I navigated to the dock, and Shane tied off. With my head on a swivel, I scanned the area.
No sign of Vladimir or his henchmen.
With wireless in-ear comms, I said, “Overwatch, are you in position?”
“Roger that,” JD replied.
He’d made his way up to the bridge wing of a nearby tug. From there, he had a clear line of sight. If anything went down, he’d hopefully be able to snipe the bastards.
We waited…
…and waited.
“Tell me about this curse,” I said.
Shane dismissed it. “Superstition.”
“Indulge me.”
“Legend has it, when it was stolen from the temple, it made the gods angry. It became cursed. Supposedly, the jewel has mystical powers. Whoever possesses the gemstone will get whatever they desire. But it comes at a cost.”
“What kind of cost?”
“Time.”
“You reach a point in life when time becomes more valuable than money.”
“Everyone who has possessed the diamond has met an early demise, “Shane said. “At least, that’s the rumor.”
“And you thought it was a good idea to steal it?”
“Like I said. It’s nonsense. I don’t believe in that kind of thing. Do you?”
I looked at him like he was an idiot, and he probably was. “Your brother is dead.”
“Coincidence. Bad luck.”
“No. It’s not bad luck. It’s a result of bad choices.”
Shane frowned.
At midnight, exactly, Vladimir called Shane.
“I’m here,” Shane said. “Where are you?”
“What part ofcomealonedid you not understand?”
“I just want my sister back.”
40
“Do you have the item?” Vladimir asked, his voice crackling through the speaker on Shane’s phone.
“Where is my sister?”
“She is safe and unharmed. Where is the Eye of Destiny?”
“Safe and unharmed.”
