Free The Sword of Moses by Dominic Selwood Page A

football shirt.”
    Uri shook his head. “And I thought you diplomatic boys all led such dull lives.”
    Zvi walked up to the bar and ordered another beer. “Maybe not the redhead,” he smiled at Uri, “but seeing as I’m working late tonight, a few more beers on the Institute won’t hurt.”
    Uri slapped him on the shoulder before slinging the rucksack over his shoulder and making for the door.
    Outside, he took a deep lungful of the cold night air.
    He had work to do.

DAY TWO
    ——————— ◆ ———————

8
     
    Diamonds Nightclub
    Yesil District
    Astana
    The Republic of Kazakhstan
     
    Prince had seen it all unfold from her vantage point at the all-night refreshment kiosk.
    When she realized DeVere's view of Ava and Ferguson was blocked by the bus, she punched his number furiously into her mobile phone, angry with herself for not having it on speed-dial. But too late. When DeVere answered, she could hear the engine noise of his car revving as his driver swung into the traffic to follow the Mercedes.
    “Stop!” she yelled into the microphone, breaking into a run as she pursued Ava, Ferguson, and the militiamen along the pavement. “The red Mercedes is a decoy. They’re on foot. I’m following.”
    Through the crowds, she saw them turn and enter a metal door under a flashing sign reading:
Diamonds Nightclub.
    Once inside the hot windowless box, the noise of the throbbing music drowned out whatever DeVere was saying into her ear in reply.
    Looking around, she instantly saw the bank of industrial elevators to her right. There were three of them. According to the colourful graffiti on the wall, each floor of the building offered a dance-floor playing a different style of techno music.
    The dull doors of the middle elevator were already closing, and she just had time to see the militiamen, Ava, and Ferguson crammed inside its shabby metal interior before the doors clicked shut and the red LED number above the control console starting to increase.
    “
Diamonds Nightclub.
They’re in the elevator,” she shouted into the microphone as she watched the number rise, then stop at four.
    “They’re on the fourth floor,” she yelled, hoping DeVere could hear her over the thudding dance tracks.
    Looking around, she figured the most likely way out of the building was the way they had all come in—through the front door. She assumed they had taken the elevator hoping anyone following them would be busy searching the ground floor, or knowing that if they had been seen getting into the elevator, anyone following would have taken the next one. Either way, after bouncing between a few floors, they would make straight for the ground floor again, and leave. It was a crude but effective way to throw off any tails.
    Prince’s eyes remained locked on the middle elevator’s LED display. It was staying motionless at four.
    Why wasn't it moving down again?
    She could feel the sweat breaking out on her lower back.
    What were they doing?
    For the first time, she noticed that the other two elevators were now descending.
    Had they switched elevator?
    She kicked herself for not having seen which floors the other two had come from.
    Not smart.
    She could feel her heart starting to hammer.
    Could they actually have got off at four? Was there a fire escape up there?
    The left elevator stopped one floor above her.
    She held her breath.
    The right one came back down to the ground floor. She ran towards it, sweat beads now beginning to cluster on her forehead. The elevator doors opened, and a gang of drunk locals piled out.
    This was not happening.
    She ran over to the left elevator, which had moved slowly down to the ground floor and was now opening.
    Please let them be in this one.
    Its doors slid open, revealing an empty cabin.
    She cursed as DeVere’s voice came over the phone. “I’m in the nightclub now. I’ll cover downstairs. You head on up.”
    Without pausing, Prince ran for the door to the fire-stairs next to