by Tom Hunter
Next, she pulled out a requisition form, quickly filling it out to authorize the security Samuel needed, pending approval from her superior. Stamping it with her official mark, she put the form and Samuel’s letter in an envelope then got up to personally take it to the mail room before going home.
Hurrying down the corridor, as she turned a corner, she ran headlong into someone coming in the opposite direction.
“Oof!”
A chill ran through Shafira as she looked up to see who she’d run into. “Director Haisam!” she gasped. “I am so sorry for my clumsiness. Are you all right?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine.” He waved away her attempts to check him over. “But I’m curious as to where you’re going in such a hurry at this time of night. Is there a big party somewhere you need to get to? Can I get an invite?”
“Nothing like that.” Shafira laughed nervously. “I just wanted to get this to the mail room before they closed for the evening. It’s rather important.”
“Is it now?” Director Haisam frowned. “I’m sure I told you that anything important that crosses your desk should go through me?”
“You did.” Shafira blushed. “But this seemed urgent, so I used my initiative to expedite the matter and approach the President. I didn’t think you’d mind when it was something that seemed to need his input.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Director Haisam reminded her. “What’s happened?”
“I’ve received a recording from Samuel McCarthy out in the field,” Shafira told him. “He thinks he’s uncovered a new area of interest close to the site he’s currently working on and has requested extra support. Based on my analysis of the situation, I think that his request is warranted.”
“I see.” Director Haisam’s brow furrowed. “I think you should hand the recording over to me for review, and let me deal with any resource allocations. It is highly probable that this concerns the matter that we discussed previously. This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about and I’m most disappointed that you didn’t think to come to me before anyone else.”
“Shouldn’t we bring this to the President’s attention?” Shafira asked.
“The President is already aware,” replied Director Haisam loftily. “He has asked me to handle all aspects of the situation, which is why you should give me everything you have and let me deal with it.”
“But, sir…” Shafira struggled to keep her tone respectful. “This discovery could hold great cultural significance. Protocol would dictate that I go through the proper channels to ensure that it’s afforded the appropriate protection right from the start. The Bruard would love to strip it bare and use what they find to force concessions from us. Look at the impact the Elgin marbles have had on Greek/British relations. If the Bruard steal whatever is in this site from Egypt, this could be far, far worse according to McCarthy’s preliminary theories.”
“Exactly,” Director Haisam told her. “It is precisely because this is such an important site that we have to do what the President wishes and keep this hush hush. Let me see the letter McCarthy sent.”
Reluctantly, Shafira gave him the envelope she was carrying. Ripping it open, Director Haisam quickly scanned the contents.
“Hmmm. Where is the recording he mentions? I think it best if I look after it.”
“You don’t need to worry about that, sir. It’s perfectly safe,” Shafira reassured him.
“I didn’t ask if it was safe,” hissed Director Haisam. “I asked where it was.”
Shafira gulped, as the Director stepped closer to her.
“Do I need to mention your insubordination in your next career review?” he threatened. “I do not expect to have to face the third degree when I make a simple access request. Do not make me ask you again to give me the recording.”
“N… no, sir. It’s locked in the safe in my office.”
“Then don’t just stand there, girl,” Director Haisam barked. “Take me to it!”
Shafira hurried back to her cubicle, the Director hot on her heels.
“Come on, Shafira. Get a move on!”
Shafira frowned, struggling to understand the Director’s sudden shift in attitude. He’d always been such a pleasure to deal with in all the other cases she’d worked on. What was so different about this one?
Thirteen
“It’s just in here.” Shafira leaned over the biometric cabinet, pressing her thumb to the mechanism to open it. “You don’t have to worry about anyone taking it. It’s completely secure. I’m the only person who can open this door.”
“No system is completely secure,” sneered Director Haisam. “It’s that kind of slapdash attitude that allows mistakes to happen. You should always be vigilant. Always.”
“Yes, sir,” replied Shafira, groaning inwardly as he retrieved the USB stick and turned to the Director. “I hope you don’t mind my asking, but what is it about this particular recording that’s so special? As McCarthy himself says, it may just be a smuggler’s den. There may not be anything ancient there at all.”
Director Haisam huffed. “I suppose you deserve an explanation after all your hard work. However, I shouldn’t need to have to stress to you that what I am about to say to you needs to remain strictly confidential. I am trusting you, Shafira. Don’t let me down.”
“I won’t, sir.” Shafira gave the Director the USB stick as he leaned into her, keeping his voice low, despite the absence of staff in the office.
“The President has received intelligence that the Bruard have turned their attention away from the Chinese border, having failed to make major inroads in the area. Instead, we have received reports that they are active in the area you have responsibility for. Given the number of significant dig sites in the area, this news should come as no surprise. The Bruard are notorious for stealing ancient artifacts and trading them on the black market to fund their campaigns. Since this particular site is reputed to be especially rich in treasure, we have to be particularly alert.
