"The Ethiopians may have something to say about that," Nick said.
The Israeli's face was tight. "The only people guarding it will be mine."
"Sorry, sir. I have my orders and I will carry them out."
Nick almost smiled. Axton reminded him of himself when he was younger.
"I don't think you want to take on my men," Yosef said.
"I don't think you want to take on mine," Axton said.
Nick interrupted. "There's no need for a pissing contest. Nobody's going to take anything out of that tomb until the big shots figure out how to handle it. Major Yosef, you're forgetting something."
"What's that?"
"We're on Ethiopian soil and this is a sacred site for them. The tomb is a shrine of the Coptic church, as you'll see for yourself. Addis Ababa is sure to make a claim on everything in it."
Selena had been watching the testosterone levels building.
"If I could make a suggestion?"
Nick and Dov turned toward her. Lieutenant Axton gave her an appreciative once over.
"Nick's right. Nothing is going to happen here until the politicians sort it out. Major, there's no reason why Lieutenant Axton's men and yours can't post a joint guard. I assume that would be all right with you, Lieutenant?"
"Yes ma'am, I think it would. As long as my men are on site to prevent any unauthorized access. Nothing is to be removed. By the Israelis, the Ethiopians or anyone else."
"Major?"
"It's a solution," Yosef said. "No one except my men are to go inside the tomb. The objects in there are sacred to us."
Axton said. "We don't have to go in as long as nobody takes anything out."
This young officer will go far, Nick thought.
"Agreed," Yosef said.
"Thank you sir. With your permission, I'll have my Sergeant pick men to work with you. Perhaps you would like to do the same?"
"Very well."
"Then I'll get to it." Axton saluted and turned to Nick. "When you're ready, sir."
"Thank you, Lieutenant."
Dov watched Axton go back to his men. "Not much seems to bother him."
"He's a Marine," Nick said. "What else would you expect?"
"More company coming," Lamont said. "Looks like the Ethiopians are joining the party."
He pointed off to the east. Two military helicopters were headed their way.
"Let's get out of here," Nick said. "I've seen enough of Ethiopia for a lifetime."
They picked up Diego's body and headed over to the American helicopter.
Al-Bayati and Badr had reached their vehicles an hour before the Israeli helicopter landed. They'd stopped at the same spot where Nick had left the Toyota.
"Disable all of them except one," Bayati said. "Tear out the wires."
It only took a few minutes. Al-Bayati and Badr got in the last vehicle and drove away.
Badr drove. Al-Bayati felt the glow of Solomon's ring in his hand and thought about what he would do when he got back to Lebanon. He'd bind the ring to him with the blood sacrifice, as the ancient book of magic passed down to him by his ancestors instructed.
The book dated from before the thirteenth century, a collection of Arabic incantations and formulas copied with painstaking care onto pages of yellowed vellum. Among its secrets was the hallucinogenic formula of the Hashishin, Hassan-i-Sabbah's society of assassins. Sabbah had used it to reveal paradise to his followers and control them. Al-Bayati used it for pleasure. It was the drug Rhoades had preferred.
Thinking of Rhoades soured Al-Bayati's mood. He'd been a useful asset and it would be difficult to replace him. Badr could be trained to perform the part Rhoades had played in the monthly ritual, it was simple enough and Badr could be trusted. Someone else would have to be found to take the dead spy's role in the West.
Al-Bayati felt cheated. To have come all this way and then to have been denied entrance to the tomb. Denied the gold, the pleasure of holding Solomon's skull in his hands, because of meddling Americans. It was unfair. He imagined exploring Carter's capacity for pain with one of the ancient instruments of torture he had in his collection. As for the woman, his thoughts turned to how acceptable she would be as an offering to the god, after he'd sampled her wares, of course. The god didn't care about that. It was unlikely he would see either one of them again. If he ever had the opportunity, Al-Bayati vowed he would turn imagination into reality.
CHAPTER 50
Nick looked out the window of the hotel room in Addis Ababa at a row of flags flying in front of the United Nations conference center. He was waiting for new instructions from Elizabeth. Diego's body was waiting for shipment back to the states, courtesy of the U.S. Navy.
Selena came out of the bathroom wrapped in a hotel robe, combing her hair.
"It's good to get clean again," she said.
"Yeah."
She walked up behind him and put her arms around him and leaned against his back.
"I liked him," she said. "It was too quick. I hardly knew him."
"It's better quick than slow. It still stinks. You know what bothers me?"
"What?"
"I keep thinking that if someone had to get it, I'm glad it wasn't you or Lamont or Ronnie."
"And you feel guilty about that? About caring more for your friends than for someone you've only known for a little while?"
Nick was silent.
"I understand but I'm not sure that's what's bothering you."
"What do you mean?"
"I think what bothers you is that you couldn't stop what happened. It could have been any one of us. You knew we'd have to come out of that room shooting."
"If you hadn't, Bayati would have killed all of us."
"That's right. And you couldn't have known he'd show up," Selena said.
"I should have been prepared. I should've anticipated it."
"How? There wasn't any reason to think he knew about Ethiopia. We blew up the stone with the map. This wasn't supposed to be a combat mission, it was supposed to be a reconnaissance."
"Yeah, but recon has a funny way of changing into something more lethal."
"In a war zone, that makes sense. In this case it doesn't make any sense at all. It's not your fault Diego is dead."
Nick turned away from the window. "I know you're right. It's not the first time I've lost someone. I've never gotten used to it."
"That's why you're one of the good guys," Selena said.
Nick's satellite phone signaled.
"It's Harker." He made the connection. "Yes, Director."
"I spoke with the president. You're leaving for Turkey."
"What's in Turkey?"
Selena heard his end of the conversation. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Incirlik Air Base. Transport will be in Addis Ababa tomorrow. A driver from the embassy will pick you up at your hotel and take the four of you to the airport. Keep your guns. You're getting on an Air Force plane. At Incirlik you can fit yourself out with the gear you need."
"Where are we going after that?"
"President Rice has been talking with the Israeli prime minister about what you found. By the way, you are all up for an Israeli Medal of Distinguished Service. It's quite an honor for a foreigner."
"It won't do Diego much good," Nick said.
"No, it won't. What I'm about to tell you might make you feel better."
"Go on."
"Rice and the Israeli PM agree that Al-Bayati must not be allowed to keep possession of Solomon's Seal. Various options were discussed, most of which resulted in an assault on his compound that would likely start a new war. The Israelis would like to go storming in there but they have their hands full with the Shia/Sunni civil war heating up. The president and the prime minister feel a military assault is not expedient."
"Where have I heard that before?" Nick said. "Usually when politicians say something isn't expedient they're ducking responsibility or they have something up their sleeve."