Cryptid Quest: A Supernatural Thriller (The John Decker Supernatural Thriller Series Book 8)

by Anthony M. Strong

  “First thing tomorrow morning,” Ward said. Decker had already briefed him on the events in Manaus and the attempts on their lives. “We’ll head out at sunrise. You have the coordinates of the pyramid, I assume.”

  “Yes. My phone is toast, but I memorized them. I’ll write them down for you.”

  “Good. But wait until morning. The less people who know our destination ahead of time, the better. Including me.”

  “When did CUSP become so paranoid?” Decker asked.

  “Just following orders.”

  “I don’t like the idea of staying here tonight,” Decker said. “I’d rather leave today.”

  “No can do.” Ward shook his head. “It’s already early afternoon, which means the earliest we can leave today is around 4 PM. That only gives us a few hours of daylight before we would need to stop again. We can’t travel after dark in the Amazon. Far too dangerous. Even if we leave in the morning, it’s still a two-day trek to the fortress.”

  “Fair enough,” Decker said. “But if we must stay here tonight, I want a guard posted at all times. By now those gunmen back at the hangar will have realized we evaded them.”

  “And if there really is someone at CUSP working against us, those men that came after you might know the location of this camp, despite all our precautions.”

  “I think it’s unlikely. They tried to kill us in Manaus for our phones. I’m sure of it. They wanted the coordinates. Both sets. If they already knew where we were, they would have come here by now, killed us all, and continued on to the pyramid.”

  “But we can’t be one hundred percent certain.” Ward rubbed his chin. His eyes narrowed in concern. “We’ll need to be alert.”

  “Speaking of which,” Decker said, “how well do you know the rest of the men in your unit?”

  “I would trust them with my life,” Ward said. “I served alongside two of them in the Marines. The rest have been in my Ghost Squad unit since CUSP recruited me.”

  “You’re sure their allegiance lies solely with us?”

  “None of my men have been compromised, if that’s what you’re asking.” Ward’s voice was calm, with no hint of offense. “But I understand why you want to know. So would I, under the circumstances.”

  “I’m pleased you see my point of view, because I have to be sure,” Decker said. “It’s no good posting a guard if all we’re doing is putting a fox in charge of the henhouse.”

  “You won’t find any foxes under my command.” Ward glanced out through the tent’s open flap toward Rory, who was standing near the fire pit, hands in his pockets, staring out toward the jungle. “What about him?”

  “Rory?” Decker followed Ward’s gaze. “He’s one of the good guys. I worked with him on an assignment in Ireland. I trust him.”

  “Good. And the others?”

  “Same goes for the Egyptologist, Emma Wilson. I can’t vouch for the explorer, Tristan Cook. Never met the man before today. He looks harmless enough, not that it means anything.”

  “I agree,” Ward said. “I’ll be keeping a close eye on him for the time being.”

  “Good idea.”

  “Have you spoken to Adam Hunt yet?” Ward asked. “Reported the events in Manaus?”

  “No.” Decker shook his head. “Phones are out of action. I disabled them so the gunmen couldn’t track us. Took the batteries out. I’m not sure it would be a good idea to put them back together.”

  “You could use the satellite phone.” Ward nodded toward the Ops table and a chunky handset. “Whoever has been trying to kill you must surely have realized by now that you escaped, despite their best efforts. They probably know that you came here, too. You have nothing to lose by calling Hunt.”

  “That’s true,” Decker said. “But I’m not sure that he can be of any help.”

  “He can start looking for double agents inside CUSP. That’s a start.”

  “It might also put his life in danger. These people are not playing around.”

  “That’s not your call to make, and we need to know that the people we work with have our backs.”

  “That’s true. I just hate to think that anyone in CUSP would be our enemy.” Decker didn’t relish calling Adam Hunt with the news that an unknown enemy had infiltrated their organization. But what choice did he have? “I’ll make the call this afternoon.”

