Chapter Nineteen

Within a minute, the tunnel widened and there was room to hold her head above water. The current carried her then, in total darkness, and she gave herself up to the sensation, riding the water. At least her pain was numbed by the cold. She lost track of time. Then a light appeared. Small and dim but growing. She tried to slow her forward movement, but there was nothing to hold onto, and she was carried faster and faster toward the light.

Then the cave spat her out and she plummeted into the lake below.

She sank beneath the surface and then scrambled up toward the air, and she was laughing as she broke the surface, because the spear was still grasped in her hand and she’d won.

She swam to shore and dragged herself up onto the bank, shivering. She would never be warm again.

As she looked around, orientating herself, she realized she was not far from where Gansukh was setting up camp. She staggered onward, clutching her side, which was bleeding again. Relief felt almost warm as she caught sight of the horses, grazing. She hurried her pace, then stopped abruptly.

Gansukh lay face up in the grass, a hole in the center of his forehead.

She stood, her mind going blank. Just too much.

Then something rammed into her, and she crashed to the ground. Someone was trying to take the spear from her. She fought to hold on to it, but she was weakened by loss of blood and her assailant was too strong. She screamed with rage as it was ripped from her hand.

She came up on her feet and stopped again. John Chen stood only two feet away, the Spirit Banner in one hand, a gun in the other.

Why the hell did everyone but her have a gun? “I thought you were dead.”

“And I’d thought you had failed. I’m glad my employer’s faith in you was justified.”

She glanced at the gun, then shifted her gaze to the spear. “What do you plan to do with it?”

“Give it to its rightful owner.”

She snorted. She was way past fear. “Don’t tell me. Someone who claims to be a descendant of Genghis Khan.”

“The rightful heir to his legacy.”

“So what happens now?”

“Now you die. I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this. Part of my mission was to evaluate you, see if you were suitable for recruitment to the group. But I don’t think you are. I like you, Eve Blakeley, but you’re an idealist.”

Jesus, what was it with men who claimed to like her then tried to kill her? “So let me go.”

“It’s too risky to keep you alive, especially considering your association with Zachary Martin.”

“You know who he really is?”

“Of course. He’s been a problem for some time. That will end today.”

“I’ll help you find the tomb.”

“The tomb will go to someone else.”

Damn.

She searched her mind for some way to stop this. She’d faced her fucking fears, all of them, full on, and what was the point if she was just going to die? Batbayar had told her that wisdom would come if her mind was calm and pure. What use was wisdom if you were dead? But that reminded her of something else he had said.

“Batbayar told us that the Spirit Banner will point the way. Won’t your bosses be annoyed that you killed me, and now you don’t know where it was pointing?”

At that moment, she heard a vehicle approaching, still in the distance but getting closer. Time was running out.

“My people are coming,” John said. “If you’re alive when they get here, you may extend your life for a short time, but you will soon come to wish you hadn’t. I’ve seen your fears. Tell me the way, and I’ll give you a quick death.”

Thanks for nothing.

She actually thought about it. For all of three seconds.

Then she stared into his face. “Fuck you.”