Kathlyn Trent, Marcus Burton 01 - Valley of the Shadow (25 page)

Lynn let out a sigh of relief. “Hell yes. We’ve come out into KV1.”

Their harrowing adventure, for the moment, was over. But Kathlyn suspected the worse was yet to come.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Debra Jo returned to her tent towards the early morning. Dawn was beginning to appear on the eastern horizon, signaling the start of a new day. She couldn’t get excited about it. In fact, she had never felt so bad in her life. They hadn’t yet started digging when an earthquake had set off more of the collapse. KV2 and KV7 had seen some damage, as had several other tombs. The entire valley had quivered as if some great hand had shaken it. As a safety precaution, McGrath had ordered the workers out of the shaft.  Dennis had thrown a fit, but it couldn’t be helped. They didn’t want more people trapped if the ground was unstable.

Still, the archaeologists had stayed up in the main tunnel, pondering their options, waiting for the aftershocks from the earthquake. A couple of hours before dawn the drilling equipment had arrived and Dennis had taken the oilmen down to the shaft to start drilling through the debris to clear a hole. McGrath couldn't stop him.  It was slow work with the ever-present risk of another earthquake.

Exhausted and upset, Debra Jo had retired to the tent she shared with Juliana and Kathlyn to get some much-needed rest.

The tent was dark as she fell into bed, clothes and all.  She was dirty and in need of a shower, but that was going to have to wait. She was just about to close her eyes when a whisper came from the shadows.

“Deb,” it was a very familiar voice. “Don’t scream, please. It’s us.”

Debra Jo sat up faster than she thought possible. Her heart was pounding in her ears with fright. Looking in the direction of the voice, she saw Kathlyn and Juliana sitting on the floor near the portable filing cabinets. Debra Jo’s first reaction was to scream, but she had been asked not to, so she slapped a hand over her mouth.

“What…?” she fell off the bed, onto her knees, and crawled over to them. “What in the hell are you doing here? You’re supposed to be trapped in the tomb!”

Kathlyn reached out to touch her just so she would know they were real. “We were,” she was the recipient of a giant bear hug. “We found a way out. Where are Abrahams and Dougray?”

Debra Jo was overwhelmed with shock and confusion. “They’re in the VIP tent, I suppose. I really don’t know. I haven’t seen them. What’s going on?”

Kathlyn’s beautiful eyes were dark circled and angry. “They’ve lost their mind, that’s what’s going on,” she muttered. “They blew up the corridor in an attempt to kill me.”

Debra Jo visibly paled. “What?” she breathed. “You’re kidding!”

“I wish to God I was,” Kathlyn whispered. “Ask Juliana and Lynn and Marcus. They were there. Dougray’s lost his damn mind and Abrahams is going right along with him.”

Debra Jo was clearly baffled. “Oh, Kat, you must be mistaken,” she said. “Surely they would never… I mean, why in the hell would they? They’ve no reason to do anything to you, for any reason. You must be wrong.”

Juliana piped up. “She’s not wrong. I know it’s hard to believe, but you have to understand this. Abrahams and Dougray are killers. They’re part of some secret Jewish sect determined to maintain the purity of their religion. They accused Kathlyn of trying to destroy it by searching out biblical relics. Because she doesn’t want to do things their way now, they’ve accused her of being a danger and they blew up Corridor C in an attempt to kill her. Marcus, Lynn and I were witnesses to what they were doing, so they had to kill us too.”

Debra Jo sat there, dumbfounded. “This is the screwiest thing I’ve ever heard. Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack. And they’ll kill you too if they know you have any knowledge of this.”

Debra Jo took a deep breath, eyeing the two disheveled women. “You know, Ed said that he and McGrath had smelled explosives in the corridor. I thought he was being paranoid - you know Ed.”

“He was right,” Kathlyn said. “There were explosives in the corridor.”

“My God,” Debra Jo was struggling with the realization of it all. “We found Ed with a bullet in his head about an hour ago. You don’t suppose he…?”

