Lost Contact (The Bridge Sequence Book One), Nathan Hystad [primary phonics books .TXT] 📗

“Then why are you here?”

“I’m forty-nine, Rex.”

Tripp looked older and younger at the same time. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everything. I’ve never slowed down, and Hunter has made it clear that if this mission is a success, I won’t have to work another day in my life,” Tripp told me.

“And what does the future hold for Tripp Davis?” I asked, genuinely curious. A thick white cloud slowly moved above us, giving us reprieve from the midday sunlight.

“I’m gonna buy a place along the Baltic sea. Fish and grow a garden. Maybe meet a nice woman.”

“Sounds pretty great,” I admitted.

“What about you?”

“I have a job.”

“No plans for retirement? I’ve spent my entire existence taking orders from other people, and I finally want some freedom of choice. And maybe the odd nap on a hammock overlooking the ocean.” He laughed, the sound a little off-putting from the grizzled veteran.

I wanted to know where my dad had gone off to, and after that, the future was wide open. “I wouldn’t mind tenure at a reputable school. Maybe lecture on a circuit some day. But I’m also not finished with the thrill of the hunt.”

“You really love this stuff, don’t you? Digging up lost artifacts.”

“Only when someone doesn’t chase you down and steal your goods,” I said, remembering who I was dealing with.

“I thought that was water under the bridge. For the record, I didn’t do anything illegal,” he told me.

“You paid off my guides and stole months of my life.” I tried to maintain my composure, but dragging out our history was angering me.

“As I said, it wasn’t illegal there.” Tripp chuckled. “Besides, it turned out that stuff was useless. My backer wasn’t very pleased with me.”

“We found tools. That statue. Coins, even,” I said, dumbfounded.

“Then the guides you hired scammed you. They must have swapped the goods without you noticing. I looked like a fool, and you went home empty-handed. If it means anything, I am sorry. I’ve learned a lot in the last eight years.” Tripp stuck out his hand, and I peered at the callused palm.

“Fine.” I shook it, gripping it tightly. “But you definitely owe me a beer when this is finished.”

“Done.”

“If you two boys are done, I think you’d better see this,” Veronica said from ahead, and we arrived, staring into a dip in the rocky outcropping.

A single dwarfed tree sat amidst the sharp, pointed limestone, a beacon to our destination. A gecko ran in front of my feet, and I watched as it headed for the open vegetation in the area. With a look at the GPS to confirm what I already knew, I smirked. “We’re here.”

Hasin slowed, apparently not wanting to get any closer, and I went first, deliberately traversing the uneven slope. It was slick, and I saw water funneling from higher up the ridge. It rolled across the rocks in a steady stream toward the tree.

I stared at the sky, silently asking my father or Clayton why they’d chosen this location to have Luis hide the Token. It was remote and extremely difficult to locate, and I doubted anyone would ever stumble across this exact tree, considering it was far from the public park. Only poachers, and a few of them at that, would have ever trod anywhere close.

The tree was maybe eight feet tall, with thin branches, the leaves light green. The gecko sat atop a branch, trying to stay frozen as I crouched near the trunk, searching for a sign of the Token. I was surprised to see the tree growing from the stone, and noticed the limestone crumbling around it. I dug a finger near the trunk and felt damp dirt. Life always found a way, especially when there was a water source.

Perhaps Luis had hidden this here and planted the tree. If it had been thirty-something years, that would account for the small size. Stunted growth in the infertile stone forest.

Then Tripp was beside me, his shadow blocking the sun from my face as I peered up at him. “Anything?” he asked, but there was nowhere to hide an object.

“It’s not here,” I muttered, finding a seated position.

“Damn it,” Veronica said, sitting on the opposite side of the tree. “Hunter’s going to be upset. He’ll pay still, right? Will he want to continue on to the next site?”

Her questions washed over me, but I had no answers as I observed the water flowing from the limestone peaks. It moved for the trunk and dripped into an opening. The gecko started to shift, and I lifted a hand slowly, indicating for Tripp to stop fidgeting. The small creature’s head tilted toward the sun, then it darted down the trunk, disappearing into the ground.

“There’s an opening!” I exclaimed, shifting on my knees in front of the tree. The space was small, and my hand didn’t fit inside.

“Want me to bust it out?” Tripp had his rifle poised, holding it as if to bash the ground with the butt end, but Veronica set a palm on it.

“You boys, always trying to beat the answer out of things. Allow me.” Her sleeves were already rolled up, and she stuck her tongue out the corner of her mouth as she stretched her fist into the opening.

“Be careful. There could be rats or snakes.” I held my breath as her arm entered a foot or so into the ground, and her expression suggested it was empty. Then a smile broke, showcasing perfect teeth.

She pulled her arm up and held a sack. It was beige burlap, like the one we’d found the Case inside. Surprisingly, she handed it to me without looking, a satisfied harumph escaping her lips.

I was speechless and clutched the bag in my palm. It was heavier than I’d expected.

“Go on with it. What’s inside?” Tripp asked, annoyed.

The bag was cinched at the top, and I used a knife in my pocket to slice the sack, sliding the Token out. It was hexagonal, as