The Cult of Osiris (30 page)

Eddie shrugged. Dunno - all I know about Egypt is what I saw in
The Mummy.'

Which was hardly an impeccable source.

Maybe not.
I
'll tell you something, though - that's not the Milky Way on there.' She looked at the light blue line. 'It's not?'

No, it's the wrong shape.
I
know what the Milky Way looks like, and that ain't it.

Okay, so if it's not the Milky Way, what is it? What else would they put on a star map?'

An idea occurred to Eddie. 'It's not a star map,' he said, going to the mirror. There're stars
on
it, but they're not what it's all about.' He stared at the reflection, a knowing smile spreading across his face. Take a look.

He took an atlas from the shelf and flipped through it as Nina peered at the reflected zodiac. What am I supposed to be seeing?' she asked.

This.' Eddie held the atlas open at a particular map: Egypt. He ran a Finger down the page, tracing the course of a river from north to south. Remind you of anything?

She looked at the map, then the reflection in the mirror, the map again . . . It's the same shape,' she realised. Oh my God, it's the Nile!'

Put the thing on the ceiling, and it matches the shape of the Nile if you sort of project it upwards,' he said, nodding. Make it into a normal map, though, and it gets flipped over.'

Nina hurried back to the zodiac, sweeping the notes aside so she could see the river's path. So this is the Nile delta at the north, which means the other end . . . Eddie, bring the map over here.'

You didn't say the magic word,' he said, but brought the atlas to her anyway, comparing it to the painted line. Even taking the mirroring effect into account, there were differences. The delta's not the same - there're more rivers on the old map/

The Nile used to have more mouths; some of them silted up,' Nina told him distractedly, fixing on something much further upstream. 'Look, look at this! This big bend in the river, where it goes round the Valley of the Kings . . .' She tapped excitedly on the Lexan. This Osiris figure, the one that wasn't on the Dendera zodiac - look where its eye isf'

Eddie mentally flipped the zodiac to match the map. The figure's head corresponded to a point west of the river, near a kink in its otherwise northward course. 'So what's there now? Some place called . . . Al Balyana.'

That's not all that's there.' She practically skipped back to the table, dress swirling, to pick up a coffee-table book full of lush photography. It used to be one of the most important places in Egypt.' The appropriate page found, she rushed back to show him. 'Abydos. The city of Osiris!'

The photographs showed several large ruined structures. 'Looks like they need to get the builders in,' Eddie joked.

After
we
get in,' said Nina, scanning through the text. 'There must be something pointing the way to this "silver canyon" - once we find it, we're only seven miles from the pyramid.'

Find what?'

The second eye of Osiris. I think it's a double clue - there's the eye of the second Osiris here on the zodiac, which tells you to go to Abydos . . . but the hieroglyphics said the second eye "sees the way'' to the canyon. The one on the zodiac'sjust a dot; it doesn't see anything. My guess is that somewhere in Abydos there's the actual symbol of the Eye of Osiris, and the

direction it faces is where we're meant to go. I've got no idea where in Abydos, though -Macy might know.'

'Then we'd better get off this boat and find her.' Eddie eyed the zodiac.

Nina knew the look. 'No. Absolutely not.'

Absolutely not what?'

You are
not
smashing the zodiac!'

It'll stop Osir's lot from finding the pyramid.

They already have all the clues, they just weren't smart enough to figure them out. If we leave it intact, it can be returned to Egypt.'

Only if Imhotep back there gets arrested,' he said, jabbing a thumb at the bathroom.

If we beat him to the pyramid, we can expose him for what he's done.

One flap of that dressing gown and he'd have exposed himself, all right.

Oh, give it a rest,' Nina huffed. She tugged the grips from her hair and shook out the twist, fashioning it back into a ponytail.
I
still need to get my things.

He drew the revolver. Til check that your boyfriend's still praying to the great god Armitage Shanks, then we'll go.

Osir was still where they had left him. Eddie poked the gun into the furious Egyptian's back, then made sure he was firmly tied to the waste pipe. 'Okay,' he said, returning to the bedroom, 'let's—

Someone knocked on the cabin door.

Eddie whipped up the gun. 'Shit!' Nina whispered, frozen beside him. 'What do we do?'

