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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

The pilot shook his head.

“Hmm.”  The professor turned again to the window as Angela stood up and circled to the empty seat behind him.

“It looks like the whole desert is shining.”

“The sun’s directly overhead, so the surface is experiencing maximum reflectivity.”

“Maximum reflectivity?” teased Angela.

“Too nerdy?”

She laughed.  “Yeah.  Way too nerdy.”

In front, Rickards peered down at the ground ahead of them, noting a trail snaking through the terrain below them.  “What’s that?”

The pilot looked out over the plane’s nose and shrugged.  “Old road.”

“How often do you bring people out here?” asked Angela.

“Only you in one year.  Most tourists want to see Pyramids.”  He turned and smiled broadly at Rickards.  “And tip very well.”

Without missing a beat, Rickards turned backward.  “Hear that, Professor?”

“What?”

“Sounds like you’re a great tipper.”

52

52

From her vantage point, Mona Baraka could see clearly through her own set of binoculars, a set of much lower quality she’d purchased from a gift store on her way to the edge of town. It was still strong enough to reveal some of the detail of what she was looking at.

Positioned on Cairo’s western outskirts near an area called West Somid, she stood motionless on the edge of a newly developed and empty road, staring into the distance through the twin magnified tubes across miles of wavering white sands at something that looked downright palatial.

It was one of the two locations sent by her sister-in-law the night before which were registered under Mido Saad’s actual name, unlike everything else he owned.  This was a vast estate that looked from a distance like its own massive, secluded oasis, miles outside any developed area, surrounded by a dense line of thick green trees and probably hundreds of square feddans in size.  It was significantly larger than stated on the original deed.

She continued gazing, trying to peer through the distant waves of heat at a large object on the edge of Saad’s massive estate and nestled in the middle of nothing but open desert.  The object she was studying was tall and angled, jutting just past the edge of the distant trees.  It was blurry but still familiar, looking very much like the tail fin of an airplane.

Mona’s phone rang behind her, causing her to lower the binoculars and rush to her purse.

“Mawra!  How is he?!”

Her friend spoke encouragingly.  “He’s doing better.  The doctors say he’s out of immediate danger, but he’s going to be in critical care for a while.”

“Okay. I’m coming back!”

“You have a little time, Mona.  Stop and get some things together.  Clothes and anything else you need.  It may be a while before he regains consciousness.”

“Right.  I will.  Thank you!”