Ark of Fire

CHAPTER 85

Pondering his next move, Caedmon stared at the watchtower that loomed a hundred meters away. Absently, he stroked the smooth metal of the H&K MP5, wondering if a little shock and awe wasn’t in order. That would certainly ensnare MacFarlane’s attention.

And, no doubt, would get him killed in the bargain. Without ever having set eyes upon the Ark.

No, he needed a far more subtle tactic. An unexpected trap. Something that would lure MacFarlane’s men away from the tower where he presumed the Ark was being stored, enabling him to sneak inside and decapitate the serpent. And maybe, if he was lucky, he could then exit the tower with none of the bully boys the wiser. The wily fox outwitting the ferocious pack of hounds.

But how best to create the necessary diversion?

If he were anywhere else in the world, he would start a fire. However, other than a few windblown brambles, there was no combustible tinder to be had. He did have the portable laser light, a last-minute purchase. Perhaps he could do something with that.

Like a man mesmerized by a dangling crystal, he continued to stare at the tower. The Ark of the Covenant was near at hand. Yet completely unattainable.

Had Stanford MacFarlane deciphered its secrets? Had he donned the Stones of Fire, stood before the Ark, and communed directly with God?

“We’ve got a breach on the northwest quadrant. Somebody just tripped the security laser.”

Hearing that disembodied voice in his earpiece, Caedmon’s breath caught in his throat.

Edie.

He scanned the promontory, searching for that familiar, curly-haired silhouette, knowing he had to find her before MacFarlane did.