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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

In the corner was a container of gasoline and matches.

Was that his contingency plan?  Gasoline?  And was that to destroy the book, or the entire bunker including the thousands of children’s drawings spanning decades?

She eased closer, afraid of making too much noise in case a microphone was hidden nearby, leaning in to examine the book, open and displaying strange writings on two of the many delicate pages—pages appearing to be gradually crumbling away around their edges.

Abo raised the clear glass and propped it in place, examining it, then touching the book’s pages with her fingertips. She then turned one over and studied again.

She couldn’t understand any of it.  Nor could she identify the language, except that it was not hieroglyphics.  But very old, nonetheless.

This is what Saad had been hiding for all these years?  She lightly ran a finger down along the edge of the book’s cover.  All of this couldn’t be about the book itself.  It had to be about its contents.

With careful hands, she lifted one side and smoothly closed it, then lifted it off the lighted table and waited for something to happen.

Nothing.

Abo turned and faced the narrow doorway before stepping through, where she turned to examine the larger room again and all of its pictures from so many children.

All were somehow related to the ancient book.

Her eyes scanned again, looking for anything relevant, until they stopped on a large computer monitor atop a simple desk on the far wall.  The screen was illuminated and displaying something that took only a moment for Abo to read for all blood to drain from her face.

Signal received.

Commencing expunge.

And below the words was a number, counting down.

…7

…6

…5

…4

77

77

Traversing the glass was difficult, like running over wobbly rocks in a riverbed, slowing them all considerably.

Rickards stopped when Eshe tripped and fell, grabbing her hand and lifting her back onto her feet.

The energy was almost on top of them.

“Wait, wait.  What are we doing?” called Mona, panting.

“Getting away from it!”

“How far away do we need to be?”

Rickards shook his head.  “I have no idea.”

Still gripping Eshe’s hand, he lumbered forward over the field of loose rocks.

The truth was that whatever was about to happen… would either reach them or it wouldn’t.   And his guess, judging by the panic in Saad’s men, was they wouldn’t be nearly far enough.

He didn’t hear it at first.  None of them did until Rickards paused again to look for Mona.

A low buzzing sound.

At first, Rickards paid no attention.  He was still focused on getting as far away from the epicenter as possible.  But when the sound became louder, it also became more distinct, until it was loud enough for Rickards to hear it.

The sound of an engine.

After several more seconds, he recognized the pitch.  A Pratt & Whitney Canada turboprop.