Page 36 (1/2)

While Su the loader in motion, Dirk had circled the palace ruins and sprinted to the body of the antiquities agent He ducked beside the dead man and retrieved his sidearm It was a bulky, antiquated Webley Mk VI revolver, but it still packed a lethal kick with its 455 caliber cartridges

Dirk had barely gotten his hand around the gun’s grip when popping erupted and the sand kicked up in front of him He dropped flat beside the body, which absorbed a pair of rounds Targeting the source, Dirk rose and fired two quick shots, then sprinted east across the site

The gunman recovered to fire another salvo, struck only air, as Dirk dove into the pit that held the offering table Suh the trench with their heads down

Suht where ant ’em”

“I’ve still got a few rounds,” Dirk said “To buy us time to summon help”

“A little tough without cell coverage”

Riki slipped past Suroup and poked her head over the side Dirk eyed the attractive woman

“You best keep your head down,” he said He popped up for a quick look, leading with the Webley

The two surviving gunmen had dropped into the trench that ran perpendicularly and were now inching closer Dirk fired a shot to deter the dust in front of the trench

The twoa round object toward the group

“Grenade!” Dirk shouted “Everybody down!”

The grenade bounced into the trench near Stanley at the back of the line It struck the ground a few feet away and detonated

With its deafening boom, the explosion kicked up a cloud of dirt and h the haze to the point of the explosion He passed the two laborers, ere picking the over Stanley

“How’s the professor?” Dirk asked

His ears ringing, Zeibig couldn’t hear the question He did note Dirk’s presence “Leg,” he said