Crescent Dawn (Dirk Pitt 21)

“We’re not eating with the others?” she asked.

“Not unless you have a craving for spaghetti that comes out of a can,” he replied.

“No, not particularly,” she replied, shaking her head.

“Good. Then it’s off to Cape Pitt.”

He guided Sophie down to the shoreline, where they walked along the beach a short distance. When they reached a rocky ledge that jutted into the sea, Dirk turned and helped her climb over the boulder-strewn surface.

“This was the site of a Roman palace,” Sophie said, recalling the prior excavation of a large structure that featured Greek columns and a decorative pool.

“Many believe it was King Herod’s, built after he constructed the harbor,” Dirk replied, showing he had studied up on Caesarea.

“I don’t remember there being a restaurant located here,” Sophie said, with a playful grin.

“It’s just behind that last wall.”

They climbed through the ruins to the tip of the promontory. Just past a crumbled stone wall, they reached a sheltered recess that offered a commanding view of the sea. Sophie laughed when she spotted an ice chest parked beside a small hibachi, its charcoal embers glowing red-hot.

“King Herod’s Café, open for business. Hope you don’t mind eating alfresco,” Dirk said, spreading out the towel on a sandy spot. He quickly produced a bottle of white wine from the cooler and poured them each a glass.

“To damn fools,” he said, clinking his glass against hers. Sophie blushed, then quietly sipped her wine.

“What’s on the menu?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“Fresh sea bass, snared by yours truly this afternoon. Grilled in lemon and olive oil, and accompanied by a vegetable kabob, organically grown on a kibbutz up the road.” He held up a pair of skewers loaded with peppers, tomatoes, and onions.

“I’m sure glad I passed on the spaghetti,” Sophie replied.

Dirk threw the kabobs and a pair of fish fillets onto the small grill and quickly had dinner served. Sophie found the fresh food tasted delicious and hungrily devoured her entire plate.

“It was terrific,” she said, setting down her empty plate. “You sure you’re not a professional chef?”

Dirk laughed. “Far from it. Put me in a kitchen, and I don’t get much past peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But show me a hot grill, and I’ll happily run amok.”

“You run amok with nice results,” she said with a smile.

As he sliced up a small melon for dessert, she asked how he liked working at NUMA.

“I couldn’t ask for a better job. I’m able to work in and around the sea, virtually anywhere in the world. Most of our projects are both interesting and fundamentally important to preserving the health of our oceans. And on top of that, I get to work closely with my family.”

He noticed a faint look of alarm cross Sophie’s face at the mention of his family.

“My father is the Director of NUMA,” he explained. “And I have a twin sister named Summer who is a NUMA oceanographer. It’s actually on account of my father that I was able to come to Israel. He relieved me on a survey project we’ve been working on along the coast of Turkey.”

“Professor Haasis told me that he has several old friends at NUMA and holds the organization in high regard.”

“He has certainly done some fine work here himself,” Dirk replied.

“So your time in Caesarea is short?”

“I’m afraid so. Two more weeks, then I must head back to Turkey.”

He passed her a plate of sliced melon, then asked, “Okay, now it’s your turn. How did you come to be an archaeologist with a gun?”

Sophie smiled. “An interest in geology and history, instilled by my father from an early age, I suppose. I love archaeology and digging up the past, but I have always felt pain at seeing our cultural treasures being looted for profit. Working at the Antiquities Authority, I feel like I can help make a difference, although we are vastly outnumbered by the bad guys.”

Dirk waved a hand toward the coastline. “Caesarea has been pretty well picked through over the centuries. You think the professor’s small diggings here are really at risk?”