by Tom Hunter
It was hard to tell what Pae was thinking, but much as he would like to use the relic to strengthen his control over the dictator’s mind, it was too risky with so many people around. The last thing he needed was for anyone to see him telling Pae what to do with the kind of force necessary to ensure his control would last as long as needed. Pin had come too far to be accused of treason and with so many witnesses to an argument, it would be impossible to talk his way out of the charge, even with the papal cap on his side.
“Why don’t you wait on the VTOL for Valentina?” Pin suggested, hoping to keep Pae away from any negative influence. “You can secure yourself in your quarters while you leave all the other preparations to me.”
“Good idea,” nodded Pae. “You really do look after me, Pin. You consider my every need, sometimes even before I do. I don’t know what I would do without you.”
He turned and hurried up the steps to board the VTOL. Pin waited until he was securely on the plane before turning to address his men.
“What’s taking so long?” he yelled. “How dare you keep the Bruard waiting? Move your feet or I will be court marshaling you all. If we are not ready to leave within twenty minutes, you can forget about any chances of military glory. You’ll be waiting out the conflict in a prison cell.”
Valentina approached Pin and bowed low. Although he expected her to stand immediately–showing submission and respect had never sat well with the finder–she maintained her position, waiting for him to grant her permission to move.
“You may stand,” he sighed, tired of her games.
Valentina straightened, but remained silent, until Pin gave leave for her to speak.
“What is it?” he snapped. “Quit pretending you’re a righteous Bruard woman. I’d much rather you show your true colors. I’d have more respect for you that way.”
Valentina narrowed her eyes, but refused to rise to the bait. “There’s little that I can do to help with the preparations for flight,” she replied. “I was wondering if I should wait on the plane so I don’t get in anyone’s way. I’d hate to be the cause of any delays.”
Pin was tempted to say yes when a thought hit him. Valentina was just like Shafira. While the two women might be on opposing sides, they were both typical of their sex: manipulative; cunning; feral.
Shafira had done a lot of damage to his control over Pae, and it had taken all his will and powers of persuasion to override her undermining influence. Without the assistance of St. Augustine, he would have been executed immediately for his plotting. It only took a whiff of insubordination and Pae would have issued the command. It was only by the grace of St. Augustine he hadn’t seen through Pin’s plots.
If Valentina followed in Shafira’s footsteps and attempted to get Pae on her side, his plans would come undone and everything he’d sacrificed would be for nothing.
“I don’t think so.” He shook his head. “We require time to secure his quarters on the aircraft. He values his privacy and won’t want one such as you to interfere. Go and stay in your chambers. You’ll be just as out of the way there.”
“Very well. I am your ever faithful servant. I’ll be ready to leave the moment I receive the order.” Valentina bowed once more then walked away.
“My servant? Is that right?” Pin sniffed to himself. He wanted nothing more than to believe she was telling the truth, but he couldn’t bring himself to fully trust her, not yet. A leopard didn’t change its spots and while a snake may shed its skin, it was still the same snake underneath.
Maybe he should use the hat on her after all, to be on the safe side.
He watched the woman as she made her way back to her chambers, taking time to talk to all the men as she walked past. Was it pure coincidence that, whenever he considered using the relic on her, she always gravitated towards areas with lots of people? Did she suspect how much harder it was to use the artifact when there were witnesses?
Just how much had Samuel and his friends told her about St. Augustine and his miraculous discoveries?
Eighteen
“Tebourba! At last!” Waleed threw himself to the ground, pretending to worship as they reached a sign welcoming them to the city.
“I have never been so glad to see a place in my life,” agreed Basile. “My blisters have got blisters!”
“Not long now, guys,” Samuel promised. “We’ll be able to hire a car and travel the rest of the way to Dougga in style.”
“Can we at least get ourselves some refreshments first?” Waleed pointed to a coffee shop. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I could sure use a shot of caffeine.”
“Let’s get it to go,” Samuel advised. “I don’t think we should hang around here for too long, not with the Bruard close on our heels. They’ll know we were heading here. It’s got to be a quick in and out, okay?”
“No problem,” nodded Waleed.
The thought of a decent cup of coffee and maybe even a pastry gave everyone a renewed sense of purpose and they hurried towards the coffee shop. The hit of air conditioned air on their faces when they walked inside was a blessed relief after hours under the sweltering desert sun.
“Oh my!” gasped Shafira, fanning herself. “I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven!”
The group went and sat down to place their order. An automated menu, triggered by their presence, popped up from the middle of the table, and Samuel programmed in for six coffees to go and a selection of pastries.
“Uh-oh.” Josh nudged at Samuel, pointing to a television suspended on the wall behind him. Samuel turned in his seat to watch the bad news.
“Violence erupted in the peaceful town of Oued Ellil this afternoon, resulting in a number of military casualties, including decorated hero Karim Mustafa. Lieutenant Mustafa was one of a number of soldiers sent to man a blockade following reports of Bruard activity in the area. The Bruard launched a brutal attack on the blockade and many local businesses were destroyed, causing untold damage to the local economy. While the Bruard have been focused on their war efforts in Mongolia, nobody expected them to be so blatant here in Tunisia, especially in an area of seemingly little military advantage. As a result, the government has announced that the country is to be placed under emergency protocols as a safety precaution until the extent of Bruard involvement can be determined.”
