Read Online Fireworks: Riley by Liliana Hart - Free Book Online Page A

though now that Riley was looking for it he could see the calculation in the other man’s eyes. “He had a nasty infection. The hospital recommends that he return to the United States as soon as he’s able to travel.”
    “I’d like to go back with you this morning to check on him, if you don’t mind. I’m responsible for my team while we’re here. And I can arrange transport back so his family doesn’t have to.”
    Bekhit paused at that request, and Riley could tell by the look in his eyes that Walker wouldn’t be coming back to his family. And that if Bekhit had his way none of them would be returning home at the end of the dig. Anger knotted in the pit of his stomach and his hand fisted at his side, but he forced himself to relax.
    “Sure, my friend. A good idea.” Bekhit moved to the open tent area where they’d laid out the new finds from the day before. “You’ve been quite busy. This is an excellent amount of progress.”
    “We finished clearing out Sector C.”
    “Any luck opening Sector D?”
    “Not yet,” Riley lied. “As you know, we’ll only get one chance at opening the chamber door, and we want to make sure we do it correctly. We haven’t deciphered the code.”
    “He’s lying,” Jay said, appearing from his own tent. A gun was held loosely in his hand and rested at his side. “He’s cracked the code. Or I should say Walker cracked the code and left it for him in the back of the journal. I knew you recognized what it was when you took the journal from me yesterday. I’m familiar with the numerical code he used too, Dr. MacKenzie.”
    Riley shrugged, knowing now the game was over. “Good for you, kid. But knowing how to recognize the code doesn’t mean that you could decipher it. Otherwise you wouldn’t have tried to get into the sealed door by yourself. And just because I do know the code doesn’t mean I have the book.”
    “I followed you into Quadrant D. I watched you open the door.”
    “Like I said, so what? If you were standing there then you should’ve noticed I didn’t come back out with the book. What did you do with Walker? I saw the blood.”
    “He is dead,” Bekhit said, shrugging. “I knew he’d broken the code. He’s not nearly as good of a liar as you are. So we took him on a little field trip to see if he’d test it out. But his constitution was stronger than one might think.”
    Riley barely spared a glance at the weapon Bekhit pointed at him. He was too busy praying that Maggie would stick to the plan and stay hidden inside the tent.
    “If you want the book then you can go get it yourself,” Riley said.
    “You will get it for me or I will cut little pieces off your wife. Do you understand me?”
    “Fine, but like I said, I don’t have the book. It wasn’t in the sealed room.”
    “I told you already he’s lying,” Jay broke in. “He has the book. I heard them talking about it last night.”
    “Excellent,” Bekhit said. “That saves us time and much trouble. Get the book, Dr. MacKenzie and we’ll kill you quickly.”
    “That’s a tempting offer, Bekhit, but I’m going to have to pass. Jay needs to get better at eavesdropping. I don’t have the book. And from what I could see it’s not in the sealed room.”
    “Bullshit,” Jay said, taking a few steps closer and pointing the gun in his hand at Riley. His hand wasn’t steady like Bekhit’s, and Riley knew instinctively he was the one to worry about.
    Sam’s body tensed, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice, but Riley didn’t spare his a second glance. He’d have to trust his friend to have his back.
    “I don’t know what you overheard, but it wasn’t that I have the Book of Souls,” Riley said, letting his aggravation show. “It wasn’t inside sector D. And believe me, we looked. You’re chasing a legend. A myth. It doesn’t exist.”
    “If you don’t have it, then you won’t mind if we search your things?” Bekhit asked.
    “Sure. Go ahead.”
    Before Jay