No Living Soul

by Julie Moffett

  “I’ll go, too,” I volunteered.

  Slash looked around the room. “I’d stay with Arthur, but someone has to ensure we get back here without being followed. I’m the best person for that. Elvis, can you and Gwen stay with Arthur?”

  Slash’s eyes moved to the dresser drawer where Arthur had put the gun. Elvis understood and nodded.

  “Great,” Gwen said cheerfully. “This will be fun. We can play cards or charades or something to pass the time. I’ve even got a deck of cards in my purse.”

  Thank God. I exchanged a small smile with Elvis. He knew, like I did, Gwen would unwittingly serve as a buffer between him and his father. It made me feel better about leaving.

  “Can we take pictures in the museum?” Slash asked Zizi.

  “Yes, but you have to buy a photography ticket and there’s no flash allowed. There’s also no photography whatsoever permitted in the mummy room. But that shouldn’t be a problem since there are no chariots on display there. Do you have a camera?”

  Slash pulled out his phone. “This should do.”

  I dug mine out and held it up, too. “I got one, too. It needs to be charged, though.”

  “There are outlets at the museum,” Slash said. “Let’s go.”

  We said our goodbyes and were halfway down the corridor when Arthur suddenly stepped into the hallway. “Excuse me. Lexi, can I talk to you privately for a moment?”

  I exchanged a puzzled glance with Slash and then nodded. “Sure, I guess.”

  Zizi and Slash continued down the hallway as I returned to Arthur. “What’s up?”

  “Are you really Elvis’s best friend?”

  I wondered why he asked, but I simply said, “Yes.”

  “He said you saved his life. Is that true?”

  “It’s true. But Elvis saved mine, too, in more ways than one. Your son is an extraordinary man. So is Xavier. What’s this all about?”

  “Do you know how to keep a promise?”

  I stared at him. I had no idea where he was going with this. “Yes.”

  “Good. Then if I tell you what you’re looking for on that chariot, it stays between you and me until I say otherwise.”

  “If it’s so important, why don’t you tell Elvis?”

  “He’s not going to the museum, is he?”

  Guess he had a point.

  “On the other hand, I like you,” Arthur continued. “You play it straight and you’ve been a good friend to my son. So, if you want to know what to look for on that chariot, give me your promise.”

  I sighed. I didn’t know whether to humor him or not, but if we could pin down that artifact sooner than later, I’d make that promise.

  Still, there had to be limits.

  I kept my gaze steady on his. “If there comes a time where I need to divulge information to save a life, I will, whether I give you my promise or not. So, don’t tell me unless you can live with that.”

  Arthur studied me a moment and then put a hand on my shoulder, lowering his voice. “It looks like a pole. It has elaborate markings on it and will be attached to the chariot and the horse’s reins. It will differ from the other pole. That’s what you’re looking for. I found the spores in one end of it.”

  I digested that for a moment. “That’s it?”

  “That’s it.”

  Slash stuck his head back in the hallway. “You ready, cara?”

  Arthur looked at me for a long moment before returning to the room.

  I exhaled and walked toward Slash. “Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s go.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “How many chariots are there on display at the museum?” I asked Zizi.

  She and I sat in the back of the cab. Slash was in the front. I was thinking about what Arthur had told me and trying to take my mind off the fact we’d just missed sideswiping a bus, two bicyclists and a table at an open café. Zizi didn’t seem bothered in the slightest by the drive, but I did notice Slash had his hand braced against the dashboard in the front.

  She seemed preoccupied and stared out the window. “Hmm? Oh, I’m not sure. Five? Seven? I’ll check the online catalog and cross-reference when we get to the museum.”

  Slash had the driver let us off about a block from the museum. I climbed out and tried to get my feet steady beneath me after the wild ride. Zizi strode quickly toward the museum, so we hurried to keep up.

  She stopped us at the entrance. “It will be faster if we split up. Slash, you take the lower level. Lexi, you take the upper floor. I’m going online to see what I can find.”

  I exchanged a look with Slash who shrugged. Zizi expedited our entrance through security and they let us in without having to pay for a ticket.

  “I’m going to get you two photography tickets,” she said. “If the guards see you taking pictures, they’ll ask for it. Slash, I’ll meet you in the east wing in about five minutes. Lexi, I’ll find you upstairs.”

  Slash headed directly toward the east wing while Zizi moved toward the ticket booth.

  Left alone, I walked past the giant statues in the atrium and up the stairs to the second floor. This floor held many fascinating exhibits, including King Tut’s excavated find. I headed for Gallery A. That’s where Zizi found me about five minutes later.

  “Here’s your ticket,” she said, thrusting it into my hand. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks,” I said, but she’d already headed for the stairs.

  I returned to scouring the exhibitions. My brain screamed at me to slow down and enjoy the opportunity to see such amazing historical discoveries, but I had to focus on the mission. If I didn’t see a chariot, I forced myself to move on.

  It took me forty-seven minutes to clear the upstairs, even after giving myself ten minutes to charge my phone. I found only three chariots on display and took multiple pictures of them. As Arthur had suggested, I studied the poles and zoomed in on several of them. Some had markings and some didn’t, but since I didn’t know what I was looking for, it was hard to tell if I’d found what he wanted or not.

