Buried Secrets by Kristi Belcamino (book recommendations for teens txt) 📕

“Dallas!”

“Yes,” she said in a sweet voice.

“You don’t know my people.”

“You’re right,” she said just as brightly. “I’m a tourist.”

“Yes.” He said and scowled. Her agreeableness seemed to irritate him. Something she was perfectly aware of.

“What I do know,” she said, “is whomever did this didn’t want me dead or they would’ve put a cobra with fangs in my room, right? I mean, I am just a tourist, but it would seem that procuring a cobra without fangs would be much more difficult than getting ahold of one with fangs. Right? Correct me if I’m wrong?”

Abet scowled again.

“So, I am right?”

He shook his head without answering.

“I think I’ve made my point,” Dallas said to Colton.

“As you always do.”

She gave him a sharp glance. Was he messing with her. But he winked and she relaxed.

Dallas was about to tell Abet about the robbery in Cairo when they pulled up to the guards at the temple. The crew was resting in the shade of one of the remaining structures.

“I suppose they get paid from eight this morning as well.”

“But of course,” Abet said with a grin and hopped out.

“Fine.” Dallas was angry with herself. Her savings was dwindling. She had two weeks minus two days to find something that would convince not only the minister to grant her the excavation permit but also convince the university to fund her dig long term.

Colton, who had been quiet most of the drive, seemed to read her mind. “You know I’m on your side. I’ll do whatever I can to get your funding, but ultimately it’s going to be in the hands of the provost.”

“I know.”

They spent the rest of the day excavating. It was close to six when Dallas took her first break, slumping against a mound of sand and munching on a wadded-up protein bar she’d taken out of her pants pocket, washing it down with warm water from her canteen.

She wiped a rivulet of sweat that was threatening to drip into her eyes and searched for Colton’s form. She spotted him over by a tiered stack of stone blocks. He was overseeing the digging at that spot.

Two other groups were between them. As she stood, she saw commotion at one of them, the closest one to her. She heard excited voices and dropped her canteen and ran.

They’d found something!

Colton began to run from the other direction.

Abet was there and translated. “It’s a small chest.”

“Oh my God.” That meant there was a good chance whatever was inside was preserved. It was an archeologist’s dream.

“Everyone move away,” Colton said.

Dallas leaned forward. In the small pit was the edge of a gilded box.

Twelve

It was already dark and they were working by lamplight by the time the box was completely unearthed and set on a nearby tarp.

Dallas was exhausted, ravenous, and trembling with excitement when she leaned forward and with a gloved hand lifted the clasp on the lid.

It seemed as if nobody breathed as they waited to see what was inside.

The interior contents seemed to glow as the lid was raised.

Gold. Shiny gold coins.

Dallas gasped when she realized what they were. They were coins featuring a woman’s profile. It was unmistakable who the woman was—Cleopatra.

This was the evidence she needed to garner the excavation permit. These coins tied Cleopatra to this temple.

After securing the find and making sure the temple was well guarded overnight by the guards, they packed up and returned to town.

Back at the hotel, Colton stuffed his face with crackers, showered, and then fell into bed. Dallas frowned. She’d wanted to celebrate the find with a bottle of champagne and well, getting busy with this sexy man in her bed.

But his eyes were closed and he wasn’t moving.

Oh my God. She thought. Last night they were so close. But they were thwarted by a snake.

There was always something getting in the way.

“My love life was thwarted by a cobra,” Dallas said shaking her head. “I guess most people can’t say that.”

Colton mumbled something in his sleep in response.

And tonight, any chance at romance was ruined by exhaustion. Oh well. They could celebrate another time. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. H mumbled again, but didn’t stir.

He was snoring within seconds. She crept into the other bedroom and closed the adjoining door. She couldn’t sleep. Not when they were this close. So close.

She had a hunch. If the coins were buried there, that meant they were close.

It was foolish, but she had to go back. That night. Right then.

Glancing in on Colton, she decided to let him sleep.

What she really wanted to do was go back to the site and examine the coins. She’d paid one of the crew to stay the night there as a guard. But she was worried it wasn’t enough.

She dialed Abet. No answer.

Growing on her clothes, she grabbed her bag and crept out the door to the soft sounds of Colton snoring.

Downstairs, she asked the desk clerk about a cab. Within ten minutes they were on their way to Taposiris Magna.

“I’m very glad you called,” her driver said. “It is very slow tonight. I spend much of the time taking hotel guests from airport to hotels but there was a sand storm in Cairo and flights were canceled so it is very slow for me tonight.”

“Well, I’m just glad you were available,” Dallas said.

Soon they pulled onto the road leading to the temple.

Dallas immediately knew something was wrong.

The regular guards were not at the checkpoint, but even more than that, the large light they’d erected near the spot where they found the chest was not on. The entire site was in darkness.

“You are expecting others here?” The driver said. His voice was laced with concern and unease.

“Yes.” Dallas leaned forward, gripping the seat in front of her. But she couldn’t see anything in the dark. “Can you pull a little further ahead?”

The driver didn’t answer, but did slowly pull forward.

She saw the blood first.

But the driver must have seen it at the same time.