The Arab Fall (A James Acton Thriller, Book #6) (James Acton Thrillers)

by J. Robert Kennedy

  Leather looked to Laura, and Acton smiled slightly as he realized Laura was in effect the commanding officer here, not him. Laura nodded and Leather snapped to a brief attention, then joined his men, barking orders.

  Acton turned to Laura, her hand still squeezing his.

  “You okay?”

  She nodded.

  “I will be.” She sighed. “What a mad mad world we live in.”

  Acton put his arm around her.

  “And I’m afraid it may always be this way.”

  At least until Islam has its own Enlightenment.

  Nubian Desert, Egypt, University College London Dig Site

  “Is everybody in?”

  Terrence’s heart was slamming against his ribcage, and he didn’t do too good a job trying to hide the fact he was terrified. His hands shook, and it had been some effort to even start the jeep, his hand unable to grasp the key. It wasn’t until Jenny had gently placed her hand on his, and with a reassuring smile, guided his hand to the key.

  Her attentions had calmed him until somebody barked an order from behind, and the two professors were suddenly at his side.

  He jumped.

  “You know the way?”

  “Yes, mum. There’s pretty much only one way to Cairo, and then we’ve got a map for the city itself.”

  “Straight to the embassy, got it?”

  Terrence nodded.

  “You can count on me, mum.”

  He didn’t sound very convincing, but if she had any doubts, she hid them well, instead smiling broadly and giving him a hug, then touching each student on their head or shoulder, saying goodbye to each. Tears were flowing freely from the passengers, and he gritted his teeth to block the tears from breaking free and flowing down his face.

  “Take this,” said Laura, handing Terrence one of the satellite phones. “Check in with us every hour, speed dial one.”

  Terrence nodded, putting the phone in his pocket.

  “Okay, off you go. We’ll see you in Cairo, hopefully tomorrow.”

  Terrence nodded, not trusting himself to reply verbally, and instead putting the vehicle in first and popping the clutch as he gave it gas. The vehicle lurched forward and he managed to keep it from stalling out, quickly giving it more gas then shifting into second. In his rearview mirror he saw the others all looking back at the camp as Professor Palmer said goodbye to the second vehicle of students.

  A tear escaped and he felt a hand on his shoulder, gently squeezing.

  “They’ll be okay,” said Jenny quietly, leaning toward him. “And you’ll do great.”

  He had always had a thing for Jenny, but had never had the brass to ask her out. And now here she was, making the first move.

  Or was she?

  How was he supposed to know if she was making her feelings known in a romantic way, or simply a terrified friend trying to reassure another terrified friend?

  The hand gently caressing his shoulders and back of his neck suggested to him that this was more than a friendly reassurance. He felt Little Terrence stir.

  Are you daft you little bastard? We might be about to get killed and you decide to cast an eye on the situation?

  He chuckled to himself, and Jenny looked at him.

  “What is it?” she asked, smiling wryly.

  Terrence blushed.

  “Nothing,” he stammered, then looking at her, smiled. “It’s just—” He stopped, then shook his head, looking back at the road. “It’s nothing.”

  Jenny said nothing, then suddenly leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

  Terrence flushed crimson, Little Terrence demanded to see what was going on, and there were giggles from the back seat.

  “Would you two get a room?”

  “Hey, eyes on the road!”

  “Can I have a kiss too?”

  Jenny pulled away and turned to their four friends crammed in the back seat.

  “Grow up!” she yelled in mock anger.

  There was more laughter than somebody yelled, “Look!”

  Terrence didn’t need to look to see what was being pointed at, he had already spotted it and jerked the wheel to the right, taking them off the road and moments later behind a massive rock outcropping. He stood up in his seat and sighed in relief when he saw the second vehicle pull up beside him, both engines immediately cut.

  “What is it? What’s going on?” asked Jenny.

  “I saw what looked like army vehicles coming down the road.”

  “Did they see us?”

  “I don’t know. They were at an angle to us, so they’d have to have been looking our way to spot us.”

  The grinding of gears and the roar of several engines cut off the conversation. Everybody ducked, and Terrence sucked in his breath, holding it as if trying to quiet a heart he was certain the world could hear pounding.

  The sounds grew closer, and he felt Jenny gripping his arm. He clasped his hand over hers, and listened. The roar of the engines seemed to fill the area, and suddenly the rock they were hiding behind seemed small. He looked back the way they had come and his heart leapt into his throat.

  The tire tracks!

  There was no way they could miss those. But would they make the connection as to what they were? Or worse, how new they were?

  But there was no change in the engines, no evidence they were slowing down, and within minutes, the sounds were gone, and they were all breathing easier.

  “What should we do?” asked Jenny.

  Terrence thought for a minute, his mind a jumble. If they were army, were they “good” army? He had heard the army could be pretty much trusted by foreigners in Egypt, it was the police you needed to worry about. Could they be there to evacuate them? Evacuation by the military would be far safer than driving by themselves.

  But what if they weren’t “good” military? What if they were there to loot the camp or worse, kill everyone in some mad religious fervor? What if they weren’t military at all?

