The Oracle Code (15 page)

25

Kandahar

Kandahar Province

Afghanistan

February 15, 2013

Lourds climbed out of the compact SUV Layla had arranged for him when he’d left the small bed and breakfast where he and Anna had spent the night. His back and knees ached from the exertion of the day before and from the cramped position they’d been in during the past five and a half hours of driving.

Anna got out on the other side of the vehicle and looked around. They’d parked just outside of Kandahar at a roadside market that sold food and clothing.

The small, wooden building looked lonely and forgotten beside the highway. Inside, a man stood behind a short counter and peered out through the window. He was probably hoping for some kind of business, or at least a chance to practice his English on tourists.

Lourds checked his watch again. It was 2:43 p.m. He glanced back at the highway as a black sedan pulled off the road, paused for a moment as if checking directions, then turned and came back up the highway.

Anna shaded her eyes with a hand. “That’s not your lady friend, is it?”

“No, it isn’t.” Lourds reached for the door and yanked it open. “Get in.” He slid behind the steering wheel as the black sedan raced toward them.

***

In the black sedan, Linko cursed his luck. The phone communications between Lourds and Layla Teneen had mentioned a designated mile marker. This wasn’t it. The professor had stopped more than a mile too early. In fact, if the American hadn’t gotten out of his car, Linko would have missed him entirely. Possibly the SUV’s GPS tracking device was off.

Earlier, the colonel had tried to locate the American as he cruised along the highway, but there had been too many suspect vehicles, and he’d never spotted the man. He had alternately sped up and slowed down, trying to estimate when Lourds had departed Herat and how fast he would go. That had proven impossible.

All Linko had to go on was the mile marker and the time of the meeting. He’d arrived early and taken to traveling the last mile or so over and over in an effort to make the connection.

To make matters worse, the ANA had patrols out on the highway that had made zooming around any particular stretch of road very risky. Linko was pretty certain his papers would still hold up even after all the excitement at the dig site, but Anna Cherkshan’s stories in
The Moscow Times
concerning the attack on the dig site had mentioned his cover name. The fact that the stories had been picked up by several news agencies had been even worse luck.

But now he had his quarry. Linko reached under his jacket and freed his pistol. He glanced at the three men with him, all mercenary muscle for hire that the FSB had contracted out for him.

“Are you ready?”

They all confirmed their readiness and brandished weapons in their hands. He wished now that he had gotten another car team, but he was convinced that he had more than enough men to take care of a single college professor.

One of the men in the back suddenly squawked in alarm. “Look out!”

Glancing to his left, Linko saw a Jeep with a large push bar welded onto the front closing fast. He cut the wheel hard, trying to dodge the military vehicle.

***

Tensely, Layla Teneen sat in the rear seat of the sedan where Captain Fitrat had put her. He was still with her as her personal bodyguard because she’d asked him to stay. He’d agreed to the assignment, and the details had been worked out.

Fitrat spoke quickly into the mic affixed to his sun visor giving orders to his men in the two Jeeps that rode before and after their sedan.

Layla’s heart was in her stomach. She’d seen Lourds briefly when he’d been standing outside the rented SUV and had tried to call him when she saw the sedan turn around and speed back in his direction.

The black sedan bore down on the small SUV, and Layla wished she had gotten a larger car for Lourds. The one he was in now looked like it was a tin can about to be crushed. “Captain Fitrat, you must—”

Before she could finish, one of the Jeeps rammed the black sedan and knocked it off track, shoving the vehicle back until it banged against the corner of the small store at the side of the road.

Fitrat spoke calmly from the front passenger seat. “Call Professor Lourds. Tell him to head into Kandahar. Tell him not to stop until he gets there. We will be right behind him.”

Layla took out her phone and dialed.
Pick up, Thomas. Pick up, pick up...

***

Lourds pulled back onto the highway and stared at the Jeep and the sedan. He’d been stunned by both events and was now moving on autopilot.

“Who were they?” Anna craned over the seat, looking through the back windshield.

“I would venture to say they’re either with Yakov or some other group coming after the scrolls.” Lourds had been thankful that Anna had held back that part of the story concerning Boris’s death. The last thing they needed was a lot of treasure hunters hot on their heels as well.

She’d agreed to the constraint in exchange for an exclusive to the story, which he had gladly given. The details could all be worked out later.

His phone rang in his pocket. He plucked it out and watched as a newer sedan wheeled around and trailed after him. His stomach knotted into a ball of worry.

Layla’s image showed on the phone screen.