Josh groaned as the report cut to a discussion panel back in the studio, a team of experts discussing what the recent massacre could mean. “That’s all we need.”
“What’s the problem?” frowned Basile. “Surely that helps us? The Bruard will be so worried about avoiding the military barricades that we can slip past them, while the military will be looking for Bruard agents, not a group of tourists like us. We can get to Dougga in no time.”
“In what?” asked Josh. “Emergency protocols means the whole country is on lockdown. It’ll be that much harder for us to go anywhere. We may not even be able to rent a car now. Rental companies aren’t going to want to risk their vehicles getting blown up.”
“Are you kidding me? Come on!” Waleed threw his hands up in despair.
“This may not make me the most popular guy around, but can’t we just walk to Dougga from here?” suggested Basile. “We’ve come this far. I can throw on an extra pair of socks to pad my feet against the blisters and I’m good to go.”
“I’m glad you are, but I’m not,” complained Waleed. “We’ve been on our feet all day. I’m exhausted. I might dissolve into a messy puddle of gloop if anyone attempts to make me walk any further in this heat.”
“Nobody ever said that saving the world was going to be easy,” joked Samuel. “We’re all in this together. I’m sure Josh can give you a piggy back if you get tired.”
“Yeah, right,” drawled Josh. “If anyone’s getting a piggy back round here, it’ll be me.”
“In your dreams!” laughed Samuel.
“Why don’t you go meditate up a car or something if my pain is so funny to you?” sneered Waleed.
“I’m good
, but I’m not that good,” Samuel shrugged. “I think the best thing for us to do right now is to find a place where we can hole up for a few hours. I didn’t want to stay here, but since we might not have any choice but to continue by foot, we’ll need all the rest we can get. Maybe when we’re rested we’ll come up with another way to get to Dougga.”
“Either way, we need to get there sooner rather than later,” Akhenaton pointed out. “Time is wasting, and the Bruard are closing in. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t think any emergency protocols are going to save us if the Bruard snipers get close enough.”
“Can we at least have our coffee first?” asked Basile. “It’s not civilized having to do all this traveling without appropriate refreshment.”
“Yes, we can have our coffee,” smiled Samuel. “We’ve earned it.”
As if on cue, the drone server arrived carrying their order. Shafira and Samuel shared out the food and drinks and for a moment there was silence, everyone savoring the rare treat after what felt like an eternity on the road.
“You know, there is an alternative to walking.” Waleed looked pointedly at Josh. “Perhaps you could help me in… ‘sourcing’ a car.” He made little air quotes with his hands.
“You’re not seriously considering stealing one, are you?” Josh sighed.
“Now, now. Don’t spoil the surprise,” grinned Waleed. “But it makes perfect sense. Think about it. You already hacked one before with Valentina so you’re already an established car thief. One more won’t make any difference. It’s all in a good cause. A judge would be very understanding in the unlikely event we get caught.”
“Are you kidding me?” Josh shook his head in disgust. “That was in a moment of crisis. We had to take that car or go down in a hail of Bruard bullets. I’d do it again in a heartbeat, but this is hardly the same situation. I don’t believe a judge is going to be very sympathetic about Basile’s blisters. No, you can forget about hijacking a car, not with all the military blockades we’d have to take it through.”
“I’m very proud of your ability to make the tough calls,” Waleed told him somberly.
“I’m glad I have your approval.” Josh mock saluted Waleed, mimicking his tone. “I bow down before your superior moral judgment.”
“I hate to say it, but I think Waleed has a point,” put in Samuel. “Sure, we may not be in immediate danger, but if we hang around here for too long, there’ll be plenty Bruard bullets to go round.”
“And do you really think we can outrun them on foot?” added Shafira. “Josh, you’ve got to do what you think is right, but we have to get out of here and on the road to Dougga before it’s too late. Sure, we can go around all the rental companies and see what’s available, but what if they all say no and the Bruard get wind of what we’re trying to do? If stealing a car can get us out of here that much faster, then maybe that’s exactly what needs to be done. Think of it as acting for the greater good.”
“For the greater good,” snorted Josh. “Yeah, right. Ever the words of tyrants. You’ll be telling me to think of the children next.” He toyed with his coffee cup for a moment before huffing and snatching up his things.
“Fine. Come on, Waleed,” he beckoned. “I guess you and I are going car shopping.”
Nineteen
The sun shone down over the park that Samuel and his friends had found to while away the time while Josh and Waleed went off to procure a car for them. It was a rare moment of peace, one they all intended to take full advantage of as Basile sat by the edge of a small pond, taking off his shoes.
“I wouldn’t put your feet in that pond, no matter how tired you think they are,” advised Akhenaton.
“Why not?” Basile pouted. “I was really looking forward to cooling down. A refreshing little paddle is just what I need.”
“It’s not exactly clean, for a start,” Akhenaton pointed out. “You’ve got open wounds on your feet because of all your blisters. I’d hate for those to become infected because you were foolish enough to paddle in dirty water. I haven’t got the energy to carry you if we have to amputate your feet.”
