Read Online King's Crusade (Seventeen) by AD Starrling - Free Book Online
Authors: AD Starrling
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her side. Despite it, he stared intently at the computer as she skimmed through hours of film.
‘Gotcha,’ she finally murmured. She froze an image on the screen.
They stared at the picture. ‘Those are trucks,’ said Jackson.
The cameras had captured four vehicles driving past the mine three days before Reznak’s team had set up camp. One of them was a large crawler crane.
‘The third truck is riding low,’ he added thoughtfully.
‘You’re right,’ Alexa concurred, surprised that he had picked up on such a minor detail. ‘It was carrying something heavy.’
‘The tombs Reznak suspected were in the cave?’ wondered Jackson, glancing at her.
‘Maybe.’ She zoomed in on the crawler. ‘Balcher Cranes,’ she said slowly as the lettering on the side of the gantry became clear. She got back on the satellite phone and brought up a map of Egypt on the screen while she waited for the connection to go through. ‘I need information on a crane company by the name of Balcher,’ she said to the Crovir tech. ‘I want to know where they operate in this area.’ She waited quietly while he searched the databases. ‘Saudi Arabia? You’re sure?’ she queried with a frown.
‘Check the shipping manifests from eight weeks ago,’ said Jackson. Alexa glanced at him. He pointed at the map. ‘There’s a port in Duba, in the Tabuk province, on the north west coast of Saudi Arabia. There’s also a port in Safaga, two hundred miles from here and across the Red Sea from Duba.’
Alexa looked at the screen. He was right. She told the Crovir tech where to look. Ten minutes later, they had the cargo manifest for a ship that arrived at Safaga from Duba seven days before the cameras at the mine had captured images of the trucks. A Balcher crawler crane was listed among the transported goods.
‘Why Saudi Arabia? They could have gotten a crawler crane from any city in Egypt,’ she pondered with a thoughtful frown after ending the call.
‘Visibility.’ Jackson indicated the map again. ‘They would have had to travel on the main roads to get here. You don’t exactly want to be noticed if you’re looting treasure.’
Alexa had to agree with him. She started the Jeep and continued driving north. Less than an hour later, they rolled onto an asphalt road and headed for a motorway that ran along the Egyptian coastline.
Night was falling by the time they saw the cluster of lights that was Safaga. Alexa guided the vehicle through the old city and eventually turned in the direction of the port. She negotiated a couple of narrow side roads before finally parking the Jeep next to a derelict warehouse.
One hundred feet away, lights were still on in the two-storey edifice that housed the offices of the company that owned the Ras Abu, the ship that had transported the crane from Duba. Several people left over the next hour. The parking lot in front of the building gradually emptied until a single car remained.
Alexa opened the door of the Jeep and stepped out onto the warm asphalt. Jackson joined her.
‘I’m not sure this is a good idea,’ he said, following her across the road.
‘What isn’t a good idea?’ She scanned their surroundings briefly.
‘Breaking and entering,’ said Jackson.
She glanced at him. ‘It’s more discreet than walking in and asking them for the information.’
The front door of the building was locked. Alexa removed a lock pick from her jacket and inserted it in the keyhole. It clicked open a couple of seconds later.
‘You’re a woman of many worrying talents,’ said Jackson drily, as they entered a small lobby.
Alexa shone a pen torch on a signboard on the wall to their right. El Bashir Shipping Ltd. was on the second floor of the building. She headed up the stairs and turned down a narrow corridor, Jackson on her heels.
Light was coming from under a closed door at the end of the passage. Alexa ignored it and entered a large room on the right. It was the main office of the shipping
‘Gotcha,’ she finally murmured. She froze an image on the screen.
They stared at the picture. ‘Those are trucks,’ said Jackson.
The cameras had captured four vehicles driving past the mine three days before Reznak’s team had set up camp. One of them was a large crawler crane.
‘The third truck is riding low,’ he added thoughtfully.
‘You’re right,’ Alexa concurred, surprised that he had picked up on such a minor detail. ‘It was carrying something heavy.’
‘The tombs Reznak suspected were in the cave?’ wondered Jackson, glancing at her.
‘Maybe.’ She zoomed in on the crawler. ‘Balcher Cranes,’ she said slowly as the lettering on the side of the gantry became clear. She got back on the satellite phone and brought up a map of Egypt on the screen while she waited for the connection to go through. ‘I need information on a crane company by the name of Balcher,’ she said to the Crovir tech. ‘I want to know where they operate in this area.’ She waited quietly while he searched the databases. ‘Saudi Arabia? You’re sure?’ she queried with a frown.
‘Check the shipping manifests from eight weeks ago,’ said Jackson. Alexa glanced at him. He pointed at the map. ‘There’s a port in Duba, in the Tabuk province, on the north west coast of Saudi Arabia. There’s also a port in Safaga, two hundred miles from here and across the Red Sea from Duba.’
Alexa looked at the screen. He was right. She told the Crovir tech where to look. Ten minutes later, they had the cargo manifest for a ship that arrived at Safaga from Duba seven days before the cameras at the mine had captured images of the trucks. A Balcher crawler crane was listed among the transported goods.
‘Why Saudi Arabia? They could have gotten a crawler crane from any city in Egypt,’ she pondered with a thoughtful frown after ending the call.
‘Visibility.’ Jackson indicated the map again. ‘They would have had to travel on the main roads to get here. You don’t exactly want to be noticed if you’re looting treasure.’
Alexa had to agree with him. She started the Jeep and continued driving north. Less than an hour later, they rolled onto an asphalt road and headed for a motorway that ran along the Egyptian coastline.
Night was falling by the time they saw the cluster of lights that was Safaga. Alexa guided the vehicle through the old city and eventually turned in the direction of the port. She negotiated a couple of narrow side roads before finally parking the Jeep next to a derelict warehouse.
One hundred feet away, lights were still on in the two-storey edifice that housed the offices of the company that owned the Ras Abu, the ship that had transported the crane from Duba. Several people left over the next hour. The parking lot in front of the building gradually emptied until a single car remained.
Alexa opened the door of the Jeep and stepped out onto the warm asphalt. Jackson joined her.
‘I’m not sure this is a good idea,’ he said, following her across the road.
‘What isn’t a good idea?’ She scanned their surroundings briefly.
‘Breaking and entering,’ said Jackson.
She glanced at him. ‘It’s more discreet than walking in and asking them for the information.’
The front door of the building was locked. Alexa removed a lock pick from her jacket and inserted it in the keyhole. It clicked open a couple of seconds later.
‘You’re a woman of many worrying talents,’ said Jackson drily, as they entered a small lobby.
Alexa shone a pen torch on a signboard on the wall to their right. El Bashir Shipping Ltd. was on the second floor of the building. She headed up the stairs and turned down a narrow corridor, Jackson on her heels.
Light was coming from under a closed door at the end of the passage. Alexa ignored it and entered a large room on the right. It was the main office of the shipping
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