The Arab Fall (A James Acton Thriller, Book #6) (James Acton Thrillers) by J. Robert Kennedy Read Free Book Online Page B

proximity to the
rocks, which might explain why it hadn’t been lost to the desert sands, the
rocks providing some sort of protection from the wind. Then again, the rocks
themselves were just as likely to be buried in a sandstorm, as unburied.
    I
wonder which it is?
    She
looked about the area, and there were no other rocks anywhere, just this
cluster, which seemed a bit odd, but definitely not out of the realm of
possibility. Her expert eye began to examine the rocks more closely as James
and their detective friend crawled around on their hands and knees, digging at
the dry sand.
    There
were some high winds two nights ago…
    She bit
her lip, the pattern of the sand around the rocks suggesting an easterly
direction, but not giving her any indication of whether or not these rocks had
been buried and out of sight until then, or had stood their lonely vigil for
hundreds or thousands of years, undisturbed, their elevated position merely
allowing the sand to blow past them and into the depressions surrounding them.
    The
satellite photos showed that this had once been farmland rather than the barren
desert it now was. The bed of an ancient river nearby was clearly visible on the
satellite photos, and evidence of irrigation had already been found. This was a
rather smooth area, ideal for farming at the time. She crossed her arms,
stroking her chin.
    “I think
these rocks were placed here.”
    “What’s
that, Dear?”
    “The
rocks. I think they were placed here deliberately.”
    James
stopped digging, looking at the rocks surrounding him, Chaney continuing his
almost frantic attack at the sand.
    “This
was farmland, right?”
    Laura
nodded.
    “Perhaps
they cleared the rocks from their fields, piling them here?”
    Laura
scratched her wrist absentmindedly, then brushed some sand off her lap.
    “Odd
place though to put them. Why not off to the sides, where they would be out of
the way? Then this entire area could be plowed without concerning yourself
about rocks.” It didn’t make sense, but only if these were the only rocks. For
all she knew there could be dozens if not hundreds buried under the sand all
around them. In two thousand years, land could become unrecognizable.
    James
stepped into the center of the rocks, then slowly turned around, examining the
area.
    “You’re
right, it doesn’t make sense. Unless this is supposed to mark a spot?”
    Laura’s
eyebrows shot up. “Something ritualistic, perhaps?”
    James
pursed his lips, then slowly shook his head. “I don’t think so. The rocks would
be more uniform in size, more perfectly laid out. These seem to be
intentionally different, as if to disguise their purpose.” He sighed. “Assuming
they have a purpose.” He dropped to a knee, rolling aside one of the smaller
stones. He glanced under it, then at the other rocks, then back at her.
    “Perhaps
we’ve been at this too long.”
    Laura
chuckled, rolling the stone nearest her away from the circle and looking under
it, finding nothing.
    “You
mean we’re seeing what we want to see?”
    Chaney
stopped his mad digging. “Are you saying I’m wasting my time?”
    The look
on his face, that of a disappointed child, made her laugh. “No, you’re not
wasting your time. It’s never a waste to explore an area where an artifact has
been found. Sometimes you find nothing, sometimes you find everything. If James
hadn’t had his team dig out the cave in Peru, he would never have found the
crystal skull that the Triarii were searching almost a thousand years for.”
    “And my
students would be alive today if I hadn’t had them dig it out.”
    James
pushed another stone, this one larger, out of the way, his anger and sadness at
the memories still too raw.
    “Sorry,
Dear, I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
    James
flashed her a weak smile, then pushed another stone out of the way. “Don’t
worry about it, it’s something I need to deal with. Eventually I’ll be able to
talk about it, but not yet.”
    Laura
rose