The Anubis Plague полностью

Rahal’s focus narrowed onto the artifact, and he stepped toward it with a hungry look on his face. “No!” Baahir snapped. “We’ll wait for Ghazzi to return to see if Anubis’ scroll is real.”

The impatient government agent huffed. “Well, then, I’ll go make sure Mr. Ghazzi doesn’t linger for too long.” Before Baahir or Abbas could argue, Rahal was gone.

Khaliq Ayad’s man at the dig site had just notified him that a mysterious artifact relating to the scroll had been found. Even though the scroll itself had not been seen, it was enough to mobilize him and a few of his most faithful men. At worst, if there was no scroll present, he would still possess the black cylindrical object. It would make a fine addition to his Anubian collection. Then, once he translated its inscriptions, he would lock it away and conceal the knowledge it contained. No one but Khaliq could know.

Which means everyone that has seen it must die.

He relayed the sentiment to his man on the ground before climbing into one of two blacked-out SUVs. Luckily, neither the Egyptologist nor the government agent had requested additional help from their superiors. Their lapses in judgment had unknowingly aided in Khaliq’s efforts. Stealing the artifact was going to be easy.

How do the Americans say it? he thought. Oh, yes. Khaliq grinned.

“Like taking candy from a baby.”

Ghazzi rummaged through the tent, searching for more batteries. The two flashlights he had found weren’t going to work. One barely had enough power to create a noticeable difference, and the other was completely dead — probably even broken. He cursed Abbas and the others for hastily packing everything up before the storm. It was usually his job to keep the equipment organized and ready to go, but with everything happening so quickly, the gear had been tossed aside and battered.

He was on edge, scared. He knew something was happening, and he knew his place in all of it. He needed to be ready, to act when the moment was right.

Ghazzi paused his search and listened. He looked behind him, peering through the open flap of the tent, but saw nothing.

At least, he thought he saw nothing. The bustling wind and shadows the construction lighting created were making it hard to make out much of anything. To Ghazzi, the darkness looked alive. It didn’t help that there was an endless staccato of noise coming from the roof as the rain continually pummeled it, though it had lessened some.

He looked up and sighed. Even if someone was behind him, he wouldn’t hear the person coming until it was too late.

A sudden shout called out from behind him. Spooked, the construction worker jumped, grabbing a heavy wrench. He hurled it back towards the tent entrance just as Rahal appeared there.

It almost struck Rahal in the forehead, but the government agent dodged the projectile, turning and diving back through the open flap. Rahal landed hard, rolled onto his back, and glared at him with venom in his eyes as Ghazzi inched outside.

Not another word was exchanged between the two men. Rahal climbed to his feet just as Ghazzi re-entered the tent and backed into a table. His hand slid across its surface and found something familiar. The rectangular object was exactly what he had been looking for. He confirmed as much by glancing down at the box of batteries. With that, he rushed forward and edged around the irate agent. Ghazzi tucked the box and the single operating flashlight under his shirt and made a mad dash for the temple entrance, never once looking back.

He carefully scaled the debris caused by their earlier blasts and ducked his head inside the corridor. If he had been a few inches shorter, Ghazzi could have walked upright. As he walked, he blindly unscrewed the front of the flashlight and exchanged the burned batteries for new ones. Ghazzi was used to working in conditions with low visibility. In truth, he preferred working at night. The harsh Egyptian sun could sap even the strongest man’s strength in no time at all.

Ghazzi ignited the flashlight and stepped inside the chamber. He focused its beam on the tube and was taken aback by what he saw. The additional light revealed that the artifact wasn’t just some uninteresting vessel for the treasure that laid within. It, too, was a remnant worthy of extreme care.

“Rahal?” Abbas asked, looking past Ghazzi.

The worker shrugged. He didn’t want to tell his boss that he had almost killed the man.

“Okay, let’s—”

The man in question stepped through. Everyone’s attention was on him now — on his clothes, rather.

“Did the weather worsen?” Abbas asked.

Rahal shook his head and snarled. He jabbed a finger at Ghazzi. “This…rodent…nearly took my head off with a wrench!”

“It was an accident!” Ghazzi cried, shrinking away from the larger man.