The Exodus Quest

THIRTY-THREE
I

The metal door of the interview room squealed on its hinges as Farooq backed in, carrying a tray with two cups of coffee, a pad of paper and a tape recorder that he set down on the table. 'I hear you've been making quite a nuisance of yourself,' he said.

'My friend's been taken hostage,' said Knox. 'She's sending me a message.'

'Yes, yes,' said Farooq. 'This famous message of yours. My colleagues have been discussing it all morning.'

'You have to tell the investigating team. It could be important.'

'Tell them what, exactly? That you think she's trying to send you a message, but you don't know what it is? What use is that?'

'Let me out of here. I'll find out what it is.'

'Sure. I'll let all our killers out, shall I? They can help you look.'

'Please. I'm begging you. At least notify the people running the kidnap investigation-'

'Mister Knox. Calm down. One of my colleagues has already contacted Assiut, I assure you. They'll call back if they want to know more. They haven't yet. I doubt they will. But if they do, I'll let you know. You have my word. Now, can we please concentrate on the matter in hand?'

'The matter in hand?'

Farooq rolled his eyes. 'Last night I warned you I intended to charge you with the murder of Omar Tawfiq. Or have you forgotten?'

'No.'

'Well, then. Has your memory returned yet? Are you prepared to tell us what truly happened? Why you drove into that ditch?'

'I didn't drive into it.'

'Yes, you did. And I want to know why.' He leaned forwards a fraction, a look in his eye almost like greed. 'There's something on Peterson's site, isn't there?'

Knox hesitated. Under other circumstances, he'd have resisted Farooq's clumsy efforts to make him incriminate himself. But Gaille was in danger, and she needed his help. And the key to her message lay in the mosaic on Peterson's site. 'Yes,' he said. 'There is.'

'I knew it!' exulted Farooq, clenching a fist. 'I knew it! What is it?'

'An underground network. Chambers, corridors, catacombs.'

'And that's why you drove Omar into the ditch, isn't it?'

'I didn't drive Omar into the ditch.'

'Sure!' scoffed Farooq. He grabbed his pen. 'Right, then. Tell me how to find this thing. Believe me, it'll go easier with you if you cooperate.'

'I'll do better than that,' said Knox, with as much assurance as he could muster. 'Take me out there and I'll show you.'