“You’d do it anyway because you love me.”
Samuel smiled to himself as he watched the two men debate the merits of the pool. His friends were good people.
He leaned back against the tree he was sitting under, the leaves providing much needed shade from the sun pounding down overhead. Closing his eyes, he took the opportunity to practice his deep breathing again. Josh had been right. Aside from the fact that it helped him to work more effectively with the scepter, ever since he’d started regularly meditating, he had felt calmer, more at peace with himself and whatever the future might hold.
Samuel felt some movement to his side. Opening his eyes, he saw that Shafira had come to sit next to him. He peeked out at her from underneath his eyelids, catching her gaze as she glanced at him.
“Samuel-”
“Shafira-”
Shafira blushed and laughed, looking away as the pair of them simultaneously said each other’s names.
“You go first,” offered Samuel.
“No, you say whatever it was you were going to say,” countered Shafira. “I’m sure it was more important than my ramblings.”
“I bet it wasn’t.” Samuel shook his head. “You know I’m always interested in hearing your thoughts, no matter how trivial you think they are.”
“Even so. You go first.” Shafira gestured to Samuel, who smiled and took the lead.
“All right. I just wanted to tell you that I’m really, really glad we were able to rescue you from the situation at Pin’s island,” he said. “We were all worried about you. Especially Josh. He blamed me for what happened. He barely spoke to me for ages because he was so anxious.” He paused, gathering up enough courage to tell her how he felt. “But he wasn’t as anxious as I was. You have no idea how afraid I was for you.” He looked away. “I-I really care about you. I didn’t realize how much until I was faced with the possibility of never seeing you again.”
“Look at the great Samuel McCarthy stammering away,” teased Shafira. “It’s very out of character for you. You’re usually so sure of yourself.”
Samuel chuckled. “Ask me to deliver a talk about archaeology and I’ll bore you for hours. Pick an era and location, and I’m there. But, the one thing I don’t know is how to talk to women.”
“There are two things you don’t know,” Shafira argued.
Samuel frowned.
“You don’t know how to organize a workspace either,” Shafira quipped, making Samuel laugh with her.
“Fair enough,” he nodded. “You got me. There are indeed two things I don’t know.”
The pair of them leaned back against the tree, companionably taking in the view for the moment.
“I was worried about myself as well, you know,” Shafira finally confessed. “I kept up a brave face the entire time. I wasn’t going to give Pin and his goon the satisfaction of knowing they were getting to me, but inside I was petrified. I know I always said I wanted to experience a real adventure, but recently I’ve been slapped around, shot at, and very nearly blown up–more than once might I add–and there’s a little voice inside screaming at me to get out now while I’m still breathing.” She sighed. “But then I think about Yusuf and I have to admit he was right. I understand why he pushed himself to the extreme, dancing with danger time and again. Once you get the taste of excitement, it never leaves you. How could I go back to my desk now? How can I walk away from you after everything we’ve been through together?”
“Are you trying to say you care for me?” Samuel began, but Shafira put a finger to his lips to stop him talking.
“It means that you aren’t getting rid of me, even when this is all said and done,” she said pointedly.
“As long as you can manage to keep up with me, you won’t have to worry about being left behind,” joked Samuel.
“Then we have a deal,” deadpanned Shafira, flopping back again
st the tree. “Phew! After saying all that, I’m utterly exhausted. That might actually have been more draining than struggling through that damn ten hour hike!” She slapped herself lightly. “It’s official. You’re a bad influence. If my mother heard me using language like that, she’d be shocked. I reckon I can be excused this one time, though. My feet ache too much to care.”
Samuel laughed. “I won’t tell her if you don’t,” he promised.
“That’s settled,” nodded Shafira. “There is one more thing I wanted to ask you though.”
“You just want the world on a plate, don’t you?” joked Samuel. “What is it?”
“Will you teach me how to box?”
Twenty
Pin climbed the slope to board the VTOL that would transport them to Dougga. The craft was bigger than standard, to accommodate the number of soldiers Pae insisted they bring to guarantee the success of their mission. Stealth was all but forgotten now that they were so close to victory.
As he stood in the doorway, surveying the interior, Pin nodded in satisfaction at what he saw. The VTOL was wall to wall mercenaries, each sitting silently as they waited for the final signal for takeoff. With the dictator himself traveling with them, nobody was going to risk an insubordination charge by talking unless spoken to first.
Data displays lined the cabin at regular intervals. Each panel had a dedicated supervisor watching over it to ensure they had all the information they needed about their surroundings to fly into the heart of enemy territory. At the back of the VTOL was a storage area filled with crates of weapons and explosives, strapped to the floor. While Pin preferred not doing anything to risk the safety of the artifacts, it was wise to bring them along just in case.
The dictator himself was seated right at the front next to one of the few windows, as befitted his station. Pin took a seat opposite him, leaving plenty of space for the dictator to stretch out. Valentina smiled at him from her position on the other side of the plane, but he ignored her. He had no patience for the finder. She was a tool to be used, nothing more.
