She finished her meal, battling tedium as she pretended to be working. Even then, part of her mind was still trying to fit the pieces together for real. Finally, she caved in and checked one of the reference books. A map showed the ancient Near East, Egypt to one side and the lands that were now Israel, Jordan and Syria on the other, with the possible routes of the Exodus winding across the arid desert. Landmarks mentioned in the Bible stood out: towns, mountains, oases…
Nina looked back through her notes, frowning as an idea gently brushed her thoughts like a passing moth. There was something important, if not on this map then in another she had seen in her research, but she couldn’t quite make the connection—
The answer came to her.
It almost did feel like a blinding flash, so clear that she couldn’t believe she had missed it before. Excited, she peered more closely at the map, about to trace one of the lines with a fingertip before remembering that she was being watched. Instead, she forced herself to follow the path with her eyes alone until it reached a particular named spot.
Could that be it? The clues were in keeping with those that had led to the angels hidden in the catacombs of Rome and the Altar of Zeus. And however insane Cross might be, the fact remained that he had broken the code in Revelation, lacking only the archaeological knowledge to pin down the actual locations. If he were also correct about the third clue, then she might just have identified the Place in the Wilderness…
The sound of the door lock snapped her back to the present. ‘Dr Wilde!’ said Norvin, entering before she could answer. ‘The Prophet wants to see you.’
She tried to conceal her sudden nervousness. This was her chance — the only one she would get. ‘Okay, let me wash these,’ she said, quickly tying her hair into a ponytail before standing and collecting her plate and cup.
He folded his arms. ‘Now.’
‘It’ll only take a second.’ Nina went to the sink and ran the crockery under the faucet. ‘Can you pass me that dishcloth?’ She nodded over her shoulder.
Norvin grudgingly picked up the cloth. ‘Here,’ he said, stepping up behind her—
Nina whirled and threw the jar’s contents into his face.
The big man staggered back, trying to cry out, but could only manage a strangled gasp. The recipe was something Eddie had once taught her: a makeshift chemical agent of dried chillis and garlic and vinegar, weak compared to commercial pepper sprays… but still more than potent enough to blind and choke an assailant.
Nina took full advantage and smashed the plate against his head. Norvin collapsed, clawing at his burning eyes. She ran for the door, hoping her observers had been frozen by the shock of the attack—
She pulled it open just as a clack came from the lock. The watchers had recovered and tried to seal her in, but too late. She rushed out into the sunlight, alone in the grounds of the Mission.
Waving trees beckoned beyond the fence. She ran to it, grabbing the barbed topmost wire and pulling it upwards before forcing herself through the gap. Her clothing snagged; she tore free, pregnant belly sliding over the steel line below before she almost fell out on the other side.
Her back and one thigh were bleeding from stinging cuts, but tetanus was currently the least of her worries. She looked over the fence. The nearest CCTV camera turned to track her. Cross’s voice barked from the loudspeakers: ‘Dr Wilde! Come back, right now!’
She ran into the trees. The cult leader’s tone became more strident as he issued orders to his followers. ‘Dr Wilde has escaped! Everyone — hunt her down!’
His wording sent a chill through Nina. Another glance over her shoulder, and she saw white-clad figures pouring from the houses. They ran towards the fence after her.
‘Shit!’ she gasped, fear driving her on. One hand outstretched to protect the baby from low branches, she used the other to swat foliage aside as she hurried deeper into the jungle.
It took only seconds before the Mission was lost to sight amongst the greenery, but she could see nothing except plants in every direction. Which way? Following the coastline either north or south would probably bring her to somebody else’s seafront property, but she might end up trapped on a promontory.
Inland. She adjusted her course, hoping she was heading due west. The country’s eastern, Atlantic side was less developed than the calmer Caribbean west, but on such a small island, she couldn’t imagine being more than a mile at most from any settlement.
Running a mile while pregnant presented new problems, though. At this stage, it was not a danger in itself to the baby, but nor was it actively encouraged. And she had let herself slack off in recent months, the combination of reduced exercise and occasional binge-eating now combining with the heat to sap her energy.
No choice. This was her only chance to escape.
The ground began to slope more steeply as she weaved between the trees. She angled upwards, breath starting to burn her throat. There might be a viewpoint at the top of the hill, letting her see which way to go instead of trusting to blind chance.
If she could reach it. Shouts came from behind. The cultists were spreading out through the trees after her. The dense layers of wet fallen leaves masked her footprints to an extent, but she had already been through patches of mud, leaving clear tracks. Could she risk trying to decoy them in the wrong direction?
Another shout, this time clear enough for her to make out. ‘Over here!’ She hadn’t been seen directly, but her path had been spotted. They were on her, closing fast.
No time to decoy them — and she couldn’t outrun them for much longer either, already tiring. Once they were close enough to see her, her flight was over. That would happen in a minute, less. Nowhere to run—
Hide. But where? All she could see were trees and shrubs…
A large rock jutted from the ground higher up the slope. She ran to it. Could she hide behind it, under it, inside it?
No — but it had a smaller neighbour, and there was a gap between them. Would she fit?
She would have to. The hunters were closing, calling to each other as they swept the hillside.
Nina crouched and backed into the hole feet-first. Stone barked against her heels even before her waist was under cover; the opening was only shallow.
She twisted to fold herself almost into a foetal position as she squirmed backwards, then on some desperate instinct grabbed the broken fronds of a palm from the ground and spread them like a fan, holding them up in front of her. It was a pathetic ruse, she knew. Anyone giving it more than the most casual glance would see through it.
The flat thump of footsteps warned her that her time was up. She froze, hardly daring to breathe.
A middle-aged man with a greying beard came into view past the rock, moving at a rapid jog. He cast a brief sidelong look at the stones to make sure nobody was skulking behind them… then continued on.
Nina felt a moment of relief — which was instantly consumed by fear as a second white-clad man rounded the other side of her hiding place. ‘Anything?’ he called.