Текст книги "26 - Storm Cycle "

Автор книги: Iris Johansen

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SIX

Rachel and Nuri had been sitting in the cafe for over thirty minutes when Tavak walked in the door. He was wearing a white linen jacket that was too small and pulled taut over his broad shoulders.

Rachel tried to hide the relief that she felt.

Evidently she wasn't successful. Tavak made a tsk-tsking sound as he dropped into the chair. "You thought I'd done a flit? I keep my word, Rachel."

"I don't know that. All I know is that you're a tomb raider and a thief." She took a sip of her black coffee. "And people want to blow you up."

"It does seem incriminating." He motioned for the waiter. "But you usually look deeper than the surface."

"She was worried," Nuri said. "I told her you were an honorable man—maybe."

"Your endorsement touches me," Tavak said. "And I'm sure that it comforted Rachel."

"What are you doing in that jacket?" Rachel asked. "You look like a waiter."

"It is a waiter's jacket. I stole it from the linen closet on the second floor of the hotel. The back of my shirt was ripped from the blast, and I would have attracted too much attention. I would have been here sooner, but I had to slip out the back way and down the alley to avoid the firemen and police."

Rachel hadn't noticed his torn shirt. It wasn't surprising considering the shape she'd been in after that blast. And he didn't really look like a waiter, she realized. He wore the jacket with a casual elegance that reminded her of the movie heroes of the thirties. That was the only thing casual about him. His blue eyes were glittering in his tan face, and his every muscle seemed ready to go into action at any second. He was so alive that she felt as if she'd get a shock if she touched him. The disaster that had almost killed them had only served to energize him, she thought incredulously. "Why did you go back in the room?"

"To get my backpack. It was by the door, so it had a chance of not being totally destroyed." He nodded at the bag at his feet. "It's pretty torn and ripped, but my computer survived. The case of the computer is dented, but it still booted up."

"Why did you need it?"

"I have the original photos from the tomb still in it."

"But the external hard drive blew up. You don't have Jonesy to decode those hieroglyphics."

"Well, that's not exactly true."

She stared at him in surprise. "You had a backup?"

He nodded. "I'm a very careful man about some things. I made a copy of Jonesy's most recent decoding program on another hard drive and stashed it in a safe."

"Where?"

"Paris. But I'll have to activate the software package and start it working on the coded message we found here in Egypt."

"How long before it will be ready to give us answers?"

He shrugged. "It's fairly complicated. Four or five days maybe."

"That's too long."

"She is becoming angry," Nuri said. "I think I will let you deal with it, Tavak." He stood up and looked at Rachel. "It has been a great pleasure to meet you, Ms. Kirby. I will stay as long as you need me, but I believe he is no real threat to you. With your permission, I will go now."

"Yes, you don't need to stay. Good-bye, Nuri. And thank you."

Nuri turned to Tavak. "You were very interesting. It was pleasant protecting you."

" 'Protecting'? I thought I was a prisoner."

" 'Prisoner' is an ugly word. Did I not feed you and keep you entertained? I'm not even asking you to give me the money you owe me." He grinned. "It's a small world. We may meet again."

Tavak nodded. "Good-bye, Nuri."

Rachel watched him walk away before she turned back to Tavak. "Four or five days is too long to get answers. Can't you hurry it?"

"I might." He paused. "If you can give me more cycles, I can cut that time in half."

"Damn you."

"More power, quicker answers. Isn't that the principle on which you've based your operation?"

"Yes." She looked down in her cup. "Okay, you'll get them. I suppose I don't have to ask if you're able to siphon them off yourself."

He nodded. "I'll manage. Just tell your assistant, Simon, to ignore the loss."

"You know about Simon?"

"I know about Simon and Val and Allie and everything else that I could find out about you."

"Do you always research your victims so thoroughly?"

"No." He sipped his coffee. "You interested me. You're unique."

"Everyone is unique."

He shook his head. "I don't agree. I'm bored with most people after a while. It's my own fault. I have an analytical mind that can be a curse. I find myself studying everyone around me, trying to take them apart. Eventually, I can predict what they'll say, what they'll do." He gazed at her over the rim of the cup. "It's only occasionally you run across someone who has that spark of originality that never goes out. I don't think I'd ever find you boring, Rachel."

