Uncharted (Treasure Hunter Security Book 2) (17 page)

Chapter Twelve

It was far darker than she’d imagined.

Dani kicked through the water, holding on tight to Cal’s hand and trying to match his powerful kicks. The deep-green water meant they couldn’t see very far ahead of them. At first, she was sucking on her Poseidon mask too hard, and she slowly forced herself to relax. She’d done a bit of SCUBA diving in the past, and had always enjoyed it.

But this dark, murky water, and whatever ancient secrets it was hiding, was an entirely different thing.

She felt Cal’s fingers tighten on hers, and her breathing eased.

Ahead, she could just make out Morgan and Logan kicking cleanly through the water. Logan had some sort of flashlight on, the beam barely making a dent in the murk.

They arrowed downward. God, how deep was this reservoir? She saw Logan pull up and make a hand signal. She strained to see…
There
. She could make out dark shadows looming ahead.

Dani’s eyes widened.
Oh, my God.

The temple rose up out of the gloom like some sort of dream. It was perfect. There was no rubble or tumbled towers. The water had kept it preserved, except for a coat of slime and the weeds growing up from the base of the baray.

It looked like a smaller version of Angkor Wat. Four towers in the corners and a larger tower in the center. Logan made another gesture and Cal nodded. They changed direction, heading toward a large arch that had to be the front entrance to the temple.

Dani kicked hard and followed Cal. She really hoped Raven and her goons weren’t waiting for them.

They swam through the arch and into a wide, stone tunnel. Logan’s flashlight was the only thing helping them see. It flashed over the smooth stone.

Then she saw something ahead. A set of stone stairs. She watched Logan and Morgan reach it. They pointed upward and rose.

Cal gripped Dani’s hip and pushed her upward. A second later, her head broke the surface.

Cal stayed low in the water, pressing a finger to his mask warning her to be quiet. She nodded. With his wet hair slicked against his head and his mask on, he looked dark and dangerous.

Everyone pulled their masks off and clipped them to their belts. Cal traded hand signals with the others and they quietly went up the steps and out of the water.

At the top, she noted wet footprints on the stone.

Raven had definitely come this way.

There was another grand arch, leading into the main part of the temple. They moved forward cautiously, Cal and the others lifting their guns and tipping them to drain the water from the barrels.

Dani didn’t know much about guns, but she guessed the small swim hadn’t affected them.

The lower gallery they walked down was covered with beautiful engravings, reminiscent of the Angkor and the linga temple.

Dani pulled the plastic cover off her camera and took a few snaps. To see a place like this, undisturbed and looking as it must have looked when the people who built it had left, had excitement sparking in her belly.

They moved through the main part of the temple and at the far wall, she saw another archway. Logan shone his flashlight inside, and it illuminated a dank set of stairs leading down.

Dani focused on trying to move as quietly as the others. For big, deadly people, they sure moved with a light touch.

The staircase wrapped around in a spiral going down, down, down. She wondered how deep it went and marveled at the engineering it must have taken to build the place. Just how valuable was the cintamani stone to warrant a temple like this?

She took a deep breath. She guessed they had a good chance of finding the stone. Surely no one had ever discovered it here inside a sunken temple, beneath a mysterious lake in the middle of a remote jungle.

She just hoped they found it before Silk Road.

Ahead, Morgan stopped. She peered through a doorway, then nodded at the others.

They all stepped out into a huge underground cavern.

Dani pressed a hand to her mouth to control her gasp.

“Shit,” Logan muttered.

“Never seen anything like this before,” Morgan whispered, shaking her head.

Dani lifted her camera, but then lowered it. First, she just allowed herself to experience and admire the space.

It was an underground forest. There was light filtering in from somewhere. The slick stone walls were intersected with large veins of gems that glittered brightly. Parts of the walls were covered in some sort of fungus that glowed in multi-colored hues—bright yellow-green, blues, pinks and a dash of red and orange. She moved closer to the nearest tree. The leaves sparkled, made of a crystalline structure.

