Read Online The Sword of Moses by Dominic Selwood - Free Book Online
Authors: Dominic Selwood
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sported the same distinctive dark-rimmed glasses he had worn for as long as she could remember, although she was surprised to see he was nearly completely bald, save for a horseshoe of white hair skirting the back of his head.
“Let’s not hang about,” he announced jovially, climbing into the large four-wheel drive. “And it’s always a good idea to keep things locked down around here,” he added, pushing the button to close the window beside him.
As the car pulled away, he turned to Ava with a warm grin. Reaching for her shoulders, he gave her a strong hug. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you!”
Ava had spent the flight wondering how she would react when she saw him. Now she was looking at him sitting in the car next to her, she could feel the emotional conflict intensifying. He had once been a good friend, and she felt instantly warm towards him as the memories rushed back. Yet at the same time he represented a world she had fallen wholeheartedly out of love with—one she no longer saw the same way he did, and she knew it would be a gulf between them.
“I should’ve known you’d be mixed up in this,” she answered, returning the hug quickly.
“Well, you know, I’m not one to shy away from the interesting stuff.” He beamed at her before settling back into his seat. “Are you joining us again, then?” There was a sparkle in his eyes. “We’d be thrilled to have you back, you know. We don’t get your calibre very often.”
She smiled briefly. “So who are the people holding the Ark?” she asked, deflecting the question, not yet ready to discuss her personal life with him, and not wanting to ruin the moment.
DeVere glanced over at Prince, who appeared cramped and uncomfortable despite the size of the SUV.
The tall American nodded.
“They belong to the RMF,” he explained, his voice now serious, “a Marxist guerilla faction from Congo. As you know, Congo is a dramatically failed state, like Yemen or the Sudan. The war of 1998–2003, the ‘African World War’, was the deadliest conflict since the Second World War, and the aftershocks are still being felt. It may seem a long way away, but Congo is no sideshow. After Algeria, it’s Africa’s largest country—eighteen times the size of England.”
He sat back in the SUV’s large upholstered seat. “Yesterday, a militia of the RMF, led by a minor warlord named Aristide Kimbaba, broke into the sacred compound of the monastery of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Aksum and stole the Ark from the solitary guardian monk. There’s evidence they tortured the monk to death, although the picture is a little unclear as the body was incinerated beyond recognition when the building went up in flames.”
Ava shuddered. Since leaving the Firm, she had not missed the violence that seemed to be an obligatory part of the background to every operation.
DeVere continued. “The demands received from the RMF require the American and British governments to ensure the United Nations recognizes the RMF
junta
as the new military government of Congo. If we don’t, they’ll sell the Ark to the Iranians—which they rightly predict will set all Hell loose.”
He paused. “At this stage, we have no option other than to take their claims and threats seriously. But before we make any irreversible decisions, we obviously need to verify if the Ark is genuine or not. Therefore, they’ve agreed to let in an inspector and a technical assistant.”
Prince looked across at Ava. “Dr Curzon, you’re in charge of physically examining and verifying the Ark. We’ve put together a bag of equipment you might find useful—magnifiers, a microscope, regular and UV lighting, and a few tools. It won’t be the same as having the Ark in a lab, but I hope it’s adequate.”
Ava nodded. She would clearly have to make do with whatever was available.
“Major Ferguson, you’re Dr Curzon’s bag carrier. You’re also responsible for her security,” she
“Let’s not hang about,” he announced jovially, climbing into the large four-wheel drive. “And it’s always a good idea to keep things locked down around here,” he added, pushing the button to close the window beside him.
As the car pulled away, he turned to Ava with a warm grin. Reaching for her shoulders, he gave her a strong hug. “I can’t tell you how good it is to see you!”
Ava had spent the flight wondering how she would react when she saw him. Now she was looking at him sitting in the car next to her, she could feel the emotional conflict intensifying. He had once been a good friend, and she felt instantly warm towards him as the memories rushed back. Yet at the same time he represented a world she had fallen wholeheartedly out of love with—one she no longer saw the same way he did, and she knew it would be a gulf between them.
“I should’ve known you’d be mixed up in this,” she answered, returning the hug quickly.
“Well, you know, I’m not one to shy away from the interesting stuff.” He beamed at her before settling back into his seat. “Are you joining us again, then?” There was a sparkle in his eyes. “We’d be thrilled to have you back, you know. We don’t get your calibre very often.”
She smiled briefly. “So who are the people holding the Ark?” she asked, deflecting the question, not yet ready to discuss her personal life with him, and not wanting to ruin the moment.
DeVere glanced over at Prince, who appeared cramped and uncomfortable despite the size of the SUV.
The tall American nodded.
“They belong to the RMF,” he explained, his voice now serious, “a Marxist guerilla faction from Congo. As you know, Congo is a dramatically failed state, like Yemen or the Sudan. The war of 1998–2003, the ‘African World War’, was the deadliest conflict since the Second World War, and the aftershocks are still being felt. It may seem a long way away, but Congo is no sideshow. After Algeria, it’s Africa’s largest country—eighteen times the size of England.”
He sat back in the SUV’s large upholstered seat. “Yesterday, a militia of the RMF, led by a minor warlord named Aristide Kimbaba, broke into the sacred compound of the monastery of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Aksum and stole the Ark from the solitary guardian monk. There’s evidence they tortured the monk to death, although the picture is a little unclear as the body was incinerated beyond recognition when the building went up in flames.”
Ava shuddered. Since leaving the Firm, she had not missed the violence that seemed to be an obligatory part of the background to every operation.
DeVere continued. “The demands received from the RMF require the American and British governments to ensure the United Nations recognizes the RMF
junta
as the new military government of Congo. If we don’t, they’ll sell the Ark to the Iranians—which they rightly predict will set all Hell loose.”
He paused. “At this stage, we have no option other than to take their claims and threats seriously. But before we make any irreversible decisions, we obviously need to verify if the Ark is genuine or not. Therefore, they’ve agreed to let in an inspector and a technical assistant.”
Prince looked across at Ava. “Dr Curzon, you’re in charge of physically examining and verifying the Ark. We’ve put together a bag of equipment you might find useful—magnifiers, a microscope, regular and UV lighting, and a few tools. It won’t be the same as having the Ark in a lab, but I hope it’s adequate.”
Ava nodded. She would clearly have to make do with whatever was available.
“Major Ferguson, you’re Dr Curzon’s bag carrier. You’re also responsible for her security,” she
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