Shh!' In the bathroom, Osir made muffled grunts; Eddie rushed back and kicked him. 'You shuddup an' all!

Khalid!' said an impatient voice from outside. Shaban. 'Khalid, I know you're in there. Let me in.' The locked door's handle rattled.

Nina stared at it - then dived on to the bed, the mattress springs creaking loudly. Before Eddie could ask what she was doing, she gasped and moaned in simulated ecstasy. 'Oh . . . oh . . . oh, God, yes, come on, yes, harder, oh!

The handle stopped moving, and with a clearly audible snort of disgust Shaban walked away. Nina continued her Meg Ryan routine until she was sure he was out of earshot, then jumped off the bed.

Fuck me,' said Eddie, smirking. 'And I mean that literally. I'm all turned on now!

Hold that thought until we're back on shore. And in private.' She went to the door and listened. No sounds outside. 'I think we're clear.

Eddie joined her, opening the door a crack. The passage was empty. Which way?'

Go right, then round the first corner. There are some stairs.'

He darted out, gun at the ready. Nobody was there. To the left, smoked glass doors opened on to one of the upper decks; he could see the lights of Monaco through them. He went right, and peered round the corner. Still no one; the promised stairs were some thirty feet away. Okay, clear.'

Nina followed him, acutely aware in the yacht's insulated quiet that her long dress was rustling with every step. This is why I always wear Dockers,' she whispered.

If you wore miniskirts, like I keep asking . . .' Eddie paused at the stairs. A faint conversation was audible from the deck above, but it soon became clear that the speakers were not approaching. He descended. 'Two decks down, you said?'

They heard music when they reached the correct deck, a pop beat coming from a cabin. They crept past and headed for Nina's room. She had left the door unlocked; they ducked inside.

Nina quickly shed the dress and changed back into her regular clothes, then gathered her few belongings. Should I call Macy?' she asked, holding up her phone.

Let's get off the ship first,' said Eddie.

How are we going to get back ashore?'

Nick a boat.' He stepped into the corridor. 'Okay, come on.

They moved back to the stairs, approaching the cabin where the music was playing. Pass that, up one level, then they would be on the main deck, needing only to keep out of sight to reach the boats. Simple.

Or not.

The door opened, the music jumping in volume as a young blonde woman carrying two empty glasses stepped out - and found the revolver aimed right between her eyes. She screamed and jumped back, a man shouting in surprise.

Nina and Eddie looked at each other. 'Leg it!' Eddie yelled.

They ran up the stairs. An alarm bell clamoured as they reached the next deck. Nina heard more voices from above. Osir's crew had been caught off guard by the unexpected alert, but it would only take them seconds to respond.

Eddie took the lead as they ran down the passage. Another smoked glass door ahead led to the aft deck. Someone behind them shouted.

No time to stop and open the door. Instead, Eddie fired a single shot through it. Glass shattered, dropping in a dark cascade to the floor. They crunched over the debris and ran out on to the deck.

It was empty. Ahead, more stairs led down to the mooring platform. 'Which boat?' Nina asked as thev raced towards it.

Whichever's got the keys in!' Eddie replied, glancing back. He saw someone emerging from a door on the deck above, and fired another shot to force him back inside.

Nina hurried down the steep stairs as he crouched and took cover at the top. Not liking the look of the small, exposed jet skis, she went to the boats. The speedboats would be faster, but the
Solar Barques
tender still had its key in the ignition.

She climbed aboard. 'Eddie, come on!'

Eddie glanced round at the burble of the tender's engines. 'Untie it!' he shouted. His gunshot had made the crew more cautious, nobody wanting to be the first to put himself in harm's way.

That wouldn't last. As soon as Shaban or Diamondback arrived, they would order a rush on the boat dock. And with only four bullets remaining, his chances of holding it off were slim.

He looked back at Nina. She was still unravelling the ropes.

Two men ran on to the upper deck and dived in opposite directions to the floor. Eddie shot at one, but missed. Three bullets left.

Eddie!' The tender was free; Nina jumped behind its wheel.

Get going!' he yelled. She shook her head, unwilling to leave him behind. Til jump on, just get the bloody thing moving!'

