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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

“That was the hope—to get close enough to run some tests.”

“Tests for what?”

Rickards turned and gave the others an opportunity to answer first before he simply said, “It’s a long story.”

“So is mine.”

“I’m sure it is.  But ours may be a little hard to believe.”

“So is mine,” she repeated.

Rickards grinned.

After a long silence, Mona had a thought.  “If you find what you’re looking for with your measurements, would it make that land valuable?”

“Yeah.”

“How valuable?”

“Very.”

“How much is very?”

“Like an international incident.”

Mona’s eyes widened.  “You mean oil?”

“Bigger.  Like I said, it’s a long story.”

“Gold?”

Rickards chuckled.  “This is not exactly something you can put in your pocket.”

“Or in a barrel,” added Angela.

“So what is it, then?”

“Let’s just say it’s a special type of energy.”

“But it would be worth a lot,” said Mona.

“Yes.”

Could this be it? she thought.  Could this be part of what Saad was hiding?  An expanse of desert worth untold riches?

The excitement lasted only a moment.

Saad was already rich beyond the dreams of most people on the planet.  What could he possibly want with more wealth?

“Mona?”

She turned to Angela.

“You did say it was Mona, correct?”

“Yes.”

“My name is Angela.  This is Leonard and that’s Joe.”

She smiled politely at them.  “I know.  I’m sorry for barging in.”

“You know our names?”

“From the applications you filled out for the charter plane.”

Angela reflected.  “How did you know where we were staying?”

“One of you wrote down the name of your hotel.”

Angela looked at Townsend, who shrugged and then looked at Rickards.

“What do you want me to tell you?” He shrugged.  “I’m an investigator.  You leave a trail.  Especially in a foreign country with no flight plan.”

He glanced at Mona to find the woman peering intently at him.

“You are an investigator?”

“I used to be,” he said.

Mona Baraka focused her attention on Rickards.  “What kind of investigator?”

“Accidents primarily.”

All at once, Mona bolted from her seat.  “I need your help.”

58

58

Rickards remained quiet, his arms folded, gazing at Mona for a long time.

“Let me get this straight.  You think this Saad guy is responsible for your friend’s near-fatal car accident and your missing sister-in-law?”

“I do.”

“A rich billionaire who runs a bunch of orphanages?”

“Yes.  Supposedly.”

“What does that mean?”

“He owns and runs them, yes.  But not to help children.  He does it to use them.”

Rickards’ brow narrowed.  “Use them?”

Mona nodded.

“As in trafficking?”

“Yes.  But not in the way you may think.”

“I think there’s only one primary reason people traffic children.  And it’s sickening.”

“Yes,” agreed Mona.  “But I don’t believe this is that.  Saad wants them for a different purpose.”

“What kind of a different purpose?”