Chapter 10

Early the next morning,Ty awoke with Cara nestled against his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder. He didn't have the heart to wake her just yet. She'd awoken just after midnight, which, given the fact she'd still been on top of him, had led to a very satisfying interlude. After that, he'd left her to sleep while he'd checked the cameras around the site. All had been quiet, so he'd returned to their pallet on the floor.

Although there was a little light seeping beneath the bottom of the tent and through a narrow slit at the door, the tent was still dark. He needed to get up and get moving. He'd snag Gunn so they could install a camera or two on the work site and get Gunn acquainted with the layout of both sites. He figured things would move swiftly now that the bodies had been found and no one working here was safe.

He gently lifted her head and substituted the pillow for his shoulder. Then he moved by feel, gathering fresh clothing and his shower kit.

When he let himself out of the tent, he stood and breathed in the muggy jungle air. It was so different from the many places he'd been while on active duty and certainly different from the cool, crisp air in West Yellowstone.

As he moved toward the shower, he opened his phone. There was a message from Stone, who'd heard back from Hank that he had a contact within the Mexican Federal Police and that this person would visit the site in the next couple of days to begin the investigation into whatever crime had been committed.

He texted back, letting Stone know that all was well this morning and that he and Gunn would "stay frosty" in the meantime.

Ty showered and shaved, dressed in cargo pants and a tee, then stepped out of the tent as Luca arrived for his shower. Ty headed back toward his and Cara's tent. While he'd be relieved when the camp was evacuated, he didn't want to think about their eventual separation—him traveling back to Montana, her to wherever the next job took her.

He wondered how someone in her line of business maintained a relationship, much less friends—unless they were friends like Cookie, who he could see moving gig to gig along with her.

Both women were strong and independent, resourceful and driven in their own ways. He'd hate to lose touch with either, Cara in particular, but he couldn't see how they could make this work, no matter how good the sex was or how well they got along with each other.

He flipped back the canvas door and stepped inside the tent. The sleeping bag had been rolled up and set on his bed, and the pillow returned to hers.

Cara stepped into the tent behind him, wrapping her arms around his stomach while she hugged his back. "Good morning," she said. You should've woken me up. I still have to shower."

He cupped her hands and squeezed them. "I thought you could use the extra sleep."

She chuckled. "Why's that? I slept like a rock."

He pulled her around in front of him, bracketed her face between his palms, and kissed her. She tasted minty, which explained what she'd been doing when he'd arrived. "Go get your shower. Luca's out there, so you won't be alone. I'll be in the mess tent with Gunn when you're finished."

"Yes, sir!" She stepped back, picked up her shower kit and the clothes she'd left on her cot and left.

When he arrived at the mess tent, it was to the sound of laughter coming from behind the kitchen area, male and female laughter. He nodded to the workers and slipped behind their prep area to step outside. Gunn and Cookie were sitting on the ground, a large bowl of banana and apple peels between them.

As he watched, Gunn held out a spiral of apple peel and waited as a monkey darted down a tree trunk and ran sideways on his two back feet, pausing three feet away to eye Gunn and the treat.

Then the monkey darted forward, grabbed the peel, and ran back up the tree to hide inside the branches. He wasn't alone. Two other monkeys chittered in the trees.

"I think he's the only brave one," Gunn said quietly to Cookie.

Ty cleared his throat behind them, and Gunn peered over his shoulder. "'Bout time you stirred."

"Looks like you're making friends with the natives."

"Yeah, I'm thinking this wouldn't be such a bad gig if it weren't for the kidnappings and the cartel." He pushed to his feet and reached down to offer a hand to Cookie, who grinned as she swiped dirt off her backside.

"Good morning," Cookie said. "Where's your prettier half?"

"She's finishing up her shower. She should be here in the next few minutes, or I'll be looking for her." He clapped his hands together. "What's for breakfast?"

"Chorizo, egg, and potato omelets, tortillas if you prefer to eat your eggs in a wrap, plus bread and some sliced meat if spicy sausage isn't your thing."

"Sounds great."

"You two, go grab coffee," she said, waving her hand toward the doorway. "I'll let you know when the food's ready."