Shocked, Kathlyn held back the tears. She and Juliana grabbed hands for support, fighting off the distress of it.

“Damn,” Kathlyn whispered. “They probably killed Ed, too.”

“But McGrath knows about the explosives, too.”

“Then he’s in danger,” Kathlyn sniffled back her tears. “We’re all in danger.”

The story was growing into terrifying proportions. “So what can I do? How can I help?”

Kathlyn scratched her head; she was horribly exhausted but she couldn’t relax. “Marcus and Lynn have gone to find McGrath and Bardwell. We’re supposed to wait here until they come for us. I don’t suppose you can do anything for now.”

Debra Jo thought a moment. “We need somebody trustworthy to tell. What about the Marine commander? We'll tell him and he'll arrest them.”

Juliana looked at Kathlyn. “That may not be a bad idea.”

Kathlyn nodded. “Okay,” she said. “But not a word to anyone, Deb. It’s life or death.”

“I understand completely, don’t worry.” Debra Jo moved for the door, pausing. “Are you really sure about this?”

“Every damn word.”

Her gaze lingered on Kathlyn before she quit the tent. Debra Jo’s hands were quivering from fear and excitement as she milled around the camp, keeping her eye out for the Marine Major. But the tall guy with the shaved head was nowhere to be found. Debra Jo began to feel an increased sense of anxiety as she went up to the dig site. She was terrified she was going to run into Abrahams or Dougray and they would be able to read the fear on her face. Near the shaft entrance, she ran into the master sergeant who had befriended Dennis.

"Sergeant," she hissed. "I need to talk to you. It's urgent."

The man with the bright blue eyes smiled easily at her. "I thought you were going to get some rest, Miss Shulte."

She motioned him closer to her, making sure they couldn't be overheard. There were a few workers about and several Marines, but she didn't want anyone hearing what she had to say.

"Something's happened," she said as he stood close to her.  "I'm not sure where to start with this, but you have to listen to me. It's a matter of life or death."

He didn't look the least bit skeptical of her. "Okay, what is it?"

Debra Jo took a deep breath. "Dr. Trent and Dr. Maurer are down in my tent. They said that Abrahams and Dougray blew up the tomb and tried to kill them. You need to come to my tent, now, and talk to them. They're in a lot of danger."

The Marine didn't react for a moment. Then he grimaced. "They're in your tent? Are you kidding?"

"I'd never kid about this," Debra Jo said. "Dougray and Abrahams need to be arrested before they can finish what they started. Please come with me; Kathlyn and Juliana can explain this much better than I can."

The Marine's neutral facade wavered. "Do you mean to tell me that they're not in the tomb? How long have they been in your tent, Miss Shulte? How long have you let this digging go on, knowing they weren't in the tomb?"

She could sense his anger and she didn't blame him. "I just found out myself. I came to find the Major, but he's not around. Will you please come with me?"

The slightest bit shocked, the sergeant followed her back to the tent.  By the time they got there, McGrath and Bardwell were standing inside, looking a bit pale. Back in the far corner stood Burton, Davis, Trent and Maurer, looking as if they had just gone through the wringer. The Marine shook his head, torn between confusion and fury.

"Okay, people," he said. "Somebody better tell me what the hell is going on here and do it fast."

Marcus told him in no uncertain terms.

***

"Major, I have no idea why Dr. Trent and the others would make this kind of accusation," Dougray said. "It's completely baseless. It's crazy!"

The Major in charge of the Marine force protecting the site was an older man with a trim mustache and a bald head. Since the allegations this morning, he'd had Abrahams and Dougray rounded up and subsequently spent three hours interviewing Abrahams.

The dean of SCU's Archaeology and Anthropology Department had basically disavowed all knowledge of Dr. Trent's accusations. Now the Major was with Dougray, who had proved himself a difficult nut to crack. There were four reputable archaeologists accusing these men of horrible crimes and the Major intended to get to the bottom of it before he shipped both men off to the American Embassy in Cairo.

