sound of running footsteps.
Hajjar’s sneer became a mocking grin. “But my good friend Captain Mahjad of the Iranian army has about twenty soldiers with him.”
Nina jumped back in fright as the door burst open. Four uniformed men rushed in, rifles raised.
“Well,” said Chase, “buggeration and fuckery.”
The Hunt for Atlantis
FIVE
After confiscating the group’s belongings, the soldiers directed their prisoners outside at the point of their rifles, locally made copies of the German Heckler and Koch G3. Hajjar followed with the briefcase containing the artifact, a gloating smile on his pudgy face.
Chase saw Hafez kneeling with his hands behind his head by the Land Rover, all its doors wide open. Two more soldiers guarded him. Other troops surrounded the building. He immediately realized what had happened: the soldiers had been hiding at the top of the steep slope above the farmhouse, using ropes to make a fast descent.
He saw that a couple of the Iranians were carrying Russian-made Dragunov sniper rifles, equipped with laser sights as well as telescopic scopes. That explained why Hafez hadn’t gotten off a warning. Being pinned under the needlelike line of a laser, with the knowledge that a high-velocity bullet could explode against the glowing red spot in an instant, encouraged a person to keep very, very still and quiet.
“I’m sorry, Eddie,” said Hafez. “There were too many of them.” One of the guards kicked him.
“I think we all bollocked things up this time,” Chase replied. The possibility of Hajjar enlisting military backup hadn’t even occurred to him. The dealer’s corruption spread much further than he’d thought.
In the distance he spotted a dull brown truck rumbling up the dirt road. It must have been parked out of sight, responding to a summons now that the soldiers’ mission had been completed.
Hajjar approached an officer, hanging the briefcase from his hook as he shook hands. “Captain Mahjad! May I introduce my … business associates?”
Mahjad, a lanky, bearded man, grinned at the group of captives. “A pleasure. So, Failak, what do you want done with them?”
“The blond woman and the Russian, I’m going to take them with me.”
Mahjad leered at Kari, who shot him an icy look in return. “I don’t know about him, but I can definitely see why you’d take her.”
“It’s nothing like that. Although …” Hajjar looked thoughtful, then laughed again. “As for the others, I don’t really care. Just as long as they don’t come after me.”
“Not a problem. The Ministry of Culture has been cracking down on foreigners trying to steal our treasures. They should get at least twenty years in prison—if they live to reach trial.”
“I’ll leave that up to you.” Hajjar snapped his fingers at his bodyguards. “Handcuff them,” he said, indicating Kari and Volgan.
“Where are you taking her?” Chase shouted. One of the soldiers slammed the butt of his rifle into his back, sending him reeling.
“To my home. Don’t worry, nothing will happen to her. As long as her father cooperates.”
“You’re going to ransom me?” Kari asked, appalled. One of the bodyguards pulled her hands behind her back, clicking a pair of handcuffs around her wrists.
“I think another ten million dollars seems fair, don’t you?” said Hajjar to Chase, ignoring her. “If I had such a beautiful daughter, I’d think it was a bargain.” He dropped his voice to a more menacing tone. “To make sure she stayed beautiful.”
“You do anything to her,” Chase growled, “and I’ll kill you.”
“Is that the best threat you can come up with?” scoffed Hajjar.
“After you beg me to.”
Hajjar shrugged. “Better. I’ll worry about it… in twenty years.”
“Mr. Chase,” said Kari as the bodyguards pulled her and Volgan away, “remember what you were hired for. Protect Dr. Wilde. That’s your top priority.”
“But—”
“Do you understand?”
Chase nodded
Hajjar’s sneer became a mocking grin. “But my good friend Captain Mahjad of the Iranian army has about twenty soldiers with him.”
Nina jumped back in fright as the door burst open. Four uniformed men rushed in, rifles raised.
“Well,” said Chase, “buggeration and fuckery.”
The Hunt for Atlantis
FIVE
After confiscating the group’s belongings, the soldiers directed their prisoners outside at the point of their rifles, locally made copies of the German Heckler and Koch G3. Hajjar followed with the briefcase containing the artifact, a gloating smile on his pudgy face.
Chase saw Hafez kneeling with his hands behind his head by the Land Rover, all its doors wide open. Two more soldiers guarded him. Other troops surrounded the building. He immediately realized what had happened: the soldiers had been hiding at the top of the steep slope above the farmhouse, using ropes to make a fast descent.
He saw that a couple of the Iranians were carrying Russian-made Dragunov sniper rifles, equipped with laser sights as well as telescopic scopes. That explained why Hafez hadn’t gotten off a warning. Being pinned under the needlelike line of a laser, with the knowledge that a high-velocity bullet could explode against the glowing red spot in an instant, encouraged a person to keep very, very still and quiet.
“I’m sorry, Eddie,” said Hafez. “There were too many of them.” One of the guards kicked him.
“I think we all bollocked things up this time,” Chase replied. The possibility of Hajjar enlisting military backup hadn’t even occurred to him. The dealer’s corruption spread much further than he’d thought.
In the distance he spotted a dull brown truck rumbling up the dirt road. It must have been parked out of sight, responding to a summons now that the soldiers’ mission had been completed.
Hajjar approached an officer, hanging the briefcase from his hook as he shook hands. “Captain Mahjad! May I introduce my … business associates?”
Mahjad, a lanky, bearded man, grinned at the group of captives. “A pleasure. So, Failak, what do you want done with them?”
“The blond woman and the Russian, I’m going to take them with me.”
Mahjad leered at Kari, who shot him an icy look in return. “I don’t know about him, but I can definitely see why you’d take her.”
“It’s nothing like that. Although …” Hajjar looked thoughtful, then laughed again. “As for the others, I don’t really care. Just as long as they don’t come after me.”
“Not a problem. The Ministry of Culture has been cracking down on foreigners trying to steal our treasures. They should get at least twenty years in prison—if they live to reach trial.”
“I’ll leave that up to you.” Hajjar snapped his fingers at his bodyguards. “Handcuff them,” he said, indicating Kari and Volgan.
“Where are you taking her?” Chase shouted. One of the soldiers slammed the butt of his rifle into his back, sending him reeling.
“To my home. Don’t worry, nothing will happen to her. As long as her father cooperates.”
“You’re going to ransom me?” Kari asked, appalled. One of the bodyguards pulled her hands behind her back, clicking a pair of handcuffs around her wrists.
“I think another ten million dollars seems fair, don’t you?” said Hajjar to Chase, ignoring her. “If I had such a beautiful daughter, I’d think it was a bargain.” He dropped his voice to a more menacing tone. “To make sure she stayed beautiful.”
“You do anything to her,” Chase growled, “and I’ll kill you.”
“Is that the best threat you can come up with?” scoffed Hajjar.
“After you beg me to.”
Hajjar shrugged. “Better. I’ll worry about it… in twenty years.”
“Mr. Chase,” said Kari as the bodyguards pulled her and Volgan away, “remember what you were hired for. Protect Dr. Wilde. That’s your top priority.”
“But—”
“Do you understand?”
Chase nodded
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