  Ward nodded. “While you do that, I’m going to put the camp under twenty-four-hour guard until we head out tomorrow. I’ll assign six-hour shifts throughout the night, with two men on each watch. No one will get past us.”

  “Don’t underestimate them,” Decker said. “They only sent two men after us back in Manaus, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more.”

  “If there are, we’ll be ready.” Ward turned and left the tent.

  Decker watched him go. The last few days had been full of surprises, not least of which was the reappearance of Emma Wilson, a woman he’d expected never to see again. It brought back a flood of memories, some good, and others not so much. After the incident with the Cult of Anubis, the two had become close. He hadn’t meant to, but Decker found himself falling in love. Then she left, ripping a hole in his heart. It was unfair. It was cruel. At least it felt that way to him. And now, here she was again. Coming into his life as if she sensed he had moved on. That he was happy again. He wondered what confluence of circumstances allowed fate to toy with him so. But mostly, he wondered what she was doing working for CUSP and if Adam Hunt knew their history when he sent Decker down here.

  But those answers would have to wait.

  There were more pressing issues. Like staying alive. Commander Ward had thought Decker should report the events in Manaus to Hunt. But the more he thought about it, the less he felt inclined to make that call. What if the mole wasn’t some random underling working against CUSP from the inside? What if it was Adam Hunt himself? After all, the man knew their movements and had the means and opportunity to send killers after them.

  Decker considered this for a long minute. Then he discarded the idea as hogwash. If Adam Hunt wanted him and Rory dead, there had been plenty of opportunities to achieve that goal before this. Besides, why would Hunt send them down here to investigate the pyramid, only to order hitmen to kill them the minute they arrived? The answer was simple. He wouldn’t. Still, that didn’t mean Decker was looking forward to the phone call. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a good enough reason not to do it. With a sigh, Decker picked up the satellite phone and dialed.

  25

  Night in the Amazon brought with it a darkness Decker had rarely seen in his life. Surrounded by jungle, and without even a hint of light pollution, the sky was a coal black expanse broken only by the shimmering arch of the Milky Way that soared above him like a billion fireflies trapped in the ether.

  Decker stood at the edge of the clearing with his back to the fire pit, within which flames leaped and danced, sending bright orange embers spiraling up into the humid Amazonian air. The air was redolent with the fragrance of the jungle. A thousand varieties of tropical plants from dazzling orchids and passion flowers to brightly colored bromeliads. And above all this, the lingering smell of roasted meat cooked on a spit over the open fire.

  It reminded him of summer camping trips with his dad when he was a kid, back before his mother died and everything went to hell. Until he remembered where he was, and the danger they were all in.

  A voice spoke up behind him. “Decker?”

  He turned to find Rory lingering a few feet away, his hands clasped in front of him, fingers tightly interwoven. The man looked uncomfortable. “Hey. What can I do for you?”

  “I just wanted to clear the air.” Rory took a step closer.

  “Why?” Decker asked. “I wasn’t aware there was anything wrong.”

  “It’s about...” Rory hesitated. He looked around, ringing his hands. He turned back to Decker and took a deep breath. “It’s about Emma and what I said to you on the plane when we were flying down here.”

  “
What of it?”

  “Look, if I’d known there was a thing between the two of you, I wouldn’t have spoken up.”

  “There’s nothing between us,” Decker said. “I can assure you of that.”

  Rory continued, as if he hadn’t heard. “I mean, how was I to know the pair of you were already acquainted? That you’d… Well, you know.” He laughed nervously. “What are the odds, right?”

  “Rory.” Decker raised his voice. “I already told you, there’s nothing between us. We’re ancient history. If you like Emma Wilson, she’s all yours. Actually, you’d be doing me a favor.”

  “Oh. I see. You’re not mad at me then?”

  “No reason to be mad at you. If I’m going to be mad at anyone, it will be her.”

  “Guess she really messed you up, huh?”

  “You could say that.” Decker turned back toward the rainforest. “What you said on the plane about Emma being consumed with her career was not wrong. Single-minded doesn’t even begin to cover it. The minute an opportunity popped up she left without a word of explanation. Couldn’t wait to get out the door. Despite what she said, I was nothing more than an entertaining distraction until something better came along.”

