The Cult of Osiris

  Then don't walk into it! Check the bulldozers, see if she hid it inside one of them. Or underneath.'

  What about you?' Berkeley asked as Shaban went to the dune buggy. 'This is our way off. Go on, search!'

  Nina tensed, but to her relief Berkeley went to one of the earthmovers on the other side of the hold. She slithered to the rear of the machine she was hiding under. There was another open hatch not far away - if she could reach it without being seen . . .

  The fire was growing, grease and spilled oil on the deck catching light. Berkeley finished his examination of the first bulldozer and moved to the one behind it.

  The door was about fifteen feet away. Twisting to look back, she spotted Shaban's feet by the buggy as he released the last strap.

  He was facing away from her. She might be able to reach the door if she moved now - and if Berkeley didn't see her.

  The archaeologist had climbed up to check the cab, his back to her.

  This was her chance.

  She slid out, about to dart for the door when Berkeley hopped down - and turned. He saw her.

  Their eyes met across the hold. Nina froze. One word from him would alert the cult leader . . .

  The word didn't come.

  Berkeley blinked, then his expression became studiously blank. He turned away, searching the bulldozer's cab for a second time.

  Nina gave him silent thanks, then got ready to run—

  What is it?' Shaban shouted, making both Nina and Berkeley flinch. He had seen the scientist's moment of indecision.

  IT'm not sure,' Berkeley stuttered, but Shaban was already striding towards her position.

  She jumped up and held the jar above her head. Don't move! I'll smash it!'

  Shaban stopped, holding out his hands. 'Give it to me, Dr Wilde.'

  I don't think so!' She backed away, looking over her shoulder at the spreading Fire. How about we bake your bread, huh?'

  No!' He advanced another step, torn between the urge to retrieve the canopic jar and the fear of its being destroyed. 'Give it to me and - and I'll let you live.'

  Nina kept retreating. What, so you can use it to kill millions of people? No way. This ends here, asshole.'

  His eyes flicked away from her to the hold's side wall. 'You're right. It does.' Nina!' Berkeley cried in warning - too late.

  Diamondback dived from the open hatch, tackling Nina. The jar was jolted from her hands as they hit the deck. He just managed to get his grasping fingertips underneath it to stop it

  from smashing, but couldn't hold on to it. The jar rolled towards the fire - then clanked to a stop against one of the cargo rings.

  Shaban let out a deep breath as he realised the jar was safe. He started for it. 'Kill her,' he snapped.

  My pleasure,' said Diamondback. He pulled Nina's head up by her ponytail, reaching into his snakeskin jacket with his other hand to draw his gun—

  Everyone looked round as another door flew open.

  Eddie jumped through, Khaleel's weapon in his hands. He immediately locked it on to the biggest threat, Diamondback - but the American yanked Nina higher, making her cry out in pain as he used her as a human shield. Shaban hurriedly took cover behind the nearest earthmover. Berkeley did the same on the other side of the hold, cowering in one of the lowered scoops.

  Eddie,' Nina gasped, horrified by the amount of blood on his face and clothes. Oh, my God . . .'

  Hi, love,' he said, before shifting his gaze to Diamondback. 'You. Puff Adder. You've got to the count of three to let her go.'

  Diamondback pressed his revolver against Nina's head. 'And you've got to the count of two to drop that piece.

  Eddie, shoot the jar!' Nina said. He glanced sideways and spotted the canopic jar. 'If you destroy it, they've got nothing!'

  Do that and she dies. Chase!' shouted Shaban, signalling for his bodyguard to hold his fire - for now. In response, Diamondback pulled Nina to her knees, still crouching behind her as he forced her to shuffle awav from Eddie.

  Eddie tracked them with the gun, slowly following. It was a stand-off; Diamondback knew that if he killed Nina he would die a second later, but Eddie couldn't take a shot without

  risking hitting her All he could do was watch as they backed up until they were close to the open door.

  Sebak!' the American called. Are the keys in that bulldozer?

  Shaban immediately understood what he was thinking and moved to the earthmover's cab, keeping low to stay out of Eddie's line of fire. He leaned inside. The starter motor chattered, then the diesel engine rumbled to life.

