ancient carvings could be worth a lot of money, but you can’t just go into a tomb and take things out. You have to register with the government and you wouldn’t get to keep everything. There was money to be made, but not as much as one might think.
But if there was something else—something more valuable than gold like Gideon had indicated, Kate needed to know about that right away. Because if there was something else, it could change the scope of her assignment. She needed to know what she was up against and there was only one way for her to find that out. She had to go back and talk to the hookah man.
17
T he market was the same as it had been when Kate had visited it two days before—the colorful fabrics, the smell of roasting meat and the lush fruits and vegetables. But she didn’t have time to stop and look at any of it. She was on a mission. It was already late afternoon and she didn’t want to be driving back to the campsite in the dark, so she hurried down the narrow aisles of the market looking for the indigo and white stall.
She cut down a side alley and the stall came into view. As she walked toward the hut, the curtain fluttered closed. She saw the hookah clatter to the ground and the man’s feet stuck out under the curtain—toes up.
Kate’s heart lurched. She ran to the stall, shoving the curtain aside, her gaze falling on the hookah man at her feet. In the back of the stall she was vaguely aware of a tall, blond man running out. Was it Snake Ring? The figure had looked familiar, but she couldn’t tell for sure—he’d run out too fast.
Her brain whirred with indecision. She wanted to chase the tall blond, but the man at her feet needed her more. She turned her attention to the hookah man, who looked up at her with dying, blue eyes. She bent down to help him, her heart galloping in her chest.
How badly was he hurt? The spreading red stain on his chest seemed to indicate it was pretty bad and Kate found herself at a loss as to what to do.
He grabbed her wrist with a shaky hand. Kate’s heart jerked when she noticed a tattoo on the underside of his wrist—a snake in a figure eight with its tail in its mouth—very similar to the icon Kate had found.
“Please … Please … ” The man stuttered.
Kate grappled for her phone. “I’ll call the police emergency.”
“Too late.” He let out a bubbling cough. “Stay away from that tomb. What is inside should never be revealed.”
“What is inside?” Kate stared into his eyes, watching the light slowly fade. His mouth opened but all that came out was a wheezing sound and then his eyes went dark, his head lolled to one side.
He was dead.
“Damn!” Anger surged through Kate. She didn’t know much about the man, but he’d been killed in cold blood. That made her mad. Judging by his last words, Kate knew his death was directly related to the tomb she was looking for. She had to find out why, and only one person could tell her that—the killer. Before she knew what she was doing, she was on her feet and running out the back of the tent in the direction the blond man had taken.
She skidded to a stop in the main aisle, looking around for the man. Luckily, he was tall and she recognized his head casually walking around several aisles over.
“Hey, you! Wait!” The man whipped his head around. It was Snake Ring! Kate took off after him, dodging around a cart of oranges and pushing a woman out of her way.
Snake Ring broke into a run. He pushed the produce stand over. Limes, oranges and grapefruit spilled out, bouncing and rolling across the street.
“Hey!” The vendor raised his fist at Snake Ring’s back, but Snake Ring didn’t slow down. He took a right and Kate put her head down and ran as fast as she could to catch up.
She turned down the same aisle but there was no sign of him.
“Shoot!” She paused, looking right and left. “Where the heck did he—”
A hand came out of a black curtain and clamped itself around her
But if there was something else—something more valuable than gold like Gideon had indicated, Kate needed to know about that right away. Because if there was something else, it could change the scope of her assignment. She needed to know what she was up against and there was only one way for her to find that out. She had to go back and talk to the hookah man.
17
T he market was the same as it had been when Kate had visited it two days before—the colorful fabrics, the smell of roasting meat and the lush fruits and vegetables. But she didn’t have time to stop and look at any of it. She was on a mission. It was already late afternoon and she didn’t want to be driving back to the campsite in the dark, so she hurried down the narrow aisles of the market looking for the indigo and white stall.
She cut down a side alley and the stall came into view. As she walked toward the hut, the curtain fluttered closed. She saw the hookah clatter to the ground and the man’s feet stuck out under the curtain—toes up.
Kate’s heart lurched. She ran to the stall, shoving the curtain aside, her gaze falling on the hookah man at her feet. In the back of the stall she was vaguely aware of a tall, blond man running out. Was it Snake Ring? The figure had looked familiar, but she couldn’t tell for sure—he’d run out too fast.
Her brain whirred with indecision. She wanted to chase the tall blond, but the man at her feet needed her more. She turned her attention to the hookah man, who looked up at her with dying, blue eyes. She bent down to help him, her heart galloping in her chest.
How badly was he hurt? The spreading red stain on his chest seemed to indicate it was pretty bad and Kate found herself at a loss as to what to do.
He grabbed her wrist with a shaky hand. Kate’s heart jerked when she noticed a tattoo on the underside of his wrist—a snake in a figure eight with its tail in its mouth—very similar to the icon Kate had found.
“Please … Please … ” The man stuttered.
Kate grappled for her phone. “I’ll call the police emergency.”
“Too late.” He let out a bubbling cough. “Stay away from that tomb. What is inside should never be revealed.”
“What is inside?” Kate stared into his eyes, watching the light slowly fade. His mouth opened but all that came out was a wheezing sound and then his eyes went dark, his head lolled to one side.
He was dead.
“Damn!” Anger surged through Kate. She didn’t know much about the man, but he’d been killed in cold blood. That made her mad. Judging by his last words, Kate knew his death was directly related to the tomb she was looking for. She had to find out why, and only one person could tell her that—the killer. Before she knew what she was doing, she was on her feet and running out the back of the tent in the direction the blond man had taken.
She skidded to a stop in the main aisle, looking around for the man. Luckily, he was tall and she recognized his head casually walking around several aisles over.
“Hey, you! Wait!” The man whipped his head around. It was Snake Ring! Kate took off after him, dodging around a cart of oranges and pushing a woman out of her way.
Snake Ring broke into a run. He pushed the produce stand over. Limes, oranges and grapefruit spilled out, bouncing and rolling across the street.
“Hey!” The vendor raised his fist at Snake Ring’s back, but Snake Ring didn’t slow down. He took a right and Kate put her head down and ran as fast as she could to catch up.
She turned down the same aisle but there was no sign of him.
“Shoot!” She paused, looking right and left. “Where the heck did he—”
A hand came out of a black curtain and clamped itself around her
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