She lifted the camera and took shots of the trees and walls. The veins in the wall were mostly a deep green—jade, maybe jasper. Here and there, she spotted some large geometric clumps of brilliant white dotted on the wall. She stilled. Surely they couldn’t be diamonds?

“It’s just how they described the legend of Kunlun Mountain,” Dani said. “Bejeweled plants and rock-like gems.”

“Yeah. Doubt Silk Road will leave a place like this undisturbed.” Cal’s gaze turned deadly. “Let’s go find our
friends
.”

They moved quietly through the sparkling trees. Dani promised herself she’d come back here and document this amazing place. Dr. Oakley and the team were going to be ecstatic.

“Where the hell are Silk Road?” Morgan murmured.

“Can’t be far away,” Cal answered. “Stay sharp.”

They cleared the trees and Dani gasped. “Look.”

There was a set of carved stone steps leading up to a platform covered with elegant arches. In the center of the platform was a stone pedestal.

And sitting on it was a large, pearl-gray stone.

“The cintamani,” Dani said with awe.

“That’s right,” a cold voice replied. “And it’s mine.”

They all spun, Cal and the others raising their weapons.

Raven and her men had their guns aimed as well.

Dani’s heart knocked against her ribs.
Standoff
.

***

Cal kept his SIG pointed directly at the Silk Road woman.

“You two just won’t die.” Raven stared at Cal and then Dani. “The cintamani is mine. I might have to use it to make a wish that meddling Treasure Hunter Security members die a painful death.”

“You don’t really believe the stone is magical, do you?” Dani asked.

The woman raised one shoulder. “Hell, no. But others believe…and they will pay big bucks for it. Besides, it’s an enormous pearl. Even without the ability to grant the owner’s wildest dreams, it’s worth a fortune.”

Dani shook her head. “And you don’t care who you hurt and kill in the process. You have no soul.”

The woman gave a thin smile. “Short answer…no. My bosses are particular and unforgiving. But they pay well.”

As the woman talked, Cal ran through all their options. It was three against four. He knew his guys could take the Silk Road thugs…but he couldn’t risk Dani getting hurt in the chaos.

A flash of movement in the trees caught Cal’s eyes. He heard a faint noise. Something sliding over rock.

He eyed the trees right behind Raven. Saw a flash of black.
What the hell?

Raven stepped forward, her gun aimed at Dani’s head. “I’m going to make sure this sticks this time.”

“Screw you,” Dani said.

“You shoot her, I’ll shoot you.”

“And my men will shoot you and your team.”

Cal saw the movement in the trees again. Whatever the hell it was, he hoped he could use it to his advantage.

Suddenly, one of the Silk Road men screamed. A huge, black body struck from out of the trees.

With horror flooding his chest, Cal grabbed Dani and yanked her backward.

The giant black snake slammed into Raven, knocking her off her feet.

“What—?” Raven’s mouth formed an O.

The snake curled its massive body around the woman, lifting her off the ground. She struggled, crying out. Her gun fell from her fingers, clattering on the stone floor.

Frozen, Cal just stared at the snake. The damn thing was as thick around as Cal was and it had to be at least forty feet long.

“What the fuck is that?” Logan said.

“Naga,” Dani breathed.

Black scales flashed, there was a crunch, and the woman’s screams were abruptly cut off.

“Back up,” Cal said quietly. “Very slowly.”

The four of them backed up. The Silk Road men started firing at the creature. It reared up higher than all of them, and then, faster than Cal thought possible, it struck the closest one. The man fell, and then the snake went after the last Silk Road man.

“Keep moving,” Cal said. How could they kill this thing?

The snake spun to face them. Cal felt Dani’s hand tighten in his.

“Don’t move,” he whispered frantically.

“Fuck this.” Morgan whipped her shotgun around.

Dani pressed into Cal’s side. “If we die…well, I want you to know that I’m falling in love with you, too.”

Heedless of the terror in front of them, he looked down at her. Funny that he suspected those words were more terrifying for her than the giant snake. “Dani—”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

Something in his chest loosened. The way she was looking at him right now—with love in her eyes—made him realize he wanted to wake up to that face every day. He wanted to see her laugh, to watch her with her camera in hand, focused on her work, to see her flushed with pleasure, angry at him, to watch as he kissed her into forgiving whatever jackass mistake he was bound to make.