When he reentered the tent, Cara was striding toward him, followed by Professor Beacham, Paulo, Luca, and Pedro.

Ty headed to the urn, poured two cups, and handed Cara one of them.

She took the cup, sipped tentatively at the hot brew, and sighed. "It almost makes it worth getting up for. I don't know how she manages to get the coffee to taste so good in that old urn."

"Salt and a pinch of cinnamon," Cookie called out. "And a decent roast to begin with."

Ty placed his hand at the small of her back and ushered her to their usual table, then held out a chair for her to take her seat.

"I could get spoiled," she said, smiling at him as he sat next to her. "Pouring my coffee, pulling out my chair…"

"What? The feminist inside you isn't bristling?"

She arched a brow. "The feminist inside me is satisfied I have a cool job for which I'm decently paid, but I like being treated like a lady, too."

"Noted," he said, hoping he'd have more chances to "spoil" her.

Gunn sat opposite them. Paulo and the professor sat opposite each other. The two students sat at another table, seemingly oblivious to the tension seeping into the tent.

Ty leaned over the table. "I want a camera on the opening to that chamber."

Paolo darted a glance toward the students. "Roy and I will keep them occupied with closing up the chamber where we found the mummy. We need to make sure our stakes match the map we have of the excavation so that we can properly track our progress and know where to start when we return. You should have a couple of hours once we head inside."

Ty nodded. "Sounds good. We won't need that much time." He glanced sideways at Cara. "You'll be with us."

"Of course," she said.

He turned back to the others. "Our boss back in Yellowstone got in touch with a federale who'll be here in the next day or two to investigate those bodies we found."

"I'll be so happy to hand that worry over," Cara said.

"They will lock down the site," Professor Beacham said. "We have a lot to do before we can allow them to do that."

"Well, you should put all your effort toward closing the work site," Cara said, her voice firm. "We can worry about breaking down this camp afterward. Hell, we could even have a party." Her gaze went to Paulo and the professor. "That was a joke."

Paulo shrugged. "We always have a party. Just because we're closing early, and one of ours was taken, doesn't mean we shouldn't. We Mexicans do not cower in the face of evil."

The words should've sounded corny, but coming from the usually reserved professor, it sounded noble.

Cara smiled. "Then a party we shall have."

"What's this I hear about a party?" Cookie said, arriving at the table with a platter of omelets and tortillas. One of her helpers began setting plates and cutlery in front of them, and another came with sliced bread, meat, and cheese.

"We were just talking about our end-of-dig party that we usually have," Cara said. "I wasn't sure we should have one, given the circumstances, but Paulo here reminded us that we're not…um, weenies."

Cookie snorted. "You ever notice when someone's talking about cowards, they use one or the other sex's anatomy?"

Gunn coughed.

Cookie took a seat and began directing the platters around the table. "An Army moves on its stomach," she murmured.

Paulo looked confused.

Ty grinned. "It's an idiom used in the American military that means workers can't do well unless they are well fed."

Paulo nodded. "This is a saying I will adopt—with a few cultural changes. Something to do with tacos."

Everyone laughed and began digging into their food.

Ty glanced sideways at Cara. "You'll miss this, won't you?"

She shrugged. "This kind of magic happens when you create the right team. Bringing in Cookie just clicked. She's the right person for this job. Every meal is an event."

"Speaking of which," Cookie said, winking at Cara to let her know she'd heard her praise, "I need to know how many bagged lunches we have to prepare."

The students, Roy, Paulo, Gunn, Ty, and Cara all raised their hands.

Cookie nodded, then smiled. "Bon appétit."

At the worksite,Roy's frown emphasized his irritation. Luca and Pedro had partially disassembled the GDR, boxed it up, and loaded it onto a truck bed. Everyone was still in the area they used for parking and hadn't yet moved inside the site other than quickly grabbing the GDR from their on-site tent.

Cara approached Roy while sipping on another cup of coffee she'd poured from the thermos Cookie had sent with her. "I don't see that we really have a choice, Roy. We have to terminate the dig."

"The waste of it all," he said, giving her an apologetic glance. "Our sponsors always get a report. There will be a reception and a buffet, then I'll be called to give a slide show. We've only excavated half of what we planned."

