The Exodus Quest

IV

Claire watched mesmerized the news on the hotel lobby TV, her packed bags by her feet.

'Hurry up,' said Griffin. 'We're on the clock.'

'Look,' she said.

He stared puzzled up at the screen. 'Look at what?'

She hesitated a moment. There were too many people milling around. Then she said quietly: 'Our… guest told me this woman was a friend of his. He said Knox had sent her photographs of what we'd found.'

'Are you crazy?' hissed Griffin. 'You can't talk about that here.'

'Just look, will you. Don't you see it?'

Griffin turned back to the screen. 'See what?'

'Her posture. The mosaic.'

Colour drained from his complexion. 'Oh, hell,' he muttered. He shook his head. 'No. It's coincidence, that's all. It has to be.'

'That's what I was telling myself,' agreed Claire. 'But it's not coincidence. It's just not. She's trying to send a message.'

'We need to get out, Claire,' pleaded Griffin. 'We need to get to Cairo, catch our plane. I'll explain everything once we're-'

'I'm not coming,' said Claire.

'How do you mean?'

'I'm going back to the site. I'm going to let Pascal out. I'm going to show him the mosaic.'

'I'm sorry, Claire. I can't let you do that.'

She turned to face him, arms folded. 'And how exactly do you plan to stop me?' His eyes flickered to the pick-up, his students piling their luggage onto the back as if wondering if he could enlist them to help abduct her. 'I'll make a scene,' she warned. 'I swear I will. I can speak Arabic, remember? I'll tell everyone what you've been up to.'

'What we've been up to,' he reminded her.

'Yes,' she agreed. 'What we've been up to.'

Moisture glowed on his upper lip. He wiped it away with a finger. 'You wouldn't dare.'

'Try me.'

His expression changed, he tried to wheedle instead. 'At least let me get the guys out first.'

'Give me the magazine key and all his stuff. I'll give you time to catch your plane.'

'The Egyptians will want someone to blame for this, Claire. They'll have no one but you.'

'I'm aware of that.'

'Then come with us. I swear, the moment we're in the air, I'll get Pascal released, I'll make sure he knows everything he needs to know.'

'It might be too late by then.'

A horn tooted outside. Griffin couldn't hold Claire's gaze, he looked away in shame and confusion. 'It's not just me I've got to think of,' he said. 'They're just kids. They need to be looked after.'

'I know,' nodded Claire. She held out her hand for the key and Augustin's belongings. 'You'd best get going,' she said.