Free Kathlyn Trent, Marcus Burton 01 - Valley of the Shadow by Kathryn Le Veque Page B

been arguing about her all afternoon.
    “Don’t defend her, Jobe. She’s gone behind my back at every turn and now she has you involved.”
    “I’m not involved in anything.”
    “What about the earth sampling equipment?”
    “A simple request, not a subversive plan to undermine you. You don’t seem to understand that she’s working with you, not against you.”
    Marcus was pale with fury. He was mad at himself, mostly; mad because he was beginning to let his guard down for her and she had stomped on him, or so he thought. McGrath sensed this; he leaned forward on the portable table he called a desk, watching Marcus struggle with his thoughts.
    “I heard about what happened last night,” he said, more gently. “I’d truly hoped you two had settled your differences.”
    Marcus cast him a long look. “I know what Lynn told you, but we did not sleep together. We talked, that was all.”
    “You find Dr. Trent attractive.”
    Marcus frowned. “What does that have to do with anything?”
    “Everything. I’ve never seen you so emotional. You were beginning to warm up to her and now that you think she’s betrayed you, your bitterness is obvious.”
    Marcus exhaled sharply. “This isn’t about some high school crush, Jobe. This is about a disruptive element in my project.”
    McGrath laughed softly. “That disruptive element is human attraction, plain and simple.”
    Marcus wouldn’t respond. Frankly, he was afraid to. McGrath was very perceptive and Marcus didn’t like that at all. McGrath saw that, of course, and took pity on him by changing the subject.
    “Where are Lynn and Dennis?” he asked.
    Marcus waved a careless hand. “After Trent’s team brought her down from the slope, I had them stay behind to see what she had been up to.”
    “She had been digging with her bare hands, as I understand it.”
    “She was. I had them poke around to see if she’d found anything.”
    McGrath sat back in his chair. “Marcus, you’re a goddamn hypocrite. You don’t believe a word she says, yet you’re not too proud to horn in on a test hole she had been digging.”
    “I don’t know why I did it. There’s nothing there. She’s a quack, I tell you.”
    Where had he heard that before? McGrath shook his head. Opening up a small refrigerator under the table, he popped open an alcohol free beer and offered one to Burton. Marcus refused. After a few minutes of silence, Lynn came stumbling into the tent, covered with dust.
    “Marcus,” he was breathing heavily, as if he had run a great distance. “You’d better come quick.”
    “Why? What’s happened?” Marcus demanded.
    Lynn’s expression was glazed with disbelief. Or ecstasy, no one could be sure. “We found something.”
    “You've got to be kidding."
    "I wouldn't shit you about something like this. Your crazy Dr. Trent was right on the mark."
    Marcus could hardly dare to hope. "What did you find?”
    Lynn didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he smiled a wide, toothy grin. “Dennis hit stone,” he said. Reaching out, he grabbed Marcus’ arm. “Four and a half feet down, right where she was digging, we hit a step.”
     
    ***
     
    “I can’t believe you did that,” Juliana finished wrapping the last of the gauze around Kathlyn’s hands. “Your hands are ripped to shreds.”
    Kathlyn grimaced as the bandage was tightened. “Enough already. I heard you the first hundred times.”
    "How could you be so stupid?"
    "It's a character trait."
    It was past dusk, past the evening meal, and the workers had left the camp for home long ago. Kathlyn sat in her tent with Juliana and Debra Jo having her raw hands tended.  The rocks on the slope had cut into her flesh like razors and with the fury of digging she had been doing, it hadn’t been long before they were cut to pieces. Even then, ignoring the pain, she had continued to dig, unwilling and unable to wait for permission or core drills or anything else. Something was there and she had to find