  “We have to go back,” said Terrence.

  “Are you daft!” exclaimed half the back seat.

  “If they’re here to evacuate us, then it’s safer to go with them.”

  “And what if they’re not?”

  “Then we should help the others.”

  “How?” asked Jenny, far gentler than the others.

  “We might be able to warn them, or get them in the jeep and off to safety.” He turned to the backseat. “You get out here and stay with the truck.”

  “But there isn’t room!” protested Stephen, the second oldest in the group.

  “We’ll leave most of the water and food. If we’re not back in one hour, jam yourselves into that truck and go. It will be uncomfortable, but you’ll be alive. We’ll try to catch up if we manage to get the others. If it’s a proper evacuation, then the army will radio ahead to have you stopped, and you’ll be safe. If it isn’t, then you know it wasn’t an evacuation, and we’re all probably dead.”

  Jenny grabbed his arm tightly.

  “I’m going with you.”

  Terrence shook his head.

  “No, it’s too dangerous.”

  “If it’s too dangerous for me, then it’s too dangerous for you.”

  Terrence frowned, then smiled, fishing the phone from his pocket. “I completely forgot I had this!”

  There were groans from the jam packed truck as they began to pile out, Terrence hitting speed dial #1. He pressed the phone to his ear and after a few moments, heard the voice mail message. He hurriedly tried it again, and again was sent to voicemail.

  He flipped the phone closed, looking at Jenny.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked.

  “They’re not answering.”

  Nubian Desert, Egypt, University College London Dig Site

  Laura smiled and waved at a departing camera crew calling for a shot, then ducked into her tent. She paused a moment between the double doors, already beginning to feel the cool air that awaited her on the other side.

&nb
sp; They’re vultures!

  She had never liked the press. Beyond interviews related to her position as the head of archeology at the British Museum, her first real exposure was when her brother died on a dig site in Jordan. Normally it wouldn’t garner much attention, but he had been silly rich from selling his Internet startup, that it had created a sensation for several days in the tabloids, then died off when the next celebrity’s boob popped out in public.

  She hated the British press.

  It was so uncivilized, so tacky, so brazen. But the readers seemed to love it, otherwise the papers wouldn’t sell. Though James didn’t have much respect for his press back home, at least those that engaged in the methods used by most British newspapers were not considered mainstream press—they were rags or cable shows that nobody respected.

  But in the UK?

  She shook her head, wishing those that were just leaving had room for everyone but they didn’t, and they had all agreed it was all or none. She pushed through the second door and into the chilled interior of the tent, spotting Reading propped up rather indecently.

  She cleared her throat.

  He nearly hit the floor.

  “Didn’t see you there,” he mumbled, straightening himself out. He nodded at the air conditioner. “I was just cooling off.”

  “I see.” She pointed with her chin at the satellite phone. “Any luck?”

  Reading nodded. “Rahim and his men won’t be here until tonight. Probably four hours, maybe more. He said they’re going as fast as they can, but there’re roadblocks and livestock slowing them down.”

  “Livestock?”

  Reading shrugged.

  “Egypt.”

  Laura chewed on her cheek for a moment, then they both jumped as the phone rang. Reading flipped it open.

  “Hello?”

  He listened for a moment then held it out for Laura.

  “It’s for you.”

  Nubian Desert, Egypt, Five miles from the University College London Dig Site

  Terrence hadn’t recognized the copper’s voice at first, but once he realized he hadn’t misdialed, he managed a weak request for Professor Palmer, and moments later was relieved to hear her voice.

  “This is Professor Palmer.”

  “Professor, this is Terrence.”

  “Terrence, are you okay?”

  He could hear the concern in her voice, and it touched him how much she genuinely cared about them. It made a lump form in his throat.

  I’m too damned emotional!

  “We’re fine, but several army trucks just went by us, heading your way.”

  “How long ago?”

  “A couple of minutes. They’ll probably be at the camp any minute now.”

  There was a pause, then when she finally replied, her tone had changed, and if he wasn’t mistaken, there was a hint of fear in her voice.

  “I’ll call you in thirty minutes to let you know everything is okay. In the meantime, you keep heading for Cairo.”

  Terrence frowned. “Okay, mum, thirty minutes.” He hung up then turned back to the group. “She will call us back in thirty minutes, but wants us to keep heading to Cairo.”

  “Then what are we waiting for?” asked Stephen. “Let’s go!”

  Terrence shook his head. “I’m going to wait for the phone call, just in case there’s a problem. I might be able to get some of them out in the jeep.”

  “Are you daft? There were three lorries full of men that drove by. How are you going to help?”

  Terrence realized it was useless. But his loyalty to his professor ran deep, and he realized the rest were right. He sighed.

  “Okay, we’ll keep going, but if I don’t hear back from the professor in thirty minutes, I’m going back.”

  There were mumbled agreements, and Terrence wasn’t naïve enough to not know they were just humoring him. He could see the fear in their eyes, and knew the right thing to do was to put as much distance as he could between them and the camp.

