The Moses Legacy - Adam Palmer [80]
So it came as no surprise to Daniel when he saw an Israeli Super Dvora Mk III-class patrol boat in the distance speeding to intercept him, closely followed by a helicopter rising into the sky above Eilat in the distance.
Neither of these things concerned him. What worried him instead was the fact that the machine gun on the Israeli boat was manned and the gun was trained squarely at him. A man on the boat standing next to the gunner was standing with a megaphone, shouting a warning in English. Daniel couldn’t hear the words above the sound of his own engine, but he knew perfectly well what he was being told. They wanted him to cut the engine and/or turn back.
But he couldn’t be sure that they were yet in Israeli waters. A quick backward glance told him that the Egyptian navy patrol boat was still on his tail. He knew that they wouldn’t be safe against being returned to Egypt until they made it to the Israeli side.
He tried calling out, ‘We’re British!’ in the hope that these magic words would calm them down. But before he could say anything more, the shooting started.
Chapter 64
Goliath was beginning to regret leaving the hospital. The burns on his flesh were no longer as painful as they had been, but they still troubled him. He had come so near and yet lost everything when that evil woman – whoever she was – had thrown that gasoline bomb into the jeep.
He had left that message for Daniel Klein, but so far received no reply. Was it because Klein was suspicious? Or was it because he hadn’t received the message?
Realizing that Senator Morris didn’t have his new number, he phoned the senator, ignoring the time difference.
‘Where the fuck have you been?’
‘I left the hospital and got a new phone. My old phone got destroyed when the jeep went up in flames.’
‘Are you being followed?’
‘No. I was careful.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Yes! I was careful.’
‘I hope so. You’re not the sort of man who can hide in a crowd.’
‘You got me out. Thank you.’
‘I had to call in a lot of favours when I heard the news about the attack on the road. You did the right thing calling the embassy, but I can’t afford to get involved openly.’
‘I’m sorry. I just wanted to let you know where I am, and to apologize for screwing up. They got out of the tomb… and someone attacked me on the road—’
‘I know all that! I watch the news.’
‘So you know I lost them. I’m sorry.’
‘This isn’t a time for regret. This is a time for action! Those Jewish scumbags have cost me the most precious thing in the world.’
Goliath heard crying on the other end of the line.
‘What… what happened?’
The senator told him about his daughter. In the past it had been Senator Morris who had comforted Goliath. This time, it was Goliath’s turn to play the comforter.
‘She will be avenged. I will do anything you ask of me.’
The strength came back to the senator’s voice.
‘I think it is time I told you my whole plan. If you are going to risk everything, then you must know everything.’
Over the next few minutes, the senator told Goliath exactly what he was planning to do and what Goliath had to do to help him achieve it. At the end, Goliath spoke.
‘But they will not trust me. Why would they share such precious ancient knowledge with me?’
‘They won’t. That is why you need to find Daniel Klein. They will trust him. You must use him to get them to show you where to go. Once they have shown you the exact location, you will not need Klein any more. You will not need any of them any more.’
‘I left a message for Klein, posing as a friend. But he has not answered.’
‘Keep trying.’
As soon as they had ended the call, Goliath called Daniel’s number again, not sure if it would be worth leaving another message.
‘Hallo?’
It was a voice! A human being, not a message. Someone had answered.
‘Hallo. Is that Mr Klein?’
There was silence on the other end of the line. Silence? Or hesitation?
‘No. This wrong number.’
The English was poor. This was obviously a local who spoke only rudimentary English. But the person did not hang up. Why not? That was normally what people