"Mr. Dougray," he said. "Dr. Trent said that you told her, in front of witnesses, that you were a member of an ancient Hebrew sect that believes in preserving the purity of the Jewish religion. She says that you told her that she was in danger of destroying the basis of the entire Hebrew faith because she was, in your words, no longer controllable. What does she mean?"

"I don't know," Dougray was very cool. "It's a terrible pity, really. I've refrained from mentioning this for obvious reasons, but now I see I am given no choice. If they're going to turn this against me, then I must defend myself."

The Major wasn't an idiot. Dougray was smooth, a little too smooth for his taste. "Against what?"

"These foolish accusations," Dougray sat forward in his chair. "Major, this is a publicity stunt and nothing more. Dr. Trent thrives on the media's attention. She destroyed the tomb herself, already knowing she had a way out of it, purely for the publicity it has provided. The world is crazy about this tomb, Major. And Burton's in on it, too."

The Major looked at him dubiously. "You're telling me that they staged all of this to get their names in the newspapers more than they already are?"

"Yes."

"For what reason?"

Dougray threw up his hands. "Money, Major. Sponsorship contracts, book deals, movie agreements, you name it. It gives this entire venture a wild flavor and the public will eat it up, mark my words."

"Then why accuse you of trying to kill them?"

"To turn the suspicion away from them, of course," Dougray said as if the man was a simpleton. "Major, I'm being framed for something so ludicrous that it's laughable. Why on earth would I kill someone, much less a woman who has done more for archaeology than anyone in history? It doesn't make any sense and you're buying right into it."

The Major drew in a long, deep breath. He contemplated Dougray. "Dr. Davis has a gunshot wound in his arm. He said that one of your associates did it."

Dougray shrugged. "If that is so, I have no knowledge of it."

"And what about this Schmin Baras?”

"I don't know anyone by that name."

"And the disappearance of Ed Cutro?"

"I wouldn't know anything about that. He's one of Trent's people."

"Then you are basically denying all of this."

"Absolutely."

The Major was silent a moment. They were in the mess tent, guarded by a half dozen marines. The master sergeant who had befriended most of the archaeologists was sitting in on the interview; the man didn't look happy.  He had come to know these people over the past few weeks and he believed them implicitly. Dougray, as far as he was concerned, was a dangerous liar. The more he watched the man, the more animosity he felt.

"Did you see her blow up the corridor, Mr. Dougray?" The Major asked.

Dougray shook his head. "I was far ahead of her, almost to the stairwell."

"And she never indicated her intentions, directly or otherwise."

"Never. But Otis Dison himself said that there was no reason why Corridor C should have collapsed. I certainly didn't knock it down; Abrahams and I were well in front of her.  How else could it have collapsed if she, or someone else, didn't blow it up?"

"But you never saw anything."

"No, Major." Dougray sat back in his chair. "I know what you're thinking. It's basically Abraham's and my word against theirs. I, of course, am a reputable business man with a stellar holding in the community at large. Dr. Abrahams has had a long and distinguished career as a professor of History and Archaeology. Dr. Trent's reputation with her fellow archaeologists is as something of a loose cannon and a publicity hound. You must ask yourself who has the most to gain from the controversial circumstances surrounding Ay's tomb. It certainly isn't me or Dr.Abrahams."

The Major struggled to be objective. Dougray gave him a good argument. But he knew one thing; he didn't have enough evidence to send either Dougray or Abrahams to Cairo for further investigation. And they couldn't determine that the corridor had been blown up for certain until they cleared the debris from the collapse. It appeared that they were at a dead end.

"Thank you, Mr. Dougray," he finally said. "That will be all for today. But I would ask that you not leave camp until we can clear this up."

Dougray stood up. "Thank you, Major. You've been very polite considering the circumstances."

The Major barely acknowledged him. Dougray left the tent and the Major waited a nominal amount of time before turning to the master sergeant.

"What do you think, Tony?"

The Master Sergeant shook his head. "He's a lying bastard. Something happened in that tomb, something he's responsible for, and he's trying like hell to cover his ass."