The Second Messiah

“After the men set the monastery on fire they forced us to drive out into the desert. I had to drive Josuf’s truck and he followed me in his Mercedes. Then the weather started to turn, a sandstorm blew up, and after about five miles we were made to halt and get out of the vehicles.”

“Go on.”

“We thought we were all going to be executed. The man named Pasha aimed at Jack’s head. But at the last moment he deflected the pistol and shot Jack in the leg instead. That’s when I blacked out. To be honest, the sight of blood freaks me out.”

“Go on.”

“Pasha slapped me awake. He said, ‘Let this be a warning to you all to keep your noses out of this business and forget about the scroll or you’ll regret it. If you come after me I’ll hunt each of you down and kill you.’ Or words to that effect, but we got the message. He scared the life out of me.”

Savage’s brow creased. “I’m astonished he released you all after you witnessed him killing the priest.”

“We didn’t understand it either. But we were grateful to escape with our lives. Then Pasha tossed away Josuf’s pickup keys and he and his bodyguard drove off. Josuf had a basic first-aid kit in his pickup and managed to put a dressing on Jack’s wound. It took us over an hour to find the keys in the dark before we drove back here.”

“Any difficulty crossing the border?”

“The Jordanians didn’t bother us but the Israeli guards seemed suspicious. They searched Josuf’s pickup before finally letting us through.”

“Did you learn anything useful from this priest, Novara?”

“Jack thinks he found some translations from the scroll. He spent most of the journey working on the notes he’d made in his notebook.”

Savage said eagerly, “Tell me more.”

“You better wait until you speak with Jack. He can fill you in better than me.”

Pierre came in, wiping his hands on a towel. He immediately helped himself to the Wild Turkey, splashing a generous measure into a glass.

Savage said, “So what’s the verdict?”

The Frenchman raised his glass to both of them before he swallowed the liquor in one mouthful and shook his head. “You know, it sometimes amazes me.”

Yasmin got to her feet. “What does?”

“Some people have the devil’s own luck. If Jack’s wound had been a few centimeters to the right the bullet could have severed an artery and we might be nailing him down in a box.”

“He’s going to be okay?”

The Frenchman smiled at Yasmin and slapped down his glass. “I’m not a doctor but I believe he’ll recover. It’s really just a bad flesh wound.”

Yasmin stood on her toes and kissed Pierre’s cheek. “Thank you.”

The Frenchman winked, then handed her two plastic vials of pills he’d taken from the first-aid kit. “Painkillers, if needed. The second vial contains antibiotics to prevent infection. Have Jack take one a day for the next four days. He’s sleeping now, thanks to the morphine, but I’ll be back later to check on him.”

Savage and Yasmin peered in at Jack. He was sleeping soundly in the chair, his hair flopped to one side, his leg dressed with a fresh cotton bandage. Savage watched as Yasmin knelt beside him. She gently patted his forehead with a damp cloth. “He looks exhausted. I’m not surprised. He didn’t sleep at all during our drive last night. He seemed totally preoccupied.”

Savage looked down at her. “Because of his wound?”

“That too, but he was preoccupied by the stuff he recorded in his notebook. No doubt he’ll tell you all about it once he wakes up.”

“Has Josuf gone back to his village to grab some sleep?”

“Yes. Why?” Yasmin answered.

“I’ve a feeling he won’t get much. Sergeant Mosberg was here earlier, asking questions. When he left, he drove toward the Bedu village. I hope Josuf keeps his mouth shut.”

“Don’t worry. We all agreed not to tell anyone what had happened, except you. Jack said you had to know.”

Savage nodded down at Jack. “How about we let him sleep it off and you and I step outside. We need to talk, Yasmin.”

She looked up. “About what?”

Savage was grim. “I think I know who took the scroll.”

55

“Who did it?” Yasmin asked expectantly.

They stepped outside the tent and strolled for several yards toward the Qumran ruins. Savage lit a Marlboro and took a drag. “Before I answer that, do you mind if I make a nosy remark? I saw the way you tended to Jack. It’s obvious you care.”

Yasmin blushed. “What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Maybe a lot. Don’t look so embarrassed. You like him, don’t you?”

Yasmin’s brown eyes rose to meet Savage’s stare. “I’ve liked him since the day we met. What’s it to you?”

“You met Jack only a few months ago. I’ve known him most of his life. And in my own way I’ve tried to be like a father to him. When his dad died, I lost a good friend.”

“He never talks much about himself after his parents died. Did anything else bad happen to Jack?”

“You bet it did. Think about it. He was parentless at nineteen. After he flew back to the States things went downhill. For a long time he tried to numb the pain with alcohol and pills. How he didn’t wind up dead I’ll never know, but there came a turning point.”

“What happened?”