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Yet she could see how boredom might be a problem for Tavak. With an IQ soaring off the genius scale, he would find few people who would be able to meet him at even half his level. "And you sound egotistical as hell."

"I probably am." He smiled. "You'll have to slap me down every now and then. Now I suggest we leave for Paris right away and take a flat there so that I can get to work."

"We're not going anywhere until we come to an agreement." She held his gaze. "If I help you, if I don't call in the police to arrest you, will you turn over the information on that tablet to me immediately? You won't hold out for the highest bidder?"

He didn't speak for a moment. "I get the rights to any medical finds, but I'll let your foundation have the formula or procedure first to develop it. Good enough?"

"Yes. But you also have to agree to show me every backdoor you created to get into Jonesy."

"Deal." He smiled. "Then let's head for Paris."

She thought about it, then shook her head. "We'll go to Paris to pick up that external drive, but we're not going to stay there."

His brows rose. "No? Then where are we going?"

"Las Vegas."

"What?"

"I have a job to do there. You said it would take you a few days to program the computer and get that information. I have to use that time. I promised Norton I'd give him back the cycles I took from him when you were bleeding me dry. It was the only way I could persuade him to get you out of that tomb." Her lips tightened. "And now you tell me you're going to take more computing power from Jonesy. I have to make it up somehow."

"In Las Vegas?"

"It's my best chance."

"Then you can go to Las Vegas and leave me in Paris."

"No way."

He smiled faintly. "You don't trust me? What a surprise."

"Until we find that tablet, we're joined at the hip."

"What an interesting picture that brings to mind." He nodded. "But I like it."

"I don't, but that's the way it has to be." She stood up. "Let's get to that airport."

"Not so fast." He got to his feet. "I have to stop at the hospital and check on Ben."

"Ben?" Then she made the connection. "The man who was with you in the tomb. Was he badly hurt?"

"Not critical, but it could have been. He's doing well." He smiled. "Thanks to you, he'll live to curse me for getting him into that spot."

"Sounds like an intelligent man." She turned and moved toward the door. "Okay, we'll stop on the way to the airport."

* * *

"It's about time you showed up," Ben said. "I've been lying here wondering if you'd gone after Dawson."

"I won't have to," Tavak said. "I'll only have to look behind me." He gestured to Rachel. "This is Dr. Rachel Kirby. I thought you'd like to meet the woman who got us out of that particular mess. Ben Leonard."

Ben made a face. "Hi. I won't ask how he got a nice lady like you involved with all those tombs and stuff. He usually manages to do what he wants to do. But I do thank you for saving my neck. I thought this time I'd bought it."

"You're welcome. I hope you recover quickly, Mr. Leonard."

"The doctor says I'll be out of here in a week or so." He glanced at Tavak. "Will you need me sooner?"

"No, I have some data to retrieve, and that will take some time." He smiled. "I believe we can afford to let you take a little time to heal."

Ben gave him a wary look. "What then? Tell me there won't be any more tombs."

"I can't tell you that. But I'll handle it myself if we run into any."

"Good." Ben gave a sigh of relief. "I don't want to have anything to do with underground burials. I think I'm going to be cremated when I buy it. Until then, I'll stay up top and guard your back."

"That will probably work just as well. Do you need anything?"

Ben shook his head. "Just a pass to get out of here. But maybe I'll enjoy the rest. You're not a very relaxing person, Tavak."

"You'll get bored."

Ben shook his head. "No, you're the one who can't be still for more than a couple hours. I have a lazy nature. I just don't get to pander to it when I'm around you." He glanced at Rachel. "Watch yourself, he's not like other people. He gets restless, then all of a sudden you're tiptoeing through a minefield."

"Then why are you still going to work with him?"

He shrugged. "Damned if I know. I guess I have a death wish." He grinned. "Or it might be that he promised to make me a rich man. That could have something to do with it."

"A lot to do with it," Tavak said. "You have to be able to pay for that fancy cremation." He reached out and shook Ben's hand. "They'll take good care of you here. If they give you any trouble, call me, and I'll be back."

"I will," Ben said. "You owe me." He paused, gazing at Tavak. "Don't you go getting yourself into trouble until I get out of here."

"No, just a little research as I said." Tavak turned toward the door. "Get well, Ben. I need you."

Ben's face lit up. "Yeah, I know you do. I'll be in touch as soon as I get my discharge papers."

