The Sahara Legacy

by Ernest Dempsey

  She snorted. “Of course. Eat up, cowboy.”

  Sean devoured the sandwich and gulped down the drink she’d brought him. When he was finished eating, another knock came from the door.

  “Are you two decent in there? Or do we need to give you a few more minutes?” Tommy asked.

  Adriana and Sean laughed and shook their heads.

  “You’re an idiot,” Sean joked. “Just finished eating, Schultzie. And no, I didn’t save you any.”

  The door flung open, and Tommy stepped through. “She brought me my own.” He held up his empty bag with a proud grin on his face.

  “So, you feeling better?”

  Sean nodded. “Yeah, much better. I just needed something in my belly.”

  “I see you took off the gown,” Hank said as he returned to his previously occupied seat. “You look like you’re ready to get back after it.”

  “He doesn’t need to get after anything,” Eslam said as he came back in the room along with Alu. He saw the insistent look on Sean’s face and shook his head disparagingly. “But I can see you’re not going to listen to me, anyway.”

  He produced a small translucent orange bottle with half a dozen pills inside. “Take one of these every twelve hours as needed. Try not to do more than that. They’ll help with the pain.”

  Sean took the bottle from him and stared into it. “What are they? Painkillers?”

  “No,” Eslam said. “I already gave you those. I don’t hand out pain pills. Too many people get hooked on that stuff. These are for nausea.”

  “Oh.”

  “I really think you need to take it easy for a few days,” Adriana said with a look of deep concern on her face. She put her hand on the back of his neck, wrapping her fingers around the side.

  Her skin was cold at first and sent a shiver down his spine.

  “I’m telling you guys, I appreciate the concern, but I’m fine. We have to get moving.” He turned his attention to Tommy. “Any word back from the kids about that thing we asked?”

  “Spoke to them earlier this morning.”

  Sean waited for his friend to continue, but he didn’t say anything. “And?” Sean said with eyebrows raised as if begging for Tommy to tell him what he wanted to know.

  “We figured out where we need to go next.”

  “Which is?”

  “There’s a place due west that used to be an ancient Roman city. Originally, it was a Punic settlement, but a man named Septimius Severus turned it into a thriving metropolis for a while. Eventually, the citizens couldn’t defend it from invaders, and so it fell into ruin.”

  “So…what makes you think that’s where we need to go?”

  “Remember our friend Dorieus?”

  “Yeah….”

  “He was a Greek prince, Spartan to be precise. You’ve probably heard of his younger brother, Leonidas.”

  Sean’s eyebrows shot up at the name. Of course he recognized it. Leonidas was one of the most famous commanders in all of history. His ability to stave off more than ten thousand Persians at the Battle of Thermopylae was legendary. Books and movies had been made about the tale. People all over the world knew the story.

  “Leonidas…as in the commander of the three hundred?”

  “The very same,” Tommy said. “His father had three boys. Cleomenes was the oldest brother, eventually became the king of Sparta. Dorieus had a bit of ambition to him. He wanted the crown, but since it went to his brother, instead of trying to kill off his own sibling, he requested he be allowed to take part of the army west and try to establish a Greek colony at Leptis Magna.”

  Sean gave a nod. “Makes sense. If you can’t be king of your kingdom, go set up a kingdom where you can be king.”

  “Yeah, I guess that was the logic.”

  “Talk about an ego,” Hank said.

  “Right. Anyway, when Dorieus and his men arrived at the city, they fought hard but couldn’t defeat the local defenders. The Punic army turned them back.”

  Sean processed the information. He turned his gaze down to the floor. “So, that’s where Dorieus failed.”

  “Exactly.”

  “Okay, so we go to this Leptis…whatever you said, place.”

  “Magna.”

  “Right. Leptis Magna, find some arch, get the medallion, and go to the next spot. Sounds easy enough. Strange, I have a feeling it won’t be.”

