Journey to the Lost Tomb (Rowan and Ella Book 2) by Susan Kiernan-Lewis Read Free Book Online Page A

she thought with a small smile. This time, she would just
have to do it unarmed.
                Surely
Gupta would release Maddie when he knew Ella wouldn’t leave without her? What
other option would he have? To imprison Ella, too?
     
                Ella
was surprised to see that the address in Giza was an upscale one. The
residential streets the taxi drove her down were beautiful, well-manicured, and
park-like, with the Nile just to the east. While she hadn’t expected Maddie to
be chained in a tent somewhere, Ella was nonetheless surprised to discover her
prison to be so luxurious, at least from the outside.
                She
pantomimed to the driver to wait and he rubbed his fingers together in the
international symbol of more baksheesh . She dug out three Egyptian
pounds and hand-signaled that the rest would be given him at the end of the
trip.
                Could
it really be this easy?
                The
swelter of the summer day hit her full in the face when she swung open the
taxicab’s door. The street was quiet, although even from this distance, she
could hear the hum of the constant noise of the center of town. She had heard
people talking on the flight about the noise pollution in Cairo. They didn’t
exaggerate.  
                Deciding
to try to be as respectful as possible because she knew Gupta’s family was
Muslim, Ella had covered up as much as she could— even in this heat! She wore a long sleeve t-shirt over linen slacks
with leather driving mocs and a colorful silk scarf knotted at her throat. If
need be, she could wear the scarf on her head or even, if worse came to worse,
over her face à la Jesse James. It
was the best she could do. Instead of going to pains not to offend their
religion she told herself, they should consider themselves lucky she didn’t
call the police on them for international kidnapping.
                The
house looked like a gigantic brownstone with a row of ornate doors facing the
street topped by twin stacks of tall windows. Ella thought she saw the drapery
flutter in one of the windows as she approached. This was definitely the
address that Maddie had sent her a few months back. If she was no longer here,
Ella wasn’t quite sure how to proceed from there.
                She
mounted the five wide steps and rapped lightly on the door. It opened
immediately.
                “Why,
Ella, hello! What a wonderful surprise.” Maddie stood in the shadow of the
inside of the door. She wore a full-length abaya with her face covered “Won’t you come in?”
                “Maddie?”
Ella stayed where she was. “I’ve got a driver waiting. Why don’t you come out?”
                Maddie
took a step outside the door as if to look for anyone who might be with Ella.
When she did, Ella could see one eye was totally blackened. She could also see
the shadows of the two women who stood behind her, draped in head-to-toe black
garments, motionless and silent.
                Ella
grabbed Maddie’s arm to pull her from the doorway. Her friend surprised her by crying
out and trying to pull back.   “No!
What are you doing?! Help!”      
                Maddie’s
arm felt thin and shapeless under Ella’s fingers. Nothing like the firm and
toned arms which had been the obvious product of so many successful tennis back
hands. Disconcerted by Maddie’s reaction but determined to take her from the
apartment, Ella pulled her friend across the threshold. Maddie stumbled into
the sunlight and cowered in front of Ella, covering her face as if the sun
would melt her. Instantly, the two women standing in the shadows emerged from behind
Maddie. One held a large stick and brandished it at Ella.
                “Laa!
Kef!”
                Ella
pulled Maddie behind her and stepped up to meet the woman. “Back off, Cleo,”
she snarled. “You so