  I wandered down to the lower floor and headed toward the west section in search of Slash or Zizi. I found Slash first. He was taking several photos of a chariot. He straightened when he saw me. “Finished?”

  “Yeah. I found three. How about you?”

  “Three, too, so far. But I just started this room. Want to help?”

  “Sure. I’ll start at the door and work toward you.”

  He tipped his head. “Perfect.”

  A few minutes later I found a chariot on display next to what was identified as a queen chair carrier. I tried to imagine Nefertiti sitting on it while her servants carried her, but all I could picture was Zizi. I stepped sideways to get a better angle and waited until a tourist group of what sounded like French nationals passed before snapping several shots of the chariot.

  I was studying the poles the best I could from my position when Slash came up behind me and put a hand on my shoulder. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “It’s okay. Guess I’m a bit jumpy these days.”

  “It’s understandable. Looks like you found one more.”

  “I did. Just taking some photos now.”

  I glanced over and saw Zizi in the doorway. She saw us and strode our way.

  “How many did you find?” she asked us.

  “I found three upstairs, Slash found three, and then there’s this one here,” I said. “That makes seven.”

  Zizi nodded. “Perfect. The catalog states seven chariots. I downloaded the list onto my phone, so we can cross-reference with Arthur. Did you get pictures of all of them?”

  We nodded.

  “Good.” Zizi’s face was grim. “Then let’s get them back to Arthur right away. W
e need him to tell us where that artifact is located.”

  “Everyone has their walking shoes on, right?” Slash asked. “We’re not taking a direct route home.”

  I dug in my purse for suntan lotion and put some on my face, chest and arms. I didn’t have my hat, but such were the state of things. “I’m ready.”

  Zizi nodded her readiness, too, so we headed out. Slash took us across streets, through alleys and into cafés and out their back doors until even Zizi wasn’t sure where we were. My shirt was soaked with sweat and stuck to me in embarrassing places. When I shook my head, droplets of sweat trickled down my temples and nose.

  Ugh.

  “How do you know how to do this kind of thing?” Zizi asked Slash while we paused in the shade of a building. “Are you in the military or something?”

  Slash grinned at her easily, but never stopped looking around. “Nope. Just had too many married girlfriends, I guess.”

  I rolled my eyes. I don’t think Zizi bought it, but there wasn’t time for further discussion, not that Slash would have told her anything.

  When Slash was convinced we weren’t being followed, we headed for the hostel. When we were close, he made us wait about a block away while he reconnoitered the outside to make sure it was clear outside the building.

  He returned shortly assuring us the building wasn’t being watched. It felt good to step inside even if it wasn’t air-conditioned. At least we were shaded from the sun and that had to count for something. I wiped my sweaty brow as he slid his key into the knob and opened the door.

  Gwen sat in a chair in the middle of the room, her arms tied behind her and a gag in her mouth.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  “Gwen!” I started to rush to her when Slash held out an arm stopping me, practically shoving me into Zizi.

  “Stay,” he ordered tersely.

  We both froze. Slash disappeared silently into the room, going in at a crouch and leaving the door ajar behind him. Despite his order to stay, I peeked into the room after him. He didn’t have a weapon and I was worried about him.

  To my surprise, Slash hadn’t gone to Gwen. Instead, he appeared to be checking the closet, and under both beds. He looked over at the door, saw me peeking into the room and rolled his eyes in exasperation. Thankfully, he was too busy to chastise me. He motioned for us to enter.

  As we walked in, he knelt next to Gwen.

  She was clearly terrified. Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent. Tears leaked out of her eyes and she was gagged with what looked like duct tape. Slash sliced the cloth ties holding her arms behind her, then gently tugged at a corner of the tape on her mouth.

  “I’m going to pull it off quickly.” He spoke softly. “I’m sorry. There is no easy way to do this. It’s going to hurt, but it will be over fast. Curl your lips inwards as much as you can to protect them. Okay?”

  I knelt down next to her and took her hand. “You’ve got this, Gwen. Be strong? Okay?”

  She nodded and then blinked hard a couple of times as if steeling herself. Her freckles stood out on her cheeks and nose. I squeezed her hand as she closed her eyes. In one quick gesture, Slash pulled the tape off her mouth.

  She gasped in pain and then threw her arms around Slash’s neck, pressing her face in his shoulder.

  He held her, patting her back. “It’s all done. You did great, Gwen.”

  She kept her face hidden. “I’ve never been so scared in all of my life. They took Arthur and Elvis.” Her voice was muffled. “They had guns.”

  “Who had guns, Gwen?” Slash pulled back, holding her shoulders. “Who took them?”

  “Three policemen. At least I think they were policemen.”

  “Why do you think they were policemen?” I asked.

  “They were dressed in uniforms. They didn’t even ask us who we were or ask to see our passports. They just surprised us, pulled out their guns, grabbed Arthur and Elvis, then tied me up. Elvis tried to protect me, but...” She put her hand against her mouth. “One of them hit him and he went down. They hurt him.”