She gave him a one-sided smile. "Well, I know you're not ending the dig with everything you hoped to find, but so far as your sponsors are concerned, all this drama could work for you."

"What are you talking about?"

She raised her eyebrows. "A cartel kidnapping, a looted chamber with the bodies of executed drug runners… Now, you're Indiana Jones, facing more than just the jaguars and venomous snakes to find your buried treasure."

"You're absurd," he said, then laughed. "Completely absurd." But his wide smile said he was already spinning a winning tale of his adventures in the Yucatan in his head.

They both stood smiling at each other for a few moments. Then he canted his head. "You know, you really are very good at this. You take everything in stride. I don't know what we would do without you—or your…boyfriend."

"Well, thank you, sir. I only hope I'll be contracted for your next dig. I can't wait to see what you find."

Paulo stood back from the truck and turned to Roy and Cara. "We should head up to the pyramid," he said, his pointed stare then going to Ty and Gunn.

"Not subtle," Roy murmured.

Cara mused that the man should never work as a spy.

She watched as the men began moving toward the bridge and out of sight. Then she turned to Gunn and Ty, who were already pulling their small bags from Gunn's rental vehicle. She walked with them as they entered the site and made their way to the side of the first level of the pyramid.

She kept watch on the entrance the students and professors had used to enter the chamber they were preparing to close while the two Navy SEALs tied a rope around a stone and disappeared over the edge.

Looking overhead, she thought the sky couldn't be a prettier blue. The sounds of buzzing insects, the songs of the birds, and the clicks and chatter of the monkeys made her smile. She'd miss this site as she always did. She wasn't sure what was next because she'd left her calendar open, ready for an extended vacation before she contacted the service that sent projects her way.

Maybe she'd go to Yellowstone and take in the sights—if a certain SEAL didn't mind her visiting for a while.

That thought took hold of her imagination, and she imagined what an idyllic pause that would be for her. Maybe she'd reassess her career and look for something with a little more stability, something closer to Montana…

In the distance, she heard a vehicle approach and wondered who it might be. No one from the campsite would come here unless there were an emergency.

She glanced at the pyramid's entrance and then at the rope still tied around the stone. Ty had said it wouldn't take long for them to set up the camera to monitor any movement into the chamber with the bodies.

She moved down the pyramid's steps and hurried to the bridge.

Beyond it, she noted a dark sedan had pulled into the parking area. Then, a familiar figure climbed out of it. Her stomach sank to her toes.

What the hell was Ramos doing at their site? As far as she knew, he'd never ventured out here. Why now?

Then she thought that perhaps he'd heard news about Duncan, so she kept walking, approaching the policeman whose expression was set in its usual sour, pursed-mouth frown.

"Office Ramos," she called out. "What can I do for you?"

His gaze went to the site's entrance.

"Do you have news about Duncan?"

He glanced at her, his frown deepening.

Lord, the man really didn't like talking to women. "Are you here with news about the kidnapping?" she repeated more slowly.

"The negotiation continues," he said, his words short and bitten.

"Then why are you here?"

"This site is in my jurisdiction. I heard you are leaving soon."

"We are. After Duncan was taken, the decision was made to halt the dig temporarily."

"So, why are you still here?"

Her back stiffened. The man really was a rude little toad. "It takes time to secure the site and pack up." She lifted her chin. "Why should that concern you?"

"This site is in my jurisdiction, se?ora."

Cara did her best to hide her distaste for the man, pasting on a polite smile. "Is there something I can do for you today?"

"No. I will see this myself."

She almost blurted out, See what? Instead, she stayed silent as he moved toward the bridge. Alarmed that he might see Ty and Gunn coming over the edge of the platform, she moved to cut him off. "How about I save you the effort?" she said. "Who do you want to talk to? I'll bring them to you so the rest can continue to work."

"Is there something you don't want me to see?" he said, narrowing his eyes.

Her heart stuttered, and her mind went still. The man knew about the bodies. He was part of this, somehow.

He moved around her and headed to the bridge. At this point, all she could do was follow, but she prayed that Gunn and Ty were finished and that they'd moved away from that part of the first level.