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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

“Maybe she’s right, then,” said Omar.  “Maybe they just have too much on their plates to worry about.  If they know about the Rainbow houses but don’t think it poses any serious problems, maybe they just let it go.”

Frustrated, Mona glared at him.  “Then why wouldn’t she just say that?”

He thought about it while turning and quietly walking back to the car.  When they reached the vehicle, they climbed in and closed both doors.

“That woman is hiding something,” said Mona.  “I know it.”

Omar was still thinking.  “Maybe we should try to talk to someone else.”

“Maybe.  Unless they’re all hiding something.”

“What would they be hiding?”

“What if–”

Suddenly someone frantically pounded on the car’s side window, causing them both to jump in their seats and Mona to emit a brief scream.

Outside, another woman was standing beside the car, one hand still pounding on the window and the other raised over her brow, trying to see through the bright reflective glass.

When she had their attention, the woman, older and dressed in similar attire, motioned for Omar to lower his window.

When he did, she stared in, examining both of them before speaking.  “You were asking about Mido Saad.”

Omar nodded, looking back at Mona.  “Yes.”

The woman tried the handle of the rear door and Omar unlocked it from the inside.  After a hasty scan around the parking lot, she immediately climbed in and pulled the door closed behind her.

“Go!”

40

40

Back out on the main road, the woman, looking to be in her fifties, pointed forward toward a row of eucalyptus trees lining the boulevard.  “Over there, under the trees.”

Omar crossed and turned with the traffic, finding an open spot in the shade.  When he stopped, the woman behind him stared through the windows, studying both sides of the street.

“Who are you?!”

“I work for UNICEF, like the woman you just spoke with.  That is all you need to know.”

“I think we’re going to need–”

“Quiet!” she snapped, still scanning.  “Do you want your questions answered or not?”

Mona twisted in her seat but the woman reached forward and pushed her forward again.  “Sit normally,” she said.  “And speak forward.  Tell me why you were asking about Saad.”

A sudden fear washed over Mona at the thought of the woman being aligned with Saad.  But it passed quickly.

If that were true, she wouldn’t be acting paranoid.

“What were you asking about?” the woman demanded.

“We… were asking about his charity houses.  The Rainbow houses.”

The woman studied Omar’s eyes through the rearview mirror.  “And what did Shani Darwish tell you?”

“That UNICEF doesn’t have any insight to Mr. Saad’s organizations.”

The woman in the back seat almost snorted.  “Of course she did.  What else?”