  Whatever you're doing, fuckin' pack it in,' Eddie warned, but he was unable to do anything to stop them. Diamondback, still holding the gun to Nina's head, fumbled in a pocket for a zip-tie. He threaded it through a cargo ring and loosely pushed the end into the fastener, then grabbed Nina's hand and forced it into the plastic loop before yanking it as tight as it would go.

  Nina gasped as the tie's toothed inner face chewed deeply into her wrist. She was firmly secured to the ring, her arm bent back painfully. You ain't goin' anywhere,' Diamondback drawled in her ear.

  Shaban, meanwhile, had figured out the basics of the earthmover's controls. He pulled a lever to raise the dogtoothed front scoop higher off the deck, then wedged a large spanner from a toolbox against the gas pedal. The engine roared, its exhaust pipe spewing out oily brown smoke, but the machine didn't move. It wasn't in gear.

  Yet.

  He looked up - and saw something through the open front ramp. The line of the cliff-edge ahead. Less than a mile away.

  The Zubr would reach it in under two minutes.

  Eddie looked between Diamondback and Shaban, the horrible realisation of their plan dawning. He now had a clear shot at the cult leader - but switching his aim would give Diamondback the moment he needed to whip his gun round and shoot him.

  The jar—

  It rattled against the ring, about the same distance away as Nina.

  Shaban saw him look. Which do you choose, Chase? Stop me, or save your wife? You can only do one!

  He jammed the stick into the lowest reverse gear - and jumped clear as the bulldozer lurched backwards.

  It moved less than a foot before crashing to a stop as the chains securing it to the deck snapped taut. But the restraints were designed only to keep it in place while the hovercraft was in motion, not to withstand the force of several hundred horsepower. Steel tracks screeching horribly over the floor, the excavator started to tear itself free, the cargo rings creaking and squealing.

  Diamondback held his place behind Nina, one eye on the snarling vehicle twelve feet away. Well, go ahead!' he shouted to Eddie. 'It's your move.

  Eddie glanced at the jar. Could he kick it into the fire before the bulldozer broke free?

  But if it came to a choice, he knew there was only one he could make—

  A ring snapped. The extra stress on the remaining restraints was too much, and less than a second later they shattered. The bulldozer ground backwards.

  Towards Nina.

  Diamondback rolled away from her, throwing himself to the far side of the bulldozer. Eddie fired, but both shots clanged uselessly off the machine.

  He ran to Nina, who was desperately trying to free her arm.

  The earthmover continued its inexorable advance, five feet away, four. Eddie knew there was no way she could get her hand loose in time - and instead jammed his gun against the metal ring.

  He pulled the trigger The bullet severed the tie, ricocheting off the ring and knocking the gun from his hand. The muzzle flame burned Nina's arm. She screamed, but he had already pulled her back as the earthmover ran over the dented ring.

  They rolled clear as the hulking machine rumbled past, but the danger wasn't over. Shaban raced past for the canopic jar. Diamondback was a few paces behind him, gun raised. Eddie looked for his own weapon—

  It vanished under the bulldozer's track with a crunch of flattening metal.

  He hauled Nina with him rou
nd the rear of the crawling machine. Diamondback fired, the shot tearing a chunk from the yellow bodywork. The American was about to run after them when he realised there was a shortcut, and jumped up to climb into the cab—

  Eddie was alreadv there.

  He made a diving tackle over the seat, and both men crashed to the deck. The revolver clattered across the floor.

  Shaban reached the jar and snatched it up, feeling a moment of pure relief as he saw it was undamaged and still sealed. He ran back to the dune buggy. Berkeley looked out from his hiding place; the cult leader scowled at him, making him cringe back.

  Eddie punched Diamondback - with his injured arm, causing himself almost as much pain as he delivered. The American realised something was wrong and clawed at his adversary's forearm, fingers digging into the bullet wound. Eddie screamed, jerking back and giving Diamondback the chance to kick him away. The bulldozer rolled past them.

  Nina climbed into the machine's cab. She kicked the spanner off the accelerator and shoved the gearstick into neutral, the bulldozer clanking to a stop just short of the spreading fire at the back of the hold. In front of the earthmover she saw Diamondback smash an elbow down on Eddie's chest, beyond them Shaban climbing into the dune buggy - and through the gaping forward ramp . . .

