Leila glared up at him. “I don’t care if she just tried to shoot us, we can’t just leave her—”
A boom thundered over her head. Cracks like lightning sliced through the walls on either side. Dust filled the air as debris rained from the ceiling. Another powerful lurch caused rocks to crash down, obscuring Bastet from view.
Shouts to run were drowned out as the booms and rumbles grew in intensity. Xander grabbed Leila’s wrist and dragged her farther down the tunnel. Once there was enough space, they all broke into a run. The labyrinth slowed their progress, but Drake led the way, following the arrows and Xs they’d scratched into the walls. Their yells and pounding footsteps were drowned out by the shaking and crashing all around them.
Leila stumbled, her knees scraping against the rough cave floor. She looked up, but Xander and Drake had vanished as debris sprinkled from the ceiling. She cried out and staggered to her feet when Xander reappeared in front of her and grabbed her hand. She followed, holding his hand in a death grip.
The cave collapsed into rubble behind them. A sliver of light appeared ahead, and they raced toward it, pelted by falling rock.
The three of them crawled out of the cave, covered in dust, panting, scratched, and dotted with welts. Crashes and booms continued to echo from the mouth of the cave. Once a safe distance away, they watched as a cloud of dust billowed from the lightning bolt crack.
Leila let out a shaky breath. There was no sign of Bastet. Maybe it would be the right thing to do—to try to get back in and retrieve her—but they couldn’t risk being trapped inside, either.
Drake’s gaze never left the mouth of the cave. “If you two want to leave Egypt for good, do it now,” she muttered. “It’s for the best.”
Leila watched Drake. Although the woman kept her chin high, Leila could see the change in stance. Drake had known Bastet longer than Leila had. It must have been a shock to Drake for Bastet to turn against her. Now Bastet was gone. And for what?
“Why don’t we get out of here before it gets dark?” Xander suggested as he screwed the cap back on his water bottle.
Without another word, Drake turned and started down the path they’d come from, her pace quick and determined. Xander strode after her and Leila brought up the rear, lost in thought. The weight of what happened in the cave bore down on them in heavy silence.
The scrolls were gone, probably for good. Knowing Soliman, he would have destroyed them. And now, she had a choice to make. Run away and live in hiding from Faris forever or face him without having met his demands.
She had already made her choice.
She had to stop Faris. There was too much to lose if she didn’t. She’d never see her mother or Sami again. She’d never be able to work as an Egyptologist. She’d never have peace. But she couldn’t let Drake do it alone. And then there was Xander. Convincing him wasn’t going to be easy. What if he refused to go along? What if he really did leave? What if this ended everything between them? What if she never saw him again?
The sun began its descent behind the serrated peaks looming above them, turning the sky vibrant hues of pinks and purples. Leila couldn’t find any enjoyment in it as her heart continued to pound frantically. Her breath was stuck in her throat, and her eyes stung with the tears threatening to fall. Each step was a step closer to a crossroad. A crossroad she wasn’t sure she could handle.
And then she couldn’t go another step.
“Xander,” she croaked. He stopped and turned, his face stone cold. His expression softened to worry the moment his gaze landed on her.
He was at her side in a second. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his hands resting on her forearms. He squeezed gently and her heart ached. Despite his coolness the last few days, he couldn’t mask his genuine concern for her. “Are you hurt?”
Just get it out. Straight to the point.
“I have to go with Drake.”
His expression darkened and he pressed his mouth into a thin line. She knew he was thinking of a rebuttal, so she spoke quickly. “Running away won’t solve anything. Faris will keep doing everything to make my life—our lives—miserable. He’s driving us out of the country. He’s taken my family away. He’s ruining our careers. Everything!”
“Leila…” Xander sighed, then he dropped his hands and took a step back. His mouth had closed as if he’d decided not to finish his thought.
Leila shook her head. “I can’t let her do it alone. I have to go. I have to get my family back.”
Xander stood in front of her for a moment before he turned and continued down the path.
It was like her heart was torn in two. After a deep, shaky breath, she took a step forward, then another. Her cheeks had dried when Drake joined her, and they walked silently. The air between them felt awkward. Drake had probably overheard what she told Xander.
“I’ve been giving some thought on how to get out of Egypt,” Drake said after a few minutes, keeping her voice hushed, just above a whisper.
“How?” Leila asked, glancing up. It seemed too soon to discuss this. “Flying is too risky. I’m sure they’re watching for us in airports.” As much as she wished they could just take the next flight to Athens from Sharm El-Sheikh, she knew that wouldn’t be the smartest move. Not with security and passport checks. The thought of trying to fly or attempting to cross any border with a fake passport was enough to make her stomach churn. But they wouldn’t be able to help Soliman if they were stuck in Egypt.
“You’re right.” Drake nodded. “Which is why we’re not going to fly. We’ll have to take the long way around. Cross the border to Israel on foot, then sail to Greece.”
Skeptical, Leila chewed on her lip. Drake made it sound so easy. “Where can we get a ride on a ship? As far as I know, there aren’t any ferries from Israel to Europe.”
“We can charter a boat.” Drake sounded nonchalant. Leila wondered if they had different definitions of chartering. “The question is, how to get across the Israeli border. The border agents are thorough, to put it simply.”
Leila cringed. It had been bad enough just showing her fake passport to the highway checkpoint. What if it didn’t work when they tried to cross a border? They’d be thrown into jail and the SIS would make sure they didn’t get away again.
“I don’t know.” She sighed. “Whatever we do is a huge risk.”
“Well, I have a few ideas. And I’m sure Xander has a few suggestions too.”
“He’s not coming with us.” Leila nodded at Xander’s back.
“Doesn’t mean he won’t know of a good way to sneak across. He’s got insider knowledge, remember? He can give us a few pointers.”
Fat chance he would. Leila shrugged.
“If not, we can find our own way. I know of a few routes myself.”
“Like what?”
“Well, we can go by land or by sea. Not that hard. I’ve done it a few times without getting caught.”
Leila suppressed a shudder. It was all too surreal. Sneaking across borders, being chased by the SIS. This was some kind of thriller movie, not real life. What would Grandma say if she saw her now?
