Page 122 of Sands of Sirocco
“And Noah?”
A lump formed in her throat.“We’re working to get him here too.Osborne has him.”
Jack moistened his lips, closing his eyes as he struggled.“Not here …”
Ginger pulled up another chair beside Jack.She slipped her hand into his as he grew silent again.Even though she hadn’t known Jack for long, she loved him dearly.And she knew how much Noah loved him.If anything happened to him, Noah would never forgive himself for not having gone back for him weeks earlier.
Ginger struggled to stay awake.Even if Sarah figured out where the concession paperwork was hidden, she doubted Osborne would simply exchange Noah for it.Most likely, he’d try to kill them all, once their usefulness was at an end.
And, according to what he’d hinted at during their conversations, he had every reason to want to kill Noah.
Why, oh why, had Noah offered himself up?And what condition would Noah be in when they went tonight?There were so many things Osborne could do beside kill him.
She shuddered, unable to continue the line of thought.Her imagination was too vivid, aided by gruesome injuries she’d seen during the war.
Sarah’s voice cut into Ginger’s thoughts.“The text says, ‘In the hidden tombs in the city of sand, wind, and stone, where the lady once slept.I lie beneath.’”
Ginger looked over at Sarah and raised a brow.“Do you know what that means?”
“It honestly could be several cities, but given that Paul was in Malta before he was captured, Valletta makes sense as the location.”Sarah’s face was drawn as she set down her pencil.
Tense silence crept into the room.
Valletta was several days’ journey from here and by sea.They wouldn’t be able to simply hand over the concession.Or confirm its location.Which meant that Osborne would be reluctant to release Noah.
Ginger moistened her lips with the lip of her tongue.“And the tomb?”
“Just outside Valletta there’s a famed hypogeum—an ancient underground tomb.The one at Hal Saflieni is one of the best preserved from prehistoric times.It’s an archeologist’s dream, purportedly.”She pulled a few books from her rucksack.“I have a suspicion I know what it is.Fortunately, I brought those books with me from home.They might help us with the last part.”
She sat once again, flicking through pages.
Ginger glanced at Jack’s face.“I imagine as he got sicker it was probably harder for him to keep his silence about what he’d deciphered.”
Sarah pressed her lips together.“Keeping silent while being so sick would have been damn near impossible.He did a good job.And now we know why they needed to kidnap me.And, if I’m right, Jack wouldn’t have been able to find the paperwork to the concession even if he’d told them the truth.”
Sarah lifted the book in her hand and turned it to Ginger, waving it.“These are the excavation notes of Father Emmanuel Magri—he was the archeologist in charge of the initial excavations at the Hypogeum in Malta.He was Paul’s friend for many years and sent these notes to Paul long ago.And they’re not in English either.”
Ginger laughed.“Are all archeologists so particular with their excavation notes?”
Sarah twirled a strand of hair around her finger.“Only the good ones.The rest are too busy trying to find out what the others have learned.Ah, here it is.”Sarah held her book open to a crude drawing made in pencil.“The Sleeping Lady was an artifact discovered by Father Magri in 1905.It was moved, of course, so few people know exactly where he found it, but Paul apparently did.And now I do too.”She pointed to the text, which Ginger couldn’t read.
Trying to think clearly, Ginger peered at the text.“So we need this artifact?I’m confused.”
“No, no—” Sarah rubbed her face.“Sorry, I’m not making much sense.We don’t need the artifact.Only the location where it was found.The code said, ‘where the lady once slept.’It’s referring to the place where she used to be, not where she’s located now.‘I lie beneath …’ must be a reference to some feature under where the artifact was found.Paul probably buried the concession paperwork there.”
“In the Hypogeum?In Malta?”Ginger asked, still unsure if she was understanding Sarah correctly.
“Yes.That’s where the Sleeping Lady was found.”Sarah studied the text again.“Paul must have chosen the location because of how difficult it would be to pinpoint without Father Magri’s notes.I don’t think he expected to die and leave me as the key to the puzzle though.He probably thought he was being terribly clever.”She breathed out, her eyes red-rimmed.“Stupid man.”
“Then you can find the location where this artifact was found?”Ginger was too worried about Noah to be relieved.
“I think so.But I can’t be certain until I go into the Hypogeum.”Sarah lowered her gaze, staring at the text again.“But you realize that if I tell Osborne the location to the concession, he’s going to want to take me with him to Malta.He might not release Noah at all.And your family—and I—will lose everything.Without that paperwork, what hope can we have of proving ownership of the concession or the Arab Anglo Oil Company?”
Ginger’s pulse was slow.What Sarah said was true.“What choice do I have?Go to the authorities?The army?If I involve anyone official, Noah will be arrested.”Ginger felt sick.“I have to save my husband.”
“You’re certain he’s worth it?We may all die trying to save him.And I’ve learned the hard way that there aren’t many men worth dying for.”Sarah gave her a grim look.
Oh.That’s where this was coming from.
