Near Kibbutz Zion
Seventeen Minutes Later
"You're sure, then, that's her?" Jacob asked from his seat in the sand on the shady side of a hill.
Lang took the binoculars from his eyes. The morning sun was heating the metal quickly enough to make them uncomfortable to hold to his eyes. "Pretty damn sure."
He could hear Jacob tapping the pipe against the heel of his shoe. "'Pretty sure'? Bravo! That's bloody swell! We go charging into this kibbutz, fight our way through the rotters to where you saw this woman, and presto! We find out you made a sodding mistake. Almost worth trying just to hear your apology."
Lang had the glasses to his eyes again. "You're the one who suggested we come out here after seeing a satellite photo of a redhead. Besides, that's why I'm roasting in the sun-trying to make sure we don't screw up."
He heard the sound of a striking match. And then, "You never explained what made you think that lot trying to kill you were Jews. Almost any country might be interested in the powers described in that old manuscript."
The superconductive abilities aren't what they're after."
Lang took the binoculars down again long enough to use a sleeve to wipe the sweat from his face. "As I think I mentioned, I'd bet something very much like that was the basis for the Star Wars defense program President Reagan suggested twenty-five years ago."
"If not the weapons capability, then what?"
"For what the Book of Jereb says."
Jacob briefly pondered that. Then, "What does it have to say that's worth killing people for, other than the secret of the Ark, which you're telling me is no sodding secret after all?"
"It's…"
"It's what?"
Lang had put the glasses to his eyes again. "That's her! She's walking between two men, carrying what looks like… looks like… a towel. Yeah, that's it. She's got a towel and what could be a change of clothes." He reached backward, motioning. "Here, come see for yourself."
"To what end?" Jacob growled. "I've never seen the bird, wouldn't recognize her if she was standing on the balcony at Buckingham Palace."
In his excitement Lang had forgotten. "Of course you wouldn't. Take my word for it, though; that's her."
Jacob's breath whistled through closed lips as he checked his watch. "I make it nearly nine hours before sunset, a long time in the heat."
Lang was still staring through the binoculars. "We can't very well drive back in daylight. Someone'd get suspicious if they saw us there again."
Jacob got to his feet, dusting himself off. "There's a little town, Sderot, about two kilometers the other way, a place we can at least get something cool to drink while we wait. And I've got a bit of tinkering yet to do."
Lang didn't ask; he was well aware of what Jacob's tinkering usually involved.