The Last Odyssey (Sigma Force #15) - James Rollins Page 0,73

lid. He kept a palm there, feeling the vibrations inside slowly subside. The humming also grew quieter.

“C’mon . . .” He willed the device to fully shut down. To Elena, he warned, “Don’t say a word. They can’t know what just happened.”

Elena’s eyes widened, the wonder shining there turning to fear. “But you’ll be—” She waved to his leg.

“I can take it.”

He turned to the doors as they crashed open. Nehir stalked into the lounge, followed by the brute Kadir.

At least, I hope I can.

11:58 A.M.

Elena shivered as Nehir approached, leaving the giant at the door. She fought to keep from looking at the map box. She glanced guiltily at Joe.

What am I going to do?

The fiery triumph from a moment ago died to cold embers. She knew that if she stayed silent about what they had just learned, Joe would suffer.

That’s if we can even keep this secret.

As Nehir crossed toward the desk, the woman’s nose crinkled. “What’s that burning smell?”

Elena stiffened. Moments ago, struck by realization about the astrolabe and the bronze pins, she had been too excited not to try operating the map. Up until then, she had gotten no sense that she and Joe were being watched, of hidden cameras. And from Nehir’s question now, the enemy had clearly not been eavesdropping, likely overconfident that they had the upper hand.

But what now? Had she and Joe been caught red-handed?

She swallowed, struggling with what to say.

Joe took the lead and marched forward, stepping in front of the woman, momentarily blocking Nehir’s view to the map box. “If you don’t like the smell of burnt flesh, then quit shoving red-hot pokers into me.”

He turned slightly to rub his leg, while casting a worried look at Elena.

Nehir rounded past him awkwardly. “That’ll depend on how productive Dr. Cargill has been this morning.”

Elena hid her relief, but they were not out of the woods. She nervously opened and closed a fist. “If I had more time—”

“Ah, but you don’t.” Nehir waved back to Kadir. “My brother has no patience, I’m afraid. If you can’t entertain us, I may have to find another distraction for him. You will be allowed to watch, of course.”

Elena felt the blood drain from her face—even more so, when Nehir elbowed her aside and reached to the map box.

“As I warned you last night,” Nehir said, “we need your valuable insight into the Banū Mūsā map. To tell us where to go next.”

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to—”

Nehir touched the side of the box, then placed her palm against it. “Why is this hot?”

Elena cleared her throat, searching for a lie. “We . . . we tried running it multiple times this morning. To see if it would help me figure anything out.”

Nehir nodded at this explanation. “And?”

Elena couldn’t speak, striving to think of something to keep the woman from opening the box. She failed.

Nehir shifted her hand and lifted the box’s lid, exposing the map.

Cringing, Elena tilted up on her toes to get a better look, fearing the worst, expecting flames and defeat. Instead, the expanse of the Mediterranean looked intact, the lapis lazuli as flawless as it had been for centuries. Even the tiny silver ship of Odysseus had returned to its port along the Turkish coast.

Elena exhaled too loudly, drawing Nehir’s attention, which at least kept the woman from noting the tiny bronze pins in the astrolabe.

“Well?” Nehir asked. “Where do we go? And why?”

Elena knew the answer to the first question, remembering where the tiny ship had stopped at briefly after leaving Vulcano—but she dared not share with Nehir how she had come by that information.

I need another explanation that she’ll buy.

Elena stared across the piles of books. Maybe it was panic, maybe it was desperation, but suddenly she knew what had been escaping her all morning. It struck her like a hammer between the eyes. She might have missed it still, except for the tiny ship stopping along the coast of Sardinia.

“If you can’t help us,” Nehir threatened, “then I may need to inspire you.”

Elena rubbed her temples. She remembered holding the astrolabe a moment ago, sensing its significance, but she got too distracted by all that followed.

“It’s the Daedalus Key,” Elena said.

“What about it?” Nehir pressed.

“Hunayn and his brothers picked that name for a reason. I imagine the Storm Atlas got its name because Odysseus’s ship was tossed about repeatedly by god-driven tempests. But why did the brothers choose Daedalus—out of all the mythic characters’ names—to christen their