"Do that." Tavak waved from the door. "I'll be waiting."

Rachel was silent as they walked down the corridor to the elevator. "You care about him."

"Yes, why are you surprised?"

"I just—you can't have much in common."

"I admire him. He's no hero. But when he's frightened, he faces it and keeps going." He grimaced. "He doesn't have the best character judgment, but that's in my favor. Sometimes people find I'm a difficult dose to swallow. He relies on his instinct. He doesn't know why, but he likes me. I'll take that."

"Do you really need him?"

"No, but it makes him feel good to hear it. What's the harm?"

"No harm." But Rachel didn't know if she would have thought to say those words. She had the reputation of being a bulldozer, and most of the time she deserved it. She was totally focused and didn't stop to see or analyze anything but the goal ahead. "It just surprised me."

Tavak glanced at her as he pressed the elevator button. "You'll get over it. Surprises are natural when you're getting to know someone. I'm looking forward to the first time you surprise me, Rachel."

She looked away from him. "From what you tell me, I have no secrets from you."

"Not true. We all have secrets." He gestured for her to precede him into the elevator. "In the mind, in the heart, in the body. I'd like to explore every one of yours."

She felt a ripple of shock. The words had been spoken almost casually, but they still had an intimacy she had never expected. "Then be prepared to be disappointed."

"I'm always prepared. That makes it so much better when I'm wrong."

Rachel didn't speak for a moment. "I've already discovered that you're an expert manipulator. Never try to manipulate me in that way, Tavak."

"Is that what I'm doing?" He smiled. "It's possible. I don't think so, but sometimes I find I do it unconsciously. You'll have to keep your eye on me."

Her eyes on him and her wits about her, Rachel thought. "Don't worry, I never intended anything else."

* * *

"They're still alive," Sorens told Dawson, when he answered the phone.

Dawson muttered a curse. "Why? Didn't the bomb go off?"

"It went off and blew the room to pieces. Tavak and Rachel Kirby must have been out of the blast range. They scooted out of the hotel and met at a cafe a few blocks from the hotel. Then they went to the hospital and visited Ben Leonard. Forty minutes later they headed for the airport and booked tickets for Paris."

"Son of a bitch. Why the hell would they go to Paris?" But Tavak must have a reason. He had thought he'd erase that particular problem for good, but Tavak had slipped away again. Oh well, he had the information he'd copied from Tavak's external hard drive, and he'd had experts working on determining exactly its capabilities. It appeared to be a decoder, but they had been astonished by the power and complexity of the program. It was no wonder that Tavak had been able to do what Dawson could not.

And Dawson wasn't surprised at the power of the program. Not since he'd been told that the woman with Tavak was Rachel Kirby. It appeared that Tavak had taken a partner who could tap into that gigantic brain trust. The knowledge filled Dawson with rage and frustration.

Calm down. Soon they'd also be able to process the information Tavak had gotten from the wall of the tomb. He mustn't be impatient. He'd been assured the safeguards Tavak had put on the program would be broken. Then he'd be able to process Natifah's leads himself instead of following Tavak around like a trained dog.

"Should I have a man follow him to Paris?" Sorens asked.

That was a stupid question. Tavak was a threat wherever he was, and this sudden trip to Paris made Dawson uneasy. He'd thought by stealing the information on Tavak's hard drive, then erasing it, that he'd finally left him in the dust; but you could never tell. "Hell yes, I want to know what he's doing there. Get someone out to the airport right away. Make sure you don't use anyone he might recognize from that tomb."

"I'll send Medelin. He's a very good man. And he might be able to get on the same plane."

"Good." Dawson paused. "And tell him if he gets an opportunity to correct that bungle in Tavak's hotel room, by all means do it. I'm not that curious about what he's doing. I'd rather have him dead."

* * *

"The flight for Paris won't leave for another two hours," Tavak said. "Do you want to find a restaurant and grab some dinner?"

"No. Not now." Rachel reached in her bag and pulled out her phone. "I have a phone call to make." The call she'd been dreading since she'd reached Cairo. "I promised to call my sister."

"And you're not happy about it," Tavak said as he moved closer to the check-in counter. "I'll give you some privacy. I have some work to do anyway."

"Tavak."

He glanced back over his shoulder.

