BooksBarbecue
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

It was this rescuing from that suffering that gave Abo the emotional and mental exoneration she needed, allowing her to assure herself that she was not part of the problem but rather the solution, as difficult as it might sound.  Because Allah would only give those difficult decisions to someone who could truly bear them.

It was her frustration over Khoury’s reluctance to act that caused her mind to shift and her eyes to finally reopen.  She stared at the cabin’s polished wooden trim overhead, its gleaming chrome vents pointing down, delivering a gentle flow of crisp, cool air.

As difficult as her moral obligation was, Abo was careful not to allow those thoughts to cross into the unpleasant subject of personal gain.

She wanted what Saad had.  Both she and Khoury did.  Both knew that whatever was in the bunker held enormous value for a man of such sound mind and body to dedicate everything he had—his entire life.

They just had to hold on a little longer, according to Khoury.  Saad not only had the resources, but he also had the knowledge, which they did not.  Better to let him achieve the goal and then steal the trophy.

Taking a deep breath and smoothly letting it out, Abo tried to relax until she could feel her beating heart just below her breastbone, telling herself things would work out as they were supposed to.

And no sooner but did fate intervene, when she lowered her eyes to the seat directly in front of her, empty and still, before continuing down to the leather seatback pouch—

Where she spotted it.

Abo stared, frozen in a mixture of surprise and curiosity before leaning forward to pick up the piece of paper protruding from the seat’s pouch and slowly revealing the rest as she pulled up and out, until the entire page could be seen, and behind it, several others.

The pictures were all the same—hand drawn and in different colors, but all of the same object.

The doctor slowly inhaled as she blankly stared at the image before her.

It took several long seconds to find her breath, and when she did, she leaped from her seat and ran, the paper clutched in her hand, for the cabin’s door.

61

61

The hall stretched over a hundred feet past dozens of narrow locked doors and then four larger double doors on both sides. Eshe’s eyes widened as her short legs carried her to the end.

The exit door was made of metal and glass, the dark backdrop from the outside world reflecting her petite frame as she approached.  She slowed only briefly in her white cotton shirt and checkered dress before holding her breath and pushing forward.

The outer door opened easily, and she stumbled into the darkness, immediately spotting outlines of two more buildings nearby, all surrounded in lush dark foliage.  It was more than she had ever seen in one place.