Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
“No way! This is the dumbest idea ever.” Anger was a hot blaze in Dathan’s voice.
Nik ignored his brother and shoved some clothes in his bag. “I’m going.”
“The chance to see Earth and what’s left of Terran history…it’s incredibly tempting.” This from Eos who stood in the doorway. Despite her words, she looked concerned.
“This isn’t about Earth.” Dathan spun, hands on his hips. “You’re going because Darc’s going.”
Whatever strange tie they had, Nik knew Nera didn’t need his protection. And he knew if she got even the slightest hint that he was trying to protect her, she’d cut his knees out from under him. But he didn’t trust the Institute, and he wasn’t going to let Nera wade into those dark waters alone.
“I heard chatter on the grapevine that Solomon and Gunn have been hired as well,” Zayn said.
That made Nik pause. Jonas Solomon was young and enthusiastic.
Out to make a name for himself. He’d tangled with their cousin, Justyn Phoenix, and Justyn had only good things to say about the twenty-something-year-old treasure hunter.
Alexei Gunn was a different story. He was harsh, cruel, and mean.
And he hated the Phoenix brothers’ guts.
Dathan stomped up to Nik. “Why don’t you just fuck her, and get this out of your system?”
Nik glared at his brother and kept packing.
Dathan threw his hands in the air. “Fine. Get dead, see if I care.” He stormed out of the cabin.
Zayn shot Nik a rueful glance and followed Dathan.
“He loves you,” Eos said quietly. “He’s worried.”
“I know.”
She came closer, and he smelled her perfume, something containing jasmina from her homeworld of Vedia. She pressed a hand to his arm, and he saw the delicate, floral tattoo-like designs that she’d been born with on her skin. “I love you, too. We don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Nera won’t hurt me.”
“Well, I’m not so sure about that. But it’s whatever you’re barreling into that might get you killed.” She tilted her head, intelligence shining in her dark eyes. “I worked for the Institute, too. I know there are things you haven’t told me about why you left.”
And he wouldn’t tell her. He touched her face. “I’ll be fine.”
She nodded. “Take lots of pictures for me.” Her eyes got a distant look. “Earth. I can only imagine what it’ll be like to pick through the remnants of her cities. Amazing.” Then her face turned serious again. “Come back safely to us, okay?”
He nodded, his throat a little tight. “Count on it.”
Several hours later, Nik stood in the cockpit of the Infinitas watching the large Institute starship, the Magellan, get larger and larger in the viewscreen. Zayn was at the controls, and in the chair beside him, staring at the screen with her arms crossed was his wife, Ria.
With her athletic build and blonde hair, she could have been anything. What most people didn’t guess was that she was a former assassin, with a past worthy of a multi-million-e-cred, blockbuster holovid. She was also completely in love with her husband.
Nik felt his gut tighten. He loved his brothers, and was happy they’d found amazing women to match them.
Eos had smoothed out Dathan’s more ragged edges, and the two of them made a good team.
It was the same with Zayn and Ria. Sometimes they loved diving into adventure, and other times Zayn was finally content to stay in one place and take it easy, as long as Ria was by his side.
It made Nik feel acutely alone.
“Infinitas, please use docking clamp alpha-seventeen,” said a voice over the comm line.
“Sure thing, Magellan. Docking clamp alpha-seventeen.” Zayn’s hands danced over the controls. The Infinitas smoothly changed course. He looked over his shoulder at Nik. “You sure you want to do this? There’s still time to turn around and bug out of here.”
“I’m sure.”
Zayn sighed and nodded.
Moments later, they docked with the larger ship with a muted clang.
“Docking complete.” The female voice came from the ship’s computer. “Someone tell me why the hell we’re letting the big guy do this?”
Nik stomped on his irritation. Everyone had made it clear what they thought about his decision to go on this expedition. He didn’t need an outspoken biocomp giving him a mouthful too. “I’m going, BEll, so save the lecture.”
A huffing noise came from the comm. “It is my job to keep your ass safe. As I have been doing since Dathan acquired me.”
“Stole you,” Zayn said, leaning back in his chair.
“He won me in a card game.”
Zayn snorted. “He cheated, so that’s stealing.”
“Whatever,” BEll said in an irritated voice. “Niklas, please be careful.”
He hefted his bag up. He had his clothes, a few other helpful items for a treasure hunt, and his Sync—loaded with all his notes and records on Earth. “I will.”
“And give that bitch, Nera Darc, a slap from me.”
Zayn snorted again. “Something tells me he wouldn’t slap her in the same place you would, BEll.”
Ria came up to Nik and gave him a hug. “Stay safe and good hunting.”
