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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

“Listen to me.  Our best move is to get the police involved at whatever level we can.  At the very least, we can give Saad something else to worry about.”

Mona glanced at Angela and Townsend.  Both were standing next to Rickards, nodding in agreement.

“What do I tell them?”

Rickards folded his arms.  “Let’s work on that.”

The story took some rehearsal, with as much information as Mona could recite from memory and authoritatively along with her remaining pages and pictures.  Not to mention the video she’d taken from the Rainbow of Hope house funded and managed by Saad.  She’d also include their visit to the UNICEF office, followed by the mystery woman’s revelations in the back of Omar’s car.  And finally, the details around Omar’s accident and her sister-in-law’s disappearance.

Her recounting was smooth enough, unemotional and objective yet still alarming.  Hopefully, it would be enough to at least get someone talking, though ultimately, Mona was right.  If Saad had connections in law enforcement, any interest in the case could be short-lived.

But they had to try something, because if there was one thing Rickards knew, it was that you wanted the police on your side as early as possible.

Especially if things got messy.

“What was the pilot’s name again?”

“The one who gave me the folder?”

“Yes.”

“Abasi Hamed.  Turns out he’s somewhat of a war hero.”

“Good,” said Rickards.  “Begin with that.”

The two were preparing to leave when Leonard Townsend’s phone rang, and he answered it, signaling for them to wait.

He listened intently without interrupting before he finally pulled the phone down and pressed it against his chest.

“My friend has access to satellite footage, and he says there are indications of traffic between Saad’s estate and the glass desert.  A lot of it.  At night.”

“How much is a lot?”

Townsend raised his phone and asked and then looked back at Rickards.  “Every night.”

“What does that mean?” Mona frowned.

Townsend listened again.  “He says it looks like a car, maybe two, traveling out into the desert in the dark with no lights and then coming back before dawn.”

Mona was dumbfounded, while Rickards thought for a moment.  “If there are no lights, how can your friend see them?”

Townsend asked his friend the question and then replied to Rickards.  “Thermal imaging.”

With no more questions, Townsend raised his phone once more.  “Thanks, Will.  I’ll call you back.”

“Wh-what does that mean?” asked Mona.

The other three were all looking at each other, reluctant to speak.  Only they knew about the effects of the energy field.

“My guess,” said Angela, “is that Saad is taking these children out into the desert every night, perhaps one at a time.”

Mona frowned, confused.  “Why on earth would he do that?”

Joe, seated next to her, lowered his head.  “Quite possibly as test subjects.”

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