Peyton grinned, looking too damn smug for a man in his position. “Already did. This is clean. It’s a good job.”
Shay looked down at him and shook her head. “I’m glad you did, but it’s still not good enough.”
“You still don’t trust me. Be nice to know what that might look like.”
“Trust is a moving target. You’re earning your points, but no, I’m not ready to risk my life on you yet. Keep this up, though and that day will come.”
“Look at you. Offering me a little ray of hope.”
“It took so little.”
“Still counts, sister.”
“Always brushing against the line.” Shay winked. “I’ll tell you this, Peyton. Going after the client first like you suggested is making this a lot easier. Next on the agenda is figuring out what to bring. How many guns, if I need any special protection from magic.”
“You need more than one gun?”
“This time, I know I’m gonna have a few dance partners, and I don’t want to have to stop to reload.” Shay got up to grab her phone. “Might bring my rocket launcher.”
“It’s one small rock. Don’t want to blow up the profits,” Peyton called after her.
Chapter Eighteen
Shay crept through the forest, her AR goggles set to night-vision mode. The old Money Pit tourist site wasn’t far away, but the owners of the island had stopped allowing visitors ten years back, after a tourist died falling down the exposed pit.
Maybe that’s just a cover story. Hope that doesn’t mean those assholes already found the stone.
Shay winced as she caught sight of a bright light. She squeezed her eyes shut and flipped her goggles up. She took a few deep breaths and slowly opened her eyes.
Darkness had cloaked the island, but someone turned on massive floodlights around the main pit area.
“Damn, already here and set up,” Shay whispered. “Good thing I moved quickly on this one.”
Her background check found that the Alpha Explorers Treasure Hunting Company was on the island, along with some hired mercenary muscles. Alpha Explorers were rich-boy wannabes more than real tomb raiders, but they had a professional level of ruthlessness.
More than a few treasure hunters and tomb raiders had ended up dead when sniffing around Alpha Explorers sites, but the members possessed enough influence and savvy to avoid any prosecution so far.
Shay didn’t give two shits about the treasure hunters. Her focus was on their muscle, six mercenaries, many of them veteran special forces operators out of South Africa. An online rumor was circulating that an elderly Witch was working with them, as well. That was a lot of muscle for an old Oriceran stone.
Shay darted from tree to tree, keeping her movements low and precise. There were no drones visible in the air, but that didn’t mean they weren’t floating in the darkness. Once she closed on the site, she could easily deploy jammers, but that required her to first get close enough and avoid getting shot. The minute the jammers went on, the competition would know she was there. Need to be ready for that moment. It’s all about the planning.
Maybe having someone watching my back wouldn’t be so bad.
Not like either one of them had a lot of choices. Tech-Genius wouldn’t last five seconds in the field, and she couldn’t take out a help wanted ad for an evil genius who’s easy to get along with, won’t steal her stuff and can keep a secret.
Not a lot of people out there like that. Peyton came with the added bonus of having no where else to go.
A nearby bush rustled, and Shay silently whipped out her 9mm from one of her shoulder holsters. Yellow eyes gleamed back at her, and a fox padded out from the bush, running off into the night.
“That’s right. I have the gun and the opposable thumbs. You better run. What do you have? Teeth and rabies?” Shay winced. “Okay, that’s actually a good weapon.”
Shay continued moving toward the flood lights in a low crouch, listening for any chatter. She caught murmurs on the wind as she covered the acres still separating her from the flood lights, but still couldn’t make anything out.
She came to the edge of the trees and the lights to a main area surrounding the Money Pit. Several large buildings in various states of disrepair stood near the perimeter. Weed-infested gravel and dirt fields stretched out beyond the buildings, leading to a fenced area where the actual pit lay.
Formerly fenced area was a better description. Only about a fourth of the fencing remained standing, the rest of it was bent over or completely collapsed.
Shay could make out two men in camouflage with tactical harnesses and assault rifles patrolling the perimeter of the semi-fenced area. One other man in a khaki jacket stood within the fence line, standing near a small covered area. Three other mercenaries were spread out on the other side. Shay didn’t see anyone resembling a Witch and wondered if the intel was bogus.
The covered area was over the current main entrance to the pit. Over the centuries different holes were dug and filled in, and for most people, it was hard to pinpoint the probable source of the treasure.
Shay’s intel was on point locating the site. Her major problem was going to be securing the site.
A rumbling, grinding noise bellowed from the pit area, and Shay’s heart rate kicked up.
I swear if you guys woke up some sort of ancient demon, I hope it eats you all, balls first.
After a few seconds, Shay realized she wasn’t hearing a yowling demon, but some sort of drill. She grinned, resting back on her heels.
Okay, you want to dig it up for me. That works, too.
The only question was knowing if Alpha Explorers knew where to find the stone. If they did, a
