“This is all just so amazing,” he said, running his fingers over the logs of the house. “It’s been three hundred years since this little house was built, but it’s still standing here like it was yesterday. Can you see the craftsmanship? Can you see how precisely every log fits together? They did this with tools made from rocks and their bare hands. It took brains and ingenuity to get it done. These were amazing people, and I want to know more about them.”
“You and everyone else, but they sure didn’t leave us very many clues,” she said with a sigh. “But we’re not thinking about this for the rest of the day, remember? We’re taking a break and having some fun, so pack it up and let’s get out of here.”
They were almost to the part of the cave with the newer houses and the tunnel that would lead them back to the surface when she heard the sound of footsteps. Cooper must have heard it too because he pulled her to a stop and stood silently listening to the sound, then looked over at her.
“Someone’s in here with us,” he said, starting toward the tunnel again. “It’s probably just one of the interns, but I have a funny feeling in the pit of my stomach.”
When they rounded the next corner, a man was standing in the middle of the wide path, an astonished look on his face, and Cooper hesitated again. “Do you know who that is?” he asked, walking a little slower toward the man. “I don’t recognize him.”
“I’ve never seen him before,” she said. “But he doesn’t look dangerous. Relax, Cooper.”
“Not until I know who that is,” he said, making sure she was slightly behind him as they approached the man. “We’re in here all alone with him, we need to be careful.”
She wanted to roll her eyes at him, but he looked so serious that she controlled the impulse. Then she realized he was trying to protect her, and a wave of warmth spread through her. Deciding it wasn’t so bad to have someone looking out for her, she let him lead the way, her body tingling a little at the sight of his broad shoulders and tight rear end.
“Ah, Dr. Warner, there you are. I was hoping to find you here,” the man said, sticking his hand out to Cooper. “I’m Jeremiah Berkley from the New York Historical Society for Preservation, and I’m so thrilled to meet you. I’ve read everything you’ve ever published; I’m quite a fan.”
Cooper didn’t move for a second, then he started laughing, “Mr. Berkley, you probably should have done your homework better,” he said, stepping out of the way. I’m not Dr Warner.
“This is Dr. Warner, Dr. Stephanie Warner.”
He looked at her, then back over at Cooper and began shaking his head. “That can’t be right, I did do my homework, a woman couldn’t have written those papers, especially one as young as she is,” he said. “You must be messing with me, and I don’t appreciate it. I’m a very busy man; I don’t have time for games. Where is Dr. Warner? I want to see him right now.”
CHAPTER 5
***COOPER***
“I’m Dr. Warner, and I don’t recall having an appointment with anyone this afternoon,” Dr. Warner said, pushing her way past him. “Who did you say you work for?”
The man stared at her for a second, then let out a frustrated huff, “The New York Historical Society for Preservation,” he said very slowly. “Pay attention, young lady, this is very important and I don’t want to have to repeat myself.”
“I suggest you stop talking to me like I’m a child, Mr. Berkley, or I’ll have Cooper throw you out on your rear end,” Dr. Warner said, folding her arms across her chest. “What is it you want? And make it quick, I have things to do.”
“I work for a group of investors who are interested in preserving history and when they heard about this site, they became very interested,” Mr. Berkley said. “I’ve come to take a tour of the ruins to determine if they would be a good investment for my employers. I’d also like to see any site maps you may have.”
“Mr. Berkely, this isn’t an investment, it’s a historical site, and I don’t believe it’s up for sale,” Dr. Warner said, her faceturning pink with anger. “There will be no tour, and I’m certainly not going to hand over my maps. I think it’s time you left.”
“This land doesn’t belong to you, and I’m sure the dean will be interested to know that you kicked me out,” Mr. Berkley said. “He’s very interested in our proposal, which would mean a lot of money for the college. I would also like to point out that it might be in your own best interest to cooperate with me. After all, once we take over, there might be a very lucrative position available to you.”
“That sounded an awful lot like a bribe to me,” Dr. Warner said, advancing on Mr. Berkley a few steps. “I don’t take bribes, and I don’t want to work for you or your employers. I’m going to ask you nicely once more to leave, and then I’m going to have Cooper show you the way out.”
“You’re going to be sorry, little lady, I’m very good at what I do, and this site will make the society a lot of money,” Mr. Berkley said, backing away from Dr. Warner. “You’d better enjoy your time here while you can; it won’t last long, and I’m going to enjoy kicking you out when the time comes.”
“The only one who is leaving is you,” Cooper said, at the end of his patience. “I’m beginning to get tired of asking you to leave. This is your last chance to go on your own.”
“You’ll be sorry,” Mr. Berkley repeated, then turned and stomped off.
“Jerk,” Dr. Warner said to his back as he disappeared into the tunnel. “Men like that give archaeology a bad name, and they’re destroying some of the most important sites around the world. I’m not going to let that happen here.”
“Do you know him?” he asked. “Does he really work for the historical society?”
“Not the one you’re thinking about,” she said, starting for the tunnel. “I don’t know him, but I know men like them. They buy up sites like this one out from under the real preservationsocieties, then they open them up to the public and make a tidy little profit. I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but they don’t protect the sites, they let them get ruined by the public just so they can make a little bit of extra money.”
“So, the college could sell this land to a group like that and they could do whatever they want with it?” Cooper asked, his face creased with confusion. “I thought stuff like this belonged to the people, I mean, it should, right?”
“I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Private owners have rights too,” she said. “The government can seize the land if an owner doesn’t want to sell but that can take years, and if someone like Mr. Berkley is snooping around, throwing stacks of bills at the owners, the government can’t always compete.”
“That’s not right, this should belong to the people, not some group of investors who just want to exploit it,” he said. “We can’t let that happen to this place.”
