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  He wouldn’t be “contributing” like Emily accused him of.

  However, as he talked it out with his new friend, Alex began to realize that it had been about his choices all along. Every single choice he’d made leading up to this moment had been made with the idea that he and Emily would eventually be married, living happily ever after in the Bay Area. It was a good life he had been working towards – at least he thought so.

  Besides, as the last few minutes had demonstrated, his fight with Emily was a relatively minor thing. Compared with nearly dying and needing to shoot someone before they killed you, at least; that tended to put things in a different perspective. He had to admit, it felt good to talk about his former fiancée as if he had bigger problems.

  Because up until five minutes ago, he hadn’t.

  “So what are you going to do now?” Ash asked.

  “To be honest, that’s sorta why you found me in a liquor store at six in the morning,” Alex confessed. “I have no earthly idea.”

  Ash smiled and nodded. He dropped the finished cigarette on the ground and crushed it out with his toe. “Well, I can tell you this: When most women decide something, they generally stick to it. Whether out of spite or just being stubborn, there’s no changing her mind. All you can do is ride the wave.”

  “I can’t tell her she can’t take the job,” Alex protested. “That’s not exactly modern thinking if I demand she stay at home. So, I thought maybe if we got married, we could make it work, ya know?”

  “My guess is you already knew what her reaction would be to your proposal,” Ash said, staring at Alex intently. “And my guess is…you didn’t care.”

  Alex felt himself grow hot under the collar. Who the hell was this guy to talk to him like that?

  Ash saw Alex’s reaction and raised his hands palms flat out. “I’m just saying, how much of your life did you lead for yourself? And how much of it did you lead for her?”

  Confusion crossed Alex’s face, “I’m not sure I follow.”

  “Sure you do,” Ash said with a nod. “You built your life around the expectation that her only option was getting married to you and settling down, am I right?”

  Alex felt the flush leave his face. If he was being honest, that was exactly what he had been doing. Despite how she felt about marriage. She loved him; that much he was certain of. Wasn’t that enough?

  “When it comes to that sort of thing, you never mess with proposals and weddings. That my friend, is the ultimate insult,” Ash said with wisdom. “She saw your proposal as a sign that you weren’t listening.”

  “But I…” Alex stammered. His new friend was right. He was only twenty-three, and Emily was only barely that. What the hell did they know about marriage, or even about building a strong relationship? They’d only been dating for a few years, and half of that had been spent a continent apart while he was attending school in England as part of his semester abroad.

  “Many things in this world are mysterious and full of wonder,” Ash said, “but the grand secret women don’t want you to know is that they aren’t as enigmatic as they want you to think. They’re people, just like you and me, with their own motivations, likes, dislikes and expectations of the world around them. If you didn’t know all of her peculiars ahead of time, then you two weren’t ready to get married anyhow.” Ash grinned at him. “Congrats, my friend, you just saved a ton of money on alimony.”

  “But I…” Alex was at a loss, “but I was in love with her.”

  Ash doubled over laughing, “Love? Jesus Christ, man, that’s all just chemicals, no different than any other high out there. And just like every other high out there, it comes with diminishing returns. Romantic love is about as real as Santa Claus. A real relationship, the kind that lasts through eons, relies on a good foundation of trust and friendship.

  “My friend, if it’s really over so easily between you two, it doesn’t sound like you trusted each other a whole lot. Trust starts with truth, and just how truthful were you about your expectations of the relationship?”

  Alex blinked several times. He had no response to that.

  Ash realized he may have hit a nerve and shook his head.

  “Look, I’m sorry. I might be talking outta my ass. All I know is what you tell me. I dunno the actual dynamics of your guys’ relationship, but in my life’s long experience with women, you tell ‘em the truth about everything, no matter what. Keep things honest between you two and keep talking. You do that, and they either stick by you or they leave.”

  Alex looked at Ash, who winked at him. “I guarantee you this, though: The ones who stick with you are worth more than a million who leave.”

