“Feel free to search me,” the earl said. “That’s all I have.”
The man in charge nodded at his minions, who worked feverishly to pat down both the earl and Richard. After a lengthy process, one of the thieves looked at the man in charge and shook his head.
“Tonight is your lucky night,” the thief said. “Don’t ever come back here again with anything less than two thousand pounds.”
As Richard watched the earl hustle back onto his horse, the situation seemed to be defused as the thieves began to mount up.
Then the man in charge uttered something in Arabic and pointed at Richard.
In an instant, the robbers snatched him back off his horse and dumped him on the sand again.
“I don’t have any more money, I swear,” Richard said, squirming away from the men.
One of the thieves put a boot on Richard’s chest and motioned for him to stand up. He eased to his feet, raising his hands in the air. The men patted him down and after a few seconds seemed content that Richard was penniless.
“Worthless,” the head thief said.
One of the men shoved Richard, sending him sprawling face down into the dirt. He skidded to a stop a few feet away from his steed. He looked up and noticed the creases in the earl’s forehead.
“What?” Richard whispered.
“Get on your horse before they try anything else,” the earl said.
Richard slipped into his saddle and turned his horse in the direction of the Nile. Earl Thomas jammed his heels into his steed and began galloping away with Richard close behind. They rode hard for several minutes before Richard finally turned around and noticed the thieves weren’t visible any longer. After the earl peeked over his shoulder, he slowed his horse to a trot.
“That was close,” Richard said. “I suggest you don’t ever tempt fate again like this.”
“I got what I came for,” Earl Thomas said.
“But I’ve got nothing,” Richard said.
“Don’t worry, lad. I’ll take care of you.”
When they reached the river, the man paid by the earl to keep a ferry there for them to return to Luxor on was nowhere to be seen—and neither was his vessel.
“Looks like we’re going to be spending the night here,” Earl Thomas said.
“Not if I can help it,” Richard said. “I can pilot a boat across this river.”
“There’s just one problem,” the earl said. “We don’t have a boat.”
“After all that we’ve encountered tonight, I would rank not having a boat somewhere around four or five among the top ten challenges we’ve faced.”
“It’s that high?” asked the earl with a snicker.
“You know what your problem is?” Richard asked. “You don’t take situations like these seriously enough.”
The earl shrugged. “You’re not the first person to tell me that, though I could say you take things too seriously.”
“And you would be the first person on earth to utter those words to me,” Richard countered. “I’m usually doing what you do, much to the chagrin of those who would prefer I travel a more traditional path, though I hardly find those routes interesting.”
“Yet, here you are, acting as if you’re my mother.”
“I’m never going to regret going on an adventure that results in death,” Richard said. “I made a vow a few years ago to spend the rest of my days living without regrets. If there’s some challenge I want to face head-on, I will—and I’ll enjoy the process along with all the sacrifice required to conquer it. But you’re playing Russian roulette with your life—and mine. It’s not a gamble I appreciate.”
“But when you spin the wheel and survive, you’ll never feel more alive. Isn’t that right?”
Richard shrugged. “Over the past hour, I experienced far more feelings of fear as a result of our circumstances than I have life-giving exhilaration.”
The earl chuckled. “One day you’ll look back at this situation with fondness.”
“That day is many years from now, a day I hope I live to see. But for now, I’m regretting every minute of this.”
“You’ll have many adventures in front of you if you seek them,” the earl said.
“As I mentioned before, there’s a chasm between our definition of the word adventure.”
Before the earl could respond, a man approached the dock on a ferry. He cast a long shadow over the water, while his cigarette was little more than a fiery blip hovering in the air.
“Did you think I forgot about you?” the man piloting the ferry asked.
“I was beginning to wonder,” the earl said.
“Well, the price has gone up. I’m going to need double what you gave me in order to return to Luxor.”
“I guess we’ll take the long way,” Richard said.
“That’s not a good idea,” the man said, wagging his finger. “The Arabean Lusos are out in full force tonight and waiting on unprotected travelers such as yourselves.”
“We’ve already run into them,” the earl said. “It’s why I can’t offer you a dime more than our already agreed upon price.”
“Perhaps I can accompany you back to your hotel for the balance,” the ferry operator said.
“You take us back across or I’ll see to it that you’re flogged in the center of the city,” Earl Thomas said.
The man laughed heartily. “That day will never come. Now, are you going to pay me or the thieves prowling in the shadows?”
“Neither,” the earl said. “You’re going to take us.”
“Perhaps you’re not listening, old man. I’ve already told you—”
The man abruptly stopped when he noticed the earl’s gun.
“I’m not going to tell you again. Instead, I’ll just shoot you, feed your dead body to the crocodiles, and take your boat back across the river myself.”
Richard watched the man closely as he eyed the earl. It was clear the ferryman remained suspicious about the earl’s bluff.
“Good luck on your way home.”
The earl didn’t flinch, other than to pull the trigger on his revolver. With the shot piercing the still air, the bullet flew straight and true before embedding itself deep into the ferryman’s skull.
