Journey of the Pharaohs by Cussler Clive & Brown Graham

Author:Cussler, Clive & Brown, Graham [Cussler, Clive & Brown, Graham]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: thriller, Mystery, Historical, Adventure, Age Range 2 Older Audience, Suspense, Crime, Adult
ISBN: 9780593083093
Amazon: B07T8T3K3R
Goodreads: 51805367
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Published: 2020-03-10T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 33

Villa Ducal de Lerma, Spain

Kurt, Joe and Morgan reached Lerma by midafternoon and quickly found their way to the church. They discovered Paul and Gamay waiting with five saddled horses.

After introducing Morgan, Kurt pointed at the horses. “Have you two become caballeros in your free time?”

“Around here they’re called yegüerizos,” Gamay corrected. “And, yes, since horses are the only way to get to the crash site.”

“You know where it is?” Morgan said excitedly.

“We’ve got a pretty good idea,” Paul said.

“How’d you find it?” Joe asked.

Gamay explained the discovery. “While you three were entertaining the French National Police, we spent our time learning from the local historians. Turns out the church records noted the burial of an unknown pilot whose plane crashed in the riverbed. The wreck is still out there. Some of the older citizens of the town recall seeing it, though it’s mostly buried in the sand now.”

Kurt glanced off to the north and the rising terrain. “How far?”

“About fifteen miles from here,” Gamay said. “It’s in a side canyon near an area called Falcon Point.”

“We’re told it’s a rough hike,” Paul added. “Not one you’d want to make on foot.”

“What about ATVs?” Joe asked, eyeing the horses suspiciously.

Paul shook his head. “I already checked. This horsepower is the only form of all-terrain transport that will get us through. However,” he added, “saddle sores won’t be our only worry. According to Father Torres, a pair of men arrived here this morning asking him the exact same questions we did.”

Kurt cocked his head to the side. “Did I hear you right?”

Paul nodded.

“Who were these men?” Morgan asked.

“They only gave Father Torres first names,” Gamay said. “They claimed to be from Oxford, but Father Torres thought they looked more like military men. They had buzz cuts and bodies that looked like they spent plenty of time in the gym.”

“Barlow’s men,” Morgan suggested. “Might even be the same crew that hit us in France.”

Kurt agreed with that assessment. They certainly sounded more like the intruders from the château than the scruffy-looking hoods who’d attacked them at Cambridge.

Joe spoke next. “What I don’t get is, how do they know about this place at all? We just found out about it last night.”

“They must have found something in the château,” Kurt replied. He turned back to Gamay. “How much of a lead do they have?”

“Four or five hours,” she replied. “We don’t know exactly when they left, but a rancher who lives at the edge of town came by this morning to warn everyone about the men who took several horses and a mule from his property. The description of the men matches up.”

“He’s lucky to be alive,” Morgan said. “Barlow’s people don’t leave a lot of witnesses around.”

Kurt summed things up. “Five hours is a long lead,” he said, “but they still have to find the plane, excavate it, recover what they’re looking for and then come back down the riverbed. If we hurry, we can surprise them.”

With no time to waste,

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