“McCarthy is right to request extra security, although not for the reasons you might think. I doubt there are any smugglers there. If the cave is in active use, it’ll be the Bruard using it as a base for their activities in the area. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they used it to keep hostages and torture victims knowing that they would be unlikely to be disturbed in such a remote area.”
“Torture?” Shafira gasped.
“Oh yes.” Director Haisam nodded gravely. “We do our best to keep reports of the worst Bruard behavior out of the media. We don’t want to give the Bruard any kind of free publicity, but I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you that they are utterly brutal, willing to do whatever’s necessary to get what they want. This means that if McCarthy has discovered an important site, details of the investigation will be on a strictly need to know basis. You are not the only one in your department who has been working on this project for me, but I have intentionally isolated you all from each other for your own protection. The less you know about the big picture, the safer you all are.”
“Thank you, sir.” Shafira couldn’t help but wonder who else might be helping the Director. If they were able to pool their findings, surely they could find what the Director needed faster? She was just an admin clerk. The Bruard wouldn’t care about her, would they?
“What about the requisition forms?” Shafira asked. “Would you still like me to send them out?”
“Hold fire for now, Shafira,” Director Haisam instructed her. “I’ll review it personally and draft a report to the President. He can decide what measures are most appropriate.”
“Will do, sir.” Shafira nodded.
“I have to say that I’m very impressed by your dedication to your work,” Director Haisam told her. “Your kind of work ethic will take you far. However, I suggest that you turn in for now, act naturally when you come in tomorrow as if there’s nothing of concern going on.”
“But there isn’t, is there, sir?” asked Shafira. “Nothing of concern happening, that is.
Surely I’d only need to put on an act if I had information that could spark off a riot if it got into the wrong hands or a spy had infiltrated the department.”
She laughed, but the Director remained po-faced until her laugh faded away.
“You don’t really think there’s a spy in the department, do you?”
“I always expect spies when it comes to the Bruard,” sniffed Director Haisam. “Hope for the best and prepare for the worst, Shafira. It’s the only policy that makes sense.”
“So does that mean that the Ministry will be inspecting the site after all?”
“It is entirely possible that we will be authorizing an investigation,” the Director confirmed.
Shafira’s heart beat a little faster. “In that case, sir, might I request that I be allowed to join the expedition? I mean, I’m already familiar with the project and you did say that I would go far within the Ministry. This would be the perfect opportunity for me to prove myself.”
Director Haisam chuckled and shook his head. “Much as I applaud your enthusiasm, I’m afraid that that is completely out of the question. This kind of operation requires specialist skills and experience. It would be utterly inappropriate for a mere admin clerk to go along. It would be restricted to essential staff only on a need-to-know basis. However, don’t be disappointed. You are still a vital member of the team. Your work is just as important as any archaeologist’s, even if it’s less glamorous. I’m reliant on you continuing to send me detailed reports so that I can assess the situation as it changes.”
He checked his watch. “My goodness. Is that the time? I’ve been keeping you far too long. I suggest you do as I told you–go home and get a good night’s sleep. There’ll be plenty of work waiting for you in the morning.”
“Yes, sir.” Shafira nodded as Director Haisam took his leave.
Frowning, she turned to tidy her desk before heading out. Something didn’t add up, but she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly.
If only she was further up the food chain. Then she’d be on the Director’s need-to-know list and she could help out more, maybe even go on the expedition.
As it was, she was just ‘a mere admin clerk.’
Shafira decided to take Director Haisam’s advice. She’d go home, have a nice, relaxing bubble bath and watch a DVD in bed. Staying here wasn’t going to make any real difference to the amount of work she’d have to do in the morning and her encounter with the Director had left her feeling a little unsettled.
Picking up her purse, she looked round her cubicle to make sure that she hadn’t left anything behind before finally logging off for the night.
Fourteen
Director Haisam returned to his office, where his secretary was still sitting at her desk outside his door, busy typing up dictation from a tape he’d recorded earlier.
Pulling on a light coat, he collected his briefcase.
“Make sure all those documents are on my desk by morning, Feme,” he instructed. “They’re highly time sensitive, not to mention confidential.”
“Of course, Director Haisam,” she replied, as he left, unaware of the dark look she threw at his back without missing a keystroke.
“Goodnight, Director Haisam,” called the security guard manning the door as the Director strode past, nodding an acknowledgment.
Walking out of the Ministry building, the Director turned left, heading in the opposite direction to the official parking lot. As he strode along the sidewalk, a car with dark tinted windows pulled up alongside him. Director Haisam got into the back of the car, the vehicle moving away almost before he’d had a chance to shut the door.
“Ugh. Thank goodness I’m free of that dreadful place,” tutted the Director, pulling off his gloves and dousing his hands with liberal amounts of sanitizer before squirting some inside the gloves to disinfect them.
“Was today just as awful as the past two days?” asked Gord, as he drove his master, Pin, away.
“You cannot imagine.” Pin rolled his eyes. “Today was the worst yet. A woman dared to question my orders. A woman! Such insolence would be unthinkable were the Bruard in charge. There is such decadence everywhere I look. Women working in the Ministry, women overstepping their authority, overestimating themselves everywhere. It is unbearable, quite unbearable!”
