Undercover Attraction (36 page)

After a quick set of instructions spoken
into his cell phone, Georges showed them where everything was in
their lab. He told them who to get should they need help, the
assistants that were available for their use, and how to contact
him using the keypad on the wall. Then he gave them a quick rundown
of the typical rules; no outside liquids near the piece, no
unproven methods of restoration without his approval, all of the
things any professional would already know.

Amy and Mac both nodded agreement, and
within moments, two men delivered the stone to them in its glass
case on a rolling metal cart. They set it on the lab table, and
backed away from it quickly as if it burned.

When one of the men made the symbol of a
cross across his chest, Mac looked at Amy incredulously, arching an
eyebrow in amusement.

Mac looked to Georges. "Does everyone really
think this thing is cursed?" she asked.

"I must be honest with you. The
archeologists were all found dead after they relinquished the stone
to us. Mr. Beuford, the head of the excavation, told me he believed
there were more pieces there, but when nothing further was
delivered to me, I sent one of our procuring agents in. He found
every one of them dead. Fifteen people. All within the same
excavated cavern this was discovered. So,
oui
, my people are very wary of the
piece. Even if I had someone who was able to identify the piece, I
doubt I could get them to do so." He shifted nervously on his feet,
wringing his hands in worry.

Amy smiled reassuringly. "Fear not. We
aren't afraid of a small curse." Already, she had lived through
hers. "By the way, what was determined as the cause of death of all
the archeologists?"

His eyes bored into hers and she felt chills
race up her spine. "There was no specific cause of death. Their
bodies were savagely ripped apart, until they were barely
identifiable as humans."

Mac laughed nervously. "Do you think there
is someone out there who doesn't want this found? Someone willing
to commit murder to prevent it from surfacing?"

His face was impassive as he turned to Mac.
"That is the conclusion that your American FBI have come to
believe."

Amy stopped. "Wait. FBI? Why American
agents?"

His head turned towards her. "Because the
archeologists were all American. Also, I must tell you that we all
must cooperate with the American FBI agents, answer any questions
they may have, and if needed, allow protective custody until you
have gone back to the states."

Amy was aware that her mouth was hanging
open. She could understand cooperating with them and answering
questions if needed, but drew the line with protective custody. She
did not need a bodyguard. So far, since there was no clear cause of
death, they couldn't sum it up to homicide. Not to mention, no one
even knew she was here to identify the piece. "I do not need a
guard."

She remembered the situation with her
sister, where Jenna had to move in with Jacob for her own
protection. Basically, the whole thing sucked. Well, other than the
fact that Jenna had fallen in love with Jacob and got her
happily-ever-after.

Either way, Amy wasn't comfortable having
any man hovering over her shoulder.

Not when she was still battling the demons
that dogged her every step. She still woke with the feeling of
hands on her body, her skin crawling, the taste of vomit in her
mouth. Those were the nights she didn't wake up screaming.

She even became extremely distressed when
working with the male interns at her own museum. Although Amy knew
not all men were like those two assholes who had raped her, she
still had trouble making herself stay within a close proximity to
any large male. Even Alex had made her nervous, and she'd been in
love with him.

No. Stop thinking about him
.

"I certainly hope it does not come to that,
but because of the curse, and the bodies...Well, only if the FBI
deem it necessary." His voice trailed off as he stared at the
stone, then he shook his head and turned to leave.

He stopped at the sliding glass door and
looked back to them. "Our language consultants will be here in the
morning for you to meet them. Three brothers, and they will be
working with you. There are three FBI agents as well, who will be
in soon to see what you have uncovered. They are all very
professional and came highly recommended. Good luck." He turned and
left them to their work.

Amy and Mac engrossed themselves in the
details of identifying the stone. Amy started up her laptop, just
as Mac turned on the lab's computer, and they both set about
creating files for their research to be documented. Once that was
complete, they both walked over to the stone, studying it under the
large magnifying panel.

Amy stated the date and time of the
beginning of their research, speaking loud enough for the audio
recorder Mac had engaged to pick up her words across the room.

A series of visual tests commenced first,
before anything else. Then they took measurements of the stone,
weight, laser imaging, high-resolution photographs, and x-rays.

They viewed each digital image carefully and
examined the x-rays in order to decide the best approach to
restoring the piece. Both of them marveled over the fact that the
rune-like scripting was engraved into the stone, and even seemed to
be filled with a metal, more than likely gold.

Amy had also noticed that the slab was not
solid, but had something running through the center of it,
something neither she nor Mac could explain.

Using a support structure for sculptures and
architecture came about much later than this piece supposedly
originated from, and from the looks of the stone, it was a solid
piece of authentic rock, instead of constructed in layers. They
both documented various theories, but none of which could explain
the possibilities of the deeply embedded contents.

