The Templar Heresy

47

Mahmoud was taking a break, sipping a coffee at a café a few yards down the street from one of the hotels he had put on to his ‘possibles’ list, and wondering if he should risk walking through the public rooms in the building again. He had already done it twice before that morning, once during breakfast service and the second time in the middle of the morning when he’d expected coffee to be served. On both occasions he’d seen nobody who resembled his quarry, but the receptionist had stared at him rather longer than made him feel comfortable as he left the second time.

The good news was that he probably didn’t need to go in again, because it looked as if many, perhaps even most, of the guests, were heading out, presumably to explore the Old City. But although he never took his eyes off the hotel entrance, he saw nobody who resembled either Bronson or Lewis in the chattering throng.

He was about to try his luck somewhere else when a sudden movement caught his eye. A female figure moved across one of the windows on the upper floor, stood for a few seconds with her back to the glass, and then turned. And in that instant Mahmoud realized that he had found them. He was too far away for her to be aware of his surveillance, and he continued watching her through the glass for a few more seconds, until she moved out of view.

He exhaled deeply, unaware that he’d been holding his breath, then reached inside his jacket pocket and took out his mobile phone.