himself.
The silence stretched between them for a few minutes, but it didn't seem to make him uncomfortable. If anything, the amusement deepened in his eyes.
"Not a blabbermouth, are you, sweetcakes?" he finally drawled.
"Should I be?"
"Well, it might simplify things, that's for certain. Let's start showing our cards."
"You first," she said politely.
Again the flash of that quick grin, but it quickly faded as a rather grim expression crowded the amusement out of his eyes. "Steven Kates is a crook," he said bluntly. "I saw him a couple of times back in the States a long time ago. He doesn't know me, but I make it a point to keep tabs on people. He's pure slime, and he sure isn't interested in going on any archaeological expedition to photograph burial grounds. As soon as he and your brother offered me the job, I figured they planned on doing some looting, assuming that this site is really there and we can find it."
"It's there."
"So you say. What you have to understand, sweetcakes, is that knowing it's there and finding it are two entirely different things. Hell, even knowing exactly where you are once you're in the interior is a pretty fancy trick. There aren't any maps or experienced guides, and global positioning devices won't work because of the triple canopy."
"I can get us there."
"Maybe. We'll find out. I figured I wouldn't mind seeing what's so all-fired interesting at this archaeological site, and I figured I wouldn't have any trouble keeping an eye on Kates and your brother. What about your brother, by the way? Do you think he's planning to loot whatever you find?"
Jillian had long since faced the truth about Rick. "Probably."
"Would he be willing to kill you to do it?"
Her breath caught in her throat at actually hearing the words said out loud, but the thought had been needling her for a couple of days now. "I don't know. I hope not, but… but I don't know."
He grunted. "He may figure that you aren't going to do anything to incriminate him, so he isn't worried about you. Kates is a different matter. I followed him today; guess I'm just a naturally nosy son of a bitch. He met up with a hired killer, a thug named Ramon Dutra, and hired him as one of our party. The way I see it, Kates doesn't plan on you, me, or your brother making it out alive."
She could call it off. The thought ricocheted in her mind. It wasn't too late to call it off. There was no expedition without her, though she had no idea what Kates would do if she backed out after he'd spent so much money.
But she might never get another chance to find the Anzar and their Stone City, or the Heart of the Empress. She might never get another chance to verify her father's theories and clear his reputation, and her own. She knew she could find the site. She had the map and the precise instructions, written in code, and she had committed the key to memory. Even if Kates found the map he wouldn't be able to read it.
Ben Lewis was closely watching her. She clenched her hands in her lap and forced herself to say calmly, "What else?"
He rolled his eyes a little. "The men I usually hire are honest and dependable, but they won't go on any expedition that involves Dutra. I've had to hire a different bunch, not as dependable, or skillful, and sure as hell not as honest. With my own men I wasn't much worried about anything Kates could cook up, but it's a different situation now. Since we can't depend on your brother, it'll be you and me against the rest of them. We'll have to call a truce, sweetcakes, and you'll have to cooperate with me."
"Why should I trust you?"
The corners of his mouth lifted in a mocking smile. "Because I'm all you have. Now I've spilled my guts, so it's your turn. Just what in the hell are we looking for out there?"
"A lost city."
He stared at her in disbelief before tilting his head back and letting deep, rich laughter pour out of that strong brown throat. "Don't tell me you've fallen for one of those fables that float around
The silence stretched between them for a few minutes, but it didn't seem to make him uncomfortable. If anything, the amusement deepened in his eyes.
"Not a blabbermouth, are you, sweetcakes?" he finally drawled.
"Should I be?"
"Well, it might simplify things, that's for certain. Let's start showing our cards."
"You first," she said politely.
Again the flash of that quick grin, but it quickly faded as a rather grim expression crowded the amusement out of his eyes. "Steven Kates is a crook," he said bluntly. "I saw him a couple of times back in the States a long time ago. He doesn't know me, but I make it a point to keep tabs on people. He's pure slime, and he sure isn't interested in going on any archaeological expedition to photograph burial grounds. As soon as he and your brother offered me the job, I figured they planned on doing some looting, assuming that this site is really there and we can find it."
"It's there."
"So you say. What you have to understand, sweetcakes, is that knowing it's there and finding it are two entirely different things. Hell, even knowing exactly where you are once you're in the interior is a pretty fancy trick. There aren't any maps or experienced guides, and global positioning devices won't work because of the triple canopy."
"I can get us there."
"Maybe. We'll find out. I figured I wouldn't mind seeing what's so all-fired interesting at this archaeological site, and I figured I wouldn't have any trouble keeping an eye on Kates and your brother. What about your brother, by the way? Do you think he's planning to loot whatever you find?"
Jillian had long since faced the truth about Rick. "Probably."
"Would he be willing to kill you to do it?"
Her breath caught in her throat at actually hearing the words said out loud, but the thought had been needling her for a couple of days now. "I don't know. I hope not, but… but I don't know."
He grunted. "He may figure that you aren't going to do anything to incriminate him, so he isn't worried about you. Kates is a different matter. I followed him today; guess I'm just a naturally nosy son of a bitch. He met up with a hired killer, a thug named Ramon Dutra, and hired him as one of our party. The way I see it, Kates doesn't plan on you, me, or your brother making it out alive."
She could call it off. The thought ricocheted in her mind. It wasn't too late to call it off. There was no expedition without her, though she had no idea what Kates would do if she backed out after he'd spent so much money.
But she might never get another chance to find the Anzar and their Stone City, or the Heart of the Empress. She might never get another chance to verify her father's theories and clear his reputation, and her own. She knew she could find the site. She had the map and the precise instructions, written in code, and she had committed the key to memory. Even if Kates found the map he wouldn't be able to read it.
Ben Lewis was closely watching her. She clenched her hands in her lap and forced herself to say calmly, "What else?"
He rolled his eyes a little. "The men I usually hire are honest and dependable, but they won't go on any expedition that involves Dutra. I've had to hire a different bunch, not as dependable, or skillful, and sure as hell not as honest. With my own men I wasn't much worried about anything Kates could cook up, but it's a different situation now. Since we can't depend on your brother, it'll be you and me against the rest of them. We'll have to call a truce, sweetcakes, and you'll have to cooperate with me."
"Why should I trust you?"
The corners of his mouth lifted in a mocking smile. "Because I'm all you have. Now I've spilled my guts, so it's your turn. Just what in the hell are we looking for out there?"
"A lost city."
He stared at her in disbelief before tilting his head back and letting deep, rich laughter pour out of that strong brown throat. "Don't tell me you've fallen for one of those fables that float around
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