  Tommy cocked his head to the side. “What would be the fun in that? And you’re right. There’s a problem with where we need to go.”

  Sean raised his head and waited for the punch line.

  Tommy sighed. “It’s in Libya.”

  Sean’s face reflected the sinking feeling in his chest. The relations between the United States and Libya had deteriorated in recent years, in no small part due to the fact that Libya was harboring known terrorists. Some political pundits speculated that the Libyans were even sponsoring some of the things those extremists were doing.

  The relationship between the United States and Libya had been a tenuous one at best for nearly thirty years. Now it seemed the two countries were further apart than ever before.

  That meant going into Libya would be dangerous for American citizens. Sean had been in tough places like that before. While he didn’t embrace the thought, he knew they had to do it.

  “So, what’s the plan?” he asked. “I assume we’re not going to fly into Tripoli on a commercial airline.”

  “Nope,” Tommy said. “And we’re not going to take my private jet there, either.”

  “Sid’s going to take us in his plane,” Hank explained. “He’ll fly us over the desert to the most remote section of the Libyan border. The plan is to fly low to avoid radar detection.”

  “Which should work,” Sean said, “since they’re still fifteen years behind on their tech.”

  “Right. And we’ll go in at night to avoid being seen.”

  “Okay,” Sean said. “What about weapons?”

  “You’ll be fully equipped,” Alu interjected. “We’ll make sure you have everything you need: guns, ammunition, explosives, you name it.”

  Sean glanced at his friend with a surprised look on his face. Then he turned his gaze back to Alu. “Thanks for the help. And thank you to your brother-in-law as well. I appreciate you taking care of me.”

  Alu dismissed the gratitude. “You saved my life. I am happy to return the favor. And it is of the greatest importance that you stop this madman from finding the lost city.”

  Sean couldn’t help but notice the guy said you. “You’re not coming with us?” he asked. “I thought you’d probably come along, you know, to help protect the lost city.”

  Alu sighed. When he spoke, it was with a grave expression—his face drawn with anxiety and sadness. “I have many men to bury,” he said. “They were my brothers. We served our cause many years together. While my duty is to stop this evil man, I also have a duty to honor those who have fallen. You, Sean Wyatt, are more than capable of taking care of Dufort.”

  Sean understood. He gave a nod and clapped his hand on Alu’s shoulder. “We’ll meet up again.”

  “That, I’m afraid, is probably a good bet.”

  Chapter 18

  Libyan Coast

  One of the most important skills to have in the field is the ability to adapt. The plan was to fly through the desert and into Libya, turn north, and then find a safe place to land without being noticed.

  On the surface, it sounded like a simple enough plan. Okay, Sean didn’t think it was a simple plan. He knew better.

  In theory, flying low enough to avoid radar was a good idea. The problem was it would put the aircraft in plain view of any Libyan military below. Sure, they could find a flight path that would—most likely—be safe, but there was a civil war raging on the ground and that meant guerrilla fighters could be hiding anywhere, unbeknownst to some of the best satellite cameras in space.

  So, Sean called an audible. He suggested they fly to the nearest port in Tunisia, rent a boat
, and sail into Libya.

  It was the more expensive of the two plans and not nearly as efficient on time. What his idea did, however, was keep them out of view from both the rebels and the loyalists in the civil war. With things as unstable as they were, the Libyan coast guard was almost nonexistent since most of the nation’s military firepower was focused on the interior.

  The only water transportation they could find for hire was an old fishing vessel. The boat was forty feet long with faded and flaking paint on the side. On first sight, Hank had been dubious about taking the vessel out onto the open sea. The motor looked like a relic from the 1960s. Little splotches of oil decorated its casing, and when the owner started it, huge puffs of white smoke tumbled out of the exhaust.

  “Couldn’t we find something…more reliable than this? And also faster?” Hank had asked.

  Sean went on to explain that the antique fishing boat would be better than taking something newer. An old vessel wouldn’t stand out. At first glance they would look like nothing more than local fishermen coming in from the morning’s catch.