  He also knew if the men on their way to the dig site now were hostile, there was absolutely nothing he or anybody else could do about it.

  Nubian Desert, Egypt, University College London Dig Site

  Reading’s head spun as the sound of grinding gears echoed across the sunbaked landscape. There was nothing to see at first, then suddenly the front of a lorry emerged from behind a dune, two more in tow, and he felt his heart skip a beat as the military camouflage spelled either doom or rescue.

  “They’re here!” called Chaney, stating the obvious, as everyone who remained was now staring at the arriving vehicles, including the lone remaining reporter that had stayed behind after the attacks had been discovered, the rest all recalled to cover the bigger story.

  He felt bad for his friends; this was the discovery of a lifetime. It would put them on the map forever, like that bloke who discovered King Tut whose name escaped him now. He grinned to himself how he had just disproven his previous thought.

  Well, they’ll be legends in their community, that’s for certain.

  And they deserved it. Good, honest people, who worked hard, cared about their families, friends and students, and never hesitated to do the right thing. When the decision had to be made on who would leave the camp, there was no hesitation. It was the students. Laura had approached him but before she could open her mouth, he had cut her off. “Students first. If there’s room left, then we’ll have the debate.”

  But they had both known full well that getting the students into the two remaining vehicles would be challenge enough.

  If only we had one more vehicle.

  He eyed the motorcycle and sidecar the young reporter had arrived in. The sidecar was filled with supplies, and the young man it belonged to, a reporter with one of the Cairo papers, stood next to it, watching the vehicles round the final bend and pull up to the dig site.

  Troops piled out of two of the trucks, the one in the middle apparently empty save two men in the front. They quickly rushed forward, weapons held at waist level, pointing at the few remaining souls, orders being barked by a man who exited the lead vehicle’s passenger side door.

  Reading looked from the corner of his eye and noted that the four ex-SAS guards had already backed off, their weapons lowered but ready, each now behind an innocent looking barrier, ready to drop and engage their new arrivals should it become necessary.

  He casually walked over to where Laura and Jim were standing, Jim already having placed himself between the soldiers and Laura, ready to die a human shield if necessary.

  If this turns to shite, I just pray my other message got through.

  Nubian Desert, Egypt, Thirty-two miles from the University College London Dig Site

  Terrence looked at his watch for the umpteenth time.

  “It’s less than a minute since the last time,” chastised Jenny with a smile. “They’ll be okay. Stop worrying.”

  Terrence nodded, her words going in one ear and out the other. There was no way he was going to stop worrying until they were all safely back in London, behind a desk in her classroom. This entire idea of going into Middle Eastern countries, digging for trinkets, was insane. What were they thinking?

  He gripped the steering wheel harder, his knuckles turning white, then with a conscious effort, he relaxed his grip, extending one finger at a time to let the muscles rest, then suddenly his fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter than ever before, jerking the vehicle to the right as he hit the accelerator.

  Jenny screamed, and he found himself instinctively closing his eyes to avoid the impact of the lorry that had just sped around the corner, directly at them. With his eyes closed, he jammed on the brakes and felt something slam into the back of them, eliciting more screams.

  Terrence forced his eyes open and saw three trucks drive by, catching only a good look at the final vehicle, the other two already past them while his eyelids had been clamped shut.

  It was filled with men in army uniforms.

  One of them grin
ned at him.

  And bad teeth.

  If they’re the army, then who were the first blokes?

  USS Arleigh Burke, Segregated Common Area

  All their eyes were glued to the television, report after report of attacks, almost all successful to one degree or another, kept rolling in, then updates to the previous reports.

  It’s 9/11 all over again.

  The death toll continued to rise, in the hundreds now, but it was expected to level off soon. This time the body count wasn’t the goal, it was shock and awe. The civilized world’s monuments to greatness were being destroyed, our icons and idols targeted. Never again would we feel safe visiting a national landmark, never again would tourists feel safe visiting the proud landmarks of foreign countries, never again would our celebrities and national heroes feel secure.

  A ticker rolled the list of attacks, leading off of course with the one foremost on his mind.

  The Statue of Liberty, New York, USA – Dozens of casualties, statue destroyed

  Buckingham Palace, London, England – Dozens of casualties, royal family safe

  Eiffel Tower, Paris, France – Dozens of casualties, tower severely damaged

  CN Tower, Toronto, Canada – Hundreds of casualties, tower collapsed

  Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Dozens of casualties, sculpture destroyed

  Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, USA – Dozens of casualties, sculpture severely damaged

  Then there were the attacks on celebrities and sports figures. Seemingly random attacks, but all coordinated around the world to happen at the same time. And now that the word was out, not only was there dancing in the streets of many Muslim nations, there were additional attacks on anything that seemed blasphemous to Islam.

  And non-Muslims were retaliating.

  Reports were already coming in from Paris and London of tens of thousands marching on the Muslim quarters of the cities, setting fire to anything thought to be Muslim, beating those who got in their way. The police were too busy securing their leadership and other national monuments to have sufficient personnel to engage the rioters.