Obsidian Prey by Jayne Castle Page A

evening.”
    Relieved laughter greeted that remark. The small crowd of ghost hunters and Amber Inc. people seemed to relax.
    “How far to the ruin from here?” she asked. “When I discovered it, I used a different gate. You know how it is; distances are deceptive underground.”
    Her not-so-subtle claim to the ruin did not go unnoticed. Cruz smiled slightly. The AI people exchanged glances. The Guild men, however, were a lot more focused. There was a team trapped in the jungle. It was their responsibility to rescue it.
    “The amethyst chamber is only a thirty-minute hike from here,” the lead hunter said. He hesitated. “That’s if you’re accustomed to jungle travel. If you’re not used to it—”
    “I’ve done this before,” Lyra assured him.
    “She’s a pro,” Cruz added.
    She glanced back over her shoulder and saw the reporters crowded around the entrance, still snapping photos. “Are they coming with us?”
    “No,” Cruz said. “They are not. Those of us in charge of this project are trying to pretend that the ruin is still a secure site and that only authorized personnel are allowed anywhere near it.”
    Lyra thought about all the unwanted free press she had given him and the discovery of the amethyst chamber in the past three months with her lawsuit. She laughed.
    “Good luck with that,” she said.
    “Tell me about it. We’re having to pay the Guild overtime for twenty-four-seven security in the field, not to mention covering the costs of several search-and-rescue operations. Amazing how many treasure hunters and curiosity seekers have managed to sneak into the rain forest in search of the ruin and gotten themselves lost in the process.”
    “See, we independents don’t face those logistical problems,” she said smoothly. “Because we keep our mouths shut when we make significant discoveries.”
    “And then you screw up by trying to sell your finds on the underground collectors market.”
    “Well, yes, that, too,” she admitted.
    He looked at her. “Thought we agreed to save the snappy comments until some other more convenient occasion.”
    “Right. Let’s get going. I’d still like to get some sleep tonight.”
    They plunged into the jungle, the two hunters in the lead using machetes to cut a path through the thickest sections. Taking Lyra at her word, they set a difficult pace.
    Mostly it was a matter of pushing through masses of vibrantly green plants and flowers and scrambling over vines and downed trees. Since there was no way to maintain a road or even a rough trail suitable for sleds, the only way into the rain forest was on foot.
    As far as the researchers and explorers had been able to discern, there was little to fear from the flora and fauna. The aliens hadn’t been so dumb as to fill their artificially constructed jungle with a lot of dangerous wildlife and poisonous vegetation. But the Others had been gone a long time, and everyone knew that life had a way of evolving on its own, even in a controlled, bioengineered environment. The experts continued to issue warnings, and no one took unnecessary chances.
    There was, however, no doubt at all about the other two major concerns in the underground world. Getting lost was a serious hazard. In addition, powerful currents of dangerous psi energy flowed in rivers and occasionally manifested in full-blown storms. Blundering into the heavy stuff could be lethal. Those who survived the experience usually ended up with their para-senses permanently shattered.
    But in its own way, the rain forest was incredibly beautiful. Lyra savored the experience as she always did. Green sunlight filtered through the canopy. Magnificent peridot green flowers bloomed everywhere. Vast curtains of vines studded with green orchids of every size and description hung from the trees. Here and there small green lizards and other creatures scurried into the undergrowth to avoid the tread of human feet. Emerald green butterflies with impossibly large