The Pharaoh's Secret (NUMA Files 13)

“Biting dilemma we find ourselves in,” Joe said.

Kurt could hear the humor through the mask, though it was muffled. “Let’s hope not,” he said.

On the water, Shakir was floating faceup, bobbing in four feet of water. Right beside him was the last vial of Black Mist.

“Cover me,” Kurt said.

He hopped down and waded toward Shakir and the glass container with the toxin inside it. He knew they could use both to their advantage. Shakir might even be more important if they could get him to talk.

He snatched the vial out of the water and grabbed Shakir with his other hand. Towing Shakir, he was moving even slower than before.

“Hurry!” Joe shouted, raising the Breda and firing over Kurt’s head.

Kurt tried to hurry, but buoyancy made it difficult to get any traction and, as he tried to run, his feet slipped. Trudging forward, he reached the sarcophagus, hopped out of the water and tried to pull Shakir up onto it.

A bulge of water surged toward them again. A twelve-foot croc appeared and closed its jaws on Shakir’s legs. Kurt’s grasp was overcome in an instant and the croc whipped Shakir’s body backward and then dragged him under.

The water churned green and red with foam as several of the other beasts fought over the body, and then one of them swam off with the others chasing.

“Guess he’s going to meet the god of the afterlife now,” Joe said.

“Something tells me Osiris isn’t going to like what he’s done with the place,” Kurt replied.

“Not that he didn’t deserve it,” Joe said, “but there goes our last real chance to find the antidote.”

Kurt stood, scanning the water that lapped at the edge of the coffin beneath his feet. “If we’re not careful, we’re going to end up following him,” he said. “This little island isn’t going to protect us. I’ve seen crocs in the Amazon jump five feet out of the water to snatch birds from a tree. I’ve seen worse at the edges of watering holes, where they took down big game.”

Joe agreed. “What do you say we leave now while they’re eating?”

“I’ll carry Renata. You carry that machine gun. We’ll cut straight across to the ramp and then back out toward the Osiris plant. I’ll dump the contents of the vial out behind us. You shoot at anything that gets in front of us. And we go as fast as we can.”

“Right,” Joe said. “I have a feeling that last part is key.”

Kurt lifted Renata up over his shoulder and wrapped his left arm around her legs. He held the vial in his right hand.

“Looks clear,” Joe said.

Just to be sure, he fired a few shots into the water ahead of them. He jumped in and began wading forward. Joe was certain he’d be eaten alive before he got halfway to the tunnel. He fired at something to the left. It was just a shoe. He swung to the right but saw nothing.

Kurt jumped in behind him and flipped the top of the vial open with his thumb and began spritzing the contents out behind them, swishing the water as he went.

He turned as Joe fired again. This time, something raced off through the water in the opposite direction. Kurt watched as it curled around behind them and began an attack run.

Looking back, he saw the beast knifing in. “Joe!” he shouted.

The Breda sounded off once again—two bullets fired—and then it jammed. The crocodile continued forward and crashed into Kurt’s legs.

The impact knocked him backward, but its jaws never opened, and when Kurt got back to the surface, he saw it floating away like a harmless toy in the pool. Whether it was the effect of the Black Mist or the accuracy of Joe’s shooting, Kurt would never know.

Joe reached the ramp ahead of him, but, in seconds, all three of them were high and dry.

They rested for a moment, yet the water was still rising.

“Let’s go home,” Kurt said.

Joe cleared the Breda and they made their way down the access tunnel, past the mummified frogs, to the Anubis room with the pipeline and the tram. One car remained and they climbed in, powered it up and began the ride back to the Osiris plant.

When they finally arrived at the hydroelectric plant, the door to the generator room was already pinned wide open. They stepped from the tramcar and were met by a dozen men in Egyptian military uniforms. Rifles were pointed at them and Joe laid his weapon down and raised his hands. Kurt raised his hands as well, balancing Renata over his shoulder.