“Don’t worry. The only time you can get politicians to agree on anything, they’re probably making a mistake,” he grinned and hefting the spear in his right hand for a second, thrust it hard at the opposite lip of the well. The clink of flint hitting true was followed by a big chunk of rock splitting away from under the massive top-stone sealing them in.

“Wow! You hit that like you mean to kill someone,” Kelly remarked.

“I do,” the Scorpion replied, tight-lipped.

He braced himself against the niche, holding on to the bare stone with his left hand as he jabbed savagely at the far rock edge. As each blow landed, the reverberations passed down the wooden shaft to his battered hand, causing him to wince at every blow. But he was only inches away from freedom, he thought, stabbing relentlessly at the far wall, his face almost demonic in its intensity.

Suddenly Kelly’s voice broke through his concentration.

“What was that?” she asked.

“I didn’t hear anything,” he said, stopped.

They listened intently. There was nothing but the sounds of their own labored breathing.

“That!” she cried, fear rippling through her voice.

A sound like distant thunder filtered through the silence.

“What do you think …” she began.

“Shh …” he hissed.

The thunder came again. Then the rumbling was much closer. The ground trembled. Pebbles trickled down in the blackness. The ledge began to sway and shake. The Scorpion and Kelly embraced desperately as the rumbling engulfed them.

“Is it an earthquake?” she screamed, her voice barely audible above the ear-splitting roar of sound. Even as she cried out, the realization of what was happening hit him square between the eyes like a bullet.

“No, bombs! Our side is attacking!” he shouted.

Suddenly they were blinded by brilliant sunlight flooding the well. An ear-shattering explosion seemed to tear the earth open. The giant slab which had sealed the well stood upright for one impossible instant. Kelly screamed.

The Scorpion had a split-second view of blue sky before it was blotted out by the slab’s massive black shape hurtling down upon them.

The Citadel

The Citadel

THE SKY HAD NEVER seemed so blue, so bright. He stared up at it in wonder. Then he remembered that he was alive.

It had been a near thing. He was running through his nine lives very quickly, the Scorpion admitted to himself. The giant boulder had just missed them, tucked securely in their niche, as it crashed down into the well. All around he heard the sounds of battle, the explosions and shouts and the air thick as rain with the rattle of small-arms fire. He had to get to Abdul Sa’ad at all costs or King Salim was history, he knew. He grabbed the crude spear and prepared to spring over the side. The noise was deafening.

He shouted at Kelly to stay in the niche.

“Where are you going?” she cried.