Lourds answered immediately. “Layla, you need to stay away. The man—or men—who have been looking for me have—”

“We’re here, Thomas. Captain Fitrat and me and several of his men. They’re the ones that kept the black sedan away from you. We’re in the car behind you.”

Glancing in his rearview mirror, Lourds watched as the car behind him flashed its lights.

“Your girlfriend?” Anna continued to stare out the rear window.

“Yes.”

“I suppose these are her friends.”

“From the ANP, yes.”

Anna shot him a smile. “I like her already.”

“A lot of people do.”

“Not, I would be willing to wager, Yakov and his thugs.”

Layla kept talking over the phone. “I’m arranging for a place for us to meet, Thomas. Keep driving into the city.”

Lourds pressed his foot down harder onto the accelerator. Getting the attention of a police officer now didn’t seem so horrible.

***

Cursing, dazed, Linko reached between the seats for the Uzi machine pistol he’d stored there. The Jeep still drove his car forward, pushing it sideways. He rolled the window down, shoved the Uzi outside the vehicle, and pulled the trigger. Nine-millimeter bullets spattered across the Jeep’s windshield, pitting it and spreading fissures that twisted through the glass.

Immediately, the driver stopped pushing and backed away, trying to get out of the line of fire. Blood stained the inside of the Jeep’s windshield, and Linko knew at least one of the men up front had been hit.

Shifting his aim, Linko sprayed more bullets into the Jeep’s front tires. The rubber shredded under the impact, and the vehicle went out of control as the bare rims dug into the ground.

The mercenaries in Linko’s car added their fire to his, and the men inside the Jeep took cover. A second Jeep raced in to the aid of the first, and the men in that vehicle unlimbered their weapons and opened fire.

Having no choice, Linko abandoned the attempt to intercept Lourds. He cursed the man and the fact that he seemed to be so well connected that the ANP itself watched over him. Juking and weaving, Linko guided the bullet-riddled car back onto the highway and accelerated away from Kandahar.

26

Safe House

Kandahar

Kandahar Province

Afghanistan

February 15, 2013

The meeting place Layla had arranged was in an older section of the city that was scheduled for reconstruction. All of the surrounding buildings had taken damage from Taliban attacks, and only a few of them were still habitable.

Following Layla’s directions, Lourds pulled into an alley and stopped halfway down.

Anna looked at him as he put the car in Park. “Are we at our destination?”

“Yeah, it looks like it.” Lourds got out, then reached back into the rear seat and got his backpack. Turning, he headed back to the car following him. A pair of Jeeps had already parked ahead of and behind the two cars, and he immediately felt more secure.

Captain Fitrat got out of the car containing Layla. He nodded to Lourds but kept his assault rifle handy and watched the tall apartment buildings on either side.

Layla hurried over to Lourds, but she didn’t embrace him. She stood a proper distance away and looked him over. “You are unhurt?”

“I am, thanks to Captain Fitrat and his people.”

The captain acknowledged Lourds with a small smile. He wore wraparound sunglasses that hid his eyes.

“And to you,” Lourds added.

Layla nodded.

“Did you get the man who tried to smash into me?”

Fitrat scowled and shook his head. “The men in that car were very well-armed. They killed one of my men and injured two others before they got away.”

“They got away?”

Fitrat nodded. “It could not be helped. Their vehicle was abandoned only a couple miles down the road. When my men found the car, your attackers were gone. Either they had another team standing by or they confiscated a passing vehicle. We will see.”

Frustrated, Lourds gritted his teeth. “Did your men get anything that could help identify the people chasing me?”

“When they found the car, it was burning. The men set fire to it before abandoning it. The fire made locating the vehicle easier, but it also destroyed whatever forensic evidence we might have found.” Fitrat frowned. “These men are very driven, Professor Lourds. That identifies them to a degree, but beyond that, we don’t know anything. You have caught the attention of some very bad people.”

Layla walked over to Anna. “I am Dr. Layla Teneen.”

“Anna Cherkshan.”

Surprise lifted Layla’s eyebrows. “Cherkshan? As in
General
Cherkshan?”

Anna smiled sourly. “I prefer to be known as Anna Cherkshan of
The Moscow Times.
My father has enough accolades.”

“I see. I’ll remember that in the future.”

Feeling badly about his
faux pas,
Lourds approached the women. “My apologies. I wasn’t thinking. I should have made introductions.”

Layla smiled. “It is quite all right. Perhaps we could go inside.” She headed toward the doorway, and as Lourds passed through, he discovered the original door had been kept, but it had been heavily reinforced with a solid core and a steel frame.

***

The interior of the building was in a lot better shape than Lourds had expected. It had twelve bedrooms, a large dining room/kitchen, and working electricity.

