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Back The Desert of Glass Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. BY MICHAEL C. GRUMLEY
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. EPILOGUE
  82. II
  83. III
  84. IV

Inside, Angela placed a glass of water on the coffee table in front of him and then walked around to the opposite side.

She sat, resting both hands on her knees and continuing to grin.  “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

He was slow to answer.  “I’ve been thinking about what you said.”

“And that convinced you?!”

Rickards picked up the water and took a sip.  “Let’s not beat a dead horse.  I’m here.”

“No beating,” she mused.  “Or flogging.  I’m just happy you changed your mind.”

“So, what all did you find out about Mike Morton’s friend?”

“As I said, he’s retired and teaches now.  College level, following a long career at NASA, just as Mike did.”

“I guess they take their work seriously.  Where’s he at?”

Angela beamed back at him.  “That’s the best part.  He lives in Hawaii.”

“Hawaii?”

She nodded.  “Maui.”

“Not a bad place to retire.”

“Exactly.  Who wouldn’t want to live in paradise?  Have you ever been?”

Rickards shook his head and reached for another drink.  “You?”

“Once,” she said, smiling.  “It’s beautiful.”

“At least there’s an upside, I guess.”

“Right.  But here’s the thing… I was thinking it might be better not to call him first.”

“Why is that?”

“Mike said this man Townsend was the only other person who should see the data, but we don’t know what kind of relationship they had.”

“You don’t think they got along?”

“I really don’t know.” Angela shrugged.  “But Mike did say everyone else thought he was crazy all those years.  That may include Townsend.  Hopefully not, but if it does, what if he shoots us down before we even get there?”

“Like on the phone.”

“Right.”

“Then case closed.”

“Wait, that’s it?  Everything just stops?”

“If the guy’s not interested…”

Angela folded her arms.  “Uh, yeah.  No.  If he rejects the idea, he can do it right in front of us—after we’ve shown him Mike’s data.”

Rickards shrugged.  “We could end up taking a long plane ride for nothing.”

“I wouldn’t call it for nothing,” she winked.  “They have movies on the flight.  And peanuts.”

8

8

A world away and late at night, Mona Baraka sat quietly in her Cairo apartment studying the contents of the strange binder given to her by the imam.  Cracked and peeling at each corner, it now lay spread across her small kitchen table filled with several dozen documents, letters, and photos.  Some were originals and some Xeroxed, with a few even appearing to be copies of copies, all in what first appeared to be random order, but upon closer inspection looked primarily chronological.

But she still had no idea what it was all supposed to be.