“I didn’t sign up for this,” Sahid complained in a whiny, heavily accented voice.
“I know,” Sean held his hands up in a pleading manner. “I didn’t think any of this was going to happen.”
“Your company pays us well, Mr. Wyatt. But we are going back to Cairo. No amount of money is worth dying for.”
Sahid turned around and stormed off, headed towards the SUVs that had brought them over from the Luxor train station. Jabez twisted his head with a smug grin on his face.
“Need a ride back to Cairo, my friend?”
Sean gave a questioning look to Adriana and Professor Firth before answering. “Seems that way.”
“Not to worry,” Jabez had a playful glimmer in his eyes, a strange site for such a hardened exterior. “I know a way we can make up for lost time.”
Chapter 14
Will woke up to a searing bright light. His face felt warm, telling him the sun was the cause of the brightness. He ached in several places, particularly on the side of his head where a constant pounding was taking place. He grimaced as he tried to sit up. The surface underneath him was hard. He realized he lying on a mixture of dirt, sand, and rocks. His vision was blurred, at first, and he wondered how long he’d been unconscious. Fifteen feet beyond his feet, train tracks stretched out for miles in two directions. It was then he began to recall the events of the previous night.
His thoughts jumped to the man who’d pulled the trigger. The scruffy-faced blonde had been lucky. Why had Wyatt been up at that time of night on the train? Will guessed Sean likely had problems sleeping. It was one thing they must have had in common. Will hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep in years, and he figured his enemy was probably wired the same way. Thoughts of sleep caused his eyes to get groggy again. Irrational ideas began seeping into his mind. Just lie (should this be lie?) down over by those rocks and rest for a bit. He shook his head, forcing himself to sit up a little more. Sean Wyatt had gotten the better of him. He couldn’t let that happen again.
His plan had been to enter the train car where Wyatt and his friends were sleeping, and execute each one with a toxin that stops the heart. It would have been simple enough. A quick injection into the neck and the victim would be dead before they could feel the prick of the needle. He wouldn’t have even had to dispose of the bodies. Will could have simply gotten off the train at Luxor and met up with The Prophet. Instead, it had been his body that rolled onto the rocky sand in south Egypt. He counted himself fortunate to be alive.
The thought reminded him of the round that Wyatt had fired, reminding him of the terrible soreness on the right side of his chest. He pulled a cell phone out of his inner jacket pocket. The device had been equipped with a titanium case, and was nearly indestructible. A bullet from Wyatt’s gun had disproved that, putting a huge dent through the back of the case. The phone would be useless. But it had saved his life. Will stared reflectively at the warped bullet imbedded in the keypad then tossed the device in the dirt.
He leaned over on one knee and tried to push himself onto his feet. He wavered for a few seconds, the world spinning around him suddenly. He got back down on his knees again to let everything settle before attempting to stand. His head continued to throb, and he felt a large bump on the side of it, just an inch away from his temple. There was a little blood, but nothing life-threatening. He must have hit a rock on the tumble out of the train, which also explained the dizziness.
Will knew he had to regain his senses, and find a way to contact his employer. The Prophet was, no doubt, expecting his report, and knowing Lindsey, the old man had probably called several times throughout the day.
He glanced down at his Bulgari watch to check the time. Many people didn’t even wear watches anymore. They simply went by the time on their phones. Will had always felt a connection to some of the more old fashioned ways, in some regards. At present, he was thankful for that, otherwise he would have no clue as to what time of day it was. The hands on the watch face claimed it was a little after noon. He’d been out for a long time.
Beyond the train tracks, he noticed a car speeding along in the distance. A road. He doubted there would be a lot of traffic on the lonely desert highway, but someone would come along sooner or later. His eyes searched the warm earth as he found the strength to stand up straight. His coordination had finally returned, and the spinning had stopped. A few feet away, he found what he was looking for. It was a rock, just the right size to hide in his jacket. He wondered if it was the culprit responsible for his incredible headache.
Will removed his windbreaker and reached down for the stone then wrapped it up in the fabric. He headed for the road several hundred yards away. His hand involuntarily clutched his chest where the bullet had struck. It was possible he had a cracked rib, at best a bad bruise. His knee was a little tight. He’d probably hit it on something on the way down. But he didn’t have time to think about diagnoses. He had to catch a ride.
Which direction, though? He considered the problem as he slowly made his way towards the stretch of highway. If Lindsey and his lackey Frenchman had been able to secure the clue they sought, they would no doubt be headed back to Cairo. The Prophet’s private plane was still there and they would need to take it to wherever they were headed next.
However, Will had failed in his mission to eliminate Wyatt and his friends. If the IAA agent had arrived while Lindsey was still investigating the site, everything could have gone haywire.
Will shrugged off the thought. He reminded himself that The Prophet’s mission was doing the will of God: to cleanse the earth of the wicked. And some former government agent turned treasure hunter couldn’t stand in the way of that.
As he neared the highway, he saw a beat up Honda hatchback rolling his way. The gray car was old, but it would do the job. He limped hurriedly, covering the last fifty yards as quickly as possible. He reached the asphalt with a few seconds to spare and stood in the middle of the lane to wave down the driver. Will put on the most helpless expression possible, and attempted to look desperate.
The car rolled to a stop; Will hobbled over to the driver’s side. An older, middle-eastern man with thinning gray hair and sporadic facial hair rolled down the window. His skin seemed to be hanging off his facial bones. He looked up at Will, but said nothing.
“Thank you so much for stopping,” Will smiled as meekly as possible. Even in his weakened condition, Will knew the man wouldn’t be much of a struggle.
The driver must not have spoken English, but pointed to the passenger’s seat: a ragged, torn upholstery with one of those beaded cushions over top of it. Will grabbed the door handle, holding the concealed rock in the other hand. His smile turned to a wicked grin. The man’s dead eyes just stared back at him, unaware of what was about to happen.
“No,” Will shook his head. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll drive.”
Chapter 15
Kaba steered Alexander Lindsey’s SUV down the highway. She touched a finger to her ear, checking in on the two vehicles behind her.
She had been born of middle-eastern decent, born and raised in Syria. But she had left the religion of Islam behind. She had always felt the belief system to be harsh on women, and longed to be free of it. She was also repulsed by fundamentalists. Both of her parents had been killed in a terrorist bombing by a radical Islamic group. They hadn’t been the targets, just innocent bystanders in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it had been the last straw for her.