The engine growl rose to a roar. He turned to leap down the stairs—

Diamondback burst from the broken glass door. Eddie snapped off another shot, but it went wide as the American flung himself headlong into cover. Two bullets.

The black barrel of an MP7 poked over the upper deck's edge, laser sight flicking on. The needle-thin red beam swept towards Eddie - then jittered in a crazy display as he shot the weapon out of the gunman's hands.

One bullet.

Fucking revolvers!' Eddie spat. Even with its ammo capacity limited by the sheer size of its .50-calibre bullets, his old Wildey handgun had still been able to manage more than a mere six shots. One bullet, and several targets - it was time to go.

He jumped, landing on the dock with a bang. The tender was pulling away, but Nino was still reluctant to gun the throttle until he was aboard. He straightened, turned, launched himself into a sprint to make a running jump—

A searing pain exploded in the side of his head.

The flash of agony was so overwhelming that he fell, crashing down just short of the dock's edge. He clapped a hand to the wound. It stung viciously, and he felt blood on his palm - but not the torn meat and bone of a direct bullet impact against a human skull. The revolver shot had grazed him, slicing a gash just above his left ear.

If he had started his run on the other foot, if he had thrown his weight left rather than right, he would be dead.

And his wife would be a widow. Eyes tight with pain, he saw Nina looking back at him in horror. He waved desperately at her. 'Get out of here!
Go!'

It took her a moment to fight through her fear for him - a moment too long. A laser spot swept across the boat, zeroing in on her chest.

Very carefully, she moved her hand away from the throttle.

Eddie heard the clip-clop of cowboy boots approaching. He painfully turned his head, seeing that he had dropped the revolver a couple of feet away. A hand reached down to collect it. T think this is mine,' said Diamondback.

You're welcome to the fuckin' thing,' Eddie groaned. 'There's only one bullet left.'

It's all I need.' A faint clicking as the trigger was pulled back, the cylinder rotating to bring the last bullet under the raised hammer . . .

No!' someone almost screamed. Osir. You idiot, people will see!

Eddie heard Diamondback mutter 'So? Fuck 'em . . .' but with a soft
clink
the hammer lowered back into place. The
Solar Barque
was not the only expensive craft moored off Monaco; the sound of gunfire had probably already caught the attention of people on other yachts.

Get them out of sight. Quickly!' Osir ordered.

Shaban joined his brother. 'We have to kill them. You should have listened to me.'

I know, I know. We will. But not here. If the Monaco police come to investigate the gunshots, and we have a ship full of corpses . .

The boat was quickly secured, and Nina was brought back on to the dock at gunpoint. Osir gave her an especially disgusted look. I didn't want to do this, but you've left me no choice. When this ship leaves Monaco tomorrow, after the race . . . you will both die.

19

203

'You know, mate,' said Eddie, voice echoing, I really don't like your hospitality.'

'Look on the bright side,' Nina said, looking up at Osir. 'At least he flushed first.'

The cult leader had, with mocking irony, opted to tie up Nina and Eddie where they had tied him - his cabin's bathroom. Nina's hands were secured to a pipe beneath the washbasin, while Eddie ended up in the same position as Osir, wrists fastened to the lavatory's waste pipe and his head over the bowl. They were bound with rope rather than neckties; their legs had been left free, but with a guard watching them all night as Osir and his associates studied the zodiac they had been given no opportunity to turn that to their advantage.

'Aren'tyou comfortable, Chase?' asked Osir. 'Too bad.'

Shaban stood beside him, rubbing his eyes. 'We are getting nowhere with the zodiac, Khalid. We' re wasting time.'

'The answer is there,' Osir said. 'She found it - so can we.'

Shaban sneered at Nina. 'A shame you weren't listening when she did. If they know how to find the pyramid, we should have tortured them for the information.' Another sneer, this time directed at Osir. 'If you weren't so worried about getting blood on your silk sheets . ..'

Osir's face flashed with anger. Shut up, Sebak! We will find the pyramid ourselves. There's no need for any unnecessary pain.'

'What do
you
know about pain?' said Shaban, moving almost nose to nose with his brother. The scar tissue across his cheek twisted with his snarl.