Sword of God

Their first order of business was the body. One of the men went through Nasir's pockets, finding the keys to the Toyota Camry, while another man backed a van as close to the tunnel entrance as possible, until his rear bumper nearly hit the chain-link fence that protected it. They unloaded an Arabic rug that had been purchased at a nearby bazaar and unrolled it next to Nasir. Two of the men moved him to the edge of the rug, then rolled him up inside like a burrito.

Seconds later, the body was in the back of the van.

The bloodstain was even less of a challenge. Since most of the blood had dried on the wooden planks that lined the floor, they simply lifted the boards and replaced them with fresh ones from the building supplies that filled the vacant lot outside. Two men tossed the stained wood onto the rolled-up rug, closed the van door, and sped away.

The whole process took less than five minutes.

'Anything else I should know?' asked the lead guard.

Shari shook her head, stunned at their efficiency.

'In that case, please take me below.'

She led him underground, giving him a brief tour along the way. 'Most of this digging was done before I even arrived at the site. They were laying water pipes for the Abraj Al Bait Towers up the street when the discovery was made. That complex is so humongous they had to build their own pumping station just to handle the demand.'

She pointed out where the tunnel branched. 'The water pipes go that way toward the towers, but our site is back here. We only had to dig this small stretch. It was rather simple.'

He listened to every word, studying the layout. Searching for weaknesses.

'Just about the only water in the old city is the spring that feeds the Zamzam Well in the Great Mosque. Have you heard of it?'

According to Islamic tradition, Hagar, the wife of Abraham and mother of Ishmael, was desperately seeking water for her son in the scorching heat of the valley. She ran back and forth seven times between the hills of Safa and Mar-wah, searching for water. God sent the angel Gabriel, who scraped the ground with his heel, causing a spring to bubble forth from the sand. When she found it, she collected the water in a tiny pool, reinforced by small stones.

To this day, pilgrims still honor her during the hajj, walking between Safa and Marwah seven times. They also drink from the Zamzam Well, water that many Muslims believe to be blessed.

'Some people actually bottle that water during their pilgrimage and sell it on the Internet. You wouldn't believe how much money it costs.'

Her keys jingled in the tunnel like a bell as she unlocked the gate that protected their discovery. She started putting them away when he grabbed her hand.

'You better leave those with me.'

Angry, she yanked her arm away. 'You'll get a copy when I leave. Not a moment before.'

He stared at her with unblinking eyes. Annoyance filled his face. A look that said he was accustomed to getting his way, especially with women.

Suddenly, Shari realized she was alone with this guy. Several meters underground. With nowhere to run or hide. The thought was unnerving. Even to a courageous woman like herself. An old Middle Eastern proverb flashed through her brain, one that explained her status in their society. Women belong in the house or the grave.

She gripped her keys a little tighter, just in case she had to use them as a weapon.

'What's up ahead?' he asked, not showing any remorse.

'The main site.'

'You better show me. After all, that's what I'm here to protect.'

18

From a distance Payne and Jones watched the conversation between Kia and Kim. Far enough to give them space but close enough to intervene. Violently, if necessary.

'You're sure she can handle this?' Jones wondered.

'She was doing great before you showed up. Let's hope your lips don't distract her.'

Jones ignored the joke about his initial encounter with Kia. 'Good. Then let's talk about our mission. We were brought in to rescue Schmidt, even though one glance in that cave proved he was dead several days ago. Colonel Harrington must've known that long before he talked to us in Pittsburgh. So the question remains. Why were we brought in?'

'My guess is revenge. Cold-blooded revenge.'

'You think?'

'Why else was this village unsecured? The moment that cave was discovered they should've sent men here to look for hostiles. And within minutes he would've known about the slaughter. But guess what? He wanted us to find it. Otherwise this place would've been swarming with forensic teams long ago. But he assumed our discovery would fuel our rage, making us even more motivated. First Schmidt, then this. He wants us to do his dirty work.'

Jones considered the facts, trying to decide if Payne was right.

'And all that bullshit at the cave? Making us tour the scene but refusing to tell us anything? Nothing but theatrics. And Dr. Sheldon? Not only did he lead us on, but he was smiling the entire time. Like he was having fun.'

'So you don't trust him?'

'I don't trust him at all. In fact, I snapped his picture before I left the cave and sent it to Randy Raskin. No telling what we'll get on him.'

Jones nodded, glad to see that Payne was thinking clearly. 'Have you heard back from him?'

'Not yet. But when I do, I've got several questions.'

'Such as?'

'Who was Schmidt's prisoner? That might have something to do with why we're here. Maybe it's someone we've dealt with before. Who knows? Maybe Harrington didn't give a rat's ass about Schmidt. Maybe he cares about the prisoner.'

'You know, that's a possibility.'

Payne smiled. 'Just because you're smarter than I am doesn't mean that I'm dumb.'

'Well, let's talk about that some other time. In the meantime, let me ask you something. How do you want to proceed?'

'In regard to what?'

Jones lowered his voice. 'In regard to Harrington. I say we keep digging but don't tell him anything until we get some answers of our own.'

Kia finished her conversation with Kim and then watched as he was escorted inside, where an armed guard kept an eye on him at all times. Even though she trusted him, Payne and Jones did not. And it would stay that way until they found out what had happened in the village.

She filled them in on everything-from the appearance of the young boy to the burning of the bodies in the fire pit-before they started asking questions.

Jones began. 'Did he take anyone from the cave?'

'No way. He's scared to death of that place. Too many bad memories. Plus, I don't think he's strong enough to push a wheelbarrow up that hill. And even if he could, there's no way he would've risked it. For all he knew, the soldiers were still up there. Besides, he was concerned about his neighbors, no one else.'

'Speaking of which,' Payne asked, 'any theories on the boy and his father?'

'He thinks they left the village but probably not the island.'

'Why's that?'

'First of all, he warned them about being spotted at the airport or any of the major docks. Kim is highly paranoid about all authority, so he stressed how important it was to avoid departure points. Second, he feels confident that Chung-Ho wouldn't abandon his family. Odds are they were going to rendezvous somewhere close so