  “You know that’s not true, John.” Instead of Rory, this was a female voice, and one that Decker recognized all too well.

  He turned around. “What are you doing here, Emma?”

  “You mean right now?” Emma was standing with her hands pushed into the pockets of a pair of khaki shorts above tanned, long legs. She still wore the white shirt, but with the top two buttons undone to reveal a hint of cleavage. “I thought I’d come over here and clear the air.”

  Decker shook his head. “I don’t mean right at this moment. What are you doing down here, in the Amazon, working for CUSP?”

  “I imagine I’m doing the same thing as you.” Emma looked at Rory, who was standing mouth agape. He had the appearance of a gazelle caught between two lions. “Would you mind giving us a moment?”

  “I’d love to,” Rory stammered, and then beat a hasty retreat toward the fire pit where the rest of the team sat drinking hot cocoa, boiled in a pot over the open flames, and talking among themselves.

  “I think he has a crush on me,” Emma said, her mouth widening into a thin smile. “How do you think I should handle it, John?”

  “Don’t change the subject.” Even from several feet away, Decker picked up the jasmine and citrus notes of her perfume rising above the forest scents. He recognized it right away. Hermès Calèche. The same as she’d worn during their brief but intense relationship. He marveled at the fact that she’d bothered to bring perfume all the way into the jungle.

  “I’m not trying to change the subject.” Emma closed the gap between them. She reached out and touched his arm.

  “Don’t.” Decker pulled away. Her perfume was stronger now, overpowering his senses. He could feel the heat of her body through the sweltering tropical air. For a moment, the years melted away as if they had never been apart. He shook the feeling off. “Is this why you left me? To join CUSP?”

  “Would you believe me if I said no?”

  “What do you think?” Decker had often thought of what he’d say to Emma if they ever crossed paths again, especially in those lonely first weeks and months after she left him. He’d imagined this conversation and how it would go, but he never dreamed they would meet again under such unusual circumstances or in such a strange and deadly place. The realization that he was going to be near her for at least the next several days tempered his anger, if only because he realized that now was not the time. “Why didn’t you tell me where you were going?”

  “Come on, John. You know the answer to that.”

  “Do I?”

  “You must work for CUSP now, too, or you wouldn’t be here. Maybe if they’d recruited us both at the same time, things would’ve been different. But they didn’t, and I wasn’t allowed to tell you anything.” Emma’s eyes grew wide. “But look at us. We’re together again.”

  “What are you trying to say?” Decker asked.

  “I think you know very well what I’m saying.” Emma reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. Their bodies were so close now that Decker could feel the swell of her breasts against his chest. “I don’t need to keep secrets anymore. Not from you.”

  “That’s enough.” Decker took her arm and pushed it aside. He stepped back.

  A strange look passed across Emma’s face. She gazed up into his eyes for a second, perhaps hoping to find some softening of his demeanor. Her mouth moved as if she was about to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she turned on her heel and marched toward the fire pit, then kept going, skirting the rest of the group. A moment later, she disappeared inside one of the small tents without so much as a backward glance.

  26

  Decker lay in one of the small tents pitched in a semicircle around the fire pit. It was early in the morning, a little after three o’clock, and base camp was quiet. Above him, on the tent pole, hung a battery-operated lamp set on low, giving off just enough light to fill the tent with a yellow glow that allowed them to see, but not enough to disturb their sleep. To his left, Rory was curled up on a bedroll. An occasional snore proved he was fast asleep.

  Decker wished he could do the same.

  Emma had been on his mind ever since their conversation earlier that evening. She hadn’t changed one bit. If he was single, it would be too easy to fall for her wiles all over again. Except he remembered the way it ended the first time he’d gotten ensnared by her. But one thing bothered him more than anything else. He had not mentioned Nancy. He wondered why that was. The simple explanation, the one he’d been trying to tell himself all night, was that it was simply none of Emma’s business. But deep down he knew there was another, less innocent explanation. He didn’t want Emma to know because he still felt there was unfinished business between them, and even if he didn’t intend to do anything inappropriate, he couldn’t quite slam the door. Not yet.