They were at it for hours, and Georges
returned with their passes and identification cards, informing them
that they could take their lunch breaks at whatever time they
preferred as long as they made sure they secured the lab before
leaving it.

He didn't stay long enough for them to
explain what they had done so far, and after a quick summary of
their progress on the video and audio recorders, Amy and Mac took a
break.

The café at the Louvre was rather nice and
the food was delicious. She and Mac met a few of the other
researchers there, as well as a few tourists from the States, who
wanted to talk to Mac about business and investments. She politely
gave them tips, then informed them she was on vacation, and the
tourists left them in silence, somewhat peeved that Mac had
dismissed them so easily.

Oh, well. Amy figured being a prominent
financial figure probably did become aggravating at times. It was
doubtlessly similar to being famous.

They finished the remainder of their lunch
and made their way back to the lab, both of them anxious to try to
discover what was embedded into the exact center of the stone. It
took another set of visual aids and gamma imaging before they could
get a clearer picture of the inside. Whatever it was, they did not
want to risk damaging it when they started cleaning the slab.

Mac made the comment that the stone seemed
like a geode, one of those round stones that held crystals and
quartz secretly within, and Amy rather thought she was correct.
Almost.

The chemical compound that the computer
specified was contained within the stone slab didn't match any
gemstone she knew of. However, it did seem like a logical theory.
It was almost as if a thin sheet of crystal was embedded within the
stone, holding some sort of liquid contained inside it.

However, a flat geode was impossible, or at
least she had never seen nor heard of one before, only round,
seemingly normal rocks with precious gems hidden inside, usually
damp.

Not rectangular rocks with smooth gemstone
and a thin vein of liquid.

So wherever the stone originated from, it
was highly unusual. The liquid didn't match anything they had seen
before, either. Rather, it seemed to have moved in each image, and
radiated a diaphanous sheen that was more like a shiny silk fabric
than any liquid.

They exhausted all of the possibilities,
noting the more likely ones, and disregarding the ones that were
impossible in the realm of reality. Mac went through every image
and video they captured, making sure they were of the highest
quality, before they cleaned the lab, putting away the larger
equipment to make room for their tools, eager to begin removing the
residue and earth that caked the stone.

They began the tedious task of gently
removing any dirt and mud that was stuck to the surface, speaking
aloud at each find to document their progress, as well as videoing
the process from above to show the gradual stages in which the
piece was uncovered.

No liquids were used, just simple brushes
and cloths, and after another hour of carefully cleaning the
script, Mac gasped.

"What?"

Mac looked at Amy, her eyes big in surprise.
"It
is
gold. Pure gold, I believe."

She stepped back to let Amy see what she had
been cleaning. Right there, where Mac had been gently brushing at
the edge, was a piece of golden script, seemingly glowing from
within.

They both took a step back and looked at
each other in amazement, letting the shock of it soak in for a
second. Then they jumped back into their work with a frenzy,
working a bit faster, but still just as carefully, curious to
uncover more of the thick slab.

More of the script began to appear as they
removed the dirt that filled the recesses of the engraved language,
and before long, they had a quarter of the outer edge shining and
legible.

Photos were taken again, as well as more
x-rays, this time to determine how deep the gold was embedded
within the stone.

Mac looked up with a smile. "This is
amazing, Amy. I've never seen anything like this."

Amy smiled back. "I know. I haven’t either,
but I am definitely glad they asked me to identify it. I have a
feeling that this might possibly pre-date the Minoans. I'm actually
looking forward to doing research for once in my life." She leaned
over and slid the giant magnifier above the slab again, peering
through it to get a better view of something that she had noticed a
moment ago.

"Look at this, Mac. I think this may be only
a piece of a larger object."

Mac looked through the glass, angling it to
get a better view. She stepped back from it, leaving it in place,
and punched in a few keys on the computer. The image was abruptly
displayed on the huge screen at their side.

"Magnify it," Amy said, stepping closer to
the screen when it became larger. There, along the edge of the
slab, was a hinge of sorts, similar to those on a folding triptych
painting of the Renaissance period. "There's another piece," Amy
whispered, looking up to catch Mac staring in horror at a spot
behind her shoulder.

Amy automatically stiffened, her back going
straight as fear infused her. Then she heard the one voice she
thought never to hear again.

"Hello, Amy. I've missed you, baby."

And the world went black.

# # # # #

About the Author

I live in Mississippi, with my husband and
two perfect little girls. I have been writing since high school,
various stories for my own comfort and humility, and until
recently, had no ambition to be published. However, when Undercover
Attraction was complete, I felt that Jenna's story should be told
to the world, the trials and tribulations of a woman who had found
her strengths in her past and happiness in a one-time
opportunity.

I hope you enjoyed Jenna's story, and plan
to settle in for Amy's wild ride, coming soon. You can connect with
me on Facebook. Never stop reading!

April Rankin