The Relic Runner Origin Story Box Set by Ernest Dempsey (non fiction books to read TXT) 📕

followed as the series of events caught up to his body. His legs felt like lead and his balance wavered.

After ten seconds, he steeled his nerves again and started running down the tunnel. He could rest when he was out of Uruapan.

Seventeen

Guadalajara

Dak looked down the sidewalk to his right, then to his left, before pushing open the cantina door.

He took a step in and glanced over to the booth on the left where he'd sat the first time he came here to meet Carina. The young bartender immediately recognized him, offering a curt nod in welcome.

"Tequila, amigo?" the man asked as he finished wiping down the counter. His right hand reached for a glass before Dak could say yes.

"Gracias," Dak offered as the man poured a generous dose of the hazy liquid.

The barkeep slid the glass across the counter to Dak, who raised it, then made his way over to the corner booth.

He sipped on the drink for several minutes before the stunning Mexican woman emerged from the office.

Her eyes fell to him immediately, ignoring the other patrons hunched over the counter or sitting in the other booths.

She sauntered over to him, her navy blue blouse fluttering. The cream-colored slacks flapped over black high-heels. Carina stopped at the table and motioned to the seat opposite Dak.

"This one taken?" she asked.

His lips cracked a smile. "One of the most cliché pickup lines of all time, and this is the first instance it's ever been used on me."

She offered a flirtatious grin. Her dark hair, nearly black, draped down one side, pulled around to expose the left side of her face, her neck, and a hint of her shoulder.

He lost himself in her deep brown eyes, the red lips accented by a maraschino cherry lipstick.

"That's a shame," she said. "Maybe American girls don't know a good thing when they see it."

Dak chuckled and nodded, then took another sip. "Maybe. Or maybe I was always too busy."

She said nothing, but her quiet gaze told him she understood. She'd lived that life, the path led by a government agency always telling her where to be, what to do, and often putting her in dangerous scenarios. That life wasn't conducive to dating or relationships. The danger aspect made it almost necessary not to get close to anyone.

He felt like she still clung to that paranoia, that concern over an assassin hiding in the shadows, the sounds in the night that kept decent sleep at bay. He certainly held onto the same worries.

His mind wandered to Istanbul. He hoped Nicole was safe, that the colonel hadn't learned about her, about their connection. He doubted he would. They'd never been married, and the colonel didn't know much about his personal life. He could find Dak's parents, sure, but Nicole was about as off the map as a person could be in regards to the depths of his reach.

He missed her.

For much of the last few years, he'd forced that emotion away, stuffing those feelings down deep in his gut where they were constantly squashed by the high-alert nature of war.

Carina stared back at him, her eyes unquestionably longing. Part of him wished he could move on, to let go of the past. This woman wanted him. If he was honest, he felt the same way.

Was it just a physical attraction, the need for physical touch and companionship after so many nights alone?

He couldn't bring himself to go there. Not yet. Despite the things she'd said, the way Nicole had acted toward him, Dak didn't feel that chapter had yet reached its end. He needed closure before he could turn the page.

"I came here to say thank you," Dak spoke, his voice devoid of emotion. "You didn't have to help me, but you did. And I appreciate it."

"Happy to do it," she said, tossing her head to the side as though she'd just tossed a coin to a child. "Mendoza and all of his lieutenants are dead. Most of his men, too."

"Esperanza is still out there."

"True." She shrugged. "There will always be another."

He felt those words for a different reason.

"Esperanza is weak, though. He won't survive another two months, I'll make certain of that. If Uruapan can be liberated from the cartels' grasp, perhaps other cities can as well. In time, we may be able to push them out completely."

He knew it was an unrealistic dream and he could tell she knew it, too. Far be it for him, though, to tell her not to hope.

"So, you're leaving?" she asked, emotion cracking her voice for the first time since they met.

"Yeah." He let his eyes fall to the table where the tequila glass rested. "I have a few more stops to make on my journey."

She nodded her understanding. "Well, Dak Harper. It's been a pleasure. I hope our paths cross again." A feeble smile parted her lips.

"Me, too," he said. Then he tossed back the tequila and watched her get up. She strolled back to the office too quickly, and he knew it was because if she remained any longer, she would demand he stay.

When she was gone, he looked down at the empty glass and sighed.

"What are you doing, Harper?" he asked himself.

He shook off the question, dropped double what he owed for the drink on the table, and walked out of the cantina.

Outside, the warm sunshine radiated on his face and arms. He let it wash over him for a few breaths. Then he turned and raised his hand to hail a cab.

Dak had a date with a sniper in Colorado.

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read this story. We can always make more money, but time is a finite resource for all of us, so the fact you took the time to read my work means the world to me and I truly appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed sharing it, and I look forward to bringing you more fun adventures in the future. If you this