Tommy patted him on the shoulder. “It’s no problem, Pak. Glad you’re okay.”
The man’s eyes questioned the statement. “Why I not be okay?”
“No reason,” Sean stepped in. “Just happy to see you. Mind taking us back to the airport?”
The driver’s face beamed its perpetual beam. “Of course,” he exclaimed. “You find what you looking for?”
“Sort of. Still have some work to do in another place.”
Adriana started for her vehicle. She turned to Sean and asked, “Mind if I catch a ride on your airplane?” Her grin creased the corner of her right cheek.
“Absolutely.”
She spun around and ran over to her car while the two Americans hopped in their rental.
Tommy sat in the front seat with Pak. He looked over at the driver as he started to back the car out. “Hey, Pak, how fast can you get us back to the airport?”
A sly grin creased the driver’s face. “You ask right question.”
27
Mamoud stared in disgust at the Israeli archaeologist. His men had put the prisoner back in his cell as soon as he arrived back at the mansion from the Indonesian flight. Once Sharouf knew where to find the breastplate, he sent two of his men back to Dubai with Nehem. It was a risky move but a calculated one. Sharouf reasoned the older man would slow them down. Even though he’d come in handy with his ability to decipher the clue in the temple at Borobudur, Sharouf’s plan for the monastery in Bhutan hadn’t required any such expertise.
His trap had worked perfectly. With only so many flights coming into Paro on any given day, it was easy to pick out the one with the Americans on it. Sharouf and his men watched from a distance as Wyatt and Schultz got in their car and made their way up to the base of the mountain trail.
They followed the two men up the winding trail, careful to stay far enough behind to not be seen, and keeping close to the trees that lined the path in case they needed to duck for cover. Once, one of his men stepped on a twig, snapping it loudly. Fortunately, he and his men reacted quickly, ducking out of sight in the nick of time. It had been painful to watch how slowly Wyatt made his way across the ravine. It was an extended period of time Sharouf had not counted on, not that it mattered. The plan had worked brilliantly.
Wyatt and his friend had convinced the monastery’s abbot to take them to the hidden cavern, which turned out better than Sharouf could have hoped. The targets were boxed in with no way to escape. He’d wondered if he did the right thing by leaving them there to die, but what choice did he have? If they engaged in a shootout, someone would hear. The other monks would discover the passageway and seal it off. Then everyone would be trapped. By locking Wyatt inside, no one would know what happened, and no one could get in to save them. There was the off chance that someone would notice the abbot was missing and go looking for him, but by the time that happened and they were able to unlock the door, Sharouf and his men would already be back in Dubai.
Now he stood in the doorway of Nehem’s cell, watching his employer extract the final piece of the puzzle. A fresh scar from the car accident in Indonesia still marked his face.
“Where are the stones?” Mamoud asked. “We’re not going through this cat and mouse game again, Doctor. Tell me where we need to go. If you play nice, I’ll even let you see the power the ancient relics possess before I kill you.”
“I will never lead you to the stones. I do not know how you were able to get the Hoshen, but the stones will remain hidden for all eternity.”
Mamoud slowly closed and reopened his eyes then shook his head. When he spoke, he wagged a warning finger. “I thought you might say something like that, which is why I figured you might need a little extra motivation.” He motioned to Sharouf who, in turn, waved his hand to one of the other bodyguards.
Three seconds later, a stocky, broad-shouldered young Arab with a shaved head wrestled a woman in white pants and a white blouse through the door. She was probably in her midtwenties. Her black hair hung down past her shoulders. The handkerchief clenched between her teeth kept her from screaming, but that didn’t stop her from making as much noise as she could. When her eyes locked with her father’s, she froze for a moment.
“Raizel?” Nehem started to stand, but Mamoud pressed down on his shoulder with remarkable strength, forcing him back into the seat. The Israeli’s eyes shifted instantly to his captor’s. “Let her go, you monster. She’s innocent.”
“None of you are innocent!” Mamoud boomed. “I’m tired of your games, Nehem. Tell me where the stones are, or I will cut your daughter to pieces before your eyes.”
Tears streamed down Nehem’s face, mirroring those of his daughter. She was full of confusion and fear as she gazed at her father. He knew she didn’t understand why any of this was happening. No matter what their insane captor believed, she was truly innocent. Raizel had her whole life ahead of her. As he stared at her tear-stained face, Nehem weighed the consequences of his decision. If he gave up the location of the stones, Mamoud would be unchallenged by any world government, any army. He would always be a step ahead. Was that future really certain, though? There was always the chance that someone could stop him, even if the odds were low. All that mattered right now was his daughter. The lives of millions of people didn’t matter to Nehem at this moment. Only one did.
“Susa.” He blurted out the word amid choking back tears.
Mamoud tilted his head sideways and narrowed his eyes. “What did you say?”
“I said the stones are in Susa.”
“In Iran?”
“Yes, in Iran at the tomb of Daniel the prophet.” Nehem spat out the words quickly so he couldn’t change his mind.
“You’re certain of this?”
Nehem looked up into the young Arab’s dark eyes. “I swear it.”
Mamoud thought for a second before responding. “You know what will happen…”
“Yes, I know!” Nehem shouted. “Now let my daughter go. You have what you asked for. Let her go in peace. Do whatever you want with me.”
“No. We will need to keep you both a little longer, my hasty friend. If I let her go now and find out you’re lying to me, we’ll have to go through the trouble of finding her again. She might even do something stupid like go to the police and tell them what happened. While the authorities are comfortably in my pocket, I don’t need the extra hassle right now. I have much to tend to, after all.”
“So you’re going to keep us here while you go to Iran?”
Mamoud shook his head. “No. I’m going to need you once we get there. If what you say is true and the tomb of Daniel is the location of the stones, I will release you both from there.” He leaned close and lowered his voice. “Just so you know; I do not believe you are lying about the tomb. I believe you. It’s just that if we come across something like in Indonesia and your expertise is needed, it will be nice to know you’re close by.”
It took every ounce of Nehem’s energy to keep him in his seat. His mind ran wild with visions of launching himself at the man, wrapping his arms around his throat and strangling him until the last gasp of air escaped his lungs. Instead, Nehem snorted loudly and attempted to slow his breathing.
“You want to kill me, don’t you?” Mamoud asked, still leaning close.
Nehem locked eyes with his captor and said nothing.
“I know you do. I would too if I were in your position. Understand, it isn’t personal. It is my mission. And soon, the entire world will behold the fruits of my labors.”
28