The Sacred Stone (ENIGMA Files Book 2) by Joshua James

Author:Joshua James [James, Joshua]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-29T16:00:00+00:00

Tera Eronsdóttir had been an IT student before she became a journalist. They had crossed paths during Rhett’s brief stint in Sweden, and then again, purely by happenstance, at a military base in Yemen years later. Now, apparently, she was living in Uppsala, just a train ride away. After a brief conversation with the man who’d invited Rhett into his home, he was given a backpack, a change of clothes, and a ticket to the train station in Uppsala for that very night.

The chunky sweater and loose trousers he’d been gifted weren’t his usual style, but Rhett was more concerned with the throbbing pain in his hip. He spent most of the train ride with his eyes closed, leaning back against the seat, massaging the muscles with the hard press of his thumb. Usually the pressure was enough to help with the pain, but this time it only made his head spin. Only the fact that he didn’t have any ID of his own kept Rhett from buying a whole bottle of painkillers and a jug of brännvin to wash it down.

Dusk was falling by the time he stepped onto the platform in Uppsala and was greeted with open arms and a familiar smile.

“Rhett!” Tera gripped him tight and let go of him just as quickly. “So good to see you. What happened to you? You said your ID was stolen?”

Rhett nodded as they made their way along the platform. “It’s been a long day. I’m hoping you can pull some strings at the Embassy… I’ve got nothing with me.”

“Don’t worry.” Tera patted his back. “I’ll get you sorted out. It pays to have friends in high places.”

“And you’re that friend?” Rhett teased.

“Ever since that Kurt Schork Award, I am. Or close enough.” Tera laughed so loudly that a few other travelers glanced sidelong at them.

Tera was a few inches shorter than Rhett, built like a beanpole, with thin mouse-brown hair and overlarge blue eyes that seemed to take up half of her face. Given her stature and proportions, people often mistook her for a child, but Rhett knew better. He’d seen this petite woman crawl on hands and knees through war zones for the sake of a story, and stare down militants in the hopes of getting a good quote. Tera was either fearless or so adept at masking her fear that it made no difference in the long run.

“We can go to the embassy in the morning,” Tera said. “Get your papers sorted out. In the meantime, you can stay with me. I have plenty of space, and I live alone.”

“Still single?” Rhett asked.

Tera wrinkled her nose. “No, actually.” She held up her hand, indicating the plain band on her ring finger. “But he’s in the Caribbean right now, photographing fish.”

“A photographer?” Rhett laughed. Tera’s familiar presence was already calming him down.

“A nature photographer. And no, before you ask, we didn’t meet on the job. He’d be useless in a war zone, but he’s good for me.”

Rhett nodded his understanding.

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