  He closed his eyes and willed himself to fall asleep. They would have a tough hike into the jungle tomorrow, and he would need all the rest he could get. But it was no use. He pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, then unzipped the tent’s mosquito net and pushed the flap back, crawling out into the clearing.

  A fire still burned in the pit, the flames smaller than they had been but kept alive by a couple of medium-sized logs, no doubt to dissuade any nocturnal predators that might think about strolling through camp looking for an easy meal.

  At the edge of the clearing, he saw a pair of figures. Two members of the Ghost Team keeping guard. They walked a slow circuit around the clearing, moving in opposite directions until they passed one another and repeated the lap. He felt safer knowing they were there.

  “Couldn’t sleep?” A voice spoke in the darkness to his left.

  Decker turned to see Commander Ward standing near the ops tent, an M4 Commando short-barreled rifle at his side. “Not so much. Can’t turn the brain off. What’s your excuse?”

  “Just doing my job. The reason everyone else can sleep soundly in their tents is because people like me are out here watching over them.”

  “You’re not going to be much good to us tomorrow, if you haven’t slept.” Decker sauntered over to the commander. “I’m sure your men can handle look out duties.”

  “I’ll turn in soon.” Ward leaned against a tent pole with his arms folded. “There’s a changing of the guard at 4 AM. I’ll probably stick around for that, then catch some shuteye.”

  “Any sign of unusual activity?” Decker asked, eyeing the dark silhouette of trees that surrounded base camp.

  “Not so far. Had a helicopter flyover earlier, but I doubt it was looking for us. It was too high and only circled back once. My guess is the Brazilian military doing a sweep of the area looking for gold and drug smugglers who prefer to travel under the cover of darkness. Probably equipped with thermal and night vision.”

  “They mu
st have seen us, then.”

  “More than likely. But we don’t look like smugglers. For a start, we’re not trying to hide our location. They’re more interested in finding unusual activity like people moving at night to avoid detection.”

  “And you’re sure it wasn’t the men who came after us in Manaus?” Decker asked. He didn’t know if any of the gunmen could fly a helicopter, but they certainly had access to one, having killed the pilot of Decker and Rory’s charter.

  “Can’t be one hundred percent sure.” Ward shook his head. “But it’s likely your attackers already know the location of our base camp and would prefer stealth over a brazen flyby. Besides, I recognized the engine noise. Pretty distinctive if you know what to listen for. It was a Black Hawk. I’m guessing that whoever we’re dealing with wouldn’t have access to hardware like that.”

  “I hope not,” Decker said. “I’m pretty sure those guys in Manaus had some military training, but I don’t think they were current armed forces.”

  “Exactly.”

  “On the other hand,” Decker said, his eyes shifting down to Ward’s semi-automatic rifle, “CUSP isn’t a military organization either and look at the toys we have.”

  “That’s different,” Ward said without elaborating. “Speaking of CUSP, did you brief Adam Hunt?”

  “I spoke to him.”

  “And?”

  “He wasn’t as alarmed as I expected. Although it’s hard to tell with Adam. He plays it pretty close to the vest at the best of times.”

  “You think he’s already aware of a mole inside the organization?”

  “He didn’t say, but his muted reaction would lead me to that conclusion.” Decker wondered how much Adam Hunt was keeping from them, and why. He didn’t like being sent into the field without full disclosure, but he also knew that compartmentalization was a necessary evil. High as he was, there was probably sensitive information and codeword-classified operations that even Hunt was not read into. Need to know went with the territory. If another organization was actively working against CUSP—and given his experience months before with Thomas Barringer on the submerged research station, Habitat One, Decker suspected as much—then compartmentalization of information would become even more important. “Until we can discount such a scenario, we should all watch our backs.”