Shane Prescott's ears burned as he quickly averted his gaze.

The female officer's summer uniform shirt gaped slightly at the collar, revealing a pale stretch of neckline.

That missing button had clearly popped off when he'd thrown her down earlier.

His Adam's apple bobbed, words dying in his throat.

Several staff members approached from down the corridor.

The officer shot him a venomous glare before bending to retrieve her police cap.

She strode purposefully toward the checkpoint.

Shane moved like lightning, blocking her path.

"What now?" Her voice was glacial.

Keeping his back to her, he muttered under his breath, "Third button."

She glanced down—her cheeks instantly flamed scarlet.

Fumbling with the closure, she stiffened her posture, struggling to maintain authority.

Iris Evans giggled. "Officer, you're adorable."

The woman's expression darkened further.

But with her delicate features, even her sternest glare resembled a pout.

Shane stared at the pink tips of her ears, his heartbeat stuttering.

"You'll pay for this!" she hissed through clenched teeth.

He gave a quiet grunt of acknowledgment.

Watching her retreating figure, his fingertips still tingled from the warmth of her slender wrist.

That fragile wrist must have hurt when she fell.

"Bro, you into her?" Iris nudged him with a knowing smirk.

Sophia Laurent frowned. "Don't tease him. Given his background—"

Iris's smile faded. "Maybe this mission will redeem us."

When the officer returned, Shane remained rooted in place.

"Apologize." She lifted her chin.

His lips pressed into a thin line.

Sophia intervened hastily, "Officer, it was just a misunderstanding—"

"He does it himself." The woman stood firm.

Shane recalled her pained gasp when she'd hit the ground.

"Sorry." The words scraped his throat raw.

She studied his shadowed eyes beneath the cap's brim for several seconds before waving them through.

After three paces, she murmured just loud enough for him to hear, "Heir to the Prescott tomb raiders—watch yourself at security."

Shane's fists clenched instantly.

Sophia whirled to protest, but he stopped her. "She's right."

At the checkpoint, Shane surrendered over a dozen willow-leaf throwing knives.

Iris gaped. "Why so many blades?"

Without answering, he pulled a bottle of arnica oil from his pack. "For the officer."

"Ooh, learning chivalry?" Iris snatched it with a grin.

Inside the crypt, workers dusted terracotta figures with delicate brushes.

"Dr. Laurent!" A bespectaced young man hurried over. "Professor Moore awaits in the main chamber."

The stone door lay in shattered fragments.

Only the innermost coffin remained intact.

As the lid lifted—Shane's pupils contracted violently.

"Back!"

He shoved Sophia and Iris against the wall.

A wet explosion erupted from the male corpse's distended abdomen, spraying foul liquid everywhere.

Professor Moore wiped his splattered face—

"Don't touch!" Shane roared. "Poison!"

Even as he spoke, the perfectly preserved cadaver blackened before their eyes, decomposing at unnatural speed.

"Evacuate!" Shane's voice cracked with urgency. "Everyone out—now!"