They moved out into the open air and sat on folding chairs. There was barely enough room for the three of them on the tiny ledge that hung suspended above the sidewalk. Hunt’s knees bumped against the wrought-iron railing.
The activity in the street below had subsided by now. The sun had set, and there wasn’t a single parking space left. Cars were packed end to end as tight as sardines in a tin. Daniel concluded that it must be supper time since all the running children and shouting parents had withdrawn inside. The open windows in every tenement, however, effectively blurred the distinction between indoors and outdoors. Even though the music in Ilhami’s apartment had been silenced, Daniel could hear the shrill wailing and head-pounding percussion of other stereos coming at him from several points in the neighborhood. Then there were the voices raised over dinner tables everywhere. Excited chattering female voices, fussy crying children. Authoritative male voices shouting to make themselves heard over the din. So many lives unconsciously exposed to his scrutiny. Nobody here seemed to care about privacy very much. They all seemed to revel in the communal racket.
Daniel thought of dinner time back home at the compound. A bell summoned everyone to assemble in an orderly fashion, and they all ate in a subdued manner. Conversations, such as they were, would be conducted in whispers. After curfew, the corridors were vacant and silent. To Daniel, Istanbul seemed like a roaring beast that never slept. He contemplated it with a mixture of fascination and fear. This city of the Fallen was disorderly and loud and teeming with life. The Nephilim compound, on the other hand, exhibited the perfect stillness of death.
“So how come you joined up with the Nephilim, Brother Hammy?”
Daniel cut his contemplation short when he realized Hunt was quizzing Ilhami about his origins.
The plump Turk took another swig from his tumbler before replying. “A man come to my door. He say I belong with Nephilim. He promise me many wives.”
“Oh ho,” Leroy said knowingly. “You like havin’ lots of female companionship, do you?”
Ilhami nodded vigorously. “Koran say four.” The Turk held up the requisite number of digits for emphasis. “No more.” He frowned. “I no like.”
Hunt finished the contents of his glass and held it out for a refill.
Ilhami wordlessly took the glass back to the kitchen along with his own.
When he returned with two brimming tumblers, he picked up the thread of the conversation. “Is like this raki. Koran say no, Ilhami, you no drink. But Nephilim man, he say OK. So I go with him.”
Hunt chuckled. Directing his next comment to the scion, he said, “That’s some recruiter you got in these parts, Brother Dan’l.”
Daniel knew his face registered shock, but he tried to cover it. “I think perhaps something may have gotten lost in translation.”
Brother Ilhami looked from one to the other suspiciously. “You say is no good to drink?”
Realizing that Ilhami was their lone contact in this part of Turkey, Daniel tried to repair the damage as quickly as possible. “No, not at all. Uh… don’t worry about it. It isn’t a problem.”
“Boy, you slapped on the brakes so fast, I’m a mite surprised you didn’t give yourself whiplash,” Hunt murmured dryly.
“What you say?” Ilhami squinted at the mercenary.
Hunt patted him on the back. “Don’t you worry your head over it, Brother Hammy. We got bigger fish to fry. Right, Brother Dan’l?”
He turned pointedly to the scion who stammered, “Uh… uh… yes. A… hem. Quite right.”
The two men looked at Daniel expectantly. He sat up and focused on the matter at hand. “Yes, well, I think we need to discuss our strategy. I would like to visit any mosques, churches or shrines on the eastern side of Mount Ida. Are you familiar with the area?”
The question was directed at the Turk who gazed back at him with a puzzled expression.
Daniel clarified. “The mountain you call Kazdagi. Do you know it?”
At the mention of the name, Ilhami’s face brightened. “Oh, yes. I know.”
“Are you familiar with the terrain on the eastern side? The side where the sun rises?”
“Yes, yes. I show you. All churches. All mosques. I drive you there. I be very good guide. First rate.”
“If y’all are drivin’ like you did today, Brother Hammy,” Hunt added, “I’d be much obliged if you’d pack me a couple bottles of raki to take along on the trip.”
“And perhaps some aspirin?” Daniel added weakly, rubbing his forehead.
Chapter 32 – S-Bomb
It had been a hectic week. Faye parked her station wagon in the driveway and got out. She’d had to make several trips to the vault to arrange matters for the team in Turkey. Many of those tasks might have been accomplished at home by phone if not for her house guest. Much as she enjoyed visits from Zachary, she felt some measure of relief at the thought that he would be leaving in a few days. His departure would make matters simpler in case any last-minute glitches occurred during the substitution of the false artifact.
She let herself into the house, but everything was silent. “Zach?” she called out tentatively. No answer.
She found him outside in the vegetable garden pulling weeds. She’d kept him busy with outdoor chores during his entire stay. That was partly because her yard needed tending and partly to tire him out enough to prevent him from getting into trouble. So far, the strategy seemed to have worked. By the end of each day, he was too exhausted to be inquisitive. In fact, he hadn’t even asked her about the neighborhood watch business at all. Faye chalked it up to the short attention span of most teenagers.
“Hello, my dear,” she greeted him with a smile. “I see you’re hard at work. Can I fix you a snack?”
He stopped weeding and sat back on his heels, narrowing his eyes
