“Yes, I have seen that crook Hamsa going up there.” His words dripped with scorn.
They all exchanged a look at the mention of the familiar name.
“He is a very dishonest man.” The irony of that statement was obviously lost on Fahim. “I know nothing more.” He laid his hand over his heart. “I swear to you.”
“Here, take this.” Boone pulled out eight, five-hundred-rupee bills worth about fifty dollars American and slapped them against Fahim’s chest. “If you find out anything else, tell Khalid. If we deem the information useful, there could be more where that came from.”
“Yes, yes, I will.” He grabbed the string hanging from his neck, lifted out a small leather pouch that had been concealed beneath his tunic, and stuffed the bills inside.
“Go now, and do not tell anyone of this conversation.” Khalid tilted his head toward Calliope. “Or I will let her cut out that insolent tongue of yours and feed it to your sheep.”
“Nah, I’d rather add it to my gator tongue collection.” One corner of her mouth lifted in a not-so-sweet half smile.
Boone assumed she was kidding about the tongue collection, but you just never knew with her.
Fahim curled his lips inward, as if to protect his tongue, and maneuvered his way around them, careful to give Calliope a very wide berth before dashing out of the building.
“Do you believe him?” Boone moved to the doorway, along with Hawk and Calliope.
“Fahim is a poor, ignorant sheep farmer.” Khalid joined them, and they all watched the man until he disappeared down the hill. “The promise of more money will be too great for him to resist.”
“What ruins was he talking about?” Calliope asked.
“The tomb of Shah Ah’harami.” Khalid explained how the shah’s body was removed nearly a century ago and transported to his birthplace in Kasmir. “It was abandoned and has deteriorated into nothing more than some piles of stone and dilapidated columns. There are said to be catacombs beneath the rubble, but I have always assumed they were inaccessible.”
“If they’re not, they would be the perfect place to hide a bunch of scared girls.” Boone’s satellite phone beeped from inside his coat pocket. They all stepped out of the building to get away from the stench. He pulled his phone free and answered Cole’s call.
“Our target just left the hotel. We’ll pay our tab and follow him,” Cole said. “Did you have any luck?”
“We spoke to a man who was able to provide some information about the girls.” Boone turned and faced the direction ofthe ruins. “Some guy who keeps a bunch of sheep in the hills outside of town.”
He filled him in on everything they’d learned from Fahim, as well as the location of the ruins.
“You believe him?” Cole thanked someone, and chairs scraped across the floor.
“Khalid believes him.” That was good enough for Boone. “I’m going to have Luna see what she can find out about those ruins.” He was happy to have an excuse to talk to her again. “In the meantime, we’ll hike up there and get a feel for the area.”
“Okay. We’ve got eyes on the target. He’s heading into the open-air market,” Cole said. “Let’s meet back at the hangar at sixteen hundred hours.”
“Roger that.” Boone ended the call. “Khalid, can you take us to those ruins?”
He lifted his cuff to look at the old analog watch with a fake gold elastic wristband.
“I am sorry, but I am needed at home. But I can provide you with directions to get there.”
“That works.” Boone tugged a small spiral notebook and pencil from one of the pockets on his backpack.
“You will start at the path, over there, and take it up about three miles.” Khalid pointed toward the path, then started scribbling a map on the small piece of paper. “Once you reach the end, you will see a large patch of wild roses right here.” He tapped the pencil to the paper. “They have a great many thorns. You will either have to navigate through them or find a way around them. Once you have cleared them, you will see a line of large willow trees. The ruins will be just beyond those trees.”
“Did you say willow trees?” What were the chances?
“Yes, they were planted when the original tomb was built.” He handed him the notebook and pencil.
“Thank you, Khalid.” Boone tucked them back into the pocket and zipped it shut.
“I wish you luck.” Khalid shook each of their hands with a slight bow and made his way down the rocky trail leading toward town.
“I sure hope nothing happens to him.” Calliope skirted around a cluster of sheep and started walking toward the path. “He’s such a nice man. Aside from the threat to cut the throats of all Fahim’s sheep, of course.”
