Sam watched until the two men disappeared up ahead. “You still think they’re following you?”
Sadik nodded, looking less confident. “They don’t belong here.”
“Of course they don’t, they’re tourists.”
After another couple of minutes Sadik started to walk back toward the entrance to the ventilation shaft. He made it less than a hundred feet before stopping again.
“What now?” Sam asked.
Sadik glanced up ahead to his left. “Look at the Aria Cave Hotel up ahead. Do you recognize the two gentlemen reading the paper?”
The stone chimney had been carved out to make a five story boutique hotel. At the bottom of the hotel there were two men reading the paper. Sam recognized them at a glance as the two who Sadik said were following them. They must have sped up and then looped back around a second path, so they could get in front of them again.
Sam breathed in calmly and said, “I believe you’re right, we’re being stalked…”
Chapter Three
Sam kept walking until he was no more than twenty feet from the two men who had been following them and stopped. He made no attempt to appear inconspicuous. They were the ones who wanted to keep a surreptitious eye on Sadik and possibly him, not the other way round. So Sam didn’t see any reason why he should go out of his way to pretend not to be staring directly at them.
They were seated out the front of a subterranean hotel called Nexus. The lobby of the hotel was built into a large natural stone chimney which stood approximately thirty feet above ground. The accommodation and entertainment were all deep below the surface. Out the front a large glass revolving door stood unnaturally as a grand entrance, moving in a slow and continuous clockwise direction.
He stared directly at the two men. They were reading the Financial Review, but they definitely didn’t look like any businessmen he’d ever met. They wore identical dark shades, with similar cargo shorts, beige V-neck tee shirts and thick climbing vests. There was a conspicuous bulge in both of their cargo pockets. It might have been caused by a weapon — maybe a handgun and spare magazines? Or they might be tourists carrying their wallets and cameras. Both looked genuinely interested in what they were reading. Perhaps they knew Sadik had to backtrack eventually?
Both men were of a roughly average height, with a slim and athletic build. They looked very similar, but not close enough to be brothers. Their rigid postures and definite movements suggested they had a military or paramilitary background. There was also the chance they were in some sort of policing role. If he was stateside, Sam couldn’t have ruled out FBI or even CIA agents. In Turkey, they might work for Interpol — or they might work for whoever it was that didn’t want him to find out what secret Derinkuyu held about the Master Builders.
“How long have those two been following you?” Sam asked.
Sadik thought about it for a moment. “I saw them yesterday afternoon, when I finished work, but didn’t think anything of it at the time. Then again, they were there when I left my house. They’ve been with me since then. Do you have any ideas how we can lose them?”
“We could just go ask them directly to leave us alone?” Tom suggested. “I mean, their cover’s no good to them if we know they’re following us. We may as well confront them head on.”
“I was hoping to avoid a direct confrontation,” Sadik said. “Wouldn’t it be easier just to lose them?”
Sam turned to face Tom and Sadik. “No. Tom’s right. Let’s go have a chat with them.”
Tom smiled, as though confrontation was exactly what he needed right now. Sadik swore and started to walk away. Whatever Sam and Tom were going to say or do to the two men, Sadik wanted no part of it. Sam shrugged. He didn’t care what Sadik wanted. He walked directly up to the table next to the two men and pulled out a chair for himself. He moved the chair so that he faced them directly. “My name’s Sam Reilly. What’s yours?”
Both men shuffled in their seats and pretended to focus more on their newspapers.
“Is there something you guys want to know?” Sam asked.
One of the men — the one closest to him — lowered his newspaper and asked, “I’m sorry, were you asking me a question?”
“Yeah. I want to know who you are and why you’re following me?”
“I’m sorry… Mr. Reilly, was it?” Sam nodded and the man continued — speaking in a heavily Eastern European accented voice. “We weren’t following you. We were following your friend, Mr. Sadik.”
Sam shook his head. “I’m sorry. I’m really not very comfortable with being followed by a couple of badly dressed strangers.”
“Didn’t you hear me?” The man’s tone was suddenly hard like ice. “I said we’re not following you, we’re following your friend. Now I suggest you leave if you know what’s good for you.”
Tom sat down at the chair next to Sam. He was a good seven inches taller than either of them, and eighty pounds heavier. He wore a thick grin as he spoke. “Gentlemen. If you will permit, I think I might be able to clear up this misunderstanding.”
“Please be sure you do,” the first guy said.
“You see, gentlemen…” Tom began. “My friend here is currently traveling with Mr. Sadik and therefore, if you’re following Mr. Sadik, you’re also following my friend. May I suggest you stop following my friend?”
The second guy stood up first. “All right wise guy. I think it’s time we all have a talk, but not here.”
“Sure,” Tom said. He stood up, so that he had to look down on the man who was trying to intimidate him. “Let’s start with why you’re following Mr. Sadik.”
“That’s between him and my boss. Let’s just say, he owes my boss something, and we’re here to make sure he doesn’t leave town.” The first guy withdrew a handgun from his right cargo pocket, just enough to make it obvious he was carrying a weapon, before lowering it so it remained concealed. “So, given I’m the guy with the gun right now, I suggest you do as I say and come inside the hotel to answer some questions.”
Sam watched as Tom’s eyes swept the two men in a glance, trying to decide who he was going to have to take down first. He fixed his penetrating gaze on the second guy, who was slightly taller than the first, and hadn’t yet revealed where he was carrying a weapon. The second guy stared hard back at him and Sam noticed with pleasure, the guy was holding his breath — it’s hard, even for a man carrying a gun, not to be at least a little intimidated by someone of Tom’s size.
Sam had no doubt he and Tom would come out on top in a fight. His first prediction that the two men had a military background appeared unfounded. No ex-soldier or professional would try and intimidate a person while their handgun was still in their pocket. If they were ever more than amateurs, it was long ago, and years of success had left them lazy and unskilled.
Sam stood up. “Tom. This isn’t our country and we’re the outsiders here. Let’s not make a mess for anyone. We'll come and have a talk, but then we’re out of here and neither of you will see us again, okay?”
The first guy met Sam’s eye, and motioned to his partner to keep the situation hospitable. The second guy slowly breathed out and then spoke. “Of course. All we want to do is chat. No one needs to get hurt today.”
“Where?” Sam asked.
“Inside the hotel,” the first guy said.
Sam said, “All right, lead the way.”
The tension seemed to disappear from the first guy as he walked toward the revolving door. He no longer walked with a rigid gait. The man clearly assumed he’d already won the dispute, and was feeling the relief at not having to fight Tom. He was so confident with his victory that he walked in front of Sam, leading the way — and why shouldn’t he be? After all, he was the one with the gun. It was their first mistake — never turn your back to an enemy. Sam and then Tom followed next, with the second guy walking directly behind.