The Sixth Seal полностью

Zahra despised layovers, especially when she traveled internationally. Her internal clock was already getting screwed up by the time zone crossings as it was. Add in a four-hour period of nothingness, and Zahra’s mind and body morphed into sludge.

She checked her watch. “Come on…” Based on what the lady had said over the intercom, her plane would start boarding in about twenty minutes. She was this much closer to sleeping soundly.

Over the years, Zahra had become an expert at sleeping on planes.

Or in the back seat of a car.

Or on a rock in Afghanistan.

Zahra could pretty much fall asleep anywhere and on anything.

She zoomed through her Instagram feed for the hundredth time, dying from the wait. This was the only place she couldn’t pack it in and pass out. Zahra was too on edge to nap right now. She was too nervous. There was nothing that would relax her, knowing that she was closer to getting the mission underway.

A baby cried somewhere off to her right. She reflexively looked that way and locked eyes with someone who was not a hollering newborn. This was a grown man in a black trench coat… and he was staring right back at her.

Zahra zeroed in on him and waited for the guy to break contact first. But he didn’t.

Dammit, she thought. Who knows I’m here?

A family of six passed between their gazes, and when the way was clear again, the trench coat wearer was gone. A chill ran up and down Zahra’s spine. She contemplated calling Eddy and warning her that her mission might already be compromised.

You can’t do that.

First, Zahra had no proof that the man was following her. He could have just been the run-of-the-mill creep who had gotten caught people-watching. Second, phoning Eddy now would only make the woman lose confidence in Zahra the Newb.

“Or…” she said aloud, “you’re overtired, and he was never there.”

That was also a distinct possibility.

A familiar voice announced that Zahra’s flight was now boarding. Zahra gathered her carry-on and headed for the entrance to the jetway. Every few steps, she looked for the trench coat guy, but she never saw him again.

After landing in Chile, Zahra still couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being followed. Begrudgingly, she called Eddy back at TAC HQ. She didn’t want to, but she owed it to the company to be truthful with them.

She sat in the back of a cab that was inbound to the Garden Hotel, trying to speak over the obnoxiously loud jazz music. It’s not that Zahra didn’t enjoy the genre. It was just really loud.

“You think you’re being followed?” Eddy asked.

“Maybe, but it could also be nothing. Still, I trust my gut, and it’s saying to watch my back.”

“Yeah, I’ve been there before, and honestly, with your background, I’m not taking this lightly. If you were actually a rookie, then I might feel differently.”

“Thanks, Eddy, that makes me feel better.”

“Good. It was supposed to. Seriously though, in my experience, nothing is never nothing. Keep a sharp eye out for anything odd.”

Zahra snorted. “Have you seen the world lately, Eddy?”

“You know what I mean.”

“So, while I’ve got you…”

“Yes?”

Zahra needed to choose her words carefully. “This Yana woman, are you sure I can trust her?”

“More or less.”

“That’s not what I wanted to hear,” Zahra said, sighing hard.

“Look, Zahra, all you need to know is that her abilities will be invaluable if needed.”

Zahra looked out the window. “You still haven’t answered my question.”

“Fine. Yes, she’s trustworthy… ish.”

Zahra rolled her eyes and fell back in her seat. She decided that she was never going to get the answer she wanted, so she shifted gears mentally. Zahra’s driver shifted gears in real life and sped up. The sudden acceleration, combined with the poor condition of the vehicle, caused her to panic.

Holy crap!

“W — what about our Palmer Station contact?” she asked, looking for something to hold on to. But there was nothing available. Both ceiling handles were missing, having long since been ripped out of their mounts above each door.

“Captain Kyle Ford of the United States Air Force. Has logged hundreds of hours in the Antarctica air over the years. He’s supposed to be the best they have. I’m sure you’ve been on a C-130 before, correct?”