Eddie’s eyes widened. ‘Not surprised. That’s a bloke who really loves his ride.’
‘There wasn’t any sentiment involved,’ Nina continued. ‘When Bucephalus was killed in battle, I think against Porus in India, Alexander just found another horse and carried on fighting. Victory mattered more to him than anyone or anything else.’
‘Seems that Jaekel and his buddies feel the same way,’ said Beck. ‘They were willing to gun a man down in broad daylight to stop him from telling you about all of this, Dr Wilde — and then they tried to kill you too.’
‘Why, though?’ she asked. ‘This is nothing to do with me any more.’
‘But the young man in Los Angeles was specifically looking for you,’ Seretse pointed out. ‘He must have been certain that you would help him prevent the raiding of the tomb. And this man Jaekel must also have considered you a threat — you said that he targeted you, again specifically. So it would appear that you are somehow connected, even if you don’t know how.’
‘You could still be in danger,’ Petrelli warned. ‘We don’t know how many more of these guys are out there. They might try again.’
‘Well, thanks for brightening my morning,’ Nina told him, exasperated.
‘We must find out what is going on, though,’ insisted Seretse. ‘The Egyptian government is extremely concerned about the threat to the dig. Since the IHA is a partner in the excavation, they have asked us to assist in any way we can.’
‘Wait a minute,’ Eddie said, suddenly wary. ‘Who’s this “we”? If you mean me and Nina, we don’t work for the IHA any more, remember?’
‘Yes, I know. However, considering the circumstances…’ Avoiding Eddie’s increasingly hostile gaze, the United Nations official faced Nina. ‘I would like to request your help in investigating these events, and securing the tomb of Alexander the Great from the raiders.’
‘What?’ protested Eddie. ‘No, no fucking way. We’ve got better things to do than act as security guards for another bloody hole in the ground.’
‘Eddie, wait,’ said Nina.
He rounded on her. ‘No, you wait! We agreed, okay! We’re doing what we’re doing for a reason, remember, and the last thing you need is to get dragged back into the job that—’ He almost blurted out got you poisoned. ‘That you wanted to leave in the first place.’
‘I didn’t want to leave,’ Nina said quietly.
Seretse broke the uncomfortable silence. ‘If it makes a difference, the request does not come from the Egyptians alone. The State Department has also asked for your help, Nina.’
‘Oh, well then, how can we fucking refuse?’ Eddie said, throwing up his hands.
‘If there really are Nazi war criminals still at large, they’ve got to be found and brought to justice,’ said Beck. ‘And speaking strictly off the record, Mr Chase — not as an FBI agent, but as someone with family who died in the war — I agree with what you said in the car, about the kind of justice these people deserve. If I were in your shoes, I’d do it.’
‘You’re not in my shoes,’ Eddie snapped. ‘You don’t have a clue about all the shit we’ve been through. We—’
‘Eddie,’ Nina cut in, still speaking softly. ‘I’ve got to do it.’
‘What?’
‘Agent Petrelli’s right: they might try to take another shot at me. If we go to Egypt, it’ll be harder for them to find us.’
He stared at her. ‘No it won’t, it’ll be bloody easier — because you’ll be in the same place they’re planning to rob!’
‘Yes — behind maximum security! You know Dr Assad; he’ll have the ASPS on full alert now that there’s a definite threat. You’ve worked with them, you know they’re good at what they do.’
‘Yeah, they are,’ Eddie said in a begrudging tone. ‘Which means they don’t need us. We could just head back to the west coast and stay out of the way until this all gets sorted out.’
‘They found us in LA,’ she countered. ‘Who even knew we were there? But that kid found us — and Jaekel found him.’ She addressed Seretse. ‘Oswald, I’m going to say right up front that I don’t want to do this. Eddie’s right: I left the IHA for very good reasons — which I’m not going to go into,’ she added. ‘But whatever all this is about — what happened in Los Angeles, this plan to rob Alexander’s tomb — somehow, these people think I can stop them. And considering who it seems they are…’ she gazed at the line of scowling monochromatic faces on the desk, ‘I’d say it’s my duty, as the former head of the IHA, and as a human being, to do just that.’
‘For fuck’s sake,’ Eddie growled, shaking his head before pointedly looking away from her.
Nina sympathised, but she knew that in his current mood he would not be receptive to any apology. Instead she asked Seretse: ‘So, what do we do?’
‘I can have you flown to Egypt to meet Dr Assad and his people—’
‘First class,’ she interrupted. ‘We just got off a long flight; we’re not getting straight back on another one and sitting in coach for thirteen hours.’
‘Very well,’ said the diplomat reluctantly. ‘Once you get there, any help you can provide to ensure the safety of the excavation will, I’m sure, be very much appreciated. Then you can go back to what you were doing. Both of you.’
Eddie, still fuming, gave no answer beyond a curt nod. ‘Thank you,’ said Nina. ‘Before all that, though, I really want to go home and have a shower.’
Seretse’s nose twitched. ‘I didn’t want to comment, but… Chanel?’
‘By the gallon, yeah.’
He stood. ‘I will make the arrangements.’ He extended his hand. ‘Welcome back, Nina. Even if it is only temporary.’
Eddie rose, turning away from the others as he headed for the exit. ‘Yeah. Fucking great to be back.’
Nina stepped out of the shower, draping herself in a towel. She let it soak up the moisture on her skin, taking in the familiar surroundings of her apartment. It might have been an unwelcome break in the grand tour she and Eddie had planned, but still… it was good to be home.
It was also, she was forced to admit, good to be back at work, however unpleasant the circumstances. She wiped condensation from the mirror, looking into her reflection’s green eyes. Two months away had recharged her batteries and given her a new sense of perspective — as well as taking her mind off her illness. Two months, travelling with the man she loved, no concerns except those inside her own head.
But now her concerns had become external, in more ways than one. The towel slipped off her right side as she worked it down her body. What she saw there made her pause. Two months of denial, of believing that somehow she was different from all the other victims of the black poison from the depths of the earth. That she could carry on as if nothing had changed.
Only now, that was no longer an option.
Another look at the face in the mirror. Strands of damp red hair framed it, cheekbones picked out by the overhead light. Was she more gaunt than before? Had the shadows under her eyes become deeper? Denial returned: no, it was just the unflattering lighting and the effects of jet lag, surely.
Surely…
Eddie’s voice snapped her back into the present. ‘Okay, yeah, I’ll talk to you again soon,’ he said as he approached the bathroom. ‘Thanks for ringing. Bye.’
Nina hurriedly pulled the towel tight again as the door opened. ‘Don’t you ever knock?’ she said with a smile.
‘This from the woman who just wanders in and out while I’m having a dump,’ he replied. ‘I never get a chance to read my iPad in peace.’