Chapter 15 #2
“Everything’s loaded, Phoenix. We’re inside the Centurion and the zombies have us surrounded.”
Dammit. “The other vehicle?”
“They’re here, too. Gunn said that Dr. Luma-Smythe and Agent Ryant are still inside and not answering comms.”
“Could be dead.” Nera’s tone implied she wasn’t too concerned, if that were the case.
“We need to leave.” Gunn’s voice blasted across the line. “The doc and the agent can look after themselves.”
Typical Gunn. Looking out for himself. “No,” Nik said.
“No one died and made you boss, Phoenix. We’ll come back for them.”
But Nik never left anyone behind. He’d abandoned friends and colleagues at the Institute once. Galen might be rotten, but he’d once been a friend. Nik also didn’t believe that Avril was a part of the Institute’s darker dealings, and he respected her love of history.
“We’re going after them.” He checked his mini-Sync. The only other place to look was what had been the offices and staff areas. “Come on. This way.”
They headed down another ruined corridor, patches of paint still visible on the walls. Suddenly, two zombies shambled out in front of them.
Nik aimed and fired, but Nera was already exploding into action. Two fast slashes of her sword and the creatures’ heads rolled across the floor.
“I suggest we make this quick and then get out of here,” she said.
He nodded. They pushed on, and ahead he heard the low and urgent murmur of voices.
They charged through a doorway and Avril’s head snapped up, guilt stamped over her face. Galen stood next to her, and between them, an old metal safe stood open.
“You two picked a shitty time to go radio silent,” Nik bit out. “Zombies are here. The Centurions are surrounded and the creatures are in the building.”
Galen cursed. Avril bit her lip, but the astro-archeologist finished rifling around in the safe. “It was important.”
A muscle in Nik’s jaw worked. “Well, you might pay with your life—with all our lives—so I damn well hope it was worth it.”
She pulled out a piece of paper, covered in a film of protective plas. “It is.” She turned it and he saw a hand-drawn map.
He frowned. “What the hell is that?”
“A map drawn by Captain Barth Blake.”
Realization burst through Nik. “You came in here, risked your life, for a map to the Lost Inca treasure?”
Avril carefully tucked the map into her bag. “It’s out there, somewhere. Imagine if we find it. We’ll go down in history.”
“You’re crazy,” he replied. “It was a myth, even in Terran times. You don’t think people tried following that map?
And you know the rest of the legend—his partner, Chapman, disappeared in the mountains, and Blake mysteriously drowned.
Lots of explorers and adventurers searched for it…
none of them came back from the jungle alive. ”
Avril’s expression tightened. “A hoard of Inca gold, Nik. Artifacts, history, it’s priceless.”
He eyed her. “And ripe for sale on the antiquities black market.”
Her brow creased. “What the hell are you talking about?”
He switched his gaze to Galen, who looked over Nik’s shoulder and stayed silent.
Nik wanted to believe Avril wasn’t a part of it. But he knew there were too many powerful people in the Institute who would sell off something as valuable as the Inca gold so they could line their own pockets.
“You aren’t a part of the Institute’s black-market ring?”
She gasped. “Black market? Nik, you know the Institute does what’s best for historical artifacts.”
Nera, who was glancing out the doorway, pulled back. “You’ll have to have this argument later. Zombies incoming.”
Nik bit off a curse. “We need to get back to the Centurions. Now!”
The four of them moved into the corridor. A small group of zombies were loping toward them. Galen, Nik, and Nera opened fire. They took down the lead zombies, but others were gaining fast.
One zombie made it through and threw itself at Galen.
“Shit!” Galen shouted as he went down.
Nik kicked the zombie, and once it was clear, he unloaded his laser into its head. He helped Galen up. The other man hobbled and winced.
“Injured my leg.”
Nik spotted a ragged piece of metal stuck in the man’s leg. He reached down and yanked it out. “Not much we can do now. Put your arm around my shoulder.”
Galen gritted his teeth and nodded.
When they turned back, Galen was lifting his hand to fire at the oncoming zombies again.
“Stop,” Nik told him. The agent frowned, his weapon still aimed, but Nik grabbed his wrist and pushed it downward. “Nera.”
With a nod, she rushed forward, pulling out her sword.
She swung the blade and turned, dropping low.
She cut down two zombies before leaping into the air and swinging her lethal sword again.
When she landed back on her feet, her sword above her head, dripping with black blood, the zombies lay around her. Dead.
“We should go.” She nodded down the hall.
Nik caught up with her, part dragging Galen. “You are magnificent. Let’s move. Fast.”
They ran through ruined rooms, and fought a few more small groups of zombies. Then they headed out through a smashed section of wall and reached the front of the museum ruins.
The Centurions were ahead, surrounded by zombies. Dozens of them.
“Dammit to hell.” Nik ground his teeth together. “Options?”
“Can’t they use the Centurions’ laser saws and cut through the zombies?” Avril asked.
Galen and Nik both shook their heads.
“The clearing is too small,” Nik answered. “They can’t maneuver around here to take them down.”
“We could fight our way through,” Galen suggested.
“We’d never make it.” Especially not with Galen hobbling like he was.
Nera was eyeing the trees. “We could try climbing.”
The trees glistened with the dark, oily substance coating them. “The black stuff doesn’t look friendly.”
“The zombies are going to notice us soon,” Avril said.
Nera yanked something off her belt. “I’ll clear the way to the Centurions, you run.” Her gaze met Nik’s. “Don’t stop. Don’t look back. I’ll be right behind you.”
Everything in Nik revolted. “No way. I’m not leaving you.”
“I’ll be right behind you.” Her voice lowered. “I promise. Besides, you’ll owe me. And I will make you pay up.”
The sensual promise in her words made his gut tighten. “One scratch, Nera, and I don’t care what you do to me, I will turn you over my knee and punish you.”
Her eyes flashed. “You can try.” She pressed something on the small metallic object in her hand. “Now, get ready to run.”
She tossed the object, and Nik realized it was a grenade. It landed in the middle of the group of zombies.
Then it detonated. But there was no explosion or shrapnel. Only noise. Nik winced at the high-pitched whine the grenade emitted, but while it was uncomfortable to his ears, the zombies howled. They fell to the ground, hands clamped to the sides of their heads. Their tortured moans were deafening.
“Go!” Nera yelled.
She ran at a group of zombies least affected by the sonic grenade. She tossed another grenade and drew her sword. Black blood splattered the ground.
Nik ran, helping Galen along, but every footstep felt wrong. He wanted to race back to her side, help her. Dammit, he wanted to protect her.