They kept moving, the saws chomping through the plant life. Finally, the lead vehicle pulled to a stop.
“We’re at the coordinates.” Avril’s voice again.
“Any sign of zombies or wildlife?” their driver asked.
“Negative,” Agent Ryant’s voice answered. “Nothing.”
Niklas moved to the back door. “Then I suggest we get in and get out before anything does come looking.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The back door of the Centurion lowered. Nera hurried out to stand beside Niklas and took stock of their surroundings. Nothing was moving, but it was dim under the dense vegetation, and there were plenty of hiding spots.
It didn’t look like much of the Larco was left. A crumbling section of wall hinted at the pretty building it had once been, but behind that lay rubble, most of it reclaimed by the mutant jungle.
Avril hurried forward. “We’re going to head around the back and come in from the rear. Your team okay to handle going in the front?” She only looked at Niklas.
He nodded, then he looked at Nera and the others. “Let’s go.”
They walked through what she guessed would have been the main entrance. Not much was left of what had probably been an entryway and foyer. A mix of rubble covered the ground. As she followed behind Niklas, something caught her eye, and she paused. One square of tile sat on the ground, looking strange and out of place, because it was almost pristine amongst the decay. She wondered at the humans who’d once stepped foot on it. Their hopes, their dreams, their fears.
“Not much left,” Solomon said.
“Come on,” Niklas said. “This way.”
They wandered deeper. While the main area had been reduced to rubble, ahead some partial walls still stood. Although they appeared badly damaged and unstable.
“Check under the rubble.” Niklas had his hands on his hips, studying the surroundings with an intense look. “There could be artifacts. Collect anything, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant. And watch where you step. I don’t want any artifacts ruined under careless boots.”
The security agents nodded and they all fanned out.
Nera thought that the Institute was crazy to have lost him. He would have been an excellent leader. She was always amazed at people’s shortsightedness in the face of their own greed and hunger for power.
Something caught her gaze near the base of a wall. She wandered over and crouched. She brushed off the rubble and pulled out a ceramic pot. It was broken, but the large shard was still covered in colorful decoration.
“What’ve you got?” Niklas knelt behind her, so close his knees brushed her side.
A flare of desire washed over her. Her eyelids fluttered. The man had eroded her famous control to almost nothing. She held up her find.
“Nice.” He gripped her wrist, turning the fragment. “It looks like Huaco.”
“Huaco?”
“The Inca had two types of pottery. The practical stuff they would have used as part of everyday life. And then Huaco—ceremonial and ritual pottery.” His gaze was on her face. “This is nice, but I like the treasure hunter who found it more.” He lowered his voice, leaning in, crowding her space.
With any other person, she would have jabbed an elbow in their gut and one in their throat and told them to back off. Withhim, she wanted him closer, wanted skin-to-skin contact. It left her a little shaky. It brought back memories of what it was like to be addicted, to crave a substance so much it left you weak. Only now instead of a drug, she craved a man.
“I wish we were back on the ship.” She shook her head. “No, I wish we were on our own ship, somewhere private, with no other people.”
His teeth flashed. “As soon as this hunt is over, we’ll make that happen.” He brushed a thumb over her lips. Across the room, one of the security team called him over. He stood, watched her for a second, then strode away.
Nera stayed crouched for a moment, before she carefully placed the Huaco shard in her backpack.
After this hunt… She had to stop herself thinking beyond having Niklas in her bed, and enjoying his body. But afterward, what would happen? This couldn’t be more than a moment’s pleasure for them both. They were too different, and she was incapable of more. She let herself imagine them playing “happy couple” back on the Phoenix moon, then snorted. Oh, his brothers would just love that. And Nera would feel hemmed in, and wind up going crazy.
She stood, pushing down the unfamiliar, spiky emotions pricking at her. She needed to have her head here, on this hunt—the very dangerous hunt—not on anything else.
They moved through several more rooms, not finding anything too valuable or interesting. There was too much damage, and too many vines and plants growing through the cracks, trying to take back every last inch of the place.