  The cliffl

  Diamondback hit Eddie in the ribs again, then sprang up to find his gun. It was in front of the bulldozer. He grabbed it and straightened, turning to shoot Eddie—

  And froze as the dune buggy peeled away with a screech of tyres. Shaban was at the wheel, clutching the canopic jar to his chest. 'Sebak!' the American yelled, voice lost amongst the roar of wind and machinery. ' Wait/'

  Eddie sat up. Diamondback snapped out of his shock at being abandoned and took aim—

  Nina slammed the bulldozer into gear.

  It jerked forward - and its scoop hit the American hard in his back. His gun flew from his hand and landed in the steel bucket. He reeled towards Eddie - then lurched backwards as a fist ploughed into his face.

  Eddie hit him again and again. Diamondback spat out blood. Eddie wound up and smashed an uppercut into his chin that knocked the other man off his feet against the scoop's edge, the metal teeth ripping through the back of his snakeskin jacket.

  Diamondback wasn't finished, though. He saw his gun, groped for it—

  And was hauled into the air as Nina raised the scoop.

  His weight pulled the jacket tightly over the steel teeth, leaving him hanging helplessly. He tried to shrug off the garment, but couldn't get his arms free.

  Eddie drove one last punch into his stomach as the bulldozer stopped, then looked towards the bow.

  Shaban drove the dune buggy off the ramp.

  The rugged off-roader hit the ground hard, slamming the Egyptian against his seatbelt. He just barely managed to keep the vehicle under control with one hand as he gripped the jar. For a moment the Zubr gained on him, the ramp's jutting edge like a huge shovel blade about to scoop up the buggy . . . then he pulled away, making a hard turn to one side. The hovercraft blasted past him.

  Heading straight for the cliff.

  Macy saw the dune buggy swing away, and realised who was driving.

  If Shaban had escaped, then where were Nina and Eddie? Were they—

  No. She refused to accept the possibility. They hadn't given up on her; she wasn't going to give up on them.

  Jaw set, she dropped down a gear and pushed the accelerator to its limit. The temperature gauge was in the red, the elderly Land Rover overheating, but it still began to overtake the hovercraft.

  Nina ran to Eddie. Are you okay?' she asked, taking in his multiple injuries.

  Nothing a month in the Maldives won't fix,' he rasped, gripping his arm to stop the bleeding. Ignoring the impotently kicking and swearing Diamondback, he surveyed the hold, seeing the hatch leading to the starboard engineering compartment. 'We've got to stop this thing. Maybe we could chuck something in the engine—'

  There isn't time!' Nina cried, jabbing a finger at the front ramp. We're gonna go over a cliff!'

  What? Shit!' His search became more desperate. The fire at the rear ramp was now a swirling inferno, and if they tried to jump off from the bow the hovercraft would mow them down.

  No way out—

  A crash of metal made them whirl - to see the battered Land Rover lurch backwards up the front ramp. Macy had driven directly in front of the Zubr, then braked hard, to be swallowed

  up like a minnow by a whale. The 4x4 skidded as she slammed on the brakes, slewing round to face them.

  Macy sat up, dazed, then her rattled expression became one of delight as she saw Nina and Eddie. 'Come on!' she shouted. Get in!

  They ran for the bullet-pocked Defender. 'Logan!' called Nina. Move your ass!' Berkeley emerged from his hiding place and scurried for the Land Rover. They all piled in.

  Through the bow, Eddie saw the edge of the cliff for the first time, rushing towards them. Too close for the Land Rover to get clear. 'The rear ramp, go!' he yelled.

  It's on fire!' Berkeley protested.

  Just^ol'

  Macy slammed the Land Rover into gear and drove the 4x4 between the two ranks of heavy equipment. She saw the whipping flames. 'Jesus!

  Go through it!' cried Eddie. Diamondback was still hanging from the earthmover's scoop, but had twisted round enough to reach his gun. ' Go!

  Diamondback aimed the revolver at the Land Rover's driver as the vehicle charged towards him—

  Fear paralysed his trigger finger. He had been so intent on recovering his gun that he hadn't seen the approaching cliff - until now.

  He overcame his shock and fired, but a fraction of a second too late. The bullet punched through the Land Rover 's roof above Macy's head. The Defender surged past him.