He realized that since he’d lost Marty and left the SEALs, he hadn’t really been living. He’d been running from caring about anyone.

He yanked her closer. “I love you too, dammit.”

“Knew you’d take the fall, Ward,” Logan said smugly.

“Quiet,” Morgan hissed. “Giant, killer snake, remember?” She tossed Cal a look. “You guys have terrible timing.” Then she stiffened.

Cal looked back and saw the snake sliding their way.

“No one move,” he breathed.

It came closer and Dani’s fingers clenched on his hard enough to hurt. It slithered right past Cal, sliding against his leg. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. It was so fucking creepy.

The snake swept around again and rose up, making him think of a cobra, even though it didn’t have a hood.

Its eerie green eyes seemed to look right through them. He swore it was like it was…assessing them.

Cal tensed, ready to toss Dani behind him.

***

Dani clutched Cal’s hand and in her other, she gripped her camera tight.

Watching the giant snake right in front of them woke some primitive terror deep in her head. She was barely staying still, wanting to give into the primal urge to run.

She didn’t want to die here. She wanted to live. Really live.

Cal loved her. No one had ever truly loved her before.

Suddenly, a gunshot broke the tense silence. One of the Silk Road men had sat up and shot at the snake.

The creature hissed and reared back. When it shot toward the man, Dani looked away. The screams echoed off the walls and a second later, stopped.

Then again, the sound of scales sliding on stone. She lifted her head and saw the snake was back, staring at them once more.

“Should I shoot it?” Morgan asked.

“No,” Cal bit out.

Dani had to admit that, when she looked past her terror, the creature was elegant and near-beautiful. Inky-black scales, a powerful sinuous body, those stunning, jewel-like eyes.

“You are striking,” she said.

The creature’s gaze shifted to her.

Without thinking, she lifted her camera and pressed the button.

The flash seemed to startle the snake. It pulled back, and when she took another shot, it gave them one last look before slithering back into the trees.

Cal released a long breath and then pulled her in for a quick hug. “Nice work, Navarro.”

“I just wanted a photo of it.”

He gave a strangled laugh. “Of course you did.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held on. “Can we just get the cintamani stone and get the hell out of here?”

“I second Dani’s idea,” Morgan said.

“I hate snakes,” Logan growled.

Dani saw Cal roll his eyes. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get the stone.”

Still holding hands, they walked up the steps to the platform. Morgan and Logan stayed at the bottom, guns up, watching for any more visitors of the two—or no-legged—variety.

Dani and Cal paused in front of the pedestal. The mystical cintamani stone, sacred linga that had founded the Khmer Empire, was indeed a huge, oval-shaped black pearl. The light reflected flawlessly off its glossy surface. It was stunning.

They stood there for a second looking at it. “Go on,” she said. “You do the honors.”

Cal lifted the large pearl into his hands. She took a shot of the moment, loving the look on his face.

“So, does it work?” she asked.

He frowned at her. “What do you mean?”

She smiled. “Is it magic? Did it make your dreams come true?”

He reached out, and with that large, scarred hand, stroked her cheek. “I have no idea. My dreams came true a couple of minutes ago when you said you loved me.”

God, apparently her man had a buried romantic streak. “I said I was
falling
in love.”

He touched his mouth to hers. “You’ll fall the rest of the way. Guaranteed.”

“Cocky.”

“Absolutely.”

There was a loud sigh from below. “If you two can tear yourselves away from each other…” Morgan’s amused voice. “I’ll remind you again about the giant. Killer. Snake.”

“How about we get out of here?” he said. “Go find ourselves a big bed. We’ll order room service and not come out for a few days.” He leaned in close and lowered his voice. “Bet I can make your dreams come true without you needing this stone.”

“You’re on, Ward. I do have this dream of photographing you nude.”

He shook his head. “Not that dream.”

“We’ll see.”

They descended the stairs and joined the others.

“We going now?” Morgan asked.

“Yep,” Cal answered.