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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

Together, Angela and Townsend both reached out, grabbing his clothing and pulling him toward them inch by inch until Townsend managed to get a second hand on him, pulling as hard as he could just as the Kodiak’s wheels left the ground.

78

78

Inside, the pilot’s instrumentation suddenly blinked out, bathing the cabin in complete darkness, returning minutes later while both Angela and Townsend struggled to heft the top half of Rickards’ frame through the open door, accompanied now by Mona and Eshe.  All four pulled together until Rickards finally clumsily tumbled into one of the passenger seats.

Exhausted and panting, he crawled forward and collapsed on top of the vinyl cushion, turning on his side and looking at the others.  “Everybody okay?”

Angela smiled and laughed, while at the same time crying.  She nodded her head and fell into the seat next to him.  Behind him, Eshe and Mona looked over the top and laid their hands on him reassuringly.

With a heave, Townsend pulled the door shut and locked it, then beamed at Rickards.  “You, my friend, like to live dangerously.”

He grinned and shook his head, lying it back down on the cushion while trying to recover his breath.  After several seconds, he frowned and raised it again, looking at the pilot.

“How in the hell did you manage that?”

“You won’t believe it.” Townsend grinned, then turned forward.  “Our pilot knew Abasi Hamed.  Didn’t you, Mohammed?”

Hearing his name, the pilot glanced over his shoulder, thrusting a fist overhead and yelling over the noise.  “Abasi Hamed is great man!  Hero of Egypt!”

Mona’s eyes widened, and she pointed excitedly.  “I TOLD you!”

Rickards laid his head back down… and simply laughed.

***

“So, what happened with Saad?” asked Angela, buckled into her seat like the rest.  Rickards was the only one who wasn’t, remaining sideways and outstretched to relieve pressure from his injured leg.

Mona put a supportive arm around Eshe.  “Saad is dead,” she answered.

Angela couldn’t hide her surprise.  “What happened?”

Mona turned to Rickards and shrugged.  “We’re not sure.”

“It was the other man,” said Eshe.  “The man who drove us there.  He killed him.”

Mona translated and thought back to the SUV.  “His name was Khoury.  Part of Saad’s security detail, I think.”

“So they turned on him.”

The group was suddenly interrupted by their pilot, who called to them from the front.

Townsend and Rickards both moved forward to look while Mohammed pointed toward the ground.  In the darkness were several outlines traveling on the dirt road beneath them.

“Saad’s men,” said Rickards.  He turned to the women.  “They’re escaping.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.”

He raised an eyebrow at Angela, who was quietly grinning, as was Townsend.