They all got out of the Range Rover. The driver pointed to some tyre marks in the sand.
'We'll follow these tracks,' said Salahadin quietly.
They walked slowly down the valley. Salahadin and Musa went in front, with their revolvers ready. The three policemen and the driver followed them. They found the two lorries standing in the valley.
'Listen,' whispered Salahadin.
They stood and listened. A noise came from the back of one of the lorries.
'It's someone tuning a radio,' said the driver. 'I used to work as a radio operator. I'd know that noise anywhere.'
Salahadin walked up to the back of the lorry and looked inside. Someone was sitting in front of a radio with his back towards Salahadin.
'Put your hands up and turn round,' Salahadin said quietly.
Farrow was startled and jumped up and turned round. Salahadin was ready to shoot if the man had a gun. But he recognized Farrow immediately. He had seen his photograph on the visa application form in London.
'You're Farrow - Dr John Farrow,' said Salahadin. 'What's going on here? Where are the others?'
'Who are you?' asked Farrow.
'I'm Salahadin El Nur - a police officer.'
'Thank goodness you've come at last,' said Farrow.
Farrow quickly told Salahadin about the deaths of De Fries and Keesing, and about Strengel and his men.
'Where's Strengel now?' Salahadin asked.
Farrow started to explain about the danger in the tomb. Salahadin stopped him.
'I've read your book and I know all about that. Tell me about Strengel and his men.'
'They're in the tomb,' replied Farrow. 'But they're wearing protective suits, and they're protected from the germs. They're taking the mummy out -'
'They're not leaving here,' said Salahadin. 'The Queen of Death must stay in her tomb forever.'
'But how are you going to stop them?'
'I've got men with me,' was Salahadin's reply.
Farrow then told Salahadin about the radio call to Greer.
'I'll send the driver in to you,' replied Salahadin. 'He knows about radios.'
Salahadin hurried back to the others and told them what was happening. He pointed to the enormous rock that had fallen over the entrance to the tomb.
'They've found a way into the tomb above that rock,' he said. 'They're going to carry the mummy down the gully. They're wearing protective suits and they won't be able to move easily. That's where we'll be able to stop them.'
Salahadin then reminded them of the dangers of going too near the mummy.
'Don't go near the mummy,' he said. 'Remember - if you touch the mummy, you will die a horrible death.'
Salahadin turned to the driver.
'Go back to the lorry and help Farrow send a radio message,' he said. 'But do it cleverly. If the person in Cairo gets suspicious, he may kill Christine Farrow.'
Salahadin sent two of the policemen up one side of the gully. The third policeman climbed up the other side.
The policemen quietly took up their places and hid behind rocks. Musa climbed above the entrance to the tomb and stood in the shadow of a rock. The moon shone on Salahadin who was standing alone in the gully.
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Radio Call
Inside the lorry, the driver looked quickly through the pieces of paper beside the radio. He found notes made by Keesing. They were notes for his calls to Greer in Cairo.
'It won't take long now,' he explained to Farrow. 'I'm going to call Greer in Cairo. When Greer replies, I'll cut off the power. He'll think that Keesing is trying to get through to him. He'll go on trying to speak to us. We'll pretend that we're trying to speak to him. That will keep him busy.'
The driver tuned in the radio and gave the call sign. A few moments later, Greer replied. The driver immediately cut off the power and counted twenty. Then he switched the power on again and repeated the call sign.
Back in Cairo, Greer answered the call sign three times. But all he got back in reply was the call sign.
There's something wrong with their radio, he thought. I'll have to keep on trying.
By now Leila was inside the house. She followed Fatima's instructions and made her way to the man's bedroom. She stood outside the door and listened. She heard the man using a radio transmitter.
He's busy with a radio in there, she thought. That gives me time to find the woman.
She again followed Fatima's instructions and went to the locked door of the woman's bedroom. She stood listening, but there was no sound. She tapped the door lightly with her fingers and waited. There was no reply. She tapped the door again, this time a little louder. She heard the noise of someone moving.
'Who is it? What do you want?' said a voice on the other side of the locked door.
'I thought I heard someone crying,' said Leila. 'Are you all right?'
'Who are you?'
'I'm the servant,' replied Leila. 'Are you all right?'
'Can you take a message for me?' asked the voice.
'A message for your husband?' said Leila.
'No - no - that man's not my husband,' said the voice. 'Don't tell him you've spoken to me . . .'
'Who are you?' Leila asked quietly.
'My name is Farrow - Christine Farrow. Can you take a message to the police?'
'It's all right, Mrs Farrow,' said Leila. 'I am a police officer. Stay where you are. We'll soon have you out of there.'
'Take care,' whispered Christine Farrow. 'The man's very dangerous and he's got a gun.'
'We'll take care,' answered Leila. 'You wait there quietly.
Leila went back towards the front door. Suddenly she heard the door of the man's bedroom opening. It was Greer coming out of his bedroom. He had remembered that the servant was still in the house.
Greer stood outside his bedroom door and turned to lock it behind him. Just as he was turning the key, he heard the call sign again. He stood with the key in his hand.
'OK - OK, I'm coming,' he said and opened the door again and went back to the radio.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Salahadin 's Bluff
Half-way up the gully, Salahadin stood waiting in the moon-light. Musa and the policemen were hidden behind rocks.
At last Salahadin heard the noise he was waiting for. Strengel and his men were carrying the mummy out of the tomb. He waited patiently until Strengel came round the rock. Strengel did not notice him. He had his back towards Salahadin and was giving instructions to his men.
'Carefully now - go carefully,' said Strengel to the men above him.
A few moments later, Strengel turned round to look for a path down the gully. He saw Salahadin standing below him.
'Salahadin El Nur,' said Strengel. 'I didn't expect you so soon. Have you come here to help us?'
'I've come to help you put the mummy back in the tomb,' replied Salahadin quietly.
'I'm taking the mummy away with me,' said Strengel. 'And you won't be able to stop me.'
'I've got my men all round you,' said Salahadin. 'And they've got orders to shoot.'
'Order them to shoot if you want,' said Strengel. 'But think what will happen before you give the order. Remember you haven't got protective suits. I was the one clever enough to think of suits to protect us from the germs. Without these suits, you cannot come near the mummy. If you shoot us, we'll drop the mummy. It will break open if it falls and the germs will spread everywhere.'
Salahadin stood looking up at Strengel. For a few seconds, there was a strange silence in the moonlit gully.