Certainly I won’t forget him, Jenna thought, and I sure as hell won’t forget this job. When she’d been interviewed for the project, Drummond had assessed her honey-colored hair, her high, firm breasts, her trim, equally firm hips, and with his raspy voice that caused her nerves to quiver, he had made his employment offer sound like a sexual proposition. Perhaps it had been a sexual proposition; perhaps Drummond considered all the people who worked for him to be the same as prostitutes. But high-class prostitutes, Jenna thought. While Drummond was without a doubt the coldest, meanest bastard she’d ever known, he was also the most generous. Her salary for this project was the equivalent of her last ten projects combined. Deservedly. For this assignment was obscene, and if she was going to sell her professional soul, she didn’t intend to do it cheaply.
As she and McIntyre entered the dirt-floored office, Jenna’s gaze immediately gravitated toward Drummond, who was already surrounded by a group of crew leaders, blurting questions to them and snapping orders. He took charge so rapidly that even with his blended-wool, blue-striped English-made suit in contrast with the sweat-stained, dirt-encrusted, rumpled work clothes of the crew leaders, he seemed perfectly in place, in his element. By contrast, the fair-haired, well-dressed man standing next to Drummond appeared aloof, not at all comfortable in these primitive conditions. His name was Raymond, and the cold expression in his eyes warned Jenna not to believe that his pleasant features were an indication of his personality. She suspected that Raymond was truly in his element only when he was causing pain.
Dear God, what have I gotten myself into?
“No,” Drummond told a supervisor, his voice brittle but forceful. “No. You understood the rules before you agreed to be hired. You signed a document binding you to certain conditions. Under no circumstances are you or any member of your crew permitted to leave camp until all the work is completed. I’m paying everyone handsomely to work seven days a week, and I expect to receive maximum value for my money. Bring women in? Nonsense. No outsiders are allowed in camp. Permission to use the two-way radio for private communications? Absolutely not. What happens down here is my business, and I don’t want your men telling my business to outsiders. You know how I feel about privacy. In every way possible, this camp is sealed. Don’t raise this subject again.”
Drummond turned dismissively from the group and noticed Jenna and McIntyre just inside the open door. “Good, I want to see both of you.” He motioned for Raymond to take the supervisors outside, then gestured for Jenna and McIntyre to approach. “Have you found it?”
Jenna and McIntyre looked away.
“I don’t know why I bothered asking,” Drummond said. “If you had found it, those idiots would have been jabbering hysterically about it. They wouldn’t have been able to restrain themselves. Which means they still don’t suspect,” Drummond said. “Is that true?”
McIntyre cleared his throat. “Yes. That’s true.”
Having taken the supervisors outside, Raymond reentered the building, shut the door, and leaned against it, crossing his arms, coldly assessing Jenna. She felt his arrogant gaze upon her.
“I’m not pleased, not pleased at all,” Drummond said. “I gave you all the necessary information. The job shouldn’t be that difficult. You practically have step-by-step instructions. But you still haven’t found it.”
McIntyre mumbled something.
“What?” Drummond glared. “Damn it, man, speak up. Muttering won’t trick me into thinking my ears are failing me.”
“I didn’t mean to. .”
“Don’t apologize. I hate a whimperer. Maybe that’s why you haven’t achieved your objective. Because you’re not man enough to direct the job.”
“The instructions weren’t as specific as you claim,” Jenna interrupted.
“Oh?” The old man swung toward her. “At least you don’t mutter. But I don’t recall asking you for a comment.”
“If I need to be asked, that would mean I’m not a very good employee, wouldn’t you agree?”
“An excellent answer.” Drummond studied her. “Continue.”
“A vague and possibly flawed translation isn’t what I’d call step-by-step instructions.”
Drummond bristled. “The translation wasn’t flawed. The best experts for the maximum price were hired to decipher the text.”
“But even the experts don’t understand all the Mayan symbols.”
“And you yourself are expert enough to know that?”
“Perhaps you’ve forgotten.”
“I forget nothing.”
“I’m not only a surveyor,” Jenna said. “I’m an archaeological surveyor. My expertise is mapping sites like this one, and I may not be able to translate Mayan symbols, but I know several people who can, and they’re the first to admit that there’s a great deal more to be accomplished in their specialty.”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps you’re trying to justify a poor performance. Perhaps I should hire someone else and deduct that person’s fee from yours.”
Panic muted Jenna’s anger. Stop. Keep your opinions to yourself. Don’t antagonize him.
“Work harder,” Drummond said. “Quit making excuses. The translation is as perfect as it can be. And it’s explicit. What we’re looking for is here. But why can’t you find it?”
“Topography doesn’t have much variation in the Yucatan,” Jenna said. “The site described in the text could be anywhere. Plus, the geology in this area isn’t stable. In the thousand years since the landscape was described, earthquakes could have obliterated some of the features we’re searching for.”
Drummond scowled and returned his attention to McIntyre. “I don’t have time for delays. The jungle has to be cleared, but your men haven’t accomplished anywhere near as much as they were supposed to by now. You haven’t kept up with the schedule.”
“The schedule didn’t allow for sabotage,” McIntyre said.
Drummond jerked his head back. “Sabotage?”
“Someone’s been tampering with the bulldozers and the trucks. Dirt in the fuel tanks. Radiator hoses cut. Tires slashed.”
Drummond became livid. “Why wasn’t I told?”
“We thought we could handle the problem without troubling you. We fixed the vehicles and posted guards around them,” McIntyre said.
“And?”
“Posting guards around the vehicles meant we had to lessen the number of men watching the perimeter of the camp. The next night, a lot of our tools were stolen. Our water supply was contaminated. Our fuel-storage barrels were punctured. That’s why we’ve got barrels stored in here. As an emergency backup. The helicopters have been working double time bringing in spare parts and replacement supplies instead of new equipment.”
“Replacing supplies isn’t the answer!” Drummond snapped. “Find whoever’s causing the damage. What about those supervisors who were in here complaining? Could it be someone who wants to shut down work so he can spend a weekend getting drunk in Merida?”
“We thought of that,” McIntyre said. “No. The men are tired and grumpy, but they’re also eager to finish the job ahead of schedule so they can get their bonus. None of them would do anything to force them to spend more time here.”
“Then who?”
“Natives,” Jenna said. “Maya.”