"I want to read the transcription of Natifah's words on that mastaba wall. Don't try to put me off again."

He nodded. "I'll pull up the transcription on my computer and send it to yours. You can read it on the plane. Good enough?"

"Yes." She watched him settle down with his computer before she punched in Allie's number. She braced herself as Allie picked up the phone. "Don't start arguing with me, Allie. You're not going to change my mind."

"Oh, no. You never change your mind, do you?" Allie's voice was hard and tense. "You just go your own way and let me worry. Don't you do it, Rachel."

"Simon told you why I'm here? Of course, he did. Then you must realize that I have to do this."

"I don't realize any such thing. It's crazy. You're clutching at straws and wasting your time. Our time. Stop this and come home, dammit."

"There's a chance. It's a long shot, but I have to take it. I'll come home as soon as I can. Understand, Allie."

"I don't understand. You were almost killed a few days ago, and now you're traipsing all over the Middle East. It's not safe there. What if someone decides to take another potshot at you?"

"There's no reason for anyone to try to shoot me. That was just a random screwball incident."

"You don't know that."

Rachel couldn't argue. "I don't believe there was a connection."

"And I suppose someone blowing up this tomb was a random incident, too."

"If someone is willing to commit a crime to get their hands on that cure, there must be some value to it. That's only logical."

"The hell it is. And what about this Tavak? What kind of man is he?"

Rachel's gaze moved to Tavak across the gate area. His expression was focused, absorbed as he studied his computer screen. She was once again aware of the intelligence and intensity that radiated from him. "He's… different."

"That's a nice side step." Allie paused and Rachel could practically feel her frustration in that silence. "I'm not getting through to you, am I?"

"I have to do this, Allie. If I get to a point that I don't see any hope of finding that tablet, or if I discover the whole thing is bogus, I'll stop. You may have given up, but I can't."

"I can see that you won't. And I can't talk to you any more right now, Rachel. Good-bye."

"Please. I didn't mean to upset you, Allie."

"That's pretty lame. Of course, I'm upset. But I shouldn't worry, I shouldn't let anything real touch me. I should go to bed and let you ward off the whole damn world for me." Allie's voice was shaking. "Now you listen to me. All this risk taking can't go on. I can't take it. You be careful. Nothing is going to happen to you because you have the bad luck to be my sister." She hung up.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Rachel hung up the phone and stared out the huge windows at the planes on the runways. The conversation hadn't been any worse than she had thought it would be, but it still hurt. Even more because she could understand where Allie was coming from. Well, she had made her decision, and she wasn't about to change it. Try to forget Allie for the time being.

No way. Allie was always with Rachel, and she wouldn't have it any differently. She was the only person in Rachel's life whom she loved, and she wasn't going to let her go. She'd let her sister cool down for a few days, then call her again and try to smooth things over. Maybe she'd have good news by that time.

She got to her feet and moved quickly toward Tavak. She needed Tavak to help her, and she'd run him ragged until she got every bit of information and assistance she could wring out of him.

"Tavak."

He looked up, and it took him a few seconds to clear his mind from the problem in front of him. "Done? Dinner?"

"Yes. I'm hungry."

He studied her and then smiled. "Yes, you are. In more ways than one. I've already sent Natifah's transcription to you, and that should fill one need." He stood up. "But let's feed this urgent and particular appetite at once."

* * *

"She won't listen." Allie turned to Letty after hanging up the phone. "She's going to get herself killed. What the hell have I done to her?"

"You haven't done anything," Letty said quietly. "And I won't have you blaming yourself because Rachel is world-class stubborn. She can't help how she feels, and you've just got to cope."

"If I get the chance." Her lips tightened. "No, I will get the chance. I'll see to it." She went over to the portrait of Rachel she'd been working on before the call. She'd done it from a sketch because Rachel never had time to pose. She'd caught her in the garden, and her expression was thoughtful, not smiling, but all the intelligence and intensity and emotion that was Rachel was in that painting.

I love you, dammit. Listen to me.

She drew a deep breath and picked up the brush. Patience.

She'd gotten through a hell of a lot in her life. She could get through this and come out on top.

Work. Plan. Get ready.

* * *

Rachel opened the Natifah file as soon as they were airborne for Paris.