  “If we make it to Libya,” Hank responded in a grumpy tone.

  Waves lapped against the boat’s hull as Sid guided it through the shallow swells a mile off the Libyan coast. Sid had been saddened to hear about the passing of his associate, Slater. As a guy whose living was made from illegal activities, it was a bit surprising for the others to see him so emotionally affected by Slater’s death. The friendship between the two men was, apparently, much stronger than Sean or anyone else figured.

  When Sean and Tommy relayed their plan, Sid was an easy sell. It probably helped that there was a potential fortune waiting at the end of the trail, but Sean got the impression that money wasn’t Sid’s primary motivator for joining the voyage. Revenge, it seemed, was at the front of Sid’s mind.

  Off in the distance, the makeshift crew could see little lights shining from a small town.

  “What’s that?” Adriana asked, pointing to the coastal city.

  “According to the map,” Tommy said, “that village is just a few miles from Leptis Magna. We should be able to get there just before dawn.” He pointed out the windshield of the wheelhouse.

  Sean’s eyes narrowed. The sky was already making its transition from night to morning. Stars that had burned brightly in the dark blanket above were now fading, giving way to the early light of the sun. Sean took a deep breath of the salty air. His senses were on high alert. He knew what was at stake. If the Libyans caught them, things could get bad in a hurry.

  Sid spun the wheel a couple of inches to the right, steering the boat through another series of gentle swells. The engine—for all its visual shortcomings—had worked well so far. It puttered in the back, churning the water steadily, pushing the vessel ahead.

  It didn’t take long for the boat to pass the town on the starboard side. Everyone on board kept their eyes on the coast, waiting breathlessly for any sign of trouble. They’d already cleared their biggest hurdle, passing the Libyan capital of Tripoli under the cover of darkness. Getting by there had been nerve-racking. At one point the group thought they saw boat lights coming their way, but it turned out to be nothing more than a buoy tossing in the water a half mile off shore. Their heartbeats raced every time they glimpsed an airplane. The aircraft never came close to their boat. They’d made sure to keep all the lights off along with any devices that might give away their position.

  Sean spied a piece of coastline with no lights and no signs of life. Based on their evaluation of the map, they had to be close to Leptis Magna.

  “Take her in right over there,” Sean said to Sid.

  “Aye, Captain,” Sid remarked in a horrible pirate voice.

  He turned the wheel a few notches to starboard, guiding the vessel through the increasingly high swells as they drew nearer to shore. The sounds of waves crashing soon found the crew’s ears. It was different than the noise from a typical beach. Sean recognized it immediately.

  “Be careful through here, Sid,” he warned. “That coastline is rocky, which means there could be more rocks out here in the water. Don’t want to get stuck.”

  “That makes two of us,” Sid said. “I’ll drop anchor as close as I can, but you’re going to have to take that lifeboat the rest of the way.”

  He jerked his thumb to the back where a rickety-looking dinghy was bouncing around in the wake behind the fishing boat. The smaller vessel was just big enough for Sean and his three companions, though he wondered how the thing had made it this far.

  “Take the wheel for a second?” Sid asked Sean.

  “Sure,” Sean said. He stepped to the wheel and wrapped his fingers around it.

  Sid shuffled around some boxes of tools and fishing gear, making his way out the back door of the cabin. He was only gone thirty seconds before he reappeared and resumed control of the boat.

  “Okay, looks like the lifeboat is still good,” he said. “I was worried about that rope keeping it behind us. Been keeping an eye on it through the night. It was frayed in several places. I’d say it doesn’t have too many voyages left.”

  Sean thought it strange that Sid was checking the rope at this point. A moment before he’d poked his thumb in the direction of the lifeboat, assuming it was still there. Maybe that’s all it was, just Sid making an assumption.

  “Didn’t look like the dinghy was taking on water,” Sid continued. “I was concerned about that, too.”

