Chapter 1
“Andy, where’s my coffee?” A man’s loud voice boomed out of the office.
Andrea “Andy” Johnson rushed to get her boss’s coffee. It wasn’t part of her job, but he didn’t care about that. She was a woman, so that meant she had to fetch Roger Deen’s coffee, donuts, lunch, and dry cleaning.
This was so not what she had gone to college for. She had been thrilled to be hired right after graduation to the highly prestigious Rasbone Archeological Research and Consultant Firm. She thought she would be part of the research team that went to exotic locations and dug up secrets and treasures. But the most exotic place her job had taken her so far to was to Little China to pick up her boss’s lunch.
There were times she wondered why she hadn’t taken her father up on his offer to work for one of his companies. She could have started an internship right after high school, but she turned him down. She wanted to do something for herself for once and prove wrong all those bullies at school who had teased her about being a spoiled, useless little brat.
Andy’s father, Richard Johnson, had built his manufacturing company from the ground up. He’d grown up poor on a farm and swore he would make a better life for himself. He worked his way through college and took any job he could that would help him make connections. Then he got a start-up business and it bloomed from there. He was a wonderful father, who had taken on the task of raising her on his own after her mother died in a car crash. He lavished her with love, affection, and anything she could ever want. She loved her father, but she wanted to prove to herself that she had value and could make something out of her life. This position she had now was a major roadblock for her, and she needed to find a way to change that.
She rushed into Mr. Deen’s office, trying not to spill the cup of coffee. She carefully placed it on his desk and was about to leave, but he questioned her.
“What took you so damn long?”
“Sorry, Mr. Deen. The coffee pot had not been turned on this morning and it was out of water. I had to refill it and turn it on.”
“Don’t let this happen again.”
“Yes, sir.” What an ass. She really needed to get a new job.
“Stay, Andy. There’s something I need to discuss.”
“Yes, sir.” She waited until he motioned for her to take a seat.
“We’ve had problems with researchers at our Arctic Circle Project. I am thinking of sending a few new researchers; some that have not had field work yet but answer to me directly. I want to send you.”
Andy was shocked. This would be her first field work job. It was exactly what she had been longing for all this time. “Of course. I’m honored that you trust me to do this.”
“I’m also sending Denny and Rhonda. Denny will be the leader on the research team. So when not answering to me, you’ll need to follow his directions.”
Oh, shit. She couldn’t stand Denny. He had been asking her out for a while now, but she refused him each time. It was going to be hard enough dealing with him, but add a high-maintenance bitch like Rhonda on top of all that and this was sure to be an awful experience waiting to happen.
“Sir, I can understand you sending Mr. Vega, but why send Miss Lee? She’s not a researcher, but works in the publicity department.”
“Exactly. We need someone like Rhonda to improve our image to the locals there who have been protesting our presence.”
“I thought that we had acquired the locals’ support for our research project. Didn’t the mayor also give his approval?”
“The mayor yes, but the locals are divided. Half of them want us to bring their little village into the public eye, and the other half have made threats when we work in an area they feel is sacred.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Is it?”
“Is what?”
“The area the researchers are working in, is it sacred land?”
“It’s never been registered as such so
“Andy, where’s my coffee?” A man’s loud voice boomed out of the office.
Andrea “Andy” Johnson rushed to get her boss’s coffee. It wasn’t part of her job, but he didn’t care about that. She was a woman, so that meant she had to fetch Roger Deen’s coffee, donuts, lunch, and dry cleaning.
This was so not what she had gone to college for. She had been thrilled to be hired right after graduation to the highly prestigious Rasbone Archeological Research and Consultant Firm. She thought she would be part of the research team that went to exotic locations and dug up secrets and treasures. But the most exotic place her job had taken her so far to was to Little China to pick up her boss’s lunch.
There were times she wondered why she hadn’t taken her father up on his offer to work for one of his companies. She could have started an internship right after high school, but she turned him down. She wanted to do something for herself for once and prove wrong all those bullies at school who had teased her about being a spoiled, useless little brat.
Andy’s father, Richard Johnson, had built his manufacturing company from the ground up. He’d grown up poor on a farm and swore he would make a better life for himself. He worked his way through college and took any job he could that would help him make connections. Then he got a start-up business and it bloomed from there. He was a wonderful father, who had taken on the task of raising her on his own after her mother died in a car crash. He lavished her with love, affection, and anything she could ever want. She loved her father, but she wanted to prove to herself that she had value and could make something out of her life. This position she had now was a major roadblock for her, and she needed to find a way to change that.
She rushed into Mr. Deen’s office, trying not to spill the cup of coffee. She carefully placed it on his desk and was about to leave, but he questioned her.
“What took you so damn long?”
“Sorry, Mr. Deen. The coffee pot had not been turned on this morning and it was out of water. I had to refill it and turn it on.”
“Don’t let this happen again.”
“Yes, sir.” What an ass. She really needed to get a new job.
“Stay, Andy. There’s something I need to discuss.”
“Yes, sir.” She waited until he motioned for her to take a seat.
“We’ve had problems with researchers at our Arctic Circle Project. I am thinking of sending a few new researchers; some that have not had field work yet but answer to me directly. I want to send you.”
Andy was shocked. This would be her first field work job. It was exactly what she had been longing for all this time. “Of course. I’m honored that you trust me to do this.”
“I’m also sending Denny and Rhonda. Denny will be the leader on the research team. So when not answering to me, you’ll need to follow his directions.”
Oh, shit. She couldn’t stand Denny. He had been asking her out for a while now, but she refused him each time. It was going to be hard enough dealing with him, but add a high-maintenance bitch like Rhonda on top of all that and this was sure to be an awful experience waiting to happen.
“Sir, I can understand you sending Mr. Vega, but why send Miss Lee? She’s not a researcher, but works in the publicity department.”
“Exactly. We need someone like Rhonda to improve our image to the locals there who have been protesting our presence.”
“I thought that we had acquired the locals’ support for our research project. Didn’t the mayor also give his approval?”
“The mayor yes, but the locals are divided. Half of them want us to bring their little village into the public eye, and the other half have made threats when we work in an area they feel is sacred.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “Is it?”
“Is what?”
“The area the researchers are working in, is it sacred land?”
“It’s never been registered as such so
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