Part 5 (1/2)
There was some smothered laughter from the others.
Rage flashed in Webber's eyes, but he managed to keep his expression stone-faced.
”I think that's enough, Lyra,” Cruz said. ”Would you mind opening the chamber?”
”Sure,” she said.
She slid the pack off her back and took a pair of dark gla.s.ses out of a side pocket. Slipping the gla.s.ses onto her nose, she walked directly up to the lightning-filled entrance. The shades dimmed the bright energy to the point where she could look at it directly.
She put her hand on the amethyst wall close to the opening and heightened her senses. The stone warmed under her hand. Vincent chortled in excitement and bounced up and down, delighting in the game.
Energy surged through Lyra, thrilling her all the way to her toes. Her hair stood straight out on end, forming a wild halo around her face. Her s.h.i.+rt lifted a little away from her skin as though caught by a storm wind. She suddenly wanted to fly. She was on fire with power, intoxicated with it. For a tuner, there was nothing like the rush of really hot amber.
But she was also a professional. A lot of people had a low opinion of tuners, but she took pride in being an expert. And when it came to amethyst, n.o.body worked stone better.
She forced herself to concentrate and began to search for the pattern of the wildly oscillating currents. She found it almost at once. Vincent vibrated with excitement. He was always up for a little psychic thrill. His hunting eyes opened again.
She identified the frequencies needed to control the forces of the lightning that locked the door and sent out counteracting wavelengths, pus.h.i.+ng her own energy through the amber charms on her bracelet. The purple lightning flashed even hotter for a moment and then quickly faded. With a few final sparks and crackles and hisses, it subsided altogether.
Her hair tumbled back down around her face, and her clothes settled on her body. The heady sensation of power evaporated.
For few seconds there was stunned silence behind her. Everyone crowded closer, trying to peer through the entrance of the chamber. Purple light glowed from the interior of the ruin.
Five people appeared in the de-rezzed opening, all wearing varying expressions of amazement and relief.
A cheer went up from the group gathered around Lyra.
”They're okay,” someone shouted.
One of the ghost hunters walked out first, probably testing to be certain that there would be no surprises for the others. He looked at Lyra.
”Appreciate it, ma'am,” he said. ”The Guild owes you.”
”No,” Cruz said. ”Amber Inc. owes this favor.”
Another man emerged from the chamber. He was in his midthirties, tall and powerfully built, with the sort of rugged features, macho att.i.tude, and short haircut that just screamed cop or private security. He looked first at Cruz.
”Mr. Sweet.w.a.ter,” he said. ”Sorry about this.”
”It's not your fault, Garrett,” Cruz said. ”h.e.l.l, it's an alien ruin. There's always a surprise of some kind. Miss Dore, here, is the one who opened the chamber. Lyra, this is Garrett Flagg, head of lab security.”
”Mr. Flagg.” Lyra inclined her head politely.
”Miss Dore.” Flagg nodded once, serious and intent. ”Sure didn't expect you to come to the rescue tonight, not after what went down between you and the company. But I'm d.a.m.n grateful. I owe you. If there's ever anything you need from me, just pick up the phone.”
”Thank you,” Lyra said. She looked at Cruz. ”There is one thing I'd like to do before I leave tonight.”
”Name it,” Cruz said.
”I want to take one more look around inside the chamber,” she said.
Flagg frowned uneasily. ”Sorry, Miss Dore, but no unauthorized personnel are allowed inside. Access to the interior of the chamber is strictly controlled.”
”By Amber Inc.,” Cruz said. ”As the CEO of the security division, I'm in charge of operations down here. Miss Dore can enter the chamber. I will escort her inside, myself.”
”Don't worry,” Lyra said, rezzing up another dazzling smile for both men. She was feeling the aftereffects of the highly charged amethyst energy that had been rus.h.i.+ng through her moments ago, still feeling reckless. ”I'm not going to steal anything.”
Cruz gave her a patient look. ”I know that.”
They waited until the last member of the trapped team had emerged from the chamber and thanked Lyra. Then Cruz waved her inside. He followed, watching her with an unreadable expression.
Another buzz of energy, much lower in volume this time, whispered through her when she walked to the center of the chamber. The interior walls, floor, and ceiling glowed with a muted purple light, just as she remembered. But all of the small relics of carved amethyst amber that had been stacked around the edges of the room were gone.
She turned slowly on her heel, surveying the scene. ”What did you do with the stones?”
”They've all been removed and taken to the lab,” Cruz said. ”Where, as I'm sure you know, we haven't been able to rez a single d.a.m.n one of them.”
”Hence all the nasty phone calls I've been getting from Webber.”
”I knew he had tried to contact you,” Cruz said. ”I wasn't aware that he had been rude. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again.”
”Well, it wasn't like I was being polite to him, either,” she allowed. ”I told you, I never returned any of his calls.”
Cruz studied her with an unreadable expression.
”The ability to work unusual forms of amber is rare,” he said finally. ”We could really use your talent at the lab. You would be well-paid.”
”Sorry, no.”
He shook his head, amused. ”You are one stubborn woman.”
”It's the principle of the thing.”
”I think it's got more to do with the fact that you're a Dore and I'm a Sweet.w.a.ter.”
”That, too,” she admitted.
”You know, we don't have to keep fighting our grandfathers' feud.”
”We're not fighting it.” She went toward the door. ”Your grandfather won, remember?”
”d.a.m.n it, Lyra-”
”I'd like to go home now, if you don't mind. It has been a very long night.”
”One more thing.”