Earl Thomas shrugged. “Maybe listening wasn’t his strong suit.”
With the danger subsided, Richard needed an answer to the question that was nagging him.
“Why didn’t you use that gun earlier?” he asked.
“It’s a single shot pistol. I wouldn’t have been able to ward all those thieves off.”
“You could’ve at least scared them away,” Richard said, his eyes growing wide with disbelief.
“It all worked out,” the earl said with a wry grin before patting Richard on the back. “Now, let’s shove off.”
While disapproving of the earl’s methods, it was just past 1:00 a.m. and all Richard really wanted to do was climb into bed and get a few hours of sleep before leaving at daybreak on the real mission that had an unbreakable spell on him: finding the mysterious tomb before the Reichswehr unit did.
Richard guided the ferry through the water, stopping halfway across to dispose of the previous owner’s body. Dumping the carcass into the water led to a feeding frenzy among the half-dozen crocodiles that were barely hovering above the surface of the Nile. The reptiles devoured the body in a matter of minutes, ripping the man limb from limb. Mouth agape, Richard watched the raw force of nature having its way with the cadaver.
“Don’t look like that,” the earl said. “He got what he deserved. That was extortion, not to mention a possible death sentence. We could’ve very easily died had we pursued a different route home—and you know it.”
“That doesn’t make this any less difficult to watch.”
“Everyone lives with the consequences of their decisions. Sometimes the results are more painful. But either way, life doesn’t give us the option to peer into the future and choose the best way. We either know it intrinsically or we don�
�t. It’s an intellectual form of Darwinism. Consider this ferryman at the bottom of the food chain.”
“He’s at the bottom of the Nile now,” Richard said.
“And it’s where he belongs for what he tried to do to us. Now, let’s get this thing across the water. After all we did today, I’m absolutely exhausted.”
“Killing and thieving will wear a man out—or so I’m told,” Richard said.
When they arrived back at the hotel, Richard walked the earl to his room.
“Are you afraid I’m going to run into some more trouble?” the earl asked with a chuckle.
“No, I want to make sure I get my money.”
The earl unlocked his door and gestured for Richard to join him inside. After shutting the door, Earl Thomas shuffled over to a chair in the corner of the room and collapsed into it. He buried his head in his hands.
“Where’s my money?” Richard asked. “I’m tired and want to get to bed.”
The earl leaned back and sighed without saying a word.
“Why do I have the feeling that you don’t have any money for me?” Richard finally asked.
“Because I don’t.”
“What? You told me not to worry and said you would take care of me.”
The earl sighed. “I only have about fifty pounds left, which should be sufficient for the rest of my trip until I return home to England. When I get there, I’ll make sure to wire you the money immediately.”
“But I need the money in the morning.”
“I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to get you any until I return. I know this might be disappointing for you, but—”
“Disappointing? I risked my life for you tonight and all you can do is give me a glib shrug and a promise.”
The earl shook his head. “I thought you claimed to be an adventurer. The first maxim of journeying into lands unknown is this: Nothing ever goes as planned. I’m sorry you’re having to learn this the hard way.”
“I’m well aware of that fact,” Richard said as he narrowed his eyes. “But you don’t understand how desperate I am to get that money. Now you’re going to figure out a way to get it to me before sunrise.”
“Settle down,” the earl said. “There’s no getting blood out of a turnip.”
“Maybe one of your fellow noblemen here owes you a favor.”
“Not a favor worth five hundred pounds.”
“I’ll settle for three hundred.”
The earl shook his head. “I’m sorry to disappoint you—I really am. But I won’t be able to get you what you’re owed until I get back. It might not seem like much of a consolation right now, and perhaps you don’t trust me, but I am an honorable man and will make sure you get every shilling that’s due.”
Richard sighed and was lost in thought as they returned to the banks of the Nile. His plan had suffered another setback—and he was struggling to come up with an idea that could change his fortunes. Sherif Nazari wasn’t going to take the news well.
Chapter 27
THE CLANGING OF THE alarm clock continued for nearly a minute past 6:00 a.m. before Richard woke up enough to recognize where he was. With a swift slap, he ended the irritating sound. Not even eight hours earlier, he would’ve sprung out of bed. But the dread of having to tell Sherif Nazari that there wasn’t any money for the dig put a damper on Richard’s outlook.
Richard considered sleeping in and waiting until later to inform Sherif about the previous night’s misfortune. However, Richard decided he couldn’t shirk that responsibility for several reasons, among them being the fact that an opportunity might still arise to acquire the funds necessary to move forward with the dig. While getting in touch with Hank Foster via telegram was one option, Richard wasn’t sure how viable it was. He didn’t know how long it would take before he would receive another response from Foster, never mind if the U.S. government would be willing to send that amount of money to a brand new agent. But in Richard’s foggy state of mind, he couldn’t conceive of any other way.
Soaking in the tub woke up Richard’s sense, but his mind remained lethargic.
I need a cup of coffee.
