Iris Johansen - Eight Days To Live

“Because you knew this is a crazy idea.”

“It’s actually less dangerous going after the coins than it would be directly confronting Roland or Millet.”

“As long as they don’t manage to follow us.” His gaze went to the hills. “They’re out there. They’ll know we’re leaving.”

“We change to a private jet in Edinburgh, and you call Venable and make sure that the pilot doesn’t have to file a flight plan to Tel Aviv. Make certain the only person Venable tells anything about this trip is Joe. We won’t even tell the pilot the destination until we’re in the air.”

“And once we’re in Tel Aviv? The Israelis are tough customers, and they’re not going to let us stroll around the area without keeping an eye on us. There are checkpoints and unbelievable security. And what about the Palestinians? They’re likely to blow us up just on general principles. Even taking Millet and Roland out of the equation, it’s still crazy.”

“If we didn’t have Caleb, it would be crazy. With Caleb, it’s marginally possible.”

“If he doesn’t lose it and start a blood binge.” He shook his head. “Even you don’t trust him.”

“I trust him… sometimes.”

“That’s not reassuring.”

“He won’t do anything to get us killed. He’ll help us to the best of his ability to get Millet and Roland. That has to be enough for me right now.” She could see Caleb standing at the helipad, and her pace quickened. “Come on. Let’s get out of here before everyone in the castle wakes up. We’ve got to be on that helicopter and away within a few minutes. The noise is bound to wake the household.” Her mind was working at top speed. “And I’ll need to type those directions in Hadar’s tablet into the Internet and Google it. I have to pull up a map of the area as it was during the time of Christ, then superimpose a current map on top of it. It was a clay potter’s field, so the topography might be a help. No, that’s only contour. I’ll have to find something else. I want to see if I can bring up a match anywhere around Jerusalem.”

“It’s possible,” Jock said thoughtfully. “The Internet satellites have amazing map capability.”

“That’s what I’m hoping. Once we’ve zeroed in on a site, we can get Venable to scope out the area and find a way to get us to that field. Tell him we want to be met in Tel Aviv and that I want a.38 Special revolver.”

“To go treasure hunting?”

“No, I’m just tired of not having a weapon with these scumbags after us. I was beginning to envy Lina her AK-47. I’ll also need a backpack, some kind of heavy protective wrapping, magnifying glass, a small sifter shovel, a brush, and tweezers. Maybe a spoon.”

“A spoon?”

“That’s what I used when I went on archaeological digs when I was in college. A spoon is gentle and controllable and less likely to do damage.”

“All these preparations. It may all be for nothing, you know.”

“And we may hit the jackpot. If we get our hands on those Judas coins, we’ll have a lure that Roland won’t be able to resist.”

“That’s all it means to you?” Jock asked curiously. “Those coins are a treasure that will be worth billions if there’s any authentication at all.”

“What would I do with billions? I don’t need it. Would it make me a better artist? It would just get in the way. I could give it to Eve and Joe, but they get along just fine.” She shook her head. “MacDuff is the only one interested in treasure or anything else that would preserve his precious castle.”

He nodded. “MacDuff would definitely make use of any spare billions that he could beg, borrow, or steal.”

“Then he can work on finding his family treasure.” Her lips tightened grimly. “I have a use for the Judas coins.”

“SHE LEFT MACDUFF’S RUN by helicopter fifteen minutes ago,” Millet said when Roland picked up the phone. “She was with Jock Gavin and Caleb.”

“What direction? Edinburgh?”

“Yes. But they might change directions,” Millet said. “She only took a small duffel. She may come back.”

“And she may not. She’s had time to have that tablet translated. She could be going after the coins. You’ve lost her again, dammit.”

“What could I do? There were all kinds of security guards watching from the castle, and they know we’re here in the hills. We might have been able to take her down, but I won’t do that. I have to have her for the Offering.”

“Then you’d better find a way to get hold of her damn quick. We’re running out of time.”

“Go screw yourself. I’ll get her. I’ve called my man in Edinburgh and told him to get out to the airport and locate that helicopter and find out if they’re changing to another flight. And I haven’t been sitting here just twiddling my thumbs looking at that castle. There are still ways to pull her into the net. Eve Duncan is still there at the castle, and I think I know a way to get beyond those security guards all around her.”

“Then wouldn’t it be wise to stop thinking and start acting?”

Millet hung up on him.

Bastard. Roland pressed the disconnect and stuffed his phone into his jacket pocket. He should have handled Millet better, but his anger had erupted, and he hadn’t been able to control it. It would be easier trying to reason with an orangutan. And the primate would probably have been more intelligent in getting his hands on Jane MacGuire.

Forget him. He was expecting an important OPEC oilman to come to see him today, but he’d call and cancel. It was time he stopped relying on Millet and started to take all the reins in his own hands. This sudden move on Jane MacGuire’s part was making him nervous. His every instinct was screaming that she was going after the coins.

His coins. All the years of searching, bribing, manipulating, and he might lose them to that bitch.

No! He would not let her have them. They belonged to him, and he would slice her to pieces himself if she tried to take them.

But first he had to find her. What are you up to, bitch?

Day Six

JANE CALLED EVE AFTER THEY landed in Edinburgh. Eve listened quietly, then said, “You could have awakened me. We both know why you didn’t.”

“Yes, I knew you’d be upset.” She paused. “But it’s not as if I’m going after Millet or Roland. This is much safer.”

“Tell that to the Israelis and Palestinians,” she said dryly. “That area is so volatile that it changes from minute to minute.”

“I’ll call you as often as I can.” She was silent a moment. “I wanted you to be safe. That’s the only thing that’s important to me, Eve.”

“If I didn’t know that, I’d be much more pissed than I am right now.” She added thoughtfully, “Twenty-eight pieces of silver instead of thirty. And the potter’s slave’s name was Dominic. Didn’t you tell me that in your dreams of Cira years ago, her servant’s name was Dominic?”

“Yes.”

“Stop closing up on me. I can feel it even over this phone. All I’m saying is that it’s odd that this servant, Dominic, appears in Hadar’s Tablet as having received two of the Judas coins. And that a Dominic appears a little later in Herculaneum as Cira’s servant. Those two Judas coins could well have been added to the treasure chest Cira brought with her when she fled Herculaneum. Interesting connection.”

“Connection. You sound like Caleb. He’s been probing and searching ad nauseam . Do you know he even thinks there’s a possibility I do some kind of weird remote viewing and can actually mentally go to a place like that temple? Crazy.”

“I can see how he’d be looking for the way the puzzle is fitting together.”