Murphy spoke to the woman at the counter.
"There were about twenty people in here about an hour ago. Do you have any idea which flights they might be on?"
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She looked at a sheet of paper on her desk.
"We had three British Airways flights leave within the last hour. One went to Brussels. One went to London. And one went to Istanbul."
"That's it!" said Murphy with excitement.
"What are you talking about, Michael?" asked Levi.
"Remember in the Temple of Dagon. The one priest that was still alive tried to write something in the dust. He only got out two letters ... TU . I'll bet he was trying to write out TURKEY . Talon is on his way to Turkey."
"Why would he go to Turkey? What's so special about Istanbul?"
"Levi, he has Aaron's Rod and the Golden Jar of Manna. He also has all three sections of the Bronze Serpent of Moses. I think he may be going after the backpack!"
"What are you talking about, Michael? What backpack?"
"Do you remember when I went on the expedition to look for Noah's Ark?"
"Of course."
"Well, we did find the ark. But we also found some other items in an old box on the ark. We found a sword and a dagger that Dr. Wendell Reinhold from MIT said were made out of tungsten steel. Somehow Noah had access to a smelting process that could melt steel at extremely high temperatures and produce metal of the highest tensile strength."
"Where would Noah get that type of technology?"
"According to the writings of Josephus ... Jewish history suggests that Noah's wife's name was Naamah. She was the sister of Tubal-Cam, who is considered the father of metallurgy. We also discovered a number of other items. There was a curious bronze machine that had dials, pointers, interlocking gears, and wheels. We think it was a precision instrument that charted the positions of the stars and planets."
Murphy continued, speaking rapidly. "There were also weights and
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measures. And some colored crystals that were hot to touch. But, maybe most importantly, there were bronze plates that may prove to be one of the most important discoveries ever made."
Levi and Talmi were trying to follow Murphy's excitement and story about the ark.
"Dr. Reinhold believed that the bronze plates contained the secret of the Philosopher's Stone. The ability to change base metals into precious metals."
"You mean like changing lead into gold?" asked Levi.
"Yes. But even more important, the ability to change base metals into platinum."
"Why platinum?" asked Talmi.
"For the production of hydrogen fuel cells. As water passes through a thin layer of platinum it separates the protons from the electrons. This releases energy whereby we can take ordinary water and make it a clean-burning fuel that is a renewable resource. It would do away with the need for gasoline or any fossil fuels. This is already being done by a number of companies. The only problem is that platinum is very costly and very rare. If platinum could be created out of base metals ... whoever had control of this process would have control of the fuel supply for the entire world. Now I understand why the Seven would want this. It's worth a bundle."
"But what's that got to do with a backpack?" asked Levi.
"The three bronze plates with the formula for the Philosopher's Stone are in the backpack. The backpack went overboard with Talon as we were traveling on a ship from Istanbul to Romania. It is somewhere in the Black Sea. I think that Talon is going to try and retrieve the backpack."
"How could he ever find it?" asked Talmi.
"I think it would be possible. The ship travels the same route every week and most likely it travels at roughly the same speed. All we need to do is look at the ship's log. I know the time Talon went overboard.
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We only need to follow the same route for the same amount of time and we should be very close to the location."
"But, Michael," replied Levi, "it's still a large area. How could you ever find it?"
"With a mini-submarine used for salvage work. They're designed with very sophisticated metal-detection devices."
"It's still a long shot."
"I know it is, Levi. But considering the possibility of the Philosopher's Stone falling into the wrong hands ... it's worth a try, isn't it?"
"Yes, you're right. It's worth a try."
"We're going to need the right hardware. Do you have any contacts, someone who could get us a mini-submarine?"
"I'm sure we do. I'll have to check with our intelligence people. I'll also alert our people in Istanbul to stake out the arrival gate and try to nab Talon before he can slip away again. In the meantime, Ezra, can you set Dr. Murphy up on the next flight to Istanbul?"
"Of course. I'll find out when the next flight is to leave. I think it's not for another five hours. The man you are pursuing will have at least an eight-hour head start. I wish you luck."
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SIXTY
AS MURPHY DISEMBARKED the British Airways flight to Istanbul he looked over the crowd. Levi told him that one of the Mossad operatives would meet him at the airport. He noticed a dark-haired man of medium build eyeing him intently. The man then held up a sign that read, DR. MICHAEL MURPHY.
"Dr. Murphy, my name is Yosef Rozen. Welcome to Istanbul."
Murphy shook hands with the man. As they walked toward a waiting car, one thought was foremost in Murphy's mind.
"Did you get him?"
Rozen shook his head. "We discovered that there were five people who left Tel Aviv for Istanbul. But only one met your description. He
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has a Swiss passport and his name is Emile Cornelle. Unfortunately, he had already arrived before we got all the details together."