  Looking away, Alex took out the forgotten bottle of vodka from his pants pocket. He opened the orange juice and drank a little. Then he poured some vodka into the bottle and swirled it around, offering the drink to his companion.

  “I’m good,” Ash said in good humor. “Don’t let me stop you, though.”

  “I won’t,” Alex replied and took a swig. He felt the sting of the cheap vodka hit his stomach, and he found himself wishing for food.

  Ash grinned at him and looked over at the police, who were arriving on scene. “They’re gonna want to talk to you.”

  With a sigh, Alex took the final swig of the impromptu screwdriver he’d made. “At least I’ll have something to do for the rest of the day.”

  Ash stared at him for a moment, leaving Alex feeling very exposed. A slow grin spread over Ash’s face as he reached into his pocket. He took out a card and handed it to Alex.

  “That’s my personal number. After you get through with the police, and if you still want something to do, give me a call.”

  “You’re not hitting on me, are ya?” Alex joked.

  Ash chuckled and shook his head. “You’d know if I was hitting on you. Nah, I just think that with a bit of proper training and a little bit of guidance, there’s an infinite amount of possibilities ahead for you.”

  Alex took the card out of the man’s hands without looking at it and put it into his pocket. “Well, thanks, I guess. I’ll think about it.”

  Ash looked him over once again and nodded, “See that you do.”

  A police sergeant walked up to them and nodded to Ash. “Colonel, if you don’t mind, we’d like to get your statement.”

  “Fine by me,” Ash drawled, then nodded over at Alex. “But that’s the man who took care of those scumbags, I was just along for the ride. Whatever he says went down, is how it happened.”

  Alex looked at his new friend, confused, and at the police sergeant who was treating him so deferentially, “Well sir, that’s good enough for me, I’ll get the full story from…” the police sergeant turned to Alex, “What was your name?”

  “McCray, Alex…” He wasn’t sure why the mysterious man was giving him all the credit for foiling the robbery, but it felt good to know he had helped someone today. Maybe that’s all Ash wanted.

  “Mr. McCray, if you’ll follow me then,” the sergeant said, holding out his arm. Alex obediently began moving towards the cars when he heard Ash’s voice call after him again.

  “Good work today, Alex, I really do hope you give me a call.”

  Alex turned back to look at his new friend, but discovered he was gone. He had melted into the crowd of curious bystanders that had gathered around the police tape. He reached into his pocket and looked at the card.

  Col. Nathaniel Ash

  Consultant

  National Recognizance Office

  Beneath the seal that gave his bona fides was a number written in pen.

  “Alex…” Scott’s voice called him back from the memories.

  He shook himself. He hadn’t thought about that day in a long time. After everything they had been through over the last twenty-four hours, Scott and Emily deserved to know what happened. He’d have to trust that their friendship would survive the truth.

  Alex sighed, looked up at his friends and began to tell his story.

&n
bsp; Chapter Eleven

  The last thing Ododa wanted to do was be away from the camp during the most important excavation of the year. But his throbbing head, and the mysterious experience he had within the crystal chamber, made it clear that he needed rest.

  Ododa wanted to believe that he had simply been knocked unconscious after falling inside, or that he had fallen victim to a buildup of poisonous gases within the chamber. Hypoxia was a cruel mistress and did not discriminate with whom she killed. Even experienced miners over the years had unexpectedly died from the foul air in places just like that crystal room. The first indications of hypoxia were usually hallucinations, and if what he saw inside the cave didn’t qualify, then Ododa didn’t know anything.

  After an hour on the road, he arrived home, pulling his truck neatly into the driveway. The mine was not far away, but with traffic and the poorly maintained roads, it took longer than it should have. Plus, while his Toyota had been an indomitable beast when he had first bought it, after many years of abuse in the field, the seemingly invincible truck was finally beginning to show its age.

