“I’m going back to Yemen,” he said finally. His friend didn’t even glance in his direction.
“Why in the hell would you want to do a stupid thing like that?” Tim asked in his Kentucky drawl.
Nate had debated how to share the next part. For some reason he was embarrassed to tell his old friend that it was to search for a lost city for his archaeology degree. It made it seem trivial, which also angered him. He had put an extensive amount of work into this, and he truly believed it was out there.To hell with it, he thought to himself.
“In Yemen, Ahmed told me stories about the lost city of Ubar, and I’ve been researching it for the last few years. It’s out there, and I’m closer to finding it than anyone in history.”
Tim said nothing, just kept shooting.
“Two people are dead over this already, and someone tried to take me out three days ago,” Nate continued. “This is real.”
Tim paused and glanced in his direction. “Tried to take you out? Where?”
“Germany. I’m onto something, Tim, probably the location of the lost city. And someone doesn’t want me to find it. There’s a woman involved who’s holding the missing piece, and they’re probably coming for her as well.”
Tim stopped shooting momentarily and stared in his direction. “Do you know how damn ridiculous this all sounds?”
Nate did. But that didn’t change things. “Look, you don’t have to believe me. Wally and Shane didn’t either, at least not at first. They’re both on board now, though.”
“So why do you need me?”
“Because I’m going back to Yemen. I need people I trust who can watch my back. And there’s no one I trust more to do that than you.” Maybe he had laid it on thick, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t true.
Tim resumed firing, saying nothing for a long time. Nate didn’t say anything either as he burned through another magazine of 9mm ammo. This might have been a mistake. He was trying to figure out what he would do if his old friend said no, and he truly wasn’t sure at this point. Finally, Tim finished firing and cleared his rifle. He turned to face Nate.
“You weren’t there when I needed you. You abandoned the team. And now, after all that, you want to go back to Yemen? Where the fuck were you two years ago?”
Nate said nothing, trying to keep his anger in check.
“You know what?” Tim asked rhetorically. “A lot of good men died over there. Men whose memory you just left behind in the dust.”
“Fuck you, Tim,” Nate said, his anger boiling over as he took a stepforward and balled his fists. Tim had finally crossed a line, and he seemed to recognize it.
“Look, man,” Tim said in a slightly less aggressive tone, “you go ahead and do what you’ve gotta do. But I’m retired.” Tim grabbed a fresh magazine off the table and loaded it into his rifle. “Good luck on your trip.”
“Fine,” Nate said, slamming the unloaded Glock on the table. He pulled an envelope from his back pocket and tossed it on the loading table beside the weapon. It contained an airline ticket and hotel reservation. “If you change your mind, we’ll be in Cairo in two days.”
With that he threw the hearing protection on the table and walked back to his car.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
Cairo, Egypt
Two Days Later
Nate rolled over in the plush sheets, willing himself to get out of bed. He was extremely comfortable and not at all sure he was ready to begin the day. The constant hopping back and forth across the Atlantic had set in motion a cascade of jet lag that was starting to catch up to him. He had no idea what time it was, but judging by the bright sliver of sunlight that pierced the room through the edge of the curtain, he had slept in.
Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed he stood up, yawned, and stretched. He shuffled through his duffel bag, threw on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and exited the bedroom into the spacious living room. Shane had booked them a suite at the luxurious Le Méridien Pyramids Hotel & Spa, and the accommodations were phenomenal. Back in the Special Forces he’d stayed at similar places across the Middle East, always on the government’s dime, but he couldn’t have afforded such luxury on his own.
After leaving Kentucky, Nate had headed back to Boston to grab a few items from his apartment. He packed a bag better suited to desert exploration, meaning fewer suits and more lightweight hiking apparel. He’d thrown in his Vasque Breeze hiking boots and a tan boonie cap,and switched the link bracelet of his Omega watch out for a black nylon strap with orange accents.
As an afterthought, he had gone into his closet and grabbed his Yarborough knife from a box of military paraphernalia he kept on the top shelf. It was serialized and was given to him the same day he had earned his Green Beret. Produced by Chris Reeve Knives, the weapon had become a staple in the community over the years, and for a period was issued to all brand-new Special Forces soldiers. It was named after General William P. Yarborough, who had not only designed the U.S. Army Parachutist Badge, or airborne wings, but had led the Special Forces Regiment when he requested, and subsequently received, permission from President John F. Kennedy for the unit to wear their distinctive headgear, the green beret. Nate had never taken the weapon on a single deployment, opting to keep it as a ceremonial keepsake. But for some reason it felt right that it should come with him now.
He had picked up the knife by its micarta handle, feeling its weight in his hand for the first time in years, and noticed that his box of knickknacks was not in the order he had originally left it. He’d absently wondered if Paige had gotten into it, and if that was the reason she had left. Perhaps Wally was right, and his past had been a turnoff to her.
It didn’t matter, he’d thought to himself, sheathing the seven-inch blade in its scabbard. If she didn’t like him because of the things he’d done in the past, she sure as hell wasn’t going to approve of the things he was about to do now. He’d thrown the knife in his checked luggage, its presence somehow offering some reassurance as he set out on this new adventure.
That had been two days ago. Today he was in Cairo, starting the first phase of their expedition. As Nate approached the large sliding glass door, he saw Shane sitting out on the balcony in a white bathrobe, his bare feet kicked up on the railing and a cup of coffee in his hand.He had his aviator sunglasses on to ward off the late-morning glare, and he looked completely relaxed. In front of him the city opened up to provide an amazing view of the Giza Plateau and the pyramids. Nate looked up and caught his breath.
