The Exodus Quest

IV

Naguib found Captain Khaled Osman sitting out the storm in his quarters, listening to his men gossiping as they shared a shisha of honey-flavoured tobacco.

'You again,' scowled Khaled. 'What is it this time?'

Naguib closed the door behind him to shut out the storm, brushed down his sleeves, flicking droplets of water onto the floor. 'A vicious night,' he remarked.

'What do you want?' said Khaled, pushing himself to his feet.

'I tried to phone,' said Naguib, gesturing vaguely out of the window. 'I couldn't get a signal. You know how mobiles can be.'

Khaled's jaw stiffened. He put his arms on his hips. 'What do you want?'

'Nothing. Nothing particular, at least. I just wanted to give you guys a heads-up, that's all. We had a report earlier.'

'A report?'

Naguib raised an eyebrow, apparently as amused by what he was about to tell them as no doubt they would be to hear it. 'One of the locals has been hearing voices.'

'Voices?'

'Men's voices,' nodded Naguib. 'Women's voices. Foreigners' voices.'

'Where?'

'I couldn't make sense of it exactly. I don't know this place as well as you. And he wasn't the most coherent of witnesses. But somewhere in Amarna.'

'What do you expect us to do about it?'

'Nothing,' said Naguib. 'It's just, with everything that's been going on, I'm going to have to look into it.'

Khaled stared incredulously at him. 'You want to go out in this?'

Naguib laughed heartily. 'You think I'm crazy? No, no, no. But if it's okay with you guys, I'll bring him back here first thing tomorrow; he can show me the place. You're welcome to come along with us, if you like. It's a long-shot, I know, but with these hostages and everything…'

'Quite,' nodded Khaled stiffly. 'In the morning. No problem.'

'Thanks,' said Naguib. 'Till tomorrow, then.'