  He stepped out of the vehicle, his knees and ankles popping loudly. He grimaced, and knew it wasn’t just the Toyota that was getting old.

  He walked up the driveway towards his house and opened the door to see his wife Lwansa frowning over the top of her laptop screen.

  “My dear,” Ododa intoned. She looked up at him, and that broad, beloved smile broke out across her face. Every time he saw it, he felt as if she were falling in love with him all over again.

  “Love!” she cried out in joy. “What are you doing home? I didn’t expect you until much later tonight.”

  “There was an accident,” Ododa said. Before he could think of a better explanation, she leapt to her feet and rushed over to her husband, checking his body for injuries.

  “What happened?” she cried out, “Are you ok? Here, sit, please sit down.” She led Ododa over to the kitchen seat and eased him into a chair. She then went to the faucet and filled a cup, bringing it to him.

  “I’m fine,” Ododa said gently, grasping his wife’s hand. He pulled her into his lap and smiled as she nuzzled into his neck. “It was a simple misunderstanding. Mbasi thought it best if I had a chance to recover. There is nothing so critical happening tonight that I can’t return to if need be.”

  “A rare evening with my husband?” she asked in wonder. “Whatever shall I do with myself?”

  “I have an idea…” Ododa intoned, squeezing her tightly. She squealed and laughed as she slapped him on the shoulder.

  “Stop it. Just because you don’t have to work doesn’t mean I don’t have to,” she replied playfully. He knew she would love to spend that kind of quality time with him if she could.

  He smiled, “You’re right, of course. I am the one, after all, who is interrupting your work. Please…” He stood and backed away from the table. “All I wanted to do was come home and eat some of your delicious cooking.”

  “Supper will be ready in a few minutes,” she said, smiling at him. “There’s plenty if you wish to join.”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Ododa replied. “How are the girls?”

  “Doing homework and staying out of trouble, I hope,” she said. “I haven’t heard much out of their room in the last few minutes, which usually means trouble.”

  He chuckled and stood, helping his wife off his lap, “I’ll check in on them. Go ahead and complete your assignments. I will change and get the girls to come help with supper.”

  He groaned as his body complained about needing to get up. He stretched himself out, feeling bursts of pain all across his back and knees.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Lwansa asked, the worry returning to her eyes.

  “It’s nothing I haven’t had to walk off a million times before,” he reassured her.

  She sighed loudly, sitting down once again behind her laptop. “You aren’t invincible, you know. Always running around and trying to be everywhere at once. You’ll miss out on what’s in front of you if you’re not careful.”

  She looked up with him with her pretty soulful eyes, the eyes that had ensnared him from the start. “I can’t imagine that you can keep going on like this. Weren’t you the one who said you were going to slow down?”

  He laughed, “Slow down? Why would I do something as silly as that?”

  He began moving down the hallway to check on his daughters as his wife called after him, “Would you like a Coca-Cola?”

  “That would be wonderful,” he replied, thinking of the sweet beverage. He was not a fan of alcohol (not for any religious or moral reasons; he simply disliked the taste), but it was nice to have a cold Coke at the end of a hard day.

  He moved down the hallway to check on his twin girls, Charisma and Innocence. As he turned the corner and opened up his children’s bedroom door, he saw his twins coloring together on the floor. He smiled, watching them for a moment and taking in the domestic bliss.

  “Ladies…” Ododa said with a smile.

  “Daddy!!” they shrieked. The two girls jumped to their feet and ran over to their father, hugging him tightly. He picked up Charisma and kissed her cheek as he pulled Innocence in closer, hugging her back.

  “Are you two keeping out of trouble?”

  “Yeeess…” they said, their voices happy.

  “Good, good,” Ododa said, “It appears I will be joining you all for supper tonight, if that’s all right with you.”

  “Yaaay!” they shouted.

  He set Charisma down and turned her towards the kitchen. “Mommy needs your help, so go help her set the table and finish preparing dinner, yes?”

