Free The Tenth Cycle: A Thriller (A Rossler Foundation Mystery Book 1) by JC Ryan Page A

what our unit of exchange, are likely to arrive at math results the same way.”
    Oh, he was talking about math again. Her quick brain caught up, pushing aside any thoughts outside this discussion, for the time being. And she could agree. Very few people, if any, are literate in all the world's tongues - English, Chinese, Arabic, Bengali, and so on. But virtually all of us possess the ability to participate in the shared language of math, at least to some extent. Why was he giving her this lecture?
    “So, I’ve decided all this other stuff…” he gestured at the bubbles of data on the left side of the mind map that organized his information, “…is irrelevant. Once we understand the message, this will all become clear. And to understand the message, we have to focus on the math, just like Dr. Zacharias said. Are we on the same page?”
    “Yes, Daniel, I thought we had already established that.”
    “Here’s the thing. We don’t have enough math to provide a code. We’re missing something.” Sarah had heard this before, so she merely nodded. Daniel flashed a smile at her and went on, “Okay. What I think we need now is to bring in a mathematician, someone who can spot the pattern in all these measurements. I’d ask Dr. Zacharias, but I’ve emailed him and he hasn’t gotten back to me.”
    “I know a mathematician. Mark Simms. The guy’s brilliant.”
    “What’s his field, specifically?”
    “Actually, it’s the history of mathematics and civilizations. He studies the parallels in mathematical thinking as it evolved in different ancient civilizations. Fascinating stuff, although it’s over my head. He’s the one who introduced me to that cryptography student I told you about.”
    “Brilliant! Sounds like what we need is right up his alley.”
    “I’ll talk to him when I get back next week, show him what we’ve got and see if he can spot anything off the top of his head.”
    “Fantastic! Oh, damn, look at the time! We’re going to have to hurry for our dinner reservation. Do you need to change?”
    As a matter of fact, she did. That teddy was going on as underwear, and over it a soft dress that hugged her curves, in a tasteful red silk that flattered her coloring. The softly-draped neckline dipped just low enough to hint at hidden treasure. Almandine garnet earrings set in silver and a pair of Jimmy Choo ultra-high-heeled red sandals completed the outfit. When she appeared in the living room, he literally staggered at the vision she’d created. Thinking wildly that he wished he had some nitro pills around, because his heart was going to explode, all rational use of his vocabulary left him. All he could think to say was, “WOW!” When she smiled at the implied compliment, Daniel thought he had truly died and gone to heaven. Did angels wear red? This one apparently did.
    Daniel and Sarah returned to his apartment much later that evening, wined, dined and flushed from a conversation that Sarah kept titillating with innuendo. He wasn’t sure he could restrain himself from caveman behavior when they got behind closed doors. Showing her in, he turned to close and lock the door, then turned back and found Sarah standing so close that he almost collided with her as he turned. Her warm brown eyes had flecks of gold in them; he could have lost himself there for hours. She kept them steadily on his as she moved into his arms, murmuring, “Make love to me, please, Daniel.”
    He searched her face for any sign of lingering doubt, finding none. With a moan of long-repressed passion, his lips first found her throat, then, still encircling her with his arms, nuzzled lower, to the enticing curves hidden by silk. Sarah’s hands tangled in his hair as she held him to her with a sudden fierce desire to melt into him completely. “Please, Daniel.”
    With her second plea, Daniel stood and swept Sarah into his arms, carrying her to his room and depositing her on his bed, just like the caveman he had feared being