Page 97 of Red Hawk's Woman

“Stealing, that’s what.”

“Stealing? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Then what are you doing here, digging in a site you have not told anyone else about?”

“I can explain that,” said Effie.

Madeline screamed again.

“Don’t do that.”

She screamed anyway.

Sighing, Effie realized she was going to have to muzzle the woman. “I’m sorry I have to do this, but I can’t have you howling like this.”

She gagged the woman with Madeline’s own mask.

After grabbing up her tools, she set them at the top of the site—for she didn’t want them available to Madeline should she manage to free herself. Then, clasping hold of Madeline’s gun and the artifacts, Effie climbed out of the digging site.

She needed to find Red Hawk. And as soon as she did, together, they would end this curse and set things right.

Moving to the mouth of the cavern, Effie was about to step foot in the water, when⁠—

“I’ll take those,” came a gruff voice behind her. She turned around. This time it wasn’t Madeline standing before her.

John Owens held a gun pointed directly at her.

Where is Red Hawk?

“Hand them over,” demanded Owens.

“No, I don’t think I will,” said Effie.

“Then I will kill you. I have no qualms about it.”

“No qualms? But…you are my father’s best friend.”

“Was your father’s best friend. But then that poor excuse for an archaeologist went and appointed you director of this project. You! It should have been me. Haven’t I waited all this time for my chance to get at those artifacts? Haven’t I indulged a man who is supposed to be a scientist but who instead has chosen to follow a dream? Well, there is no Lost Clan. Scientifically, it’s impossible. There are only the artifacts, and they are worth millions. If anyone deserves to have them, it is I. And I mean to have them. Now give them to me.”

“But…”

“Yes?”

Was her only chance to keep talking? Perhaps. So she said, “But how could it be you? It was Madeline who assaulted me in Virginia City. You weren’t even there.”

“How do you know about Madeline?”

“She’s in the pit.”

“In the pit? What have you done to her?”

“Nothing, she’s just tied up.”

“Ah,” said Owens. “I will have to fix that.”

“Then it’s you and Madeline who have been doing this?”

“That’s right. I must admit it has taken a bit of work on my part. But Madeline is an ambitious woman who is married to a worthless young man. She wishes to better herself. I’ll provide that for her.”