Zayn pressed a hand to Nik’s shoulder. “Don’t let those Institute snobs take all the good stuff. Bring us something home.”
“It’s in my contract. I get two items.” He’d studied the contract Dr. Luma-Smythe had sent to him in great detail.
There was a generous pay and the addition of two old Earth items would be extremely valuable.
Of course, the Institute would get the rest. He wondered darkly what the hell they’d do with them.
As he headed for the docking door, Eos and Dathan appeared. She gave him a small smile. “Good luck, Niklas.”
Dathan let out a huff. “All I’m going to say is, stay alive. And if it comes down to you or any of the assholes on that ship—” he stabbed a finger toward the docking door “—it’s you, okay?”
Nik crossed the distance between them and pulled Dathan in for a quick hug. He slapped his brother on the back. “I’ll be back.”
Then, Nik hefted his bag onto his shoulder and waited at the door while it cycled through its unlocking sequence. Finally, it opened with a quiet hiss. Avril Luma-Smythe stood on the other side. “Dr. Phoenix, I am so glad you changed your mind.” She waved him in. “Welcome aboard the Magellan.”
“Thanks.” They started down a corridor. Its silver walls gleamed. “It’s a great ship.”
“Brand-spanking new, and named for a famous old Earth explorer.” She smiled up at him. “Of course, I don’t need to tell you that.”
“Ferdinand Magellan.”
She nodded. “I had to pull a few strings to get her for this expedition. We have two state-of-the-art shuttles, fully equipped research labs, excellent crew quarters, and plenty of storage in the cargo bays.” She beamed up at him.
“And wait until you see the library. I had it specially upgraded for the voyage.”
“With the Hawass Documents.”
She blinked. “How did you hear that? I was planning to call you again and tell you about them, but then I got your call telling me you’d changed your mind.”
“You were going to dangle them in front of me like a carrot?”
She ran her tongue over her teeth. “Maybe.” A smile. “Would they have worked?”
He realized she really was cute. “Maybe.” But that carrot couldn’t remotely compare to Nera Darc’s long, lean body. “Are the other treasure hunters on board?”
“Yes.” She wrinkled her nose like she wasn’t as happy about that decision as she’d made out. “I’ve asked everyone to meet in the library shortly.”
They rounded a corridor, and he spotted Galen. The Institute agent was waiting outside a doorway, standing ramrod-straight in his gray-and-black uniform. His gray gaze met Nik’s.
Nik didn’t look away.
“Ah, Agent Ryant, I don’t think you’ve officially met Dr. Niklas Phoenix—”
Galen nodded. “We’ve met.”
“Oh.” The astro-archeologist blinked. “Right, when Dr. Phoenix was at the Institute. Agent Ryant is in charge of security for the expedition.”
Great. Nik nodded.
“For the record,” Galen said. “I don’t think hiring treasure hunters was the right option for this expedition.” He said treasure hunters the same way most people would mention the Tavalian pox. “My team have the capability and skills to carry out this expedition to Earth.”
Avril waved a hand. “Yes, yes, you’ve told me. Your objection is noted. I don’t agree. We’ll need all the help we can get to find what we’re looking for on Earth.”
Nik’s interest sharpened. “And what are we looking for?”
“I’ll save that until we’re all together with the others.” She stopped at a door. “Here’s the library.” She pressed a button beside the door and it slid open.
Nik’s chest went tight. Holy stars. It was gorgeous.
The modern, almost-clinical feel of the ship ended at the doorway.
Inside, it looked like an Old-World library.
Lots of glowing, warm wood, shelves upon shelves of old paper books, sleek comp screens sitting on wooden desks in front of large, leather chairs.
And somewhere in here were the Hawass Documents, rumored to have detailed historical information on Earth. Documents the Institute kept tightly locked up.
“If you’d like to wait here,” Dr. Luma-Smythe said. “Agent Ryant and I will return when the other hunters arrive here.”
Nik gave her a distracted nod.
He did a circle of the room. There were so many valuable books here. Every astro-archeologist’s idea of heaven. Eos would love it. He paused by a large, curved window showing space beyond.
It was then he sensed he wasn’t alone.
He turned and scanned the room. Saw nothing out of the ordinary.
“Nera,” he said.
There was a shimmer to Nik’s left and Nera’s form appeared. Her helmet retracted. She eyed the room before her nebula gaze came back to him. “I was worried I was becoming predictable, but it seems you’re the only one I have to worry about guessing my moves.”
Maybe it was because he’d watched her for so long, and wondered what drove her. But he was sure that for every little thing he worked out about Nera Darc, she would always continually surprise him. “You make an entrance. As always.”
“I wouldn’t want to disappoint you.”
“Where’s my idol?”