Roman Sunset - Merry Farmer Page 0,39

Uniformed officers poured into the area from three sides, led by Roselyn and Evangeline. The policemen stopped short and glanced around in shock and confusion at the sight that met them, though.

“Lord Beverly is right,” Asher said, turning back to the temple. “We can’t let The Jackal get away. He’s closer to finding the tombs than we thought.”

Thomas and Violetta raced with Asher back toward the temple. Antonio and Akila still stood high above them, watching the tide turn in the area below as though they could hardly believe it.

“This is not the end of things,” Antonio shouted, pointing his gun at them. Thomas instinctually drew Violetta into his arms to shield her in case Antonio fired. “I can find what I need to find without the coin or the codex.”

“It’s over, Jackal,” Asher called up to him. “You can’t escape from this.”

“Oh no?” Antonio’s tone was mocking, though he was pale and seemed unsteady on his feet. In fact, Akila looked as though she were supporting him. “You can’t stop me from winning, Addlebury. This is only a diversion from the course I have already set. You will not win in the end.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Thomas noticed some of Lord Beverly’s men inching closer. They glanced to Asher as though he were their commanding officer.

“Go around,” Asher ordered them in a whisper. “He only has a ladder on that side of the temple. The area is surrounded. There’s no way they can escape.”

“My victory is all but assured,” Antonio went on, raising his shaky arm and pointing at the sky. “I’ll see you in Cairo.”

The men Asher had given orders to started to move, but they and everyone else stopped as Antonio fired into the air. At the same time, a bright flash and a plume of smoke exploded right where he and Akila stood. Thomas had seen the trick before, in the plaza where he’d performed with Violetta’s troupe. Like it had that time, the theatrical explosion gave Antonio and Akila the chance to get away while everyone else was startled. Once the smoke cleared, they were gone.

“Dammit,” Violetta hissed, picking up her skirts and rushing forward. “We can’t let them get away again.”

Thomas and Asher chased after her. As they ran, The Jackal’s henchmen turned tail and fled the scene. A few were fast enough to dodge Lord Beverly’s men and the police officers who weren’t stunned into inaction, but most were apprehended. Like magic, the tension began to drain from the air, and the trapped tourists rose from their hiding places, weeping and shaking.

Violetta ran on, though. Thomas caught up with her as she headed up the slope beside the temple. The three of them were out of breath by the time they reached the back of the ruined temple to find it completely abandoned.

“They got away,” Violetta panted, frustration sharp in her voice. “How did they get away?”

“They had everything in place before you got here,” Asher said, pausing to bend forward. He rested his hands on his knees and fought to catch his breath.

“We need to get you to the hotel,” Thomas said, deeply concerned by how much his brother had changed in the few, short weeks since he’d been taken in Venice. “You need rest, food, and a bath.”

Asher nodded, pushing himself straight. “I need all of those things, but we need to get Lord Beverly to a hospital first.”

“We need to chase after Antonio and Akila before they get away,” Violetta insisted, scanning the area, as if she would be able to find them and stop them from escaping. The sun was long gone, though, and the shadows of the ruins made it even harder to see what was going on beyond the immediate area as darkness fell.

Asher shook his head. “They planned everything carefully,” he said. “They had horses waiting nearby. They chose this time of day specifically so that they would be concealed as they made their escape. And they have ships waiting to take them across the Mediterranean to Egypt almost immediately.”

“Ships?” Thomas asked. He moved to Asher’s side, slinging an arm around him and helping Asher to stand, as his strength was clearly flagging.

Asher glanced to him with a serious look. “They discussed their plans around me several times in the last few days, but there were several sets of plans. I’m convinced they said a few things that were true and a lot that were nonsense in order to confuse me.”

“But you are