“This is one of the practice areas the Americans and Canadians have used to train the Afghanistan National Police in urban tactics regarding counter-terrorist situations.” Fitrat took off his hat and placed it meticulously on the table. “At the moment, no one is using it, but we assign security in the area at all times to keep equipment from being
liberated
.”

“I see.” Lourds put his backpack on the table. He gave a small smile. “All the comforts of home.”

“Yes. We even have television. American TV.” Fitrat pointed to the large-screen television in the living room that was big enough to house a banquet. “We steal the signal to get HBO and ESPN. The American soldiers who train our future policemen do not want to do without the comforts they have grown used to. Perhaps later, if you are not too tired, you might enjoy watching a basketball game. I believe there is one on.”

Lourds grinned. “Perhaps.” He looked at Layla. “I need a room to work in.”

“Of course.” Layla looked at Fitrat. “Captain, if you would see to getting Miss Cherkshan squared away?”

“I will.”

“She will also need clothing and toiletries. She’s not carrying a bag, so I’m assuming she has only the clothes on her back.”

Anna smiled appreciatively. “That is right. Professor Lourds felt it was not prudent to try to go back to my hotel room. I am still in yesterday’s clothes, and I am not happy about that. Does this place also have hot water?”

“It does, and there is a bath you can have to yourself.”

“That would be awesome.”

It still occasionally shocked Lourds to hear true American slang coming from Anna. Every now and again, her time at the Columbian School of Journalism showed through.

“Captain? Will you show Miss Cherkshan the way to her bath?”

“Of course. This way, miss.” Fitrat took the lead and headed off with Anna in tow.

“Thomas?”

Hefting his backpack one more time, Lourds fell into step behind Layla and followed her upstairs to another floor of the building.

“Captain Fitrat has men in the alley and on top of this building.” Layla talked as she walked up the stairs.

Lourds couldn’t see the sway of her hips beneath her
burqa
, but he recalled the times he had, and the memory made his heart pound with anticipation.

“So we will be relatively safe as long as we are here.”

“Relatively safe?”

Layla glanced back at him. “If whoever is after you decides to bomb the building from an airplane, there will be definite problems, yes?”

“Yes, most definitely. And thank you for that delightful scenario. That was one that I hadn’t considered, and it is now number one with a bullet.”

***

The room held all the amenities of a good hotel room without being lavish. There was a large bed, a love seat and two chairs, and a desk in the corner. A television sat atop a chest of drawers.

Lourds looked at the bed. “Big bed.”

Layla smiled at him. “I am afraid we will not be sharing it. Captain Fitrat is a progressive thinker compared to most men in this country, but many of his men are not.”

Disappointed, Lourds nodded. “I understand.”

“However, that is not to say that we cannot have private conferences.” Layla smiled at him.

Lourds placed his backpack on the bed. “Feeling up to having a private conference?”

“I do. However, I was thinking that perhaps you needed someone to scrub your back.”

Smiling, Lourds took her by the hand. “As it turns out, I do. You said there was a bath?”

She began disrobing and laid her clothes neatly on the bed. Getting undressed took her a while, but Lourds enjoyed the show, and his pulse quickened when she finally stood nude before him.

“I’ve missed you.” Lourds took her into his arms.

“I have missed you as well.” Her voice caught in her throat, and she stared at him. “When I heard the news about the attack at the dig site, I was so afraid I would never see you again.”

Lourds shook his head and held her. “That didn’t happen. I’m here.”

Layla traced his goatee and his lips with a forefinger. Her touch was so light it sent chills down his spine. “I know.” Her eyes glistened. “But those men—whoever they are—seem very determined.”

“Yes.”

“Is there any way you can walk away from this?”

Lourds hesitated. With every fiber of his being, he wanted to know the secret the scrolls held. He wanted to get some kind of justice for Boris’s death. Walking away would be the hardest thing he’d ever done.

But for the first time in his life, he knew he could do it.

“All you have to do is ask.”

For a moment, Layla stared quietly at him. “You would do this for me?”

“Yes.”

“I am flattered.”

“Layla, I love you. That’s just how it is.”

“I know that. But if I asked you to do this thing, and you did, there would be a piece of you that forever wondered if you could find whatever it is these people are looking for.”

“The tomb of Alexander the Great, for whatever reason they want it.”

She nodded. “Exactly.” She took a breath and let it out. “I will not ask you to do that then. I ask only that you be careful.”

“I will.” Lourds’s heart sang.

“I am going to hold you to that.” Layla stood on tiptoe and kissed Lourds, pressing her body full-length against his. Then she turned and led him to the bath.