Drake Sisters 03 - Oceans of Fire

help.”
    Abigail fell silent, staring down at something Joley couldn’t see. “Aleksandr. You’d better take a look at this, because I think it’s real and I don’t want to touch it.”
    He came up beside her, real and solid, his body brushing hers. “What is it, Abbey?” His arm slid around her and he drew her beneath his shoulder. “You’re freezing.”
    “You’re wearing a vest.”
    “Which was a good thing, otherwise I’d be dead.”
    She turned her head sharply. “You were hit? Where? Let me see.”
    The anxiety in her voice turned his heart over. “It’s nothing, baushki-bau , a bruise, no more. What have you found?”
    “I don’t know. Take a look.”
    Aleksandr crouched down to examine the necklace that had apparently been unknowingly dropped and was now half buried in rubble. Abigail took the opportunity to look at his back. There was definite evidence of a bullet hole in the vest he wore. Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest. She pressed a hand over the small hole and glanced at Joley. “I’m sorry, hon, I should never have asked you to come with me.”
    “Are you kidding? Aunt Carol is right. This is the adventure of a lifetime. We need pictures to put in our albums!” Joley tossed her wet hair and managed a smile through her chattering teeth. “How often do hotshot hit men from Russia try to kill you?”
    “It couldn’t have been Prakenskii,” Aleksandr said as he carefully dug the necklace out of the rubble and lifted it reverently.
    Joley put her hand on her hip. “Don’t kill the fun here, Aleksandr. I’m trying to look on the bright side.”
    “You’re turning blue, Joley. Let’s get moving,” Abigail said. “Why couldn’t it have been Prakenskii?
    How many people are running around trying to shoot at us?”
    “Evidently more than one.” Aleksandr sounded vague. Distracted. “It wasn’t Prakenskii or we’d all be dead.”
    “Good to know,” Joley said. “I want to go now. I’ve had enough drama for the day. I haven’t even had a cup of tea yet and people are shooting at me. I’m calling it quits. Find the stairs because I don’t want to Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    swim back through that black hole.”
    “The entrance is right over there.” Abigail gestured, but her attention was on Aleksandr. “Just beyond Sasha. What is it? That thing is real, isn’t it?”
    “Yes.” Aleksandr let his breath out slowly, staring down at the piece of history in his hands. “At least I think it is. I think it is a necklace that has been missing for years. In March 1917 Czar Nicolas II abdicated the throne of the Russian empire and a provisional government was set in place.” The reverence spread to his voice. “The czar, his beloved wife, Empress Alexandra Feodrovna, and their five children were deported to Siberia. It was said that they had a small collection of jewels the czar kept for his wife. In 1918 the entire family and four of their faithful retainers were secretly executed.”
    “Well, of course I’ve heard the story,” Abigail said, the back of her neck beginning to prickle. She and Joley exchanged a long look. “What does that story have to do with this necklace?”
    Aleksandr straightened up, the heavy jewels in his hands.
    “It’s rumored Nicolas commissioned a very special necklace for Alexandra before they were wed. In fact, she had refused him at some point because she had been made to feel less than welcome in Russia.
    The necklace was made of only the rarest and most perfect stones and was intended to show Alexandra how much the czar loved and admired her.”
    “Is that true?”
    He shrugged. “Until now, the only proof I’ve ever seen that the necklace existed was a small painting.
    And that painting was stolen from a collection about four years ago. There were so many rumors that the necklace surfaced here or there, but no one actually could ever find the piece. You have no idea how many national treasures have been taken from our country. Pieces of our history that belong to our people.” He shook his head and turned to look at them. “We were on the trail of artwork. If this is authentic, it is a find beyond anything I ever dreamed. This is a priceless treasure.”
    “But how would it have gotten in this cave?” Abigail asked.
    “I think that’s a very good question.” The two shivering women caught Aleksandr’s attention. “Forgive me, we must get you somewhere