said.
“Except you’re missing one student.”
Zach tensed. “The Silk Road informant.”
Declan nodded. “Max.”
“Max?” Zach stared at the man incredulously.