Return to Dark Earth (27 page)

The zombie lifted its head, its bloodstained
face turning to the man. It straightened, obviously sensing fresh
prey.

It attacked so fast it made everyone gasp.
Nera wondered if a fresh feed enhanced the zombie’s reflexes.

It didn’t matter, because the man was ready.
He kicked the zombie, making it stumble, and then brought a vicious
chop down on its back. It hit the dirt and the man kicked it again.
Then he circled the pit, calling to the crowd, pumping a fist into
the air.

The crowd loved it, chanting what Nera
guessed was his name.

She watched the zombie and man fight again.
She noted where the man hit. He knew the zombie’s weaknesses. She
saw the way the creature’s left arm dangled uselessly, and realized
their joints were weak.

Not long after, the man came at the dazed
zombie from behind. He gripped its head, and in a quick move,
snapped the creature’s neck.

The zombie fell in the sand, still
twitching.

From above, a guard dropped one of their
large, polished knives down to the warrior. In one smooth move, the
man beheaded the zombie, then raised the weapon above his head.

The crowd roared in delight.

The man leapt out of the pit and strode up
the stands. When he reached the Sapa’s platform, he bent down on
one knee in front of her, his head bowed.

She reached out and touched his head, then
gestured him to the furs beside her.

As the man grinned and waved again at the
crowd, he settled in beside the Sapa. Two people hurried over to
give him food and drink.

“Niklas.” Nera leaned in close to him,
savoring the warmth and strength of him. “The zombie, it had weak
points.”

“Its joints. Go for the knees and elbows,”
he said.

Of course he’d noticed. “Yes. Disable it and
you have a better chance of killing it.”

He nodded.

The Sapa called out and the guards moved
over, walking along their line. Nera forced herself to cower,
clutching Niklas’ arm. He frowned down at her, but that just helped
her charade. The guards eyed her, talking to themselves.

They’d seen her kill their guard. But a man
was very different from a zombie. And she hoped they were out for
some revenge.

“Leave us alone,” Nera called out, making
sure her voice wobbled. She felt the confused gazes of everyone in
their group.

“Nera, no,” Niklas said. A guard butted him
with the end of a spear.

The guards gesticulated to her and to each
other, then one leaned down and yanked her up.

She let out a frightened cry. It sounded
pretty darn good, she thought. She heard the crowd titter with
excitement.

The guards shoved her to the edge of the
pit, holding her teetering on the edge. Another zombie was marched
in and set into the pit. She eyed it. It was a big one, a male. It
circled the pit, stopping to investigate the bloodstains where the
body of its fallen comrade had lain.

Nera glanced back at Niklas. His face was
set in hard lines, his eyes a mix of anger and concern.

She winked at him and he froze.

Then, with a hard shove, she was pushed into
the pit.

Nik pressed his hands into the hard-packed
dirt beneath him and watched Nera shed her scared female
routine.

She circled the zombie, eying it like it was
a mild interference in her day. The crowd was chanting.

The zombie started toward her, making a
snarling sound. Nera went still, watching it.

Then she ran.

She executed one of her signature graceful
leaps and landed a vicious roundhouse kick to the zombie’s
head.

The creature’s head snapped back, the force
behind it making the creature stagger.

God, she was brilliant. Nik couldn’t stop
the grin on his face. He knew as long as he lived, he’d never find
another woman like Nera Darc. A woman who was dark and light,
deadly and complicated.

Nera landed and stalked behind the creature.
She ran up its back and planted her knees on the zombie’s
shoulders. Then she reached down and wrenched, snapping the
creature’s neck.

It fell in the sand at her feet and she
looked up at the Sapa, her face its usual impassive mask.

“I won your primitive, bloodthirsty game. I
demand you release my people.”

The Sapa stood, studying Nera like a pet
who’d just bitten her. She waved a hand. “Come, I want to
talk.”

“Release them. Now.”

The Sapa’s eyes narrowed, but she chopped a
hand in the air and Nik found the guards coming over and slicing
away their bindings.

Nera looked up again. “I am not the leader
of our group. It is not me you want to talk to.”

The Sapa tilted her head. “But you are a
warrior and clearly the strongest.”

