not from him but from behind them all in a broad Texan accent.
“That won’t be necessary, Minister.”
Ethan turned to see a tall, gaunt figure stride into the conference room, flanked by MACE operatives Cooper and Flint. The Texan crossed the room to stand at the other end of the table, his icy gaze boring directly into Shiloh’s.
“The explosives were recovered from a cache that we found in the desert. Insurgents often infiltrate Israel through the Sinai to carry out rocket attacks and other atrocities on towns like Be’er Sheva. They bury their weapons throughout the desert. Part of our remit is to use technology to locate these caches and remove them from play before ambushing the insurgents when they return to collect their horrible little packages. It is a ploy that has served us well, until Warner here dug his grubby little hands into a box of them.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ethan asked.
“This,” Shiloh said, “is Byron Stone, the CEO of MACE.”
“There’s more to this than he’s saying,” Ethan snapped. “It doesn’t add up.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Stone agreed, “unless you’re a journalist with a chip on his shoulder looking for someone to blame for losing his fiancée.”
Ethan lurched out of his chair toward Stone, only to find himself restrained by strong hands. The pair of Knesset Guards had locked his arms in theirs to prevent him from moving.
“Is there actually any evidence to support Warner’s claims?” Byron Stone asked Rachel.
She shook her head slowly.
“None.”
Shiloh reached out and squeezed her arm gently.
“It’s not your fault. It’s a tragedy that you were there to witness it at all.”
Byron Stone’s voice filled the room as he spoke.
“A tragedy indeed, brought about by Mr. Warner’s decision to steal equipment and dangerous explosives before fleeing from the MACE site, destroying one of my company’s vehicles and killing one of my men in the process. I now have the unenviable task of informing that man’s wife and children of his demise.” Byron Stone took a deep breath before continuing. “I understand that the desire to locate Ms. Morgan’s daughter may override certain concerns for personal safety, but it does not justify compromising the security of Israel as a whole. In short, Minister, it’s a wonder that Mr. Warner is even here and alive at all.”
“You’re behind this,” Ethan growled, his fists still clenched. “I know it.”
“We’re behind it?” Stone echoed, and turned to the still open door of the room before beckoning someone inside.
Ethan watched as a tired-looking old man trudged into the room, his baggy suit crumpled and dusty.
“This,” Stone drawled, “is Dr. Damon Sheviz. He was abducted at the very same moment as Lucy Morgan.”
Rachel shot bolt upright out of her chair, ignoring Ethan’s expression of disbelief as she dashed past him to grab the old man’s hands.
“Dr. Sheviz, have you seen my daughter? Have you seen Lucy?”
Ethan watched as the old man took Rachel’s hands in his, a kindly but regretful smile warming his features.
“I’m sorry, my dear,” he said in a weary voice. “It all happened so fast, and we were kept apart from each other by the insurgents in Gaza. All I can tell you is that she was alive when I last saw her, after they found us at the dig site.”
Byron Stone, his arms folded as he towered over the old man, looked at Ethan as he spoke.
“And who abducted you, Doctor?”
Sheviz’s expression hardened somewhat.
“Palestinian insurgents,” he uttered, “terrorists. They were heavily armed and threatened me.” He closed his eyes for a brief moment. “Had Mr. Stone’s men not found me when they did, I hate to think what might have happened.”
Rachel nodded understandingly, and released Sheviz’s hands. Byron Stone gestured for Malik to accompany Sheviz, and the soldier went to guide the old man out of the room with one arm draped protectively over his shoulders but waited for Byron.
“I hope that this brings an end to these baseless accusations,” Byron Stone rumbled.
“This doesn’t mean a damned thing!” Ethan snapped. “Your company has done nothing but obstruct us!”
“And you are nothing but incompetent!” Stone fired back. “You’ve disobeyed warnings, endangered lives, and now you sit here trying to justify it.” The Texan gestured to Cooper and Flint. “These are the two men that you assaulted, are they not? The very men I tasked to protect you. If you want to search for Lucy Morgan, then go ahead, but don’t put the lives of others at risk while you’re at it.”