  Nina looked back. 'We're not gonna make it!' The Land Rover was designed for endurance, not acceleration.

  We'll make it,' said Eddie, gripping her tightly. They passed the last earthmover, flames swelling ahead as Macy angled for the ramp. Although I think we should duck!

  They dropped as low as they could as the Land Rover drove into the blaze, tongues of fire licking hungrily through the broken windows.

  They hit the ramp—

  The Zubr reached the cliff.

  A huge blast of escaping air swept sand and stones off the rockface as the skirt vented into the void below. Its support gone, the hovercraft 's bow dropped, the massive vehicle jolting violently as the bottom of its hull ground against the lip of stone. Still driven onwards by its three huge propellers, it balanced like a see-saw - before tipping over the point of no return. Everything inside it that was not lashed down slid forwards . . .

  Including the bulldozer on which Diamondback was pinned.

  He screamed as the earthmover screeched down the hold. The machine shot out into the open, plunging at the ground with Diamondback trapped on the scoop like a shrieking hood ornament.

  Thirty tons of steel smashed down at the base of the cliff - followed by over five hundred tons of metal as the hovercraft landed on top of it. The Zubr exploded with earth-shaking force, a burning mushroom cloud roiling upwards.

  Towards the Land Rover.

  The 4x4 hadn't gained enough speed to cancel out the hovercraft's forward momentum as it flew out of the stern, and it skidded backwards to crunch to a halt with its rear wheels over the edge of the cliff. The front wheels spun uselessly, lifted off the ground as the back end dipped . . .

  Though half stunned by the hard landing, Nina realised the danger - and threw herself against the dashboard.

  The shift of weight was just enought to bring the Defender's front end back down, the tyres finding grip and pulling the vehicle back on to the clifftop with a bone-shaking thump. The fireball boiled upwards behind it, setting one of the wheels alight. Still engulfed in the cloud of

  sand, the Land Rover got about thirty feet before the burning tyre blew out. Macy brought it to a jolting stop.

  The dust gr
adually settled. Coughing, they climbed out. Berkeley shakily faced Nina. Thanks for waiting for me.'

  And thanks for - - - sort of trying to help me. I guess,' Nina replied dubiously.

  He looked relieved, holding out his hand. No hard feelings?'

  To Macy and Eddie's surprise, she shook it, once . . .

  Then punched him in the face. He dropped on his ass, stunned. Actually, yes! That was for selling out in the first place, you son of a bitch!' Eddie pulled her back before she could take another swing.

  What about Shaban?' Macy asked. She looked into the distance, but the dune buggy was long gone.

  Shit!' said Nina, thoughts returning to larger concerns than Berkeley. 'He's got the jar! How're we going to catch up with him?'

  We're not,' Eddie told her. He's got a head start - and I bet he'll be able to get someone to pick him up by chopper. That buggy had a sat phone.

  So he wins?' Macy asked, appalled. 'After all that, he gets away with it?

  No,' said Nina. No way. I'm not going to let that happen.' She stared after the departed Egyptian, thinking. 'We need to get back to Abydos.' Both Eddie and Macy appeared on the verge of making sarcastic comments about the obviousness of her plan. Don't even start. I said we needed to contact the authorities. We still do.'

  In that case,' said Eddie, indicating the Land Rover's smoking rear tyre, we'd better change that wheel. It's a bloody long walk.'

  The Egyptian Mil Mi-8 helicopter approached from the west, silhouetted against the bloated red sun on the horizon. It kicked up a swirling vortex of sand as it touched down near the Osireion at Abydos.

  Nina, Eddie and Macy stood by the battered Land Rover, Berkeley sitting sullenly in its rear seat, shielding their eyes from the blowing dust. Hatches opened, six men emerging. Five were soldiers, but their uniforms were not the standard tan of regular Egyptian troops: these were the darker camouflage pattern of a special forces team.

  The sixth man was a civilian - Dr Ismail Assad, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Dr Wilde,' he said as he reached the Land Rover.

  Dr Assad,' Nina replied. She looked past the helicopter to the desert from where it had come. I'm guessing you checked out the GPS co-ordinates I gave you on the phone before coming here.'