I greet you. I am Natifah, chief aide to the great physician Peseshet, and I write as commanded by my honorable lady. A terrible crime has been done against Peseshet and all my sister physicians. They died at the hands of Pharaoh's soldiers, and I only escaped because I was still in Babylonia doing my lady's bidding. She knew that Pharaoh might act against her and sent me word to stay out of the kingdom and hide from his wrath. But she also ordered me to preserve her story and all the work she had spent her life creating.

She knew there would be no tomb to shelter her body and no earthly goods to take with her on her soul's journey to the afterlife. Her image was struck off every wall in the kingdom, and I burn with anger when I think of it. No one deserved an honorable burial and the respect and glory in life than my lady. Who else could save the dying that no one else could save? Who else could make the lame walk? The gods sent her to shine her light upon the kingdom, and she became the sunrise of the world.

She told me to hide her cures and medicines only until it was safe to release them to the people. When will that be in a kingdom that strikes down one such as Peseshet? So I have hidden them well so that no one will find them without great labor and greater wisdom. The gods know that there is not a quantity of either in this kingdom. I have spent six years setting the puzzle of five in place so that if I am also killed, Peseshet's command has a chance of being fulfilled. Her work may be lost, but only until wisdom and sanity return to the kingdom.

And, by the gods, I will find a way to honor her and let all know her glory.

Below I have told in detail my lady's story and shown a little of her great wisdom of healing. Seek the rest yourself. Peseshet told me that all that was worthwhile in life came from within.

Believe her.

Honor her.

Rachel scanned the rest of the transcript. It was basically the story of Peseshet that Tavak had already told her but with many more details. Following it was a list of ailments and her cures for them and her accomplishments in healing. She had outlined treatment options for tumors, chest pains, breathing problems, and sleeplessness, among a multitude of other things.

She glanced at Tavak sitting next to her. "My God, some of these cures Natifah listed are astonishing. They could refer to cancer, heart disease, diabetes… "

He nodded. "I told you that I was hoping for more than that single tablet that you're interested in. What do you think of Natifah?"

She glanced back at the transcript. "I like her. Loyalty. Power. Decision making. She did what Peseshet wanted, but she did it her way." She smiled faintly. "And she managed to honor her 'lady' by browbeating Kontar and heaven knows who else into making those shrines. Two birds with one stone."

"And I have a hunch that she didn't give a damn whether those tablets were found or not. She just wanted to keep them from the ruler who had killed Peseshet." He tilted his head. "Or maybe she just wanted to make sure whoever found them had the intelligence and drive to use them well. Whatever her motive, she made a conscious decision to set up obstacles."

Her gaze was still narrowed on the transcript. "I don't see any reference to Kontar's tomb in this. There's only a huge list of all Peseshet's friends and clients."

"I didn't pick out Kontar either until Jonesy's decode. She refers to a puzzle on which she worked six years. Natifah was a very smart woman, and I couldn't see any obvious puzzle. But a code could be a puzzle, so I decided it was worthwhile raiding Jonesy and putting him to work on it."

"Breaking into my computer on this slim a chance?"

"Wouldn't you?"

"I have a motive."

He smiled. "So do I." He changed the subject. "I've been having the flight attendant check schedules. There's no flight to Las Vegas or New York out of Paris until tomorrow morning. It will take me an hour or so to retrieve the hard drive from the safe. Do you want to check into a hotel close to the airport?"

"If we can't get out any sooner."

"You're welcome to try if you don't believe me."

She didn't speak for a moment. "I believe you."

"Within limits."

"Definitely within limits."

He chuckled. "And I suppose you want to go with me to retrieve the hard drive?"

"You know it." She paused. "All you said was a safe. Where is this safe?"

"In my own private bank. It's about thirty minutes from Charles de Gaulle Airport, where we'll be landing."

"You have your own bank?"

"Of a sort. I suppose it's more like a safety-deposit box. I don't like banks run by the financial community. I know how easy their accounts are to access and move around."

"Only by someone like you."

"If I could do it, someone else might manage. No, I prefer my own bank. Much safer."

"And where is your bank located?"

"Gare du Nord railway station. We board a train at the airport and get off at Gare du Nord. We should be in and out of that station with the hard drive in hand in fifteen minutes. Then we'll take the train back to the airport and go to the Hyatt Hotel. Okay?"

"It will have to be. We need that hard drive."