Free Tear of the Gods by Alex Archer Page A

through and that’s when a sound caught her attention. It was faint at first, just a distant thrumming, but it slowly grew louder as it drew close to the camp. It only took Annja a few seconds to recognize the sound of an approaching helicopter.
    She turned in a slow circle, trying to pinpoint the sound, or, even better, get a look at the approaching aircraft. She couldn’t see it yet, but she knew it wouldn’t be long. When it arrived, she had to be ready. If she could flag it down she could get the authorities on-site quickly before the elements had a chance to destroy too much of the evidence.
    She glanced around, looking through the personal belongings scattered about the camp until she spied a bright red sweatshirt, then ran over and picked it up. It should be colorful enough to catch the attention of anyone looking her way, she thought.
    The sound was loud now, filling the air with the steady rhythm as the rotors beat their way closer, and she moved into the center of the camp, only a few steps away from the spot where Craig had died. His blood had seeped into the ground, leaving a dark stain, and seeing it, Annja again vowed that she would make those responsible pay for his death.
    She could see the helicopter now, moving in her general direction. Most of the body was black, with the section directly under the rotors painted a bright yellow, a color scheme she recognized as belonging to local law enforcement. She began waving her arms over her head, the red sweatshirt held aloft in one hand, doing what she could to attract the pilot’s attention.
    But as the aircraft drew closer, her waving hands faltered and then stopped. She had that feeling again, that sense that something was terribly wrong, and ever since taking up the sword she’d learned to listen to such things. Doing so had saved her life more times than she could count.
    The helicopter altered course slightly, now headed directly toward the camp, and that sense of impending disaster rose up inside her like a wave about to break.
    She had to get out of sight and she had to do it now!
    Annja didn’t stop to think, didn’t consider that she might be turning her back on the only help for miles around. Instead, she turned and ran between the nearest two tents, getting out of sight as quickly as possible.
    Once behind the tent she’d been standing in front of, she circled around to her left, dashing between several others until she found a place where she could watch the helicopter without being in the open.
    The helicopter began its descent, the rotors pounding the air and whipping up a heavy breeze that tossed clothing and camp supplies about indiscriminately. Annja was forced to shield her eyes from the dust and dirt kicked up in its wake.
    The aircraft settled to the ground in the center of the camp. Doors on both sides were thrown open and men wearing the uniforms of the regional police force climbed out.
    For a moment, Annja thought everything was going to be all right. That feeling of foreboding must have been for something else. The police were here; she could breathe a sigh of relief and turn the investigation over to the professionals for the time being, at least until she’d had a chance to rest and get a better understanding just why someone would kill to possess the torc.
    But as she moved to leave her hiding place, to call out to the police officers fanning out through the camp, her gaze happened to fall on one of the men at the back of the pack.
    The last time she’d seen him, he’d just tried to put a bullet in her skull.
    He was dressed just like one of the regional police officers, and from the easy way that he interacted with the rest of them, it was clear he wasn’t a stranger.
    What on earth was going on?
    One thing was certain: any hope of getting help from these men was gone. With the killer an accepted member of their group, she couldn’t trust that they wouldn’t shoot her on sight.
    Quickly and quietly she eased her way back