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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

Rickards stared at her for a moment, perplexed, before turning to the others.  Both wore similar expressions.

“What about?”

“You are Americans, correct?”

“Yes.”

Mona looked to the left, back down the long hallway.  “May I come in?  I’d like to speak with you confidentially.”

Her English was surprisingly good, and Rickards stepped back, allowing her inside before gently closing the door behind her.

“I’m sorry to bother you.”

“What is this about?” asked Angela.

Mona smiled politely.   “It’s about your airplane charter today.”

Angela immediately glanced nervously at Joe.

“Charter?”

Mona turned to Rickards and nodded.  “Your trip to the Desert of Glass.”

His face remained calm.  “I’m not sure we know what you’re referring to.”

“You’re not in any trouble,” reassured Mona.  “I just wanted to know more about why you went.”

“Young lady,” said Townsend, “we’re just touring your beautiful country.  We don’t know anything–”

With a hint of irritation, Mona interrupted.  “As I said, you’re not in trouble.  I just need to know why.”

“Why what?”

“Why you went,” she repeated.  “And why now?”

Angela rose from the couch, concerned.  “Are you all right?”

“Yes!” exclaimed Mona, growing frustrated.  “I’m fine.  I just need you to tell me!”

Behind her, Rickards lowered the iron and placed it on top of the room’s credenza.  “Are you hurt?”

She turned to him, examining him closely before shaking her head.  “No.  I don’t know.  I just–I saw your plane earlier today.  It was obvious where you were coming from.”  She looked between the three.  “And I talked to the woman at the charter company.  She said your trip was a secret.”

Rickards glanced at Angela.  “It wasn’t a secret.”

“There was no flight plan logged,” said Mona, “and only you three and the pilot knew where you were headed.  What would you call it?”

“Listen,” explained Rickards, “I don’t know what you–”

Without warning, she took a small step backward and interrupted again.  “Please tell me you’re here for a reason.”

Rickards squinted in confusion.  “What?”

“Please tell me you’re here about him.”

“About who?”

“Mido Saad!”

Again, Rickards glanced at the others.  “Who the hell is Mido Saad?”

Now a few feet away, Mona studied his face, looking for hints of deception.

“I think you may have the wrong room,” he replied.  “And maybe the wrong Americans.”

“You were on the plane, yes?”

“Yes.”

“Are you Rickards or Townsend?”

Joe turned and looked across the room. “Well, as much as I’d like to say Townsend…”

“I’m Townsend,” the professor said, rising to his feet.  “What is this all about?”

“I told you.  I need to know about your flight.”

“Why? Did we do something wrong?”

“No.  Nothing like that.  I need to know why you were there and what you were looking for.”

Rickards studied the woman’s posture as she spoke, noticing a slight jitter.