Sinai Deceit: An Archaeological Thriller (A Darwin Lacroix Adventure Book 5) by Dave Bartell

Author:Dave Bartell [Bartell, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781957269016
Publisher: Triple Shot Press
Published: 2022-12-16T16:00:00+00:00

45

Algiers, Algeria

Ramy’s flight landed that afternoon at Houari Boumediene Airport. He’d expected nothing from the lawsuits and, figuring they needed another option, taken matters into his own hands. Besides, in his view, Mike had always been reluctant to join in risky ventures.

After passing through border control, he hired a taxi that dropped him off eight kilometers away along the Bay of Algiers. He watched the taxi drive away on Rue Verte Rive before entering a restaurant. He wove his way past the tables and the kitchen before exiting in a rear alley. Pausing long enough for a cigarette and checking whether anyone had followed him, he walked three blocks up the passage to a car park. Ramy tapped the dark-tinted passenger window of a white BMW M5. The door unlocked, and he got in.

“Were you followed?” asked Ali, a bull-necked man whose meaty hands strangled the steering wheel.

“No.”

Ali rocketed out of the car park, made a series of rapid turns, and entered the N1, where he paid little attention to the speed limit. Ten kilometers later, he braked hard onto an exit ramp, then kept to the posted limit as the road arced toward the Hilton Algiers. He drove around the large hotel and picked a spot in the car park.

Knowing Ali as a man of few words, Ramy had said nothing during the drive, and, besides, most of what they had in common was a past Ramy cared not to dwell on. Yesterday, when he’d laid out the barest of explanations, Ali said he knew a North Korean who had been sniffing around. Now, with the engine idling to keep the air-conditioning on, Ali turned and, holding out a hand, said, “Show me the diamond.”

Ramy dropped it in the colossal palm and waited.

“What do you know of it?” Ali held the diamond up, the waning daylight pouring through the windscreen.

Ramy explained the fleck inside the gritty, unpolished crystal as best he could.

“Sounds like guessing.”

“No. They took it to nuclear research facilities in California and CERN. Then went directly to the American base in Spangdahlem, Germany. That tells me it’s dangerous.”

“Hmph. We need more for this guy. He says the American sanctions have hurt them and their glorious leader’s looking for ways to make a statement.”

“Then we show him this,” said Ramy, unfolding a paper. As Ali studied it, Ramy described the blue donut shape. “It’s called a tokamak. I’m no physicist, but I heard them describe it as a magnetic field containing high-energy plasma. Break the field, and boom.”

“How big?”

“Enough to take out the hotel.” He thumbed at the building behind them and held up a USB stick. “All their conversations and data are on this.”

“Let’s go.” Ali stuffed the diamond and USB stick in his pocket, ignoring Ramy’s comment about not keeping it close to his family jewels.

“Wait.” Ramy grabbed Ali’s forearm, not allowing his brusque colleague to control his deal. “What do you know about this guy?” Ali crunched his brows, and Ramy felt the ropey muscles tense.

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