  “Okay, Daddy!” Charisma said. She clutched her sister’s hand, and they ran down the hallway with the type of energy only eight year olds had. He watched them go and shook his head. It seemed like only yesterday that they were impossibly tiny. Where had the time gone?

  He walked down the hallway to his room, and as he changed out of his work pants, he felt a strange lump in his pocket. He withdrew the yellow stone artifact he had found in the chamber and stared at it. Intricate patterns of dotted black wound throughout the stone. He gradually noticed as the room lit up with a warm yellow glow. Somehow, he felt that glow contained all the promise of a spring sunrise after a bad winter.

  Suddenly, he heard his wife’s voice calling to him from the doorway.

  “Love?!” she asked him, worried. “Are you okay?”

  Ododa shook himself back to reality and found his wife holding his soda.

  “What happened?” she asked with a quivering clip in her voice. “You looked catatonic.”

  “I did?” he blurted out. He didn’t remember anything from the last few minutes other than the wonderful glow of the stone in his hand. He slipped it back into his pocket before his wife could see it.

  “Earth to Ododa,” she said, sweetly caressing the side of his head. “Are you sure you didn’t whack your head in the mine?”

  “I’m fine,” he reassured her. He pointed to the drink she was holding. “Is that for me?”

  She gave him his soda, and he accepted it gratefully, offering a sip for her to share. The quiet moment of love and privacy was one of the first they'd been able to afford themselves in many weeks.

  Suddenly, an enormous explosion resounded throughout the valley. Ododa looked up in fear. His wife mirrored his reaction and looked at him.

  “The mine?”

  “Has to be,” he said grimly. He set the glass down and kissed his wife on the forehead. “I’ve got to get back and see what that was all about.”

  “Be careful,” she said, her eyes pleading with him.

  He nodded and gave her the smile she'd fallen in love with.

  “Of course, my dear. What could go wrong?”

  Chapter Twelve

  Collier's head was full of jumbled, frantic notes, and his pounding heart made it that much harder to arrange them into a presentation. He’d gathered togethe
r reams of paper, as well as sample cores he’d brought back from Peru, but none of it seemed necessary now.

  Besides, who’d want to watch some boring PowerPoint presentation when he had the power of the stone to show them?

  Standing outside the Archeology Department at UCSD, he felt like the prodigal son returning home in triumph. It was a shame that Rachel had turned on him so quickly, but that was her problem now. Her poor attitude and lack of commitment had cost her any share of the glory. If nothing else, she'd served as a reminder of the backstabbing he could expect on his way to the top. Rachel had been only the first of many who would seek to destroy him. He’d need to be more careful with his trust in the future.

  He entered the department and moved quickly towards the stairs, heading for his meeting in the Regents' conference room.

  Going over the presentation in his head once again, Collier thought about how amazing it would be. His strategy was simple: shock and awe. The stone's sheer power would no doubt wow his peers, and that would allow him to ask for everything he’d ever dreamed of.

  By the time they returned to the dig site in Peru, Kevin’s body would be nothing more than dust in the wind. He would blame the young man publicly for burning down the camp and destroying the drill. No body meant no crime, and any authorities would write off the disappearance as a result of Kevin’s incompetence.

  Professor Collier strode through the dual doors of the conference room, full of energy and confidence, ready to dazzle everyone with the artifact.

  “Gentlemen,” he called out to the assorted staff members gathered around the large oval conference table, “I’m so glad you could make it here this morning.”

  “Professor Collier, welcome back.”

  Professor Reinhold Porter looked at him over the top of his eyeglasses. His thick bushy beard and googly eyes belied the sharp intelligence behind his spectacles. Known for priding himself on being "calm and rational," he had raised the strongest objections to Collier's expedition, calling it a waste of the University’s time and money. Searching for a lost city of gold, he had said, was better left to private interests who could afford to burn money chasing down silly legends.