The Sacred Vault

Sharpe. ‘I thought I’d never catch up with you.’

‘We’ve spent practically the past week together, Rowan,’ she said, grinning. ‘I would have thought you’d be sick of the sight of me by now.’

‘Oh, don’t be absurd.’ The tall, black-haired Connecticut native was in his late thirties, and in his tuxedo looked even more dashing than usual. Lola’s attention had definitely been caught, Nina noticed with amusement. ‘I certainly wasn’t going to miss this - even if I had to fly all the way from San Francisco to be here.’

‘Rowan, this is Matt Trulli,’ said Nina, making introductions. ‘He used to work for UNARA, and now he’s with the Oceanic Survey Organisation. Matt, this is an old friend of mine, Dr Rowan Sharpe. He’s in charge of the Treasures of Atlantis exhibition.’

‘Oh, I’m in charge?’ said Rowan, feigning surprise. ‘Funny, I thought you were. I mean, you’re constantly there bossing everyone about . . .’

Nina gave him a little laugh. ‘I’m the boss, so I’m allowed to be bossy. Besides, the exhibition’s really important to me. I just want things to be perfect.’

‘Well, you always were a perfectionist.’ He winked at her, then looked her up and down. ‘And speaking of perfection, you look absolutely incredible tonight. I’m very jealous of Eddie.’ He sighed, smiling. ‘Ah, the path not taken . . .’

‘Knock it off, Rowan,’ said Nina, but not before Lola and Matt exchanged curious looks. ‘Rowan and I used to date,’ she explained. ‘A long time ago, when I was an undergraduate.’ Another look passed between them. ‘Yes, I had boyfriends before I met Eddie. Why is everybody always so surprised about that?’

‘Though I’d actually known her for years,’ Rowan added. ‘I was a friend of Nina’s parents - Henry Wilde was my archaeology professor. I even helped them with some of their research on Atlantis.’ He put a gentle hand on Nina’s shoulder. ‘Henry and Laura would be so proud of you. You found what they spent their lives searching for.’

‘Thank you,’ Nina replied, with a twinge of sadness: her parents had lost their lives searching for Atlantis. She pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Both the impending exhibition and this evening were about celebrating what the hunt for Atlantis had brought her, not regretting what it had taken. ‘But the main thing now is that the whole world can see it for themselves.’

‘It’s a shame you can’t come with me for the exhibition’s entire tour. But I suppose Eddie would get rather annoyed if I took you away from him for four months.’

‘He might at that,’ said Nina, smiling. ‘And speaking of Eddie, I should go and find him again, so I’ll see you all later.’

‘Have fun.’ Rowan held up his drink to her, then said to Matt, ‘So, what do you do at the OSO?’

As Matt launched into what promised to be an extremely technical summary of his work building robotic underwater vehicles, Nina continued through the room, looking for Eddie. Before she saw him, though, she encountered more very familiar faces. ‘Hi!’

‘Nina!’ said Macy Sharif in delight. The archaeology student had been in conversation with Karima Farran and Radi Bashir, the Jordanian couple respectively a friend of Eddie’s from his days as an international troubleshooter- for-hire, and a producer for a Middle Eastern news network. ‘How are you?’

‘I’m fine, thanks,’ said Nina, embracing her. ‘How are your studies going?’

‘Well, you know that I used to be kind of a C-student?’ Macy said with a cocky grin. ‘Well, I’m now a . . . B-student! B-plus, even. Sometimes.’

‘That’s great! And you’ve still got another year and a half to get that A - like I said at the UN, if you want a job at the IHA when you graduate, just ask.’

‘I think I will. Thanks.’ She glanced past Nina. ‘Hey, is that Grant?’ Nina nodded, and Macy’s look became more predatory. ‘I’m gonna say hi. You think he’ll remember me?’

‘You’re hard to forget,’ Nina assured her. Macy quickly applied another coat of lipstick, then darted off through the crowd. ‘He’s with someone,’ Nina called after her.

‘We’ll see!’

‘She’s very . . . forward, isn’t she?’ said Karima.

‘That’s one way to describe her,’ Nina replied, amused.

Rad nodded. ‘She was just telling us in alarming detail about her night with some racing driver in Monaco. It’s only the second time we’ve met her! I might be a journalist, but there’s still such a thing as too much information.’

‘She’s a live one, that’s for sure. So how are you two?’

‘Edging ever closer to getting married,’ said Karima, putting an arm round her fiance’s shoulder. ‘Next spring, we think.’

‘Or maybe summer,’ Rad added. ‘Or autumn.’ Karima jabbed him with her sharp nails. ‘Ow.’

‘That’s fantastic,’ said Nina. ‘And it’s so great of you to come all this way for tonight. Thank you.’

The beautiful Jordanian smiled. ‘We wouldn’t have missed it. Although I have to admit we’re making a vacation of it.’

‘Two weeks in the States,’ said Rad. ‘We’re doing a tour. I can’t wait to see the Grand Canyon.’

‘He means he can’t wait to see Vegas,’ Karima said knowingly.

‘I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,’ Nina told them. ‘Have you told Eddie that you’ve almost set a date?’

‘Not yet,’ said Rad. ‘We only spoke to him very briefly when we arrived.’

‘I’ll go find him. I’m sure he’ll be thrilled.’ Nina spotted her husband talking to Mac. ‘Eddie! Eddie!’ Mac looked round at her, but Eddie didn’t react. ‘Deaf as a post in his old age.’

‘Your wife’s calling for you,’ Mac said.

‘Hmm?’

‘Your wife. About five-five, red hair, very pretty, famous archaeologist?’

‘Oh, that wife.’ Eddie glanced back, but the people surrounding Grant and Jessica blocked his view. ‘I didn’t hear her.’

‘Trust me, that’s an excuse you’ll only get away with once.’ Mac gave him a wry smile, which faded at the lack of response. ‘Something wrong?’

‘No, nothing.’ said Eddie a little too quickly, looking round the room. Mac raised an eyebrow, but didn’t comment further. ‘Pretty good turnout. Pity not everyone I invited could make it, but I suppose you can’t expect everyone to fly halfway round the world for cheese and pickled onions on sticks.’

‘Yes, a shame,’ Mac agreed. Another smile, this time decidedly cheeky. ‘I was rather hoping to catch up with TD . . .’

Eddie groaned in only partially feigned dismay at the thought of his former commanding officer and the far younger African woman together. ‘Behave yourself, you dirty old sod. Christ, I can’t think what she ever saw in you.’

‘Oh, I imagine things like charm, chivalry, wisdom . . . Perhaps you’ve heard of them.’

‘Tchah! I ought to kick out your tin leg for that.’ He swung his foot at the older man’s prosthetic left limb, stopping an inch short.

‘Well, if you think you need to even the odds . . .’ They both chuckled, Mac raising his glass. ‘Anyway, here’s to a successful marriage, Eddie.’

‘Thanks.’ They clinked glasses.

‘So how’s domesticity treating you so far?’

‘Sort of normal. But we need one of those signs saying how many days it’s been since we last had someone try to blow us up. We’re up to about five months at the moment.’

‘Let’s hope you break your record by a long, long way.’ Behind Eddie, Nina approached, calling his name again. Mac deliberately raised his voice so she would catch it. ‘Although I expect you’ll soon start missing being shot at.’

‘He’d damn well better not,’ said Nina as she reached her husband, taking him by surprise. ‘Didn’t you hear me?’

He shrugged. ‘It’s a bit noisy in here.’