The gunman proceeded to tie Erik’s and Griffin’s hands behind their backs and forced them roughly to sit against the wall. The loud discussion continued. Cassie guessed that the Arabs were trying to decide what to do with the intruders.
She backed away from the scene, moving as silently as she could to the entrance to the cave. Once outside, she leaned against the mountain and tried to calm her breathing. She was shaking as the images she’d just seen filled her head. She tried to push the memories out of her mind, but they were quickly replaced by even more terrible images conjured by her imagination. Tears of helplessness and frustration spilled down her cheeks at the thought of the fate that might be in store for Erik and Griffin. She’d never felt more vulnerable and useless in her entire life. Not even after Sybil died. This was ten times worse—out here alone in the desert, stranded on a mountain in the dark. John was too far away. By the time she found him and the two of them returned, her friends might be dead. She could feel herself going into a downward spiral of despair until she mentally slammed on the brakes.
Shaking her head angrily to clear her thoughts, she swiped at her wet eyes with the sleeves of her jacket. Her teammates needed her help, not her tears. She had to think of a plan. She had to think of it right now. But what could she do alone?
Chapter 43—Two’s Company
“Goddam boots ain’t made for walkin’!” Hunt stopped for the tenth time that night to shake sand and pebbles out of his cowboy boots.
Daniel gave a long-suffering sigh. “Mr. Hunt, if you’d done as I suggested, you would have changed into more appropriate footwear before starting our climb.”
The cowboy pretended not to hear the admonishment. “Your daddy ain’t payin’ me enough to put up with this. No, sir!” Hunt replaced his boot and stomped a few times to make sure all the pebbles were out. He looked up at the night sky, illuminated by a full moon. “Leastways, we don’t need to carry no lanterns.”
“Yes,” the scion agreed. “Climbing a mountain at night is a risky venture. The moonlight affords some assistance.” He hesitated. “Of course, we might have made quicker progress if you’d allowed me to bring Brother Mohammed. He knows these trails.”
Hunt swung around to face him. “I told you, boy. I ain’t goin’ for a midnight stroll with no Ayyy-rab. Feller’s bound to knife us both in the back.”
“He would do no such thing!”
“Better safe than sorry, I always say. Let him earn his keep guardin’ our tent. That’s what them Ayyy-rabs is good at. Squattin’ in front of tents. And that’s another thing. Why in blazes couldn’t we stay at a proper hotel? I seen a nice one just down the road from here.”
“I had no objection, but Brother Mohammed took a vow.”
“What? Not to sleep someplace that’s got running water?”
“No. He believes it would be blasphemous to sleep under the same roof as the Fallen.”
“He’s sleepin’ under the same roof with me so what’s the diff?”
“Yes, but your presence is sanctioned by me.”
“Sure wish it wasn’t,” Hunt muttered. “Campin’ in the desert when there’s a proper hotel right down the road. I ain’t never heard the like!” The cowboy squinted up at the mountainside. “How much further?”
“We’re almost there. The cave with the lily carving is about halfway up the mountain.”
“Explain to me again why we didn’t just snag the doodad this afternoon when we was here the first time?”
“How do you think it would look, Mr. Hunt, for foreign tourists to come down the mountain carrying a priceless artifact? And what if somebody saw us trying to open that panel in the roof of the cave? This mountain is filled with sightseers during the day. If one of them chanced to explore that cavern and caught us, they might have reported us to the local authorities.”
“I’d of taken care of them.”
“Yes, I’m sure you would,” Daniel murmured. “In a way guaranteed to draw even more attention to our presence.”
“We better wrap this up tonight, boy. I’ve gone so long without a drink my liver is startin’ to think my throat’s been cut.”
“I agree that the sooner we find the artifact and leave the country, the better I’ll feel.”
“We there yet?” Hunt asked again, being intentionally irritating.
Daniel ran his hand along a section of rock that curved inward. “I believe so. This must be it.”
“Wait a minute.” Hunt laid a warning hand on his arm. “You hear that?”
They both paused for several seconds. The night was perfectly still except for a soft breeze whispering through the crevices in the mountainside.
“I didn’t hear anything.” Daniel moved forward and squeezed himself through the opening.
Hunt followed. He was halfway through when he heard the distinct sound of pebbles tumbling down the mountainside above him. He stopped dead in his tracks. His instincts kicked into high alert. He poked his head inside the cave where Daniel was waiting for him. “You go along and wait for me by that lily rock. I want to check around out here for a couple minutes.”
Daniel nodded and switched on his flashlight. He disappeared around a bend in the cave wall.
Hunt eased himself silently out the cave entrance. He became still and listened again. He could feel there was something out here. Or somebody. His eyes were drawn to a boulder slightly above and to one side of the cave entrance. That’s where he thought the pebbles fell. Maybe just an animal shaking something loose? Maybe something more. He looked ruefully at his boots. They weren’t made for climbing either. He grabbed the section of rock directly above his head. He was about to hoist himself up to investigate further when something made him freeze in his tracks.
He could hear shouting coming from inside the cave. It wasn’t Daniel’s
