“Yes!” Leila was already running down the planks. Xander’s feet pounded behind her. “Hey!” Leila yelled, but the man took no notice. He kicked the engine on and rolled the motorcycle across the parking lot.
They reached the sidewalk just as the man merged into traffic and drove down the road.
CHAPTER 26
One of these days, Leila was going to develop a talent for running. Hopefully sooner rather than later—especially since she seemed to need to run a lot lately.
Leila stood with her hands on her hips, panting. “Now what?”
Xander didn’t answer. He bolted down the sidewalk after the bike. Leila sucked in her breath and ran after him.
Up ahead, the motorcycle and its rider idled at the front of the left turning lane at a red light. The light switched and the rider lifted his feet and revved the engine. Xander ran into the street and climbed into the bed of the landscaping truck waiting behind the bike.
Leila pumped her legs harder to catch up. He can’t be serious. She grabbed the side of the truck and pulled herself over as the truck lurched forward. A rake knocked her on the head with a clonk.
“Nice,” she grumbled, rubbing the throbbing spot on her head.
Keeping low, Xander peered over the side, the wind whipping his hair back from his face. “Be ready to jump.”
“What? Jump from a moving vehicle?”
“We can make him stop.”
Leila’s stomach twisted. This was not a good plan, not at all. He was asking for a broken neck. She watched the motorcycle speed ahead. Thankfully, he wasn’t driving like a maniac. In fact, he seemed to be decelerating.
Xander shifted into a crouch. “I think he’s going to take a right.”
The motorcycle slowed further, forcing the truck to brake, then turned and roared down a road lined with tall, pointed cypress trees.
“Now,” Xander said, and leaped over the side of the truck. He landed upright, the thud of his feet hitting the pavement loud enough to make the truck driver slam on the brakes.
Leila toppled to the side, landing on a bag of dirt. A cloud of dust billowed into the air.
The driver’s door opened, and Leila scrambled out of the truck. She had no idea what the driver was yelling as she and Xander jogged off, but by the look of fury on his red face, she could make an educated guess.
Leila turned her attention to the unmarked road before them. The motorcycle had vanished.
“Hurry up,” Xander said, pulling ahead as he put on more speed. “We’ll hitch another ride if we have to.”
She hurried after him, ignoring the dull throb in her side. “But the biker could have turned somewhere else.”
“I think he’ll stick to the coast. A fisherman wouldn’t live too far off.”
“It’s getting too dark. How are we going to find him?”
“I have no idea.”
Ten minutes later, darkness completely shrouded them. Only the occasional flicker of light through the trees hinted at any sort of inhabitants nearby. They had slowed to a leisurely stroll down the pitted asphalt. A car flew by them, not even slowing down as it rounded a curve. Somewhere beyond the trees, gentle waves lapped against the rocks.
“We should have just stayed near the marina.” Leila sighed. So much for their adventurous attempt to catch up to the guy. “I’m sure Sobek will turn up.”
“Should have done a lot of things…” Xander muttered. She could hear his thoughts in the tone of voice. This was all a waste of time.
After walking another hundred yards, they came upon two gravel tracks that led to a shack near the edge of the water. From what Leila could see in the bluish glow from above, fishing nets were piled up all around the yard. An old, half-rotted rowboat had been discarded on one side. And there, at the end of the driveway near the house, stood the motorcycle.
They stopped. A cricket chirped from the shrubs.
After a moment, Leila glanced up at Xander. “Should we? I mean, it’s late and—”
“We didn’t come out all this way just to leave it until morning.” Xander brushed around her and strode down the driveway. Leila swallowed and followed him. She had no idea what to expect from Sobek. Would they be welcomed with smiles or swords?
Leila stood behind Xander as he knocked on the door. Hopefully, we followed the wrong guy and can go on our way. I don’t really want to get on any Medjay’s bad side. Again. At first, there was only silence. Then, an arm wrapped around Leila’s neck, the point of a blade jabbed her side.
Heart in her throat, she sucked in her breath and her body stiffened. Xander whirled around and his eyes anchored on the man behind Leila. She grabbed the arm and pushed, but it squeezed tighter against her neck.
“I should have had both of you shot on sight,” the man snarled into her ear.
Oh, great. She knew that voice. Montu. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be in Cairo looking for Soliman. How did he figure out he should look for him in Greece?
“We’re trying to help,” Xander growled.
“You call this help? I ordered you both to stay at the camp. And Bastet went missing the same time you two and Drake disappeared.”
Xander’s jaw twitched. Leila pushed Montu’s arm half an inch from her neck and took in a long breath.
“Tell me what happened to Bastet, or I’ll gut her.”
Xander didn’t answer. The front door swung open behind him, illuminating them in a yellow light. A man stood in the entry, wearing a white T-shirt with a deep V-neck, his slick, black hair pulled into a ponytail. Cigarette fumes drifted from the doorway.