  I pressed my lips together and glanced over at the desk. The laptop was gone. “They took Arthur’s laptop?”

  Gwen nodded. “Yes. And worse, they found the endospores in a vial in Arthur’s pocket. They took those, too.”

  Zizi paled. “So now they have Gwen’s sequencing of the plague and the endospores?”

  “Technically, they don’t have the sequencing or her notes,” I said. “Not yet anyway. I encrypted the document. Besides, unless Arthur tells them what it is or those guys are microbiologists, they aren’t going to figure out it’s a plague.”

  “But what if Arthur talks? What if he does tell them what it is?” Zizi seemed really panicked. I actually understood because I didn’t have a lot of faith in Arthur myself. But panic wasn’t going to solve anything at this point.

  “I don’t know, Zizi. Arthur is a dangerous variable, but it’s what we have. The first step is to figure out where they are. The fact they took Arthur’s laptop is actually a stroke of good luck for us.”

  “What?” Zizi looked at me in surprise. “How can that possibly be good?”

  “I installed a tracking program on Arthur’s laptop that uses his GPS card so I could monitor his whereabouts in the future. I didn’t actually anticipate this use, but as soon as they connect to a network—any network—I’ll be able to pinpoint their location.”

  “Is that possible?”

  “It is.” I spread my hands. “A lot is possible with the marvels of technology.”

  Slash yanked open the dresser drawer and pulled out Arthur’s gun. “Lucky for us, they didn’t find this. Another break for us and an indication that this was a grab-and-run operation.” He tucked it in his waist at the small of his back. “First order of business. I need to know how they found us. Gwen, did either Arthur or Elvis do anything out of the ordinary? Make any calls? Go anywhere?”

  “Arthur was hungry. He was complaining so much that Elvis went out for food.” Gwen pointed at a wrinkled paper bag and some bottles of water that were on the bed. “Maybe they spotted Elvis and followed him back here. I don’t know. They came about thirty minutes after he returned.”

  Slash shook his head, probably blaming himself for not staying instead of Elvis. But we had needed help getting back undetected from the museum and he couldn’t be in two places at one time. I didn’t bother trying to make him feel better about it because I knew it wouldn’t work.

  “Do you still have your laptop in your room, cara?” he asked.

  “I hope so.”

  “Mine should be there, too, unless they went in after they tied me up,” Gwen added.

  Slash held out his hand. “Give me a key and wait here.”

  I rooted around in my purse and gave him the key. Minutes later he returned with Gwen’s and my laptops.

  “Break number three,” he said. “We’re on a roll.”

  “Let’s hope it stays that way,” I added.

  “Grab your stuff. We’re moving back to the Marriott.” Slash started gathering items. “They obviously know who we are, so concealing our connection to Arthur is no longer necessary. Besides, it’s safer there and we need the Wi-Fi, such as it is. Move out.”

  Gwen grabbed her purse and laptop bag, slinging them over her shoulder. She looked remarkably stronger than she had just minutes ago. In fact, if I weren’t mistaken, I’d almost say she looked angry.

  “So, what are we going to do about finding Elvis? They weren’t policemen, were they? Real policemen, even in Egypt, wouldn’t have tied me up.”

  “I don’t know who they were,” Slash answered. “But I doubt they were policemen. Regardless, I’m sorry, but we can’t risk going to the police until we know more. Zizi, it’s unfortunate you had to be dragged into this. Are y
ou coming with us?”

  “Of course, I am.” She moved toward Slash, put a hand on his arm. “What do you need me to do?”

  “Once we are live, I’ll need you to translate what they are saying.”

  “Live?” Her expression was puzzled.

  “In addition to the tracking program, I also created a backdoor,” I explained. “As soon as the guys that stole Arthur’s laptop connect to a network, we’ll have not only their location, but I should be able to activate the camera and microphone without them knowing. We’ll be right there in the room with them.”

  She looked surprised. “You can do that?”

  “I can.”

  “That’s...amazing.” She gave me a long look and then nodded.

  Slash pulled out Arthur’s gun. “I’ve got to leave this here. I can’t take the gun with me to the Marriott. They’d catch it when we went through security. You okay if I keep it in your room?”

  “Sure.” I handed him my key. “Put it under my mattress.”

  Slash stowed the gun and we took a cab back to the Marriott. Despite the wild ride, I felt calm, almost as if I were getting used to Cairo driving. Or maybe I was just too worried about Elvis to care. Gwen, too, was unusually quiet.

  As soon as we got to our suite at the Marriott, Gwen, Slash and I each set up our respective laptops and waited.

  And waited some more.

  “What’s taking so long?” Zizi asked. She’d been circling the room like a lioness for the past forty minutes.

  I scanned my computer. “We can’t do anything until they connect to a network.”

  “What if they don’t connect?”

  “They will.”

  I tried to keep the panic out of my voice, but it seeped in anyway. I didn’t want to imagine Arthur or Elvis getting tortured or hurt, but it kept playing in my head anyway. Why did Elvis have to be the one getting kidnapped all the time? Was that my fault or his? If I’d stayed behind, I would have been the one to be kidnapped. But no, while I was the trouble magnet, he seemed to attract kidnappers.