Free Torrent by David Meyer Page A

ignoring the argument. "Remember, you have exclusive archaeological access to the library."
    "That won't matter if someone leaks pictures to the media."
    "Every person who sees the library will be required to sign a binding contract. Arclyon will sue anyone who doesn't abide by the terms."
    "And that person will use income from the leak to buy the best defense possible." Miranda shook her head. "I can't believe an imbecile like you has kept a business alive this long."
    Prior to undertaking the trip, Emily had researched older expeditions. She'd studied teams led by Thor Heyerdahl, Robert Peary, and Ernest Shackleton, among others.
    In the process, she'd learned something interesting. Those old leaders would deliberately bring losers on each expedition. And not just normal losers. They'd hire the worst of the worst. Liars, scoundrels, slackers.
    At first, Emily hadn't understood it. But a little more research uncovered the truth. Those old leaders had worked in difficult conditions, largely isolated from the comforts of modern society. As such, their expedition members tended to harbor subconscious anger. By having losers around, a leader could focus that anger at certain individuals rather than at the expedition as a whole.
    Emily hadn't knowingly hired a loser. But she was starting to think she'd gotten one all the same. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." She lowered her voice to a bare whisper. "First, let's find the library. Then we can figure out how to handle it."
    Miranda's eyes turned wild. "Screw you."
    Emily understood Miranda's passion for the library. She felt it too. She could still recall the exact moment she'd first laid eyes on Hope's diary. She recalled flipping it open and studying the brittle pages. It had fascinated her and sparked a lifelong interest in the unknown. Years later, that interest had led her to found Arclyon Consulting.
    "Be reasonable."
    "I don't need you to find the library." Miranda reached into her pocket and retrieved a pistol. "In fact, I don't need you at all."
    With a loud scream, Emily threw her hands up in front of her face.
    A few seconds passed.
    Slowly, Emily lowered her hands. Miranda was nowhere to be seen.
    She twisted her neck. Miranda stood in the middle of the chopper with Tum and Graham. All three of them stared at her.
    Looking past them, she saw Beverly and the Maneros. They stared at her as well.
    Her face felt hot as she turned her attention back to her book. Unfortunately, the hallucinations were getting worse. This latest one had been the most vivid and lifelike yet. And that meant just one thing.
    She was running out of time.

 
    Chapter 26
    I felt uneasy as I stepped out of the cockpit. Despite intense questioning, Dr. Wu had refused to expand upon his comments about Emily.
    I looked around. Emily was huddled with Crowley. I'd heard her scream just minutes earlier. I tried to approach her to ask what had happened, but she waved me off.
    Shifting my gaze, I saw Graham talking to Miranda and Tum. Further back, Beverly chatted with the Maneros. We'd agreed to split up in order to tackle all of the expedition members. But since I'd finished early with Dr. Wu, I decided to make the rounds.
    The helicopter bumped. Lifting a hand, I steadied myself against the roof. Then I made my way to the middle of the cabin.
    "What about food?" Graham asked as I drew near. "And water?"
    "They've got weeks worth of supplies," Miranda replied. "We made sure of that."
    "How about predators?"
    "Rigoberta and Pacho are smart," Tum said. "They'll keep to themselves."
    "I hate to interrupt." I cleared my throat. "But we haven't officially met each other yet."
    He looked at me. "Carlos Tum."
    "Cy Reed." I shook his hand. Tum was younger than me. His face appeared weathered. His black hair was cut short. He carried himself with quiet confidence and a regal air of authority.
    "Keep to themselves?" Graham shook his head. "That only works until a jaguar decides they look like an easy lunch."
    "I