Murphy was disappointed, but far from surprised. Talon was a slippery one. "Istanbul is a very large and complex city Do you think there's any hope of finding him?"
"It won't be easy, unless he checks into a hotel using the name Emile Cornelle."
Not likely. Talon didn't make stupid mistakes like that . "Were you able to get any information about the ship lines?"
"Yes, we were."
Rozen opened his briefcase, took out a folder, and handed it to Murphy.
"Inside you will find the routing for the passenger ship from Istanbul to Constanta, Romania. It is almost a straight line. It also lists the speed it travels, along with other navigational details. If you know the time when the man you were fighting with went overboard, you could be as close as a half mile from the spot."
Murphy looked at the route and calculated where the ship should have been at the corresponding time.
"It looks like the location is not far off the coast of Bulgaria, between Burgas and Varna. The navigational chart suggests that the depth of the water there varies from two hundred to six hundred feet. Was Levi able to secure the use of a mini-submarine?"
"Yes. You will also find that information in the folder. Much oil is shipped out of the ports at Constanta. Israel has been working together with the Romanian government in exploring some offshore drilling sites. We have two small Neptune class mini-subs stationed at the port in Varna. We have secured the use of one of them for you. The small submarine has enough fuel and oxygen for about seven days underwater.
They were letting him borrow a sub for a week? Levi sure knew the right people .
"And what about metal detection?"
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"The submarine has a very sensitive metal-detection device. It can pick up readings from as far as an eighth of a mile. The meters can also determine the type of metal, from steel to silver or gold."
"How about bronze?"
"Of course. It has readings for most of the common metals. It can also tell the approximate depth of the metal in the event it has settled under the sand. It is quite impressive."
"It sounds just like what I'll need."
"One other thing. We have also checked out the port here in Istanbul to see if the
re are any mini-submarines in dock. There are three of them. One is in dry dock being repaired and the other two are down at pier number 103. We are still trying to contact the owners to see if anyone is scheduled to use them. That might provide one other possibility for finding the man you are searching for."
"I appreciate all of the work you have gone to. This man is very dangerous. Death and terror are his specialties. He must be stopped."
"We are pleased to help in any way we can, Dr. Murphy. We have also booked a room for you in one of the hotels south of the Golden Horn. It's in the older section of the city, at the top of one of the hills that leads down to the sea. It's not far from the Covered Bazaar. I'm sure that you will find it acceptable."
"Thank you. I think I'll settle in and then maybe explore the mini-subs at pier 103."
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SIXTY-ONE
IT WAS ABOUT 6:00 P.M. when Murphy arrived at the hotel. He checked in and then went for a walk in the direction of the Covered Bazaar. It brought back memories of his time with Isis in Turkey. They had shared some wonderful times and some dangerous times together in their search for the Ark of Noah on Ararat.
Murphy let out a long sigh. He missed her.
After dinner Murphy took a taxi down to pier 103. The sun was just starting to set when he arrived.
"Do you want me to wait, sir?" asked the driver.
"No. That's all right. I'm not sure how long I will be. I'll catch another taxi later."
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"Not a lot of taxis come down here at night, sir. There are not very many people around."
"I'll walk to a busier area."
"I don't know, sir. This is not a good place for an American to be walking around alone. Do you have an international cell phone?"
"Yes, I do," Murphy replied.
"Good. I'll give you my personal number. When you want to come back, you call me and I will come and get you. I would feel better if you did that. My name is Abd-Al-Rahim."
"Thank you for your concern. That's a good idea." Murphy wrote down the number. "You have been most kind."
"Be sure to watch your back, sir."
Murphy watched as the taxi drove away. He turned and looked around for a moment. No one could be seen in the dock area. Pier number 103 was about a block long and only had two light posts that were on, spaced quite a ways apart from each other.
Murphy walked down the pier until he found the two mini-submarines floating near each other. They both had white lettering reading CARSON OCEANOGRAPHIC on the side of their dark gray hulls.
I wonder who they are?
Murphy recognized the subs as the Ocean Ranger models. He had read about them in an issue of Popular Science magazine. They had an operating depth of 1,000 feet and were propelled by a combination of battery and diesel electric. They only needed one pilot and could carry up to four passengers if needed. Their surface speed was five knots and the submerged speed was three knots. Most importantly, they had a life support of--400 man-hours. If five people were on board they could last almost three and a half days. A single occupant could extend his stay to sixteen days.
Murphy wandered farther down the pier and sat on some crates in the shadows. A wave of pessimism settled over his thoughts. The pursuit of Talon seemed like a long shot and finding the backpack would
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be even more difficult. He was tired of battling against someone so evil who always seemed to come out on top. He was also physically tired after his adventure in the Temple of Dagon, the search for Talon at the airport, and his unplanned flight to Istanbul. He closed his eyes for a minute.
The sound of car doors closing startled him. He opened his eyes and looked at his watch. To his surprise, an hour and a half had passed since he had first closed his eyes.
