The Anubis Plague полностью

If there is an entrance, he thought, praying there would be.

“Ready,” Ajmal announced, handing the remote detonator to Khaliq.

Khaliq refused it with a shake of his head. “Give it to him.” He pointed at Baahir.

“Me?”

“Yes,” Khaliq replied. “We will see if your guess is correct, and it will be by your hand if it is or isn’t.”

Baahir swallowed and held out a shaky hand.

“It’s all set,” Khaliq explained. “All you have to do is press the red button, and then, we’ll see if what we came for is here.” He sighed and looked off to the horizon. “At long last.”

Yeah, no pressure. Baahir closed his eyes and attempted to calm himself. He’d been through a lot in the last few days, but this was it. This was the most nerve-wracking experience of his life. This was the moment that would ultimately decide his fate.

Life, or death.

Khaliq and Ajmal led him away from the site and, once more, ducked down behind the cover of a mound of stones.

Khaliq nodded, giving him the all-clear to act.

Baahir held up the detonator, pictured his sister’s face in his mind’s eye one last time, and depressed the remote’s little red button.

The explosion rocked Baahir’s molars. It had been much larger than the last one. He cringed at the thought of destroying what lay beneath — if anything did. Taking a breath, he instantly regretted it as the wind shifted toward their position. Baahir hacked and wheezed for air, jumping to his feet and shambling away.

No one followed him. If Baahir was going to make a break for it, now was the time.

“Khaliq — Khaliq!”

One of the other men had ventured into the dust cloud and was frantically calling out his boss’ name. Baahir took one more step away before sighing and turning. His curiosity had overpowered his reasoning. He needed to see what had gotten the goon so worked up. So, he fell in line behind Khaliq and Ajmal and waded through the billowing haze. As he neared, the breeze picked up and pulled the remainder of the disturbance away. When it did, Baahir saw him.

“Oh, my god,” he said, stunned.

“Yes,” Khaliq agreed. “Yes, he is…”

At the center of the circular blast zone, and carved directly into the rock, was the jackal-headed god, Anubis. He was positioned in the classic style, kneeling beside an oversized scale depicting a feather on one side and a human heart on the other.

“Clear it off!”

Everyone, including Baahir, got to work. Khaliq joined in, and they hurriedly moved every piece of debris out of the way. A sharp gale-force wind assisted them too, swiftly sweeping the still settling dust from the find’s surface. It was as if something wanted them to find this place. As a result, Baahir's skin broke out in goosebumps.

Khaliq stood before his god, staring down at Anubis. “Find me a way in.”

“It…it’ll take some time,” Baahir replied quietly. “We don’t know what’s on the other side.”

Khaliq faced the Egyptologist and smiled wildly. “I do.”

Ali’s underground lair was alive with activity. Everyone, man and woman, were arming themselves to the teeth. Wally hadn’t been kidding when he had said that his people were capable individuals. George had voiced his apprehension about going up against a faction as old, and well-put-together, as the Scales of Anubis. The Badawi men had laughed off his concerns, scoffing at the notion.

“Let them try,” Ali had said, looking very confident. “We will be fighting on our own turf. No one knows Port Said better than we do.”

Zahra felt as if she was back in the military. She sported a lightly used, black Kevlar vest and a brand-new AK-103 rifle. There were several crates of weapons nearby. The more Zahra examined Ali’s base of operations, the more she noticed the armaments. They were everywhere — in all shapes and sizes.

“Did you know Wally was into stuff like this?” Zahra asked her father, keeping his voice low.

George shrugged and pulled at his own vest’s straps. He wasn’t used to wearing body armor. Until now, he’d never worn it in his life. “I’ve always been aware that he was involved in some things, but nothing to this level. Your mother had described him as a tight-lipped, honorable man — the perfect person to get her out of the country.”

“Seems she was right,” Zahra added, exhaling hard.

Cork was similarly outfitted, though she had an expensive-looking Bellini shotgun slung around her back instead of a rifle. They were known to be the best 12-gauges in the world. Upon seeing the black beauty, Zahra had watched Cork’s mouth water, and she uttered a soft ‘’ello, love’ before snatching it up.

The local she had taken it from was upset after being relieved of the Bellini, but he did not attempt to take it back. Hopefully, it wouldn’t matter which weapon any of them had. Zahra prayed none of them would have the need to use them.

Although with my luck…