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When she stood to brush off the dirt, she couldn’t spot anyone. How was that possible? The terrain was flat, allowing her to see far in the distance. The only explanation was that she’d fallen way behind. She was tempted to pick up her pace but didn’t want to miss anything. Either she was exceptionally slow, or her path was laden with archaeological goodness, because she couldn’t catch up with the others. Sweat soaked through the back of her tank top, and her legs ached from squatting every few minutes, but she kept going.
Her heart sank when she reached the end point. The rest of her team sat waiting under a grove of almond trees.
“Took you long enough,” Brynn said.
Olivia slumped onto the ground. “Sorry. I needed to mark down a lot of pottery.” Maybe the others had moved so fast that they’d missed a few spots.
“Your area couldn’t have been that much different from ours,” TJ said. “Let’s see what you got.”
With a growing sense of dread, she passed her phone over to him. Even before he scrolled through her photos, she suspected she’d screwed up.
“It’s the same stuff I saw,” he said. “Early Roman era, maybe first century AD. Dr. Roth said a lot of those pieces are usually churned-up debris and don’t require careful attention. I doubt they indicate a site.”
Her face prickled with heat. “I was just trying to be thorough. I didn’t want to miss anything.”
Rick looked up from his field notebook and offered her a quick smile. “Nothing wrong with taking your time. That’s how we’ve found some of the best sites.”
Though his words made her feel marginally better, she wished she didn’t look like such an amateur in front of Brynn and TJ.
“Make sure to drink enough water,” Rick said. “And have some grapes. They’ll help you stay hydrated.” He passed around a bag filled with an enormous cluster of grapes. Olivia grabbed a handful and popped them in her mouth. They tasted sweeter than any grapes she’d ever bought at the supermarket.
On the second transect—the one that would bring them back to their starting point—her route took her through an area filled with dense, knee-high plants. They obscured her view of the ground and twined around her legs, like they were attacking her for invading their territory. The sharp leaves stung her bare calves. She tripped over a root and sprawled forward, catching herself before she fell on her face.
Already, her legs had started tingling. She leaned over to scratch them, but when she stood up, she was hit with a powerful head rush. Whether it was from the blistering heat or her near fall, she couldn’t be sure, but she took a break and drained the rest of her water bottle.
With no shade to offer protection, the sun beat down without mercy. Under her sun hat, her sweaty hair was plastered to her head. Her arms and shoulders felt sensitive to the touch, making her wish she’d worn something with more coverage than a tank top. SPF 40 was no match for hours of bright sunshine and ninety-five-degree weather.
This sucked.
She hadn’t made any real discoveries. She didn’t feel adventurous, just hot and frustrated.
When she got back on track, the others were beyond her line of sight. She ran until her breath hitched, forcing her to stop. She leaned over, hands on her knees, and sucked in air. Once she used her inhaler, she was out of danger, but she couldn’t risk running again. That could lead to a full-blown asthma attack, and the recovery time would take much longer.
Ten minutes later, she reached the start point. Guilt crested over her in waves as she approached TJ and Rick, who were leaning against the car and spitting grape seeds into the field. “All done. Sorry to make you wait.”
Rick popped another grape into his mouth. “No worries. I’m glad you made it back all right.”
Brynn came around the side of the car. “We’ve been waiting forever. I thought we’d have to send out a search party.” She narrowed her eyes. “What’s wrong with your legs?”
Olivia winced. “I think it’s an allergic reaction to those tall plants.”
“You also have a wicked sunburn.” Brynn snickered. “Nice going.”
Could you be any more of a bitch? Olivia fought back the urge to lash out at her. She was supposed to be serving as a good example, not snapping at the students.
Rick’s brow pinched in concern. “You sure you’re okay? Did you have enough water?”
“I’m fine, thanks.” She didn’t want to call any more attention to herself. Not when she’d performed so pitifully compared to the others.
“All right, then,” he said. “Let’s head back.”
“Shotgun,” Brynn called out, “Because I—”
“Get carsick?” Olivia said. “Yeah, I remember.”
She tensed as they approached camp, praying they weren’t the last ones to return. According to Grant’s schedule, the teams were expected back from surveying no later than one in the afternoon, so that they wouldn’t delay lunch. He’d made arrangements with a few women in the village to supply the camp’s lunchtime fare—peasant bread, salads, and local dishes like moussaka and pastitsio.
Olivia’s fears were confirmed when she counted the cars in the parking lot. Everyone else had already arrived. Brynn and TJ got out of the car and headed for the camp restroom. Olivia was about to join them but stopped when Grant strode over to them, bristling with anger.
