Slipping through the Saudi air defenses presented little difficulty. They crossed into the kingdom flying low and fast. The pilot set them down on the valley floor, not far from their objective. They were out of the bird with their gear and on the ground in seconds.
They watched their only connection to home and safety speed off into the darkness, a black shape against a black sky lit with millions of stars. The starlight was bright enough to make out peaks rising on either side of the valley. The mountains weren't much more than three thousand feet high but they were rugged, steep and inhospitable. It was a harsh, sandy land.
It was cold now. When the sun rose the temperature would climb to well over a hundred.
"Lock and load," Nick said.
They were traveling light, rations for three days and six thirty round magazines of ammo, plus four magazines each for their sidearms. Each of them carried an MP-5 chambered for the same .40 caliber round as their pistols. They charged the weapons. The metallic sounds echoed in the still night air.
"Quiet, isn't it," Diego said. "Peaceful."
"Let's hope it stays that way."
Nick activated the satellite comm link. They could all hear what was said.
"Base, this is One."
In Virginia, Elizabeth had been waiting. She heard Nick's voice, loud and clear. Eggleston had done his job.
One less worry, she thought.
"One, copy," she said. "What's your status?"
"Down and good. Moving out now. One, out." Nick signed off.
"It will be light soon." He looked at his GPS and pointed. "That way. Let's go."
He set off at a fast walk. The others strung out behind him, leaving space between. One of the first things Selena had learned in the field with Nick was to avoid bunching up in hostile territory. By now it was second nature to her.
The GPS guided them away from the easy path of the ancient riverbed that formed the valley floor. The ground rose in a steep slope covered with thick clumps of juniper and scattered trees. Above them, the three pillars of rock Ephram had described on the scroll loomed against a predawn sky.
They pushed up the slope. It was hard going, through tough branches and prickly leaves that caught on their clothes and scratched at them. The sun was breaking the horizon in the east when they reached the base of the first pillar.
"It will be full light soon," Nick said. "Let's move in between the rocks."
"Isn't this place some kind of tourist attraction?" Selena asked.
"Not much of one. In the winter, maybe, when it's cooler. I don't think we're going to see any tourists."
"Sure, but the locals must've been through here a lot since that scroll was written," Diego said. "If that tomb is here, how come nobody found it?"
"I don't know. We still have to look for it. Makes sense that any entrance would be so well hidden no one would pay attention if they were looking right at it."
"By now it's probably covered over by these damn bushes," Ronnie said.
They made their way into the center of the three pillars. The formation formed a flat, rough circle dotted with more junipers and trees. There were animal tracks, winding trails in the greenery. In a firefight, the place would be a death trap.
"This sucks," Diego said.
Selena saw something on her sleeve. She made a face and plucked it off. "Ticks. The place is full of ticks."
"Great," Nick said. "Probably venomous spiders as well. Scorpions too. The brown ones will hurt like hell. The black ones will kill you. This is high desert. Make sure you're bloused up good and tight."
"Snakes?" Selena asked. "Are there snakes?"
"Yes. Several poisonous ones, vipers. They're deadly, so watch where you walk or sit. Don't stick your hand where you can't see it."
"Now you tell me. This place must give Hell a run for its money."
"I didn't want to freak you out," Nick said.
"I wouldn't talk if I were you," Selena said. "Spiders and snakes get to you as much as they do me."
"I hate spiders," Diego said.
"They're afraid of people," Ronnie said. "They'll hear us coming and get out of the way."
"Like that big one on your foot?"
"Whaa!"
Ronnie jumped to the side.
Diego started laughing and the others joined in.
"Very funny," Ronnie said. "I'll remember that."
As the sun rose, the morning light revealed a place of desolate beauty. It was already getting hot. The pillars rose tall into the air. They were composed of reddish stone and reminded Nick of Utah.
They found a place near one of the pillars with only a scattering of vegetation and stopped to look around. Outcrops of granite poked through the dry, sand colored ground. There were flat rocks everywhere, perfect hiding places for the deadly wildlife that lived here. The top of the hill would make a great location for a nature special on public television. Nick could have done without it
"How do you want to do it?" Ronnie asked. "Spread out or stay together?"
"I think we should stay together. This place isn't so big that we need to fan out. Keep a few feet apart."
"Do you think Ephram would have buried it?" Selena asked. "It looks like it's solid rock underneath the surface dirt."
"I don't think so," Nick said. "Look for a natural crevice, something they could use to hollow out a hiding place. It's what I'd do. Then I'd seal it up with rocks and dirt. In a year or two you'd never know anyone had ever been there. There weren't many people in this area back then."
Elizabeth's voice crackled through the comm link.
"One, you copy?"
"Copy."
"Al-Bayati is on the move. He boarded a plane in Beirut an hour ago with a flight plan for Yemen. He's headed your way."
"How long till he gets here?"
"Sometime in the afternoon your time. It depends on what he's using for transportation and whether or not he gets hung up at the border."
"He'll have a way to cross or he wouldn't be coming."
"Any luck?"
"Not yet. We're just beginning to look."
"Keep me posted. Out."
"Company coming," Nick said.
"We'll make sure he gets a nice welcome," Ronnie said.
CHAPTER 32
Addison Rhoades leaned back in the comfortable lounge seat of Al-Bayati's private jet and closed his eyes. It had been a while since he'd taken one of the foil wrapped balls. His body hummed and vibrated, out of harmony with the steady pulse of the engines. He felt like a guitar string tuned too tight, ready to snap if plucked. He'd taken a tablet of morphine half an hour before. Now he waited for the drug to kick in and take the edge off the unpleasant sensations.
It was no use, he had to sit up and do something, distract himself. He reached down into his travel bag and took out a cleaning kit. He pulled a Glock GP27 from his shoulder holster and laid it on the coffee table in front of his seat. Along with the Walther PPK the Glock was his favorite pistol, compact and powerful. It was meant for up close and personal, where almost all gunfights with pistols took place. Unloaded it weighed less than 20 ounces. He field stripped the weapon and started to clean it.
The morphine kicked in and his body relaxed. Rhoades took a deep breath and felt his mood improve. The smell of gun oil and cleaner was familiar, the ritual soothing. He'd always liked guns. They were reliable if you took care of them, unlike people. With a good gun you knew what to expect.
They'd land in Yemen near the Saudi border within the hour. Al-Bayati's connections meant no problems with the authorities. Men loyal to Rhoades would be waiting with vehicles at the landing strip. From there it was a few hours overland to their objective in the Habala Valley.