  “That makes two of us,” Tommy said. “That thing looks as old as…well, old.”

  Sean snorted a laugh. “Too early to think of anything clever?”

  “Yeah,” Tommy said. “Plus, I haven’t had any coffee. You don’t suppose they have a coffee shop nearby, maybe something with a drive-through?”

  Adriana shook her head in derision. She knew Tommy was joking. She also knew him well enough to know he was also half-serious.

  “There are lots of shops in Tripoli,” she said with arms crossed. “If you’d like to go back there.”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, I think I’ll pass.”

  “Okay.” Sid interrupted the facetious conversation. “We’re gonna stop here. You guys will have to paddle the rest of the way in.”

  The boat continued drifting toward the shore as Sid flipped a switch and then pressed a button just below it. The sound of chains clunking through a metal hole echoed into the boat’s cabin. Sid grimaced as he kept his finger mashed against the button as the anchor dropped to the sea bottom. When the noise ceased, he tapped on another button to bring the chain up until it was taut.

  “Anchor’s down,” he said.

  He stepped back out through the rear door and leaned over to grab the frayed rope. Sean stuck his head out the doorway to check on their pilot to make sure he didn’t need any help—and to see if he was up to anything else.

  Sid was heaving the lifeboat toward the fishing vessel. He tugged on the rope, putting one hand over the other as he drew the little dinghy closer and closer.

  Sean went to Sid’s aid and helped pull the lifeboat the rest of the way until it butted up against the main vessel.

  “Thanks,” Sid said with a nod.

  “No problem.” Sean dusted his hands together and then turned to the others who were already joining them on deck. “You guys ready to do a little rowing?”

  Sean and Tommy handled the oars with relative ease. They’d both done their fair share of flat-water kayaking, not to mention the time Sean had spent several years before running a kayak and surf shop on the Florida panhandle.

  “Let’s try to land over there,” Adriana said to the two friends as they rowed. She pointed to a spot on the beach where the rocks gave way to a patch of dark brown sand.

  They worked hard against the currents pulling the tiny vessel one direction and then the other. It was hard to keep the boat on target with the shore, but they fought their way through it and—after a twenty-minute ordeal—finally felt the underside of the craft scratching the ocean floor. It sounded
like rocky sand. Better than just rocks. Hitting something like that would have easily punched a hole in the lifeboat’s hull.

  The sun was starting to peek over the horizon to the east, its rippling yellow-orange globe signaling the start of a new day, a day Sean and the others hoped would be filled with discovery. The fact was, however, they’d just entered the country illegally. If they were caught, getting out would be problematic to say the least.

  Sean hopped out first, landing his boots in the shallows of the beach. Tommy joined him as Adriana and Hank moved forward. Sean and Tommy held the rope until the other two had jumped out of the boat. Then all four took a grip and pulled the vessel onto the sand until three quarters of it was out of the water.

  According to Sid, they’d already passed high tide. The sea would be retreating through most of the day, although it would also fluctuate. Sean knew that if they pulled the boat too far out of the water, getting it back would prove far more difficult if they made it back when the tide was at its lowest. It could be the difference of twenty feet or more. That didn’t sound like a lot, but he knew better. Dragging a boat over sand—even one as small as their lifeboat—would be nearly impossible.

  The four trespassers trudged out of the water, splashing saltwater around recklessly as they made their way onto dry land.

  “Now what?” Hank asked. “How are we going to get to this place? Doesn’t look like there’s a car rental nearby.”

  Tommy shook his head and smirked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Dude, we’re already there.” He pointed over a rocky rise to their left.

  The other three looked to where he was pointing and saw the tops of some ancient structures. There were pillars with huge beams of cut stone lying across them.

  “Is…is that it?” Hank stammered.

  “Part of it,” Tommy said.

  “Better to land close to the site than try to go into town, steal or rent a ride, and then come here. We want as few people to see us as possible.”