The Moses Legacy - Adam Palmer [105]
‘Give it to me!’ Goliath barked at Gabrielle.
This time she did not hesitate. She did as he had told her. The big man put the glass sheets containing the papyrus into the heavy-duty carrier bag he had with him. Daniel’s eyes returned to the high priest whose life was slipping away before his eyes. He wanted to help him, but he knew that there was nothing he could do.
‘What are you going to do?’ asked Gabrielle.
‘I spoke to Aryeh Tsedaka. He told me that there is another scroll. The Book of the Wars of the Lord.’
Daniel was about to ask why Rabbi Tsedaka would tell him that. Then he realized. And in that moment, he also understood that if the rabbi had been forced to disclose that information then he had probably also been forced to disclose where Daniel and Gabrielle were going. Further, if he had been forced to do that, then he would have wanted to warn them of the danger. He clearly hadn’t done so, and that could only mean one thing: Aryeh Tsedaka was dead.
Daniel looked at the man no longer with fear but with hate. This was an evil man motivated by some sort of religious fanaticism, the nature of which Daniel could barely comprehend.
‘He told me that the scroll is in Petra…’
‘But he said that the book is lost,’ said Gabrielle nervously.
‘He thought it was lost. But he doesn’t know. It was entrusted to the Bedouin, and they are very good at preserving the past… and you two are going to help me get it.’
And just to make it clear how serious he was, he reached into his pocket and produced a semi-automatic pistol.
He put it back in his pocket as he directed Daniel and Gabrielle to the door. It was late afternoon and there were not many people about so there was little opportunity to resist or to call for help. Besides, it was obvious that the big man was utterly ruthless and ready to kill anyone who got in his way.
What was not clear was how strong his instinct for self-preservation was, but now did not seem like a good time to test it. So instead, Gabrielle and Daniel complied as he directed them out of the office. Any residual thoughts of resistance were cut short by the sight of the security guard lying dead by one of the lab machines. There was no sign of a wound, but they knew the killer’s strength and his ability to kill with his bare hands.
They walked ahead of him and left the building via the side exit that led to the car park where Daniel and Gabrielle had left their rented car.
He dictated the seating arrangement. Daniel in front, driving. He and Gabrielle in the back, with Gabrielle behind Daniel. That way he could keep an eye on both of them… and maintain his threat against both of them.
Chapter 86
There was an eerie silence in the Conservation Department when Sarit gingerly pushed the door open and walked in. She didn’t expect to find any work in progress at this time, but the silence was palpable. She looked around and saw no sign of anyone, although the fact that the department was unlocked suggested that there should at least be some human presence: a caretaker, a cleaner, a solitary member of staff doing some late-night work.
Where is everybody? Maybe they just popped out for a minute?
No. That didn’t make sense.
Then she saw the security guard lying there, unmoving. His eyes were open, but as she studied them for a few seconds she noticed that they didn’t blink. She realized that he was beyond help. She studied his body carefully, noting the empty side holster as she pondered her next move.
Sarit looked around to try to get her bearings. At the end of the corridor was a door. It seemed to be beckoning her to enter, but there was something that troubled her. The door was slightly ajar and she felt a strange aura coming from the room.
Stop it! she told herself.
She held her head up, forcing herself to overcome this strange sense of trepidation that had come over her, and walked towards it quickly. Then, instead of opening the door and boldly walking in as she normally would, she simply pushed the door open. It