He slid down in the water to rinse his hair one final time. When he resurfaced, he gasped and flailed for the sides as he saw a man standing over him.
“Jabari!” Richard exclaimed. “Do you lie awake at night imagining new ways to startle me?”
Jabari subtly shook his head. “I’m not fond of knocking.”
“I’m well aware of that by now,” Richard said, using the back of his hand to shoo Jabari away. “If you don’t mind, I need to get out and would appreciate some privacy.”
Jabari turned his back to Richard. “I had to sneak out early so I can slip back in before anyone notices me missing. I’m taking a big risk just by being here. The Germans aren’t very trusting of me.”
“They aren’t fools, that’s for sure. So, I suppose you want an update?”
Jabari nodded. “Have you made contact with Sherif?”
“I have,” Richard said as he toweled off. “We’re scheduled to begin work this morning.”
“Excellent. The sooner you get to work—”
“Don’t get excited just yet,” Richard said. “I emphasized the word scheduled for a reason.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Sherif isn’t exactly what I would consider affordable for a man in my position. In fact, he demands quite a handsome sum for both himself and his workers.”
“But you did come up with the money, didn’t you?”
“Again, the emphasis is on the past tense here. I had the money.”
“What happened to it?”
Richard sighed as he pulled on his underwear and pants. “I took a crazy British nobleman to the valley last night, and we were robbed by some thieves.”
“What were you thinking?” Jabari asked.
“I was thinking I had to come up with a way to raise the money for Sherif to prevent you from getting tortured—or worse—once the Germans eventually figured out that you led them to the wrong site. And the only opportunity I had to raise the amount Sherif required was to do something risky. High risk, high reward.”
“That must be an American saying,” Jabari said. “And it’s an absolutely dreadful one. Look where that risk got you now. Nowhere.”
“I can assure you that the last thing I need is someone else beating me up over this,” Richard said. “I feel foolish enough as it is without having someone else heaping more shame upon me. And no matter how awful I feel, nothing is going to change the fact that I have no money—and Sherif assured me he won’t as much as pick up a tool if I don’t hand him the money up front.”
“That is his standard operation procedure,” Jabari said. “Don’t take it personally.”
“I’m not taking anything personally,” Richard said while buttoning his shirt. “I’m just upset at myself for letting all that money slip away because of my recklessness.”
“Then find another way. Perhaps a member of your government could wire you the money.”
Richard shrugged. “Maybe, but it would take several days for that to happen. By then it could be too late for you and me both.”
Jabari nodded as he paced around the room, his fingers steepled and pressed against his lips.
“What are you thinking?” Richard asked.
“There’s a safe in one of the rooms where we’re staying that contains all the Germans’ money.”
“How much is inside?”
“Enough to meet Sherif’s usual asking price, I’m sure.”
Richard furrowed his brow. “I’m sure they don’t leave it unguarded.”
“Not very often,” Jabari said. “I’ve noticed that one soldier always remains behind to stay with the safe. They also take turns sleeping in that one room. When we get back from our day’s expedition, most of the men are tired and go right to bed following dinner. Now, I’m not sure if the soldier must stay awake or not, but I imagine they are at least told they shoul
d.”
“Even if we get inside, how do you expect us to break into the safe? That’s not exactly my area of expertise.”
“When you have the combination, it doesn’t matter.”
“You have the combination?”
Jabari nodded. “I have a cousin who works at our hotel. He’ll think nothing of giving it to me for a small fee.”
“And what happens when he’s accused of stealing? I’ve heard the punishment here isn’t too pleasant.”
“Just leave that to me,” Jabari said before the two men finished going over the rest of the details.
* * *
RICHARD WAS SCHEDULED to have the day off, but a note slipped beneath his door stated otherwise. Instead of spending the first part of his day waiting to steal the Reichswehr unit’s money, Vincent assigned Richard a half-day tour to the Valley of the Kings with a pair of brothers. He didn’t mind as sitting around all morning would’ve made him antsy. But before Richard could do anything else, he needed to deliver the bad news to Sherif.
An hour before Richard was scheduled to meet the brothers at the banks of the Nile, he rapped on the door of Sherif’s mercantile, which had yet to open. After several knocks, a man appeared on the other side. He pointed to the sign that showed the store was closed.
“I’m here to meet with Sherif,” Richard said.
The man shrugged and walked away. Richard tapped on the door again but didn’t receive a response. After several more attempts to get the man’s attention were ignored, Richard turned and started walking back toward the Winter Palace Hotel. He was more than half a block away before a strong hand grabbed his shoulder.
“You were supposed to meet us at the water,” a man said.
Richard spun around to see Sherif standing there eye-to-eye, wearing a scowl.
“I thought I would try to catch you at your shop before you went down there,” Richard said.
“Why would you do that?”
“The money—it’s gone.”
Sherif cocked his head to one side and glared at Richard. “What do you mean it’s gone?”
“Last night, I took a client to the Valley of the Kings, and on our way home, we were robbed. All the money he promised me was taken by a bunch of bandits.”
The Secret of the King's Tomb Page 15