“That isn’t how we choose our leaders.”

The Rumin leader frowned. “Fine. Bring the
other woman, too.”

Nik watched Avril swallow, take a deep
breath, then step forward. Nera jumped out of the pit right near
Niklas. She stalked over to him.

“You are amazing.” He cupped her cheeks.

A brief smile touched her lips.

He yanked her close and kissed her. He had
to keep it frustratingly brief, then stepped back.

“Let me get us out of here and then you can
show me how much you appreciate my magnificence,” she said.

“You got it.”

He watched her walk beside Avril, taking the
steps up to the Sapa two at a time. He watched them standing in
front of the leader. She was talking and eying Nera with a strange
mix of wariness and awe.

After a brief conversation, the Sapa waved a
hand and led them back down to Niklas and the others.

Nera moved straight to him, and because he
couldn’t help himself, he yanked her in close to his side.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“I think so. We had a nice little meet and
greet. She’s going to let us go.” Nera leaned in, her mouth to his
ear. “But be ready for anything.”

The Sapa strode toward them, guards flanking
her. Then she marched toward a large tunnel. The guards keeping
watch over Nik and the others gestured for them to follow her. The
now-silent crowd watched them go.

They walked down more labyrinthine tunnels,
until the Sapa led them to another cavern, one smaller than the
fighting arena.

This one, however, was filled with gold.

Avril gasped and Gunn made a noisy
exclamation. Nik stepped forward, taking it all in. Inca.
Definitely Inca. He strode closer to a statue. It was intricately
carved, perhaps a god.

“Incredible.” He couldn’t believe it. “This
is it. The Lost Inca Gold.”

“This is our heritage.” The Sapa was
watching them with dark eyes. “Our ancestors were charged with
safeguarding the treasure. It was destined to save an emperor, but
his captors betrayed him. So it was stored here and protectors set
in place.”

“That was thousands of years ago,” Nik said.
“And all this time, no matter what, you’ve protected it?”

The Sapa nodded.

“I don’t give a fuck.” Gunn charged up to a
row of golden cups inlaid with precious stones, and snatched one
up. “I’m helping myself. What good does it do anyone hidden away in
a damn cave and admired by freaks?”

“Gunn!” Avril exclaimed.

“You promised me treasure, Dr. Tight-Ass.
I’m not risking my butt for nothing.”

“Shut up,” Avril snapped.

The guards were already moving, but a slim,
black shadow burst into action. Nera slammed a hand into Gunn’s
sternum. As he grunted, the air rushing out of him, she gripped the
front of his armor and swung him around. She threw him facefirst
into the ground and pressed a knee into the middle of his back.

He made a pained noise. “Bitch.”

“Idiot. You’re risking all our lives.” Nera
grabbed the back of his hair with one hand and slammed his face
into the ground.

Out cold, he sprawled flat, the cup tumbling
into the dirt. Nera snatched it up, then handed it back to the
Sapa.

The woman inclined her head. “Thank you,
Nera Darc.”

“It’s yours. No one has any right to take
it.”

Avril looked frustrated. “That’s funny
coming from you, Darc.”

Nera lifted her head, her nebula eyes
settling calmly on the astro-archeologist. “I only take things from
people who can afford to lose them and who don’t take care of them.
We will not take anything from these people.”

Avril gave a jerky nod. “Fine.”

The Sapa came forward. “My warriors will
lead you out of the tunnels so you can return to your…” she
frowned, trying to find the word.

“Ship,” Avril supplied.

The Sapa straightened, her gaze on Nera. “As
the winner in the fight, you demanded freedom for you and your
friends. I would still give you one more thing, a sign of respect
for your integrity.”

The Rumin leader waved her hand at the
golden treasure. “You may select one item to take with you.”

Avril gasped and Nera’s face showed no
reaction.

“Thank you,” Nera said. “I would like Dr.
Niklas Phoenix to select. He has great respect for your history.”
She turned and looked at Nik. “You’re up, Dr. Phoenix. Pick
something.”

A surge of emotion shot through him. He
stepped forward, glancing around. “Anything?”

“Anything,” the Sapa confirmed.

