Hierarchy of Madness (Relic Hunters #10)

Cassidy Coleman loved it. Despite this being central New York,
she felt alone. The world was fresh, made anew. She put her
head down and she ran from the hotel along Riverside Drive,
conscious that she was on her own in the world… apart from
the odd other, wrapped-up jogger who panted past.The city that never sleeps was at least drowsing, she thought.
Even the roads, New York City’s lifeblood, were peaceful, serene,
running smooth and free before the build-up of traffic would
come to choke the arteries later. Cassidy breathed deep, slowing
for a while, conscious of her surroundings.Cassidy used these quiet mornings to think. It was her getaway,
that time before life really got going, intruding necessarily into
her day. It only lasted an hour but, often, it was the best hour
of the whole twenty-four.She stopped at an intersection, tugged her hood from her head
and let it lie across her shoulders. She was warming up, starting
to sweat, her heartbeat rising. Only one car passed, its rubber
tyres rumbling across the asphalt, its exhaust rumbling. Cassidy
waited for the lights to change, jogging on the spot. Soon, she
was off again, pounding the pavement, letting her thoughts run
free.Two weeks had passed since they returned from the Amazon
and the city of a thousand ghosts. Since then, the governments
had got involved in the discovery, complicating everything.
Treasure wasn’t treasure when it came to the manipulation and
greed of governments. It was a commodity, something to be
owned and profited from. Still, at least it was safe from secret
cults and madmen.She hoped.They had come to New York at the request of the American
government, found a place to stay, and then proceeded to go
through what remained of their funds, paying for it. As a group,
and as individuals, their net worth was dwindling rapidly. The
government had come to them, taken down their statements
regarding the Amazon adventure, and gone away. That had
been a week ago.
…