burst through, shoving him aside and sprinting for the temple. She was through the plastic netting before he regained his balance.
Hey!' she shouted, hoping somebody from the IHA dig would hear her, but her voice was drowned out by the light show's narration. Behind, Shaban screamed orders to catch her.
Fright spurred her on. She rounded the ruin, the shadowed maze of the Temple of the Sphinx spread out below, ominously lit in shards of red and green. Someone was on the walkway—
Dr Hamdi!' Macy cried. 'Dr Hamdi, help!
Hamdi stopped, looking bewildered as she leapt over the gap to land in front of him. What is it, miss - Macy, isn't it?
Back there!' she gasped. They're digging, they're trying to rob the Hall of Records!'
What? What are you talking about?'
Macy looked back as the guard ran round the side of the upper temple, slithering to an uncertain halt when he saw Hamdi. That guy with the scar, Shaban, he's in charge! He's got a fourth scroll -1 took a picture!' She thumbed a button to bring up the image. Look!'
Hamdi's expression changed from confusion to shock. 'I see. Come with me.' He took her by the arm . . .
And gripped, painfully tightly.
Hey, what—' Macy said, trying to pull free. He squeezed harder. 'Let gol'
He ignored her. The guy in the snakeskin jacket ran into view. 'Bring her up here!' he yelled.
Hamdi pulled Macy towards the gap. She thrashed at his face, but he deflected her blows with his free hand. The guard ran towards them—
She fired the camera in Hamdi's face. He flinched, dazzled by the flash - and Macy smashed the camera's hard edge against the bridge of his nose. Another strike to his forehead, and she wrenched herself from his grip.
The guard leapt across the gap, blocking the way to the Sphinx. Instead, she ran along the walkway - and saw the two guards from the compound gate rushing at her.
They were all in on it!
She changed direction, jumping on to the Temple of the Sphinx's northern wall and running along it. The ancient, weathered stone was uneven beneath her feet.
Get after her!' the American shouted. The first guard followed her on to the wall. The two men ahead also changed direction, intending to leap over the ditch separating the temple from the compound's upper level and tackle her.
The wall was over twelve feet high, too far to jump down . . .
Instead she flung herself off the wall at an angle - just barely reaching the top of a ruined stone pillar five feet below, then springing off that, legs flailing, into the darkness beneath. Pain exploded in both feet as she hit the ground and fell, her phone and some loose coins flying from a pocket and skittering away.
The guard jumped off the wall after her—
The lighting changed, the red highlights on the lower block suddenly vanishing. The man's outstretched foot missed its top. His other shin cracked into the stone's edge, sending him spinning to the unyielding ground. He let out a keening wail as he clutched his injured leg.
Macy wasn't feeling much better, gasping in pain as she stood. She was not far from a passage leading to one of the temple's original entrances. Ankles throbbing, she limped into the deeper darkness behind the high eastern wall.
She turned the first corner, looking back. A guard was on the north wall, but his attention was on his wounded comrade. He hadn't seen her. Round the second turn—
And crashing to a stop against metal bars.
Shit! She'd known there was a gate to keep tourists out of the temple, but it was taller than she'd thought, too high for her to climb. Beyond it she saw the seated audience, but they were looking up at the brilliantly lit Sphinx, not the unimposing ruin in front of it, and wouldn't hear any shouts for help over the soundtrack's bombastic crescendo.
Macy could hear other shouts, though. Her pursuers were in the temple.
And she was in a dead end.
The shouts got closer.
The inner wall facing the gate was somewhat lower than the others - and in the light
Hey!' she shouted, hoping somebody from the IHA dig would hear her, but her voice was drowned out by the light show's narration. Behind, Shaban screamed orders to catch her.
Fright spurred her on. She rounded the ruin, the shadowed maze of the Temple of the Sphinx spread out below, ominously lit in shards of red and green. Someone was on the walkway—
Dr Hamdi!' Macy cried. 'Dr Hamdi, help!
Hamdi stopped, looking bewildered as she leapt over the gap to land in front of him. What is it, miss - Macy, isn't it?
Back there!' she gasped. They're digging, they're trying to rob the Hall of Records!'
What? What are you talking about?'
Macy looked back as the guard ran round the side of the upper temple, slithering to an uncertain halt when he saw Hamdi. That guy with the scar, Shaban, he's in charge! He's got a fourth scroll -1 took a picture!' She thumbed a button to bring up the image. Look!'
Hamdi's expression changed from confusion to shock. 'I see. Come with me.' He took her by the arm . . .
And gripped, painfully tightly.
Hey, what—' Macy said, trying to pull free. He squeezed harder. 'Let gol'
He ignored her. The guy in the snakeskin jacket ran into view. 'Bring her up here!' he yelled.
Hamdi pulled Macy towards the gap. She thrashed at his face, but he deflected her blows with his free hand. The guard ran towards them—
She fired the camera in Hamdi's face. He flinched, dazzled by the flash - and Macy smashed the camera's hard edge against the bridge of his nose. Another strike to his forehead, and she wrenched herself from his grip.
The guard leapt across the gap, blocking the way to the Sphinx. Instead, she ran along the walkway - and saw the two guards from the compound gate rushing at her.
They were all in on it!
She changed direction, jumping on to the Temple of the Sphinx's northern wall and running along it. The ancient, weathered stone was uneven beneath her feet.
Get after her!' the American shouted. The first guard followed her on to the wall. The two men ahead also changed direction, intending to leap over the ditch separating the temple from the compound's upper level and tackle her.
The wall was over twelve feet high, too far to jump down . . .
Instead she flung herself off the wall at an angle - just barely reaching the top of a ruined stone pillar five feet below, then springing off that, legs flailing, into the darkness beneath. Pain exploded in both feet as she hit the ground and fell, her phone and some loose coins flying from a pocket and skittering away.
The guard jumped off the wall after her—
The lighting changed, the red highlights on the lower block suddenly vanishing. The man's outstretched foot missed its top. His other shin cracked into the stone's edge, sending him spinning to the unyielding ground. He let out a keening wail as he clutched his injured leg.
Macy wasn't feeling much better, gasping in pain as she stood. She was not far from a passage leading to one of the temple's original entrances. Ankles throbbing, she limped into the deeper darkness behind the high eastern wall.
She turned the first corner, looking back. A guard was on the north wall, but his attention was on his wounded comrade. He hadn't seen her. Round the second turn—
And crashing to a stop against metal bars.
Shit! She'd known there was a gate to keep tourists out of the temple, but it was taller than she'd thought, too high for her to climb. Beyond it she saw the seated audience, but they were looking up at the brilliantly lit Sphinx, not the unimposing ruin in front of it, and wouldn't hear any shouts for help over the soundtrack's bombastic crescendo.
Macy could hear other shouts, though. Her pursuers were in the temple.
And she was in a dead end.
The shouts got closer.
The inner wall facing the gate was somewhat lower than the others - and in the light
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