The Anubis Plague полностью

“Yeah,” Cork replied. “Vincenzo doesn’t have enough to give us.”

“We’ll happily pay him for it.”

Cork shook her head. “I told him that, but some things aren’t worth parting with. He needs the fuel more than the money. Shipments are few and far between out here.”

“What does that mean?” George asked.

“It means—” Cork started.

Zahra butted in. “It means we’re even further away from getting to Cairo.”

The three of them climbed into the waiting truck. Cork blew out a long, annoyed breath. “Looks like we’ll have to land somewhere in Sicily and refuel, then head out again.”

And again.

Zahra had already done the math. Even after a stop in Sicily to refuel, they would need to stop one more time, probably somewhere in Greece, before finally arriving in Egypt. It was the frustrating part about using this kind of transportation. The freedom this method offered was priceless, however. Zahra could go anywhere she wanted, bring along anything she wanted, and leave whenever she wanted.

The biggest downfall was that it took a lot longer than it would on a 747.

Still…

Vincenzo chauffeured them to his property, giving Zahra her first glimpses at the man’s operation. There was a large barn-like building with multiple additions at the plot’s center. If Zahra had to guess, the add-ons had been done over time. It’s where Vincenzo must have stored his helicopter. There was no other building large enough to contain it. The local's residence was, obviously, off in the distance. Next to the barn sat the Puss E. Galore. The plane looked like it was ready to go, as was Zahra.

They exited the mechanic’s truck and headed toward the plane, but Zahra waited.

“Signorina?” the local asked.

“We really need that fuel, Vincenzo,” Zahra said.

He shook his head. “As I explained to your friend, I cannot part with it.”

Zahra was becoming angry but stayed calmed. Vincenzo wasn’t being malicious or overly obtuse about the situation. He was just looking out for his own interests. He valued the fuel more than the money, which was actually quite admirable to Zahra. His future livelihood mattered more than the cash he would collect from them in the short term.

“What if we do something for you?” Cork asked. “You know, do something to pay off the debt?

“No, no, no… There is nothing you can—” his eyes lit up, “well, there is one thing… If you can help with this, I will give you all the fuel you require.”

Zahra looked at Cork with a look that combined interest and concern. Whatever it was Vincenzo needed help with, it was something that would bring him more money than Zahra could offer him. It also meant it was going to be dangerous and, more than likely, illegal.

“What do you need help with, exactly?” Cork asked.

Instead of answering Cork, Vincenzo turned to Zahra and looked the archaeologist up and down. His eyes were focused on Zahra’s body, mostly.

“Hey, Sleezio!” Cork yelled, noticing. She stepped toward the much smaller man. “Get your eyes off my girl’s rump roast!”

Vincenzo stepped away from Cork and threw up his hands. “No, you have it all wrong, I—”

Cork growled. “I know exactly what you were doing!”

“No, please.” The local was genuinely scared of Cork. “I was just thinking — of whether or not she would fit.”

“Fit what?” Zahra asked, crossing her arms and leaning onto her left leg.

Vincenzo’s eyes darted back and forth from Cork to Zahra. They settled on the more-threatening Cork, but he spoke to Zahra. “My ex-wife’s dive suit.”

Zahra was confused. “Dive suit? Did I miss something, why do we need dive suits??”

Vincenzo looked at Zahra and smiled. “You will see…”

Vincenzo drove Zahra out to the coast, leaving Cork and her father back at his property. Before leaving, he had announced that his fuel pump was locked down, and that there would be no fuel to be had. That meant Cork wouldn’t be able to steal it while they were gone. Needless to say, Cork had been disappointed to hear that.

Vincenzo pulled over. The view, as it had been from the balcony of the cottage, was breathtaking. Zahra followed Vincenzo’s lead and climbed out of the pickup truck. Before leaving for their very illegal mission, Vincenzo had opened the barn door. Inside was, indeed, his helicopter, but there was also a run-of-the-mill two-door pickup truck. The change in trucks was smart. The smaller vehicles would draw much less attention to anyone curious.

In the bed of the blue, 2005 Ford Ranger was their dive gear. The two had already changed into their wetsuits back at Vincenzo’s place. And like he had guessed, the garb fit Zahra well. The only thing she didn’t like about it was its color.

Hot pink.

“Doesn’t go with my gun,” she had said, half-kidding.