There were so many beautiful artifacts. How
could he choose just one? He touched a small gold figurine of a
horse-like animal. Then a fabulous, squat metal bowl engraved with
images. Eventually, he chose a large, ceremonial blade. It was made
of gold with a semi-circular blade and a figure with a decorative
headdress carved on the top.

“A tumi.” The Sapa nodded. “A good choice.
It will bring you luck.”

Soon, they were marching back through the
tunnels. When they stepped back out into the murky daylight, Nik
let out a breath.

A dark shadow passed overhead, before
stopping and hovering close by. Nik glimpsed the metal hull of the
Drake
through the foliage.

The Rumin warriors all made loud
exclamations, clutching their spears and knives.

The Sapa stared upward, her face tinged with
awe. “A sky flyer.”

“Our ship,” Nera confirmed.

Avril faced the Sapa. “I’m going to send
most of us back to the ship, but I was wondering if you’d grant
permission for myself and a small team to stay to study the
carvings in the tunnels. They are fascinating, and it is my
specialty to study things like that.”

The Sapa pondered for a moment and Nik was
sure she was going to say no. “Very well.”

A part of Nik would have liked to have
stayed. He lifted the tumi and stared at it in wonder. God, it was
a thing of beauty. But a far larger part of him wanted to get back
to the ship. He wanted a shower and he wanted Nera. He’d had more
than enough of the jungle.

“Wonderful.” Avril’s smile was wide. “Agent
Ryant, could I keep a few members of your team?”

“Sure.”

“And I’ll stay,” Gunn said.

Nik wasn’t sure that was a good idea, but
Avril nodded.

Suddenly, shouts echoed around them. Nik
looked up and saw a zombie tear out of the jungle and leap on a
warrior. The man didn’t have time to fight back. In an instant, the
creature tore his throat out and set to work eating him.

The other warriors moved fast. They killed
the creature, hacking at it with their black machetes. Then they
fanned out, frowning at the trees.

The Sapa was frowning as well. “We have
deterrents for the Supay. It is very uncommon for them to attack
near our caves, or to see one alone.”

“Supay?” Nik asked.

“Demons.”

He eyed the dead body and frowned. It had
strange black marks on it. Burn marks?

“I suggest we get back to the ship,” Nera
said. She looked at the Rumin leader. “Thank you.”

“Safe travels, Nera Darc. And you too, Dr.
Phoenix.”

The
Drake
had found a clear area and
sent down the cargo lift. Together with Galen, Solomon and the rest
of the security team, they headed up. Moments later, they were
aboard the
Drake
.

Solomon patted the wall. “Never been so
happy to see the inside of a ship before. I thought we were all
going to end up as zombie fodder down there.” He looked at Nera.
“Thanks. For what you did.”

Nera nodded and watched the young man walk
away.

Galen gave them a distracted nod and headed
off with the remaining members of his team.

“Hot shower?” Nik suggested to her.

“Sounds like a good idea.”

He ran his tongue over his teeth. “Your
place or mine?”

She smiled and even smeared with zombie
blood and grime, he’d never seen a more beautiful woman.

“I think—”

The sound of running feet cut her off. They
spun, heard the moan before they saw it.

A zombie came around the corner, chasing a
terrified ship crew member.
What the hell?

Nera drew her sword. “Get down,” she
shouted.

But the man was too frightened. He kept
running.

Nik drew his laser pistol, but he couldn’t
shoot without hitting the man.

Suddenly, the zombie snagged the back of the
man’s uniform and dragged him down. His terrified screams echoed
off the walls. Nera was already moving, but Nik knew in an instant
that it was too late.

The zombie tore a hunk of flesh from the
back of the man’s neck. Blood sprayed everywhere and the man’s
scream choked off.

Light reflected off the blade of Nera’s
weapon as she swung it. A second later, the zombie’s head rolled
across the floor.

But even as Nera knelt to check the man’s
pulse, Nik knew he was dead.

She stood, and calmly decapitated him. She
looked at Nik. “How the hell did a zombie get aboard the ship?”

He didn’t know. It was a disaster. Just one
on a rampage could be enough to infect and kill them all. “I
suggest we find out. Now.”