softly. “He’ll be used to digging around where he’s not wanted and he’s got nothing to lose. Contact the team at the site and make sure that he doesn’t get the opportunity to nose around the area, understood?”
“Yes, sir. And if they’re already there?”
Malik glanced out of the window for a moment. “Restrain them until further notice.”
The two men turned instantly for the door, limping and shuffling out of sight. Malik stood from his desk and walked across to an open window that looked out over the compound and the city beyond. Men like Ethan Warner were a liability: trained, capable, yet highly unpredictable and with a tendency toward self-destruction.
“Whatever it is that you want, Mr. Warner,” he said to himself thoughtfully, “don’t cross me to get it.”
“Problems, Spencer?”
Malik turned to see Bill Griffiths leaning against the doorframe of the office.
“Just some journalist nosing into things he shouldn’t,” Malik said dismissively. “Is the excavation complete?”
Griffiths nodded, brushing dust off the broad rim of his hat.
“The specimen will be packaged this afternoon at the site and then transported to Ben Gurion Airport in the morning. I’ve pulled my team out and they’ll return to the States tomorrow. I take it that the remains will be flown out the same day?”
“The jet will be waiting,” Malik confirmed. “As far as customs are concerned, the consignment contains medical equipment, brought here by the same aircraft from the United States four weeks ago, being returned to the supplier. All of the paperwork is in order.”
Griffiths nodded again. “And the rest of my payment?”
“Sent once the specimen leaves Israel safely,” Malik said. “Our administration department will take care of the transfers. Talk to them if you have any issues. My only concerns right now are security and discretion.”
Griffiths examined his hat for a moment before speaking. “How did you come about the remains?”
“They were found by men working at the site; it happens from time to time during demolition training,” Malik said, shuffling some papers on his desk. “I take it that no further specimens have been found?”
“None,” Griffiths replied. “We’ve dug several areas but the remains appear to be a single burial. Incredible luck, that they should have been exposed by a demolition team.”
“They weren’t there to play Indiana Jones,” Malik muttered. “The sooner this is resolved, the happier I’ll be.”
Griffiths raised an eyebrow, and Malik instantly regretted his candor as the fossil hunter spoke.
“I’m surprised that the remains weren’t destroyed by the explosives your men were using. If enough rock had been shattered away to expose the bones, then I’d have thought that the bones themselves would have been blasted to pieces.”
Malik leveled Griffiths with a long, hard look.
“Indeed, and it’s your good fortune that we contracted you to excavate them afterward. Perhaps you would prefer us to use another specialist, if you have any doubts about your involvement?”
Griffiths twiddled his hat between his fingers for a moment and then shook his head.
“I’m sure that won’t be necessary.”
NEGEV DESERT
3 MILES NORTHWEST OF BAR YEHUDA
The site where Lucy was working is just on the edge of the floodplain.”
Ayeem Khan pointed ahead toward a canyon that sliced through the sandstone cliffs, eroded by the passing of an ancient river. Now parched, Ethan could visualize how the river system would once have streamed from the highlands to spill onto a broad, lush plain.
The Bedouin had parked the jeep inside a nearby wadi, hidden behind an outcrop of rock that marked the turning point in the extinct river’s course and the entrance to the canyon. Deep shadow enveloped them as they moved into its maw, the sheer walls dwarfing them and the air suddenly cool.
“Do not speak loudly,” Ayeem said softly as they moved.
“How much do you know about the security company, MACE?” Ethan whispered.
“They are unpleasant people. They regard us Bedouin as less than human. Our people have been attacked by MACE soldiers for walking their livestock too close to military compounds.”
“Private security companies can work almost entirely without fear of legal action,” Ethan replied.
“How come?” Rachel asked.
“Governments often contract private security firms to undertake menial work such as guarding military sites. Should anything illegal happen, the government can pass the blame onto the security company, who are privately held and thus cannot be prosecuted by the government. The whole thing goes through the civil courts, and the security companies have become wealthy over the years and can afford the best counsel, overwhelming the prosecution. It happened regularly in Iraq after the invasion.”
Ayeem’s voice hissed like