“Five or six. More if they passed the information on to their assistants or other people in their departments.”
“So, anyone who knows you broke the code could be behind this,” Ghost said.
Her shoulders sagged. “Yeah.”
Betrayal and dejection warred for top spot on her emotional ladder. Was this because someone was greedy and wanted all the glory for themselves or because she, a basic nobody, had translated texts that preeminent Mayan experts in the world had been unable to translate?
“Do you think the story about the rich Mayan guy is true?” Oakley asked.
Kinley shrugged. “The myth of El Dorado lasted centuries and no one ever found it. It’s probably the same with this one.”
Shane looked at the window then strode over to it. The other two men joined him and they gathered around, peering through the curtains.
“What is it?” Kinley asked.
“Three large black SUVs,” Shane said.
“Those are nice cars,” Ghost added.
Oakley nodded. “Too nice for a little town like Carmelita.”
She joined them and peeked around the edge of the curtain. A woman got out of the back of the middle SUV.
Kinley gasped. “That’s Christine.”
“Who?” Shane asked.
“Christine Banks—my mentor. She was supposed to pick me up at the airport this morning but never answered any of my calls.” Had it really only been this morning? It seemed like days ago that she tripped over Shane’s bag. “She left me a note at the hotel telling me a car would pick me up tomorrow morning.”
A tall, well-dressed man exited the vehicle behind her and took her elbow. He gestured and shouted directions at the other men exiting the vehicles.
“That man was at the airport,” Kinley said.
“Are you sure?” Shane asked.
“Yes. He sat next to me after I called one of the other professors. He said he overheard my conversation and offered to bring me to Carmelita.”
Christine pulled away from the man and he grabbed her arm again, pushing her against the car and wrapping his hand around her throat.
“She doesn’t look like she’s all that happy to be here,” Oakley said.
Kinley’s brows furrowed. “No, she doesn’t.”
* * *
“We need to get out of this hotel,” Ghost said.
Shane couldn’t agree more. He was only just starting to form a picture of what they were up against, but priority one was to get Kinley away from it.
“Grab your gear,” he said.
“What about…?” Kinley pointed out the window.
Shane glanced out again in time to see one of the police officers from earlier in the day jog over to the man who’d grabbed Kinley’s friend.
“I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but I do know it’s never a good idea to turn yourself over to the bad guys.” He slung his duffel over his shoulder. “Especially when the local cops are involved.”
“Roof access is to the right at the end of the hall,” Ghost said.