I guess I was more tired than I thought .
In the poor light on the pier, Murphy could make out three men. They had just gotten out of a taxi, and as it drove away, the men began walking down the pier in his direction. He quietly slipped behind a large crate and watched.
As the three men passed under one of the lights on the pier, Murphy recognized Talon. His hair was back to its original dark color. He was clean-shaven. The two large men with Talon looked like Arabs. A combination of excitement and anger coursed through Murphy's body.
What Levi wouldn't give to be here now .
He watched as they stopped in front of the mini-submarines. They were speaking in Arabic. Every now and then Murphy could make out a couple of words.
After about ten minutes they walked back down the pier and into the street. Murphy followed, being sure to keep in the shadows. They turned right and walked toward a group of warehouses. Murphy waited until they rounded a corner before he went into the open street.
When he reached the edge of the building he carefully looked around the corner into a long alley between two warehouses. A light was on over a doorway on the warehouse to the left. Murphy saw no one, but he felt uneasy. He wished that Levi were with him ... or at least Levi's automatic.
Murphy decided to continue his pursuit. He had moved about
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halfway down the alley when one of the Arabs stepped out of the shadows about twenty feet in front of him, blocking his way.
The man said something in Arabic and Murphy heard a noise behind him. The other Arab had been hiding behind a garbage bin and was behind him about thirty feet away. Murphy was surrounded by warehouse walls on two sides and Arabs in front and back. Talon had disappeared.
He probably left them to do his dirty work for him .
Murphy quickly processed the situation. The words of a Civil War general flashed into his mind.
When surrounded on all sides ... attack!
Murphy moved quickly toward the Arab in front of him. The man had not expected him to charge. He reached in his pocket, pulled out a switchblade, and pushed the button on the side. The blade shot straight out of the handle.
Murphy caught the flash of metal but kept moving forward. Just before he got within stabbing distance he quickly darted to the left. At the same time the Arab lunged forward with the knife. Murphy quickly turned back, using his right hand for a downward block on the Arab's forearm.
He let out a cry of pain and dropped the knife, his arm almost paralyzed from the force of the blow. Murphy raised his left arm high and then drove his elbow into the face of the Arab, shattering his nose. For a moment he tottered and then toppled backward like a giant tree that had been chopped down.
Before Murphy could shout "Timber!" the second Arab had closed the distance. He had a metal bar in his right hand and Murphy knew that he intended to split his skull open with it. As the Arab raised his arm, Murphy dropped low and charged into his stomach with his shoulder. He felt the bar glancing off his back muscles as they went down in a pile together.
The Arab was strong and was attempting to put a bear hug on him. Murphy made a fist with his right hand, his thumb sticking out a
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little. He then drove the extended thumb into the top of the Arab's rib cage just under his left armpit. The Arab yelped and released his grip.
Murphy then quickly drove his braced thumb a second time. This time it struck home in the Arab's left temple. He was stunned and disoriented. He was no longer on the attack but trying to retreat.
Murphy rolled away and bounced to his feet as the Arab attempted to get up. Murphy drove his right elbow into the upper back of the Arab and it was all over. The blow had rendered him unconscious.
What seemed like an eternity of fighting was over in less than a minute. Murphy was breathing heavy and shaking with adrenaline. He backed out of the alley, thinking it best to leave before any more of Talon's friends arrived.
He reached in his pocket for his cell phone. "Hello. Is this Abd-Al-Rahim? This is the wandering American in Istanbul. If you have a moment, I would appreciate a ride back to the hotel."
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SIXTY-TWO
MURPHY RUBBED HI
S FINGERS through his hair as the phone rang. He had a sense of urgency that he couldn't quite explain. It was just a feeling.
"This is Levi Abrams."
"Levi. Michael here."
"Michael. How's it going? Have you found Talon yet?"
"Yes and no."
"What do you mean?"
"I saw him at a distance last night but I have no idea where he is now. I lost him when two of his men jumped me in an alley."
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Just a little tired. The two men who jumped me are a
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little worse for wear. Anyway, I saw him down at pier 103. He was standing next to a couple of mini-subs belonging to Carson Oceanographic. Do you know anything about them?"
"I've heard of them. They're a reputable company. They're helping in the search for possible oil sites in the Black Sea. My guess is that Talon is either going to steal one of the subs or rent one. Are you planning to wait for him and try to catch him?"
"I don't know, Levi. I'd like to catch him but what if he obtains a submarine from a company other than Carson Oceanographic? I'd be sitting around waiting while he was in the process of finding the backpack."
"You're probably right, Michael. You've got to find the bronze plates before he does. Then after that you could try to find him. Why don't you charter a plane to Varna and get the sub we have reserved for you. You could approach the site in the Black Sea from the north. Even if Talon used one of the Carson mini-subs, you might arrive at the site before he does. He'd be approaching from the south."