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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

“She didn’t say.  To be honest, I was surprised anyone answered the phone given the hour.  I’m guessing the phone at the airport is set to auto-forward to her cell.”

“What else?”

“That’s it.  I didn’t press much.  I was just trying to verify the plane and the phone number.  I figured you’d want to talk to them yourself.”

“Right.” She nodded.  “Of course.  Can you text me their number and address?”

“Sure, will do.”

“Great.  Thanks, Ammon.”

“You’re welcome.  Hope it helps.”

Mona didn't bother looking a few moments after the call when her phone dinged again with the information she was expecting.  Instead, she maintained her stare through the car’s front windshield.

Americans?  Why would Americans be interested in Saad?

56

56

They retired upstairs to Joe’s room after dinner, being issued a suite with a modest sitting area and couch which allowed the three to relax and discuss next steps while enjoying a few bottles of Stella, Egypt’s most popular beer.

“So where exactly do we get an isotropic probe?”

“Hopefully from a nearby university.  I have a friend making some calls for me.”

Rickards glanced at his watch.  “A friend from Hawaii?”

“No,” replied Townsend, “an old friend from NASA.  I worked with him for years before retiring.  He’s much younger and very sharp, and he works for the Navy now.”

Rickards nodded.  “Okay, so if we find another probe, how close do you need to be to detect the energy?”

“It’s hard to say.  Depends on how concentrated the area is.  Like I said before, if the energy enters in Bolivia and exits here, it stands to reason the surface area where it escapes will be wider.  Potentially much wider.”

“Yeah, we get that.  But that doesn’t answer the question.  How close?”

He shrugged.  “A wider range should theoretically make the energy field easier to detect.  So, I should be able to pick it up even at its edge.”

“Even if it’s weaker?”

“These probes can detect very faint energy fields.”

“Okay, great.  So, we procure ourselves a probe and see if we can get access to the place in the desert.”

“Well…” said Townsend, tilting his head.

“What?”

“Or… we could just go.”

Rickards raised an eyebrow.

“You know what they say,” said the professor with a grin.  “Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.”

“You’re suggesting we go without asking?”

“Something like that.”

“Isn’t that illegal or something?” asked Angela.

“If it’s just government land, how bad could it be?”

“You mean for a group of unknown Americans with no valid reason to be out there?”

Townsend grinned.  “I’m just an old man who got lost with a couple youngsters.”

Rickards looked at Angela.  “Are you hearing this?”

She laughed.  “I’m all for following rules, but he does have a point.”

“And what would our excuse be?”

“I don’t know, just out taking pictures?”