The Second Messiah

“Interesting.” A smile creased Nidal’s face as he studied the marble, then he turned back to Jack. “But you know what I also find interesting, Mr. Cane? That despite warnings you persist in trying to find the scroll. That is admirable. Except you forgot one very important point.”

“What’s that?”

“The scroll doesn’t belong to you. Where is it, Mr. Cane?”

“I’ve got no idea.”

“Liar.” Nidal struck Jack another blow across the face, this one even more vicious.

Jack reeled back, the blow stinging him like an electric shock, and clapped a hand to his jaw. “You mind telling me what I’m missing here? Who are you? What do you want?”

Nidal jerked his pistol. “Ultimately your life if you don’t tell me the truth, Mr. Cane. Now move, you’re both coming with us.”

“Where?” Jack asked.

“To meet someone who’s going to decide if you live or die.”

83

Jack followed Nidal and Yasmin back through the passageway. The Serb covered them with the machine pistol and carried Jack’s lamp.

As they mounted the steps from the rotunda into the ruined underground street, Nidal said, “It may not be safe going back the way we came. You’ve excavated in Rome, Cane. You have knowledge of these passageways. Find us another way out of here.”

“You know a lot.”

“Where’s the nearest way out—or do I have to hurt the woman to force you to tell me?”

Jack studied the ruined street, trying to get his bearings. He pointed to a jumble of huge stone blocks. Another archway lay beyond, smothered in darkness. “There ought to be an exit somewhere that way.”

“You had better be right, Cane.”

“It ought to eventually lead us to a metal stairway. It leads up to street level on the Via Famagosta. Except the exit door is probably locked.”

The Arab’s partner waved his gun. “I’ll take care of that. Get going.”

“Wait,” Nidal said, and traded his weapon with his partner. “Give me the MAC-10 and take my pistol.”

The Serb took the Beretta and Nidal cocked the machine pistol. He aimed it at Jack and gestured for him to move. “If you’re lying or attempt to escape I’m going to cut you down like a dog.”

As Jack stepped forward to lead the way, a firm voice commanded in English, “Throw down your weapons. Nobody move or we’ll shoot.”

The order was immediately repeated in Arabic as Lela and her companion stepped out of the shadows and aimed their pistols.

Jack locked eyes with Lela a second before she told the Arab and his partner, “Obey the order. Throw your weapons down now!”

In an instant Nidal brought up the MAC-10 and fired. A burst of gunfire stitched across the chamber walls, gouging plaster and sending Lela and Ari diving for cover as Jack crouched for shelter behind a shattered stone column.

The Serb dragged Yasmin toward the jumble of stone blocks and disappeared under the archway. Nidal followed them, firing another burst back into the chamber.

The gunfire died but the echo seemed to go on forever as Jack moved from behind his cover. He saw that Lela’s companion was already on his feet. The man raced toward the archway and fired a volley of shots into the passageway, the ricocheting rounds sparking off the walls.

A cry of pain erupted from somewhere in the darkness, then a ferocious burst of fire answered from Nidal’s machine pistol, gouging the plaster walls and forcing Ari to throw himself to the ground for cover.

The instant the gunfire died Jack sprinted toward the archway. He heard another pained cry from deep in the shadows. Has Yasmin been hit?

As he went to plunge into the passageway he felt hard metal prod against the back of his neck. Lela appeared behind him. “Stop, Jack. Stay where you are.”

“I’ve got to go after them, Lela. Yasmin’s been abducted.”

“I told you to stay—”

“Shoot me if you want, but I’m still going.” Jack surged past her, darting blindly into the pitch-black archway.

“Jack!” Lela went to move after him just as Ari struggled to his feet, gripping his wounded arm, his face ashen.

“I think I shot one of the creeps. Why didn’t you stop Cane? You let him get away.”

“Let’s hope you didn’t hit the woman, Ari. Jack claimed she’d been abducted. And I couldn’t just shoot him. We don’t know the full story here.”

“Just do your job and catch him, Lela.” Ari was enraged but as he staggered over to the archway in pursuit he came to a sudden halt, clutching his wound, his face twisted with agony.

Lela said. “What’s wrong?”

“My wound’s opened.”

“Let me see.” Lela held up the lamp. Blood streamed from Ari’s arm. “It’s gotten worse. You’re losing more blood.”

Lela tightened the tie on the wound, then checked the pulse on Ari’s other wrist. “I think that might stem the flow. But your pulse is weak and you’ll need proper medical help. Sit down or you’ll bleed to death.”

Ari slumped onto one of the limestone blocks. Lela fumbled in his pockets. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Trying to find your cell phone.”

“It’s in my right pocket. Why?”