Page 13 of Sands of Sirocco
The risk of pulling Jack away from his assignment was something Lord Helton had known.It only proved how much the British government prioritized the search for oil in this region.Noah had heard rumors of oil seepages throughout the Arabian peninsula, but had Lord Braddock known something more?“That concession must have cost Braddock a fortune.”
“William D’Arcy paid tens of thousands to the Persian government for his concession—and that was just for the right to dig for oil.”Jack pulled a crate out from under his desk and set it on the chair.“Ibn Saud would be a fool to sell a concession for anything less.And we both know he’s no fool.”
“Braddock didn’t have that sort of money, in the end.”Noah shifted, the cot creaking below him.“Which makes me think Stephen must have helped fund that concession.”Noah bent his arm, examining the long, angry scratches above his elbow.“It could even be why Braddock was so in debt to Stephen.”
“Probably.”Jack set equipment into the crate.A wry grin lit his face.“If that’s the case, you know how Lord Braddock made a small fortune in the oil business?He started with a large one.”
Noah chuckled at the terrible joke.Jack never missed an opportunity to inject humor into every type of situation.
Jack’s expression sobered and he shrugged.“My guess is Stephen’s not an official part of that agreement between Braddock and the Saud and that makes him angry.But he also has some reason for letting the British government know about it.”
“Have there been oil explorations that far south?”Noah unfolded the map Abdullah had given him and scanned the area around the Arabian peninsula.They’d taken shifts sleeping in the schoolhouse, but neither had slept well.His eyes burned around the rims.He’d have to push through without rest.Night was the safest time for them to move.
“Ever since T.E.Lawrence started dealing with the Husseins, Ibn Saud’s lands and support haven’t seemed too important to the Brits.”Jack came to stand beside Noah, crossing his arms.He looked down at the map.“You know, Kirkuk is promised to the French after the war.Your country is going to want to know about oil there.”
“I may go to Baghdad from here.Speak to Gertrude Bell directly.I wouldn’t be surprised if we suddenly forget our promises to the French.”Noah grimaced, knowing how it sounded.
Giving up oil meant giving up power.With navies and armies increasingly dependent on oil for their ships and vehicles, only those in charge of the oil supply would rise to the top.
Whoever controlled it at the end of this war would be the true winner.
Whoever controlled the oil controlled the world.
Jack shook his head.“Don’t get me wrong.I’d still throw my weight in with your country if I had to do it again—but does anyone over in Cairo or London have any idea what the hell they’re doing with this part of the world?The bureaucrats don’t know a damned thing about these people.”
“No, they don’t.”Noah cleared the acid from his throat.His conflict about the deceit simmered low in his gut.“Though I’m not sure what the best option is.The Ottomans are falling apart.This area is likely to dissolve into a chaos of warring tribes clamoring over the same lands.”
Jack smirked.“Face it.No one would give a damn about any of that if there wasn’t a fortune to be made in oil out here.I’m not saying other governments are less guilty of this, but since when has the British government ever colonized an area that didn’t give back more than its share of natural resources?”
Noah folded the map in front of him.Jack was right.This map was only further evidence—learning the exact details of all the known oil concessions had been such a priority to his superiors that they’d pulled him from his work on the offensive.
“What’s your plan with Abdullah’s claim about Lord Braddock?”Jack moved to the back of the room, where a small wardrobe stood.He opened the door to reveal an arsenal of rifles, pistols, and ammunition.He pulled a couple of canvas bags out and packed two rifles into them.Despite his calm demeanor, there was a sense of urgency in his movements.
“I don’t know.”Noah joined him in packing.The cuts and scratches on his arms throbbed, and his body felt as though he’d been beaten by a sack of rocks.Just a few more hours.Then he could sleep.“’I may not tell Helton about it.I can’t help but feel partially responsible for what happened to the Whitman women.My investigation into Braddock exposed them.And now they’re destitute.”
Jack bent, gathering a few rations and canteens.“Ifthe concession can be found,ifit ends up being a location that has oil.Ifwe get out of this goddamn city.That’s a lot ofifs.”Then he said with a more pointed look, “But if Lord Helton finds out that you knew and withheld it from him—you’re looking at trouble.”
Noah pursed his lips.“But as of right now, the only people who know I know anything are you, Stephen, and Abdullah.The chances of Helton learning of it are remote.And if I can help Ginger and her family—”
“It might make you feel less guilty?”Jack closed a bag and lifted it onto his shoulder with effort.He put it back down and took a few things out.“Because that’s all it will do.Her family isn’t ever going to accept or like you.”
“I know.”Lady Braddock’s last interaction with him resurfaced.Women of her class didn’t show their outrage vocally, but her fury with him had been clear.In her eyes, he’d ruined her daughter and brought scandal and shame to her family.
“Have you ever told Ginger who your mother was?”Jack regarded him with an unreadable expression.“Just curious.”
Noah hadn’t told Ginger much of anything about his past when it really came down to it.“We never had the time to discuss it.”
They finished packing, and Noah lifted his bag.The strap dug into his shoulder.A large cut on his arm dripped with blood.Leaving a trail of blood wouldn’t be helpful, but hopefully it would be minimal.Jack radiated tension.With the entire city under martial law, nervous troops everywhere, and a strict curfew, their chances of getting out of here were low.
Jack pulled out a bundle from the back of the wardrobe.“I’ll take the burqa.You can use this wig and cover your face a bit.I’ll make a better-looking woman than you, anyway.”
The rain had ended as they moved out into the dead of night, leaving only the soft petrichor against the stone.A few scraggly bushes that dared to grow in the gaps between the stones of the walls dripped.Darkness enveloped the ancient city, and they moved among the shadows.Jack was more familiar with the safe streets of the Old City than Noah was.
Jack had a motorcar waiting for them on the opposite side of the city, but they’d need to get through the walls without being stopped.Between the guns they carried and the map, even the most minimal of searches would cause their immediate arrest.One of Jack’s contacts near the wall was the best shot for getting across.
The plan had always been for Jack to help him leave the city but not under these circumstances.By now, Stephen had likely informed Abdullah that Karim Sayed did not exist and never had.They’d be looking for Noah and had all the information they could ever want about him from Stephen.
Stephen also had the advantage of knowing most safe houses and individuals that had helped Noah in the past.His work in Cairo Intelligence had given him years of access to information.Lord Helton had attempted to contact as many of their allies as possible after Stephen’s betrayal, but some had already vanished.Whether they had escaped or been taken by the Turks, they didn’t know.