“Don’t worry, sir,” Gord soothed. “We will be able to correct all of that once the Bruard takes its rightful position at the head of the new world order. We will restore everything to the way it should be and you will be justly rewarded for everything you’ve done to rid the world of corruption.”
“I tell you something, Gord,” snarled Pin. “When we overthrow the Ministry, that woman will be the first to face punishment. Shafira will learn that you should obey my word without question. Women cannot think logically. Her idea of ‘initiative’ will only cause trouble.”
Gord listened patiently as his boss ranted, letting out all his pent up frustration from the day. It wasn’t the first time he’d heard this tirade and it was unlikely to be the last.
“Has there been any progress on the special project?” Gord eventually asked when Pin paused long enough for him to speak.
“Potentially,” Pin told him. “A Samuel McCarthy has apparently uncovered a cave network that was hidden by a sophisticated cloaking tech yet bears all the features of an ancient chamber. There are no signs of any recent smuggling activity and, of course, we know it is not a Bruard outpost either.”
“Very odd, sir,” remarked Gord.
“Indeed,” Pin nodded.
“Have they recovered any valuables from the site?”
“Pah!” Pin sniffed. “The idiot that reported it decided for reasons best known to himself that he wasn’t going to actually look inside the vault, so nobody knows what it contains. I don’t know. Maybe he was afraid of catching some ancient virus or some other equally foolish nonsense. I hoped for better from a professional archaeologist, but what do you expect from an American? I’ll need to authorize an official expedition to investigate further if we want to know what’s there.”
“Maybe you should just leave it alone for now,” Gord shrugged. “Come up with an excuse to make this McCarthy move on and come back when the opportunity presents itself. If you don’t know what’s inside, the Bruard won’t want to expend precious resources only to find that the chamber is empty, looted by thieves centuries ago. You know what the consequences are for those who waste Bruard money.”
“I do,” agreed Pin, “but there’s something about this site that tells me it’s worth pursuing. I want nothing more than to see the Bruard take over the world and I genuinely believe that there is something here that will enable them to do so. The technology at this site is incredible, while the ancient door markings are like nothing I’ve ever seen. This is too big to ignore. I can’t risk leaving it for the Ministry to grab the artifacts before the Bruard can get there. It’s a gamble, but my instincts tell me that we should take this further. And my instincts are never wrong.”
“Very well,” Gord nodded. “In that case, there is another issue we need to discuss.”
“Yes?”
“The Director’s children. How do you want me to handle them?”
“For goodness’ sake, Gord. We’re not monsters,” retorted Pin. “I’ll make arrangements for them to visit family indefinitely. Besides, Haisam will be making his last appearance at home tonight. It won’t be long before they’ll be mourning their dear, departed father.”
“Does that mean that you need me to dispose of Haisam?” confirmed Gord.
“I don’t know why you kept him around this long anyway,” said Pin. “Why waste good food on a dead man? We’ve already mined him for any valuable information. He’s got nothing more to offer.”
“He’s good company,” chuckled Gord. “His face when I describe what I’m going to do to his wife is hilarious!”
Pin shook his head, sneering in disgust. “Crude, Gord, even for you. I’m afraid the fun and games are ov
er. Haisam is surplus to requirements. Eliminate him and then return to collect me when I call for you. I’ll arrange for the children to leave and then we can move on to the next phase in the plan.”
“Yes, sir.”
Pin pressed the button to close the window between the passenger and driver sections, spending the rest of the journey lost in thought as Gord drove to Haisam’s home. Pulling up outside the modest house, the henchmen came round to open the door for Pin before getting back into the car once he’d seen his master go inside, tires screeching as he gunned the engine, eager to have one final night of fun with the real Director.
Fifteen
Samuel checked over the ropes securing Waleed to the chair Basile had dragged into the middle of one of the lesser used storage tents.
“I’m beginning to wish that I’d ordered the prison cell tent when I took inventory,” he joked. “Still, this will do for the moment. Don’t worry, Waleed. I’ll make sure that you’re reasonably well looked after until I can find someone to take you to Cairo to turn you over to the authorities. You won’t be our highest priority, but we’ll throw food in your general direction on occasion.”
“Mmm-mmm-mmm!” Waleed fought to speak against the gag tied around his mouth.
“Don’t try to claim that you need the toilet again,” Samuel warned, as he loosened the gag to see what he had to say.
“Please,” begged Waleed. “I beseech you. Let me go before it’s too late! You have to believe me. I had good reason to run away.”
“What–the Bruard?” Samuel laughed. “You’ll have to come up with something better than that if you want us to believe you.” He reached out to put the gag back in place, but Waleed jerked his head away, determined to be heard.
“I’m being honest,” he urged.
“For the first time in your life,” muttered Basile.
“I did see a spy,” Waleed insisted. “He was speaking to someone higher up reporting on what he’d seen. Some kind of secret cave, he said.”