“You’re making a mistake,” she said.
“Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, we’re going to have a little chat when this is over. No more lies, no more crap. I want the truth.” I glared at her. “All of it.”
Chapter 7
Beverly lined up in front of a barn door. I stood in front of the other one. Together, we shoved the doors open. Brutal winds accosted us. Looking up, I saw long trails of swirling particles. They filled the sky, blotting out the sun.
I spun toward Graham. “Search this place for supplies. Food, bottled water, anything. Whatever you find, put it in the truck.” My gaze shifted to Beverly. “Grab the cords and cables. I’ll rig up the covering.”
As Graham hustled deeper into the barn, Beverly hurried to the pile of packing materials. She pulled out several bundles of metal cords and cables. Meanwhile, I extracted a couple of flexible, plastic-like sheets from the pile and carried them back to the truck.
Beverly clambered onto the flatbed. She selected a few metal cords from the bundles and connected them to the flatbed’s left side.
I tossed the plastic sheets onto the flatbed and climbed up after them. Quickly, I spread the sheets over the reliquary and taped them down. Then I grabbed some cables and began helping Beverly.
Graham returned to the cab, his hands stuffed with bottles of water and canned goods. He tossed the items into the open door. Then he reached for the ignition and turned the key. The engine sputtered.
And died.
“What’s wrong?” I called out.
He popped the hood and hurried to it. “Looks like a clogged fuel filter.”
“Can you fix it?”
His head bobbed. “Yeah, but it’ll take a few minutes.”
I helped Beverly secure the reliquary with additional cords and cables. Then I glanced in Graham’s direction. I couldn’t see him from my vantage point, but I could hear the sound of rattling metal. “We’re ready on our end.”
Tools clanked in reply.
I hopped off of the flatbed and followed Beverly to the doors. Looking outside, I watched the militia pour over a tall dune.
Whoa.
I turned my attention to the excavation site. The gantry crane and other machines remained in place, having withstood the winds. Numerous rocks lay a short distance away. We’d dug them out during the excavation. But because of their size and weight, we’d left them near the pit. Individually, the rocks weren’t impressive. The largest one was the size of a coffee table. But as a whole, they took up a decent amount of space.
And that was it. Other than the pit, the dust storm had swept away all other evidence of our work.
The engine revved behind me. But it failed to catch and the barn fell silent again. “How are we doing, Dutch?” I called out.
“I need more time,” he shouted.
Sunlight peeked through the flying dust. A few rays reflected off the gantry’s silver metal, casting a sharp glow in all directions.
“I know how to slow them down,” Lila said softly.
I glanced at her. “I’m listening.”
“You’ve got a gun, right? So, use it.”
I frowned.
“We need time. And a couple of dead bodies will buy us time.”
“Unless it whips them into a frenzy,” Beverly said. “They’re not exactly unarmed, you know.”
“I know. But—”
I held up a hand. “We’re not killing anyone.”
Lila frowned. “We can’t let them have the reliquary.”
“We won’t.”
She exhaled a frustrated sigh. In a weird way, I knew how she felt. I was pretty sure I wanted to save the reliquary just as badly as she wanted to destroy it. But that didn’t mean I was about to start killing people.
“Then fire into the air,” Lila suggested. “Aim a few rounds over their heads.”
“With this storm, I doubt they’d even notice,” I replied. “Anyway we need to conserve ammunition.”
“I’ve got an idea.” A sparkle appeared in Beverly’s eyes. “How much C-4 is in that case?”
Chapter 8
“I needed those explosives.” Lila shot me a dirty look.
“They’re being put to good use,” I replied.
“Are you sure about that?”
Admittedly, Beverly’s plan was a long shot. Plus, I didn’t like the idea of destroying the rocks. Although they’d been subjected to the storm, there was a decent chance they still possessed some archaeological significance. “It’ll give them pause. And if we’re really lucky, they’ll focus on the debris rather than on us.”
I squinted, catching a glimpse of Beverly. Metal case in hand, she ran to the rocks. Then she knelt in the soil.
I glanced over my shoulder. The reliquary was now covered with several layers of plastic sheets as well as dozens of cords and cables. There was no way the militia could miss it. But hopefully, they wouldn’t pay it much attention.
“I’m ready.” Beverly rushed into the barn. “Just say when.”
The engine revved again. But it refused to catch.
The engine revved yet again.
I looked into the distance. Even without my goggles, I could see the growing mass of militia members on the dark horizon.
And that meant they could see us too.
Abruptly, the engine burst to life. The truck began to vibrate. “We’re good,” Graham shouted.
I studied the militia for another few seconds. “Do, it,” I told Beverly.
She produced a small handheld device.
Her finger stabbed a large button.
Then everything exploded.
Chapter 9
“Good morning, Mr. Briggs.” A raven-haired beauty of youthful age and tall stature stepped forward, her heels clicking against the epoxy concrete floor coating. “It’s great to finally meet you in person.”
“Yes, yes.” Alan Briggs yawned as he climbed out of the small business jet. He avoided the helping hands of several crewmembers and instead, jumped to the ground. He landed awkwardly and flayed about for a moment, trying to regain his balance.
Tessie Perkins reached out a dainty hand and managed to steady Briggs before he could fall on his face. “How was your flight?”
“Adequate, I suppose.” Shrugging her off, he lowered his briefcase to the ground. He took a few moments to straighten out his dark slacks, non-pressed shirt, and threadbare sport coat. After adjusting the slightly off-center Windsor knot on his gaudy tie, he picked up the briefcase again. “Where’s Simona?”
“Still sleeping.” Tessie smiled. “It’s early morning here.”
“That’s unacceptable.”
“I see.” Tessie swallowed. “She, uh, said to get you settled and she’d meet with you when she woke up.”
Briggs hid a sly smile. He could see that he terrified Tessie. He liked that, liked knowing he could make her whimper. Girls like Tessie, beautiful goddesses, needed a little scare every now and then. They needed to be reminded the world didn’t revolve around their pretty little heads.
“When can I see the model?” he asked.
“We have a private room waiting for you. It’s equipped with a computer terminal. Simona told me to remind you that—”
“Yes, yes. The data is constantly fluctuating, meaning the model is constantly fluctuating as well. Christ, Tessie. I’ve been briefed, you know.”
Tessie stood absolutely still, a look of profound fear etched across her pretty face.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Briggs said in a dismissive tone. “Take me to my room.”
She twisted around. Heels clacking more loudly now, she strode across the large hangar. Briggs followed her at a reasonable distance, listening to the hissing pipes, the clanking gears, and the whirring mechanical tools. He did his best not to gawk at the bizarre machines surrounding him. But it was impossible.