He loved Egypt. It was one of the truly awe-inspiring places of the world, in the company of cities like Jerusalem and Rome. Nate had been here several times as a young man and the sensation of amazement never seemed to go away. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid of Giza was nearly five thousand years old, constructed at a time when such undertakings should not have even been possible. It was part of the Giza Plateau, a larger complex of shrines and temples that at its height was covered in fine white Tura limestone and must have been even more spectacular than it was today. The pyramids had always fascinated him for the sheer fact that Egyptologists still did not have a clear explanation for their construction. There were theories, ranging from enormous dirt ramps, to ancient advanced civilizations, to aliens. Many of these were ridiculous of course, but skepticism alone did not answer burning questions regarding their creation.
The other thing that always struck him was the sheer size of them. The Great Pyramid, also known as the Pyramid of Khufu, was nearly 500 feet tall and 750 feet wide at its base. The stones were so massive that moving only one of them would take monumental effort. It wasn’t until a person stood next to them that they were able to truly grasp the size and therefore the magnitude of these structures. Nate had stood next to them several times, and had even been allowed into them on rare occasions.
The downside of such majesty was tourism. While it was important for people to appreciate history, the tourism industry had sprung up around the area over the last several decades, and with it the worst exploitation schemes. Camel rides, selfie sticks, and overpriced bottledwater were all on the menu. The other issue was that as long as you admired the pyramids facing south you would be transported back in time. But turn around, and the whole of Cairo and its twenty million inhabitants was splayed out as far as the eye could see.
“Morning, sunshine,” Shane said, rousing Nate from his thoughts, and he realized that he had been standing there for a while, simply staring. “Great sight, huh?”
“It is,” Nate agreed. “Did you know that some of those stones in the King’s Chamber weigh nearly seventy tons?”
“No,” Shane said. “Sure didn’t. You want some coffee?”
“I don’t drink coffee,” he responded.
It was just like old times. Nate would attempt to educate the guys on the team with a tidbit of history, and they would humor him before politely blowing him off.
“Right,” Shane said. “Tea is inside.”
“Wally up yet?”
“No, he’s still asleep. You boys must have been running pretty hard the last few days.”
“More or less,” he agreed as he moved out to find the tea bags.
“I went down to the breakfast buffet. Huge fucking spread. Brought some stuff up for you guys. It’s on the tray in there.”
“Thanks,” Nate called over his shoulder as he walked back inside. He made a cup of tea, grabbed some pastries and fruit off the tray, and went back out onto the balcony. Plopping down in a chair next to Shane, he sat and ate his breakfast as he enjoyed the view in front of him. Eventually, Wally stumbled out and joined them, a cup of coffee in one hand and a plate of food in the other.
“You think he’ll show?” Wally asked while stuffing a cherry Danish in his face.
“Oh, he’ll show,” Shane answered.
Nate’s interaction with Tim had been less than definitive. If anything, he was leaning toward his old friend not coming. And after their last altercation, he didn’t even know if he wanted him to.
“I’m not so sure,” he said.
“Bro. He’s gonna show. I’m telling you. Don’t even sweat it,” Shane said, waving the thought away.
“So what’s on the docket for today, then?” Wally asked between bites of a muffin.
“Well,” Nate said, “I’m meeting Ahmed this afternoon by the entrance of the Grand Egyptian Museum. He’s supposed to hand off the LIDAR satellite imagery of the ancient camel trails to me. He also promised to bring news of a permit, though I’m not holding my breath.”
“Which is precisely why I’m meeting with a couple of undistinguished gentlemen of ill repute today,” Shane said. “There’s a ship captain I know, friend of a friend sort of thing. Anyway, he’s going to be the guy that takes us in, barring some magical hall pass from Ahmed.”
“Alright, then,” Wally said. “I suppose I’ll go with you to see Ahmed, yeah?” Nate didn’t say anything, but made a face. “What?”
“Here’s the thing, Wally…” Nate started.
“He doesn’t want Ahmed to know we’re here,” Shane finished the sentence. Wally looked confused for a second before it dawned on him.
“You don’t want to tip him off that we’re going to enter his country either way, legally or illegally.”
“Exactly,” Nate replied. “I don’t know if he’d rat us out or not, but either way I’d rather not put him in that position. He’s already taking a huge risk by giving us the imagery.”
Shane reached over and slapped Wally on the knee. “Looks like you’re with me, then, Redcoat.”
“Just my fucking luck, isn’t it?” Wally grumbled.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
