Drake laughed. “Irrelevant.”
“Seriously?” Leila huffed.
“Just a friend.” Drake shrugged. “Don’t think too much about it. We have other things to worry about right now.”
Leila seemed to accept this answer. “Who all is at the camp?”
“About half of us. A few others might have arrived since I’ve been gone.”
The conversation went on as they talked about the other Medjay. Xander listened, taking note of the names mentioned. Sed, Wepset, Bastet… all names borrowed from ancient Egyptian deities. They would be easy enough to remember.
At the mention of the name Montu—an ancient Egyptian god of war—Xander noted the way Leila shifted in her seat, as if uncomfortable.
After they’d bumped along for another half hour, Drake drove the vehicle through the shadowed mouth of a ravine, coming to a stop next to a boulder. She cut the engine and the headlights went out, drowning them in a flood of darkness.
“Camp is down this way,” she said, opening the door and slipping out of the SUV. Leila climbed out and Xander followed, only to pause before continuing farther into the dark, narrow rift. The soft white glow of the moon gave him enough light to make out the sharp boulders jutting from the ground. A hint of burning wood lingered in the crisp air.
A few steps ahead, Leila threw a glance over her shoulder and stopped. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t like this.” His hand rested on his hip, inches from his handgun.
“Easy, spy boy,” Drake said, already several yards deep into the gorge. “The worst thing out here are the vipers.”
“Come on.” Leila waved for him to follow. When he didn’t move, she shook her head, turned, and marched after Drake.
Xander scanned the ridge above them, then the toothy shadows against the cliff face. They were being watched, he was certain of it. He might as well go introduce himself. A minute later, he caught up with Leila and Drake, their footsteps crunching through the dead silence of the desert. He kept an eye on their surroundings. It would be easy to hide in a place like this. Perfect for an ambush.
And then he heard it. The scrape of a booted foot, pushing off the sandy ground. He whirled around and a shadow leaped toward him. With one hand, he pulled out his gun and swung it toward his attacker.
He wasn’t expecting the sword.
The blade swished down at him. He yanked his arm out of the sword’s path and sharp, cool metal came to a rest against his neck. The shadow—a short, slender figure whose features were hidden behind a scarf wrapped around their face—held the long, curved blade firmly against his skin.
“Drop the gun,” came a deep, unamused voice from behind him.
Xander turned his head just enough to look over his shoulder. Three more dark figures waited a few feet ahead, blocking Leila and Drake from his view. Each of the wraith-like individuals held a rifle.
I knew this was a bad idea.
He let the gun clatter to the ground.
“State your name,” the large man in the middle said.
To cooperate or not to cooperate, that was the question. They were well armed, and he was outnumbered. Again, he didn’t have much of a choice.
“Speak,” commanded a female voice, belonging to the one holding the scimitar to his throat.
Xander released a breath of annoyance through his teeth. “Alexander Harrison.”
“Enough of this,” Leila said, her voice irritated yet tinged with timidity. “He’s my fiancé.”
“But he’s not Medjay,” the sword lady spat. Her heavily lined eyes widened. “He shouldn’t be here.”
“He works with Soliman,” Leila snapped. With her hands balled into fists, she pushed past the three men and headed for the lady with the sword.
“That means nothing,” Sword Lady growled at Leila. “Hundreds of people work with him.”
“Of course he should be here,” Drake said lazily, arms crossed. “He broke Leila out, and because of that, they’re both on the run.”
“He broke you out?” the short bloke with a rifle asked. “From where?”
“It was a…” Leila glanced up at Xander. “What was that place?”
A moment of silence passed, and Xander’s gaze jumped from Medjay to Medjay. His body remained stiff and still, the blade still pressing into his neck with unnecessary force. “It was a safe house used by the British Secret Intelligence Service.”
The Medjays’ heads turned to each other, exchanging looks.
“You broke her out of an SIS safe house?” the short guy asked, his voice dripping in disbelief.
“That’s right.” Xander crossed his arms. “What of it?”
“You’re lying,” Sword Lady hissed. “You know what we do to liars? We cut their tongues out.”
Leila grabbed the lady’s arm. “He was able to get me out because he’s one of their agents. Now will you put your weapons down?”
Shout it to the world, why don’t you?
Xander shot Leila a warning look, but her attention was fixed on the Medjay.
