The Pharaoh's Secret (NUMA Files 13)

With Kurt at the controls up on the flybridge, the dive boat sped toward the secluded bay and the abandoned hotel, carving a white wake into the blue-green waters. While Kurt drove, Joe built a bunker by lashing together empty scuba tanks.

“Don’t these things blow up when they get hit by bullets?” Renata asked.

“Only in the movies,” Joe said. “But I vented them just in case. Now they’re just thick, double-walled steel canisters of protection. Perfectly arranged for us to hide behind.”

“You’re very brave,” she said. “Both of you.”

“Make sure to tell all your female friends that when we’re finished saving the world for humanity.”

She grinned. “I have a few girlfriends who’d be happy to make your acquaintance.”

“A few?”

“Three or four,” she replied. “They’ll have to fight over you.”

“That could be interesting,” Joe said, a mischievous grin on his face. “But there’s enough of me to go around.”

“I hope this works,” he said to Kurt. “I suddenly really, really want to survive.”

He finished lashing the last of the tanks together as they approached the soaring cliffs that marked this side of Gozo Island. “Your crow’s nest is as secure as I can make it,” he said to Kurt. “I’ll be heading below.”

Kurt nodded and turned to Renata. “You need to stay out of sight. They don’t know about you yet.”

“I’m not hiding out belowdecks while you guys duke it out with the people who attacked my country,” she replied.

“Actually, that’s exactly what you’re going to do,” Kurt said. “The aft cabin has a skylight. Disconnect the latch and wait until the right moment to act.”

“Why the aft cabin?”

“Because I’m going to back in. In case we have to make a quick getaway.”

She didn’t seem to like it but acquiesced. “Okay, fine,” she said. “This time.”

They put communication devices on. After testing hers, Renata dropped down to the main deck, then went below to the aft cabin. As Kurt suggested, she popped the latch, but left it closed, and then pulled out the Beretta and waited.

As they neared the gap in the limestone cliffs, Kurt swung the boat out wide, turned it around and backed into the bay at a veritable crawl. As they passed between the cliffs that guarded the bay, he crouched behind the oxygen tanks, rifle in hand, eyeing the rocks up above for any sign of danger and half expecting to take immediate and direct fire.

“We’re still alive,” he said as the bay widened around them.

“For now,” Joe grumbled from down on the main deck.

Putting a spotting scope to his eye, Kurt studied the situation up ahead. “I see three guys with guns waiting on the concrete dock beside the bridge. A couple of vehicles at the end of the road. No boats.”

“They must have driven in,” Renata said. “Does that help us?”

“Well,” Joe said. “Unless they can swim really fast, they probably can’t chase us if we flee.”

“Keep out of sight,” Kurt said. “I’ve got a possible sniper on the roof of the hotel. Just saw a reflection off of his scope.”

“You’re the one all exposed up there,” Renata pointed out.

“But I’ve got rocks in my head,” Kurt replied. “So I’ll be all right. Besides, they won’t shoot until they have what they want.”

Kurt chopped the throttle to idle and the dive boat slowed further. Drifting backward until the stern bumped against the concrete dock. One pathway from the dock led to stairs and up to the bridge. A second pathway led to a dilapidated maintenance shack.

One of the three men came forward with a rope in his hand.

“No need to tie us up,” Kurt shouted, peeking between two of the scuba tanks. “We’re not going to be staying long. Where’s your boss?”