The Temple Mount Code Read Online Free PDF Page A

lips and nervously drummed his fingers on the tabletop. ‘What information?’
    ‘Have you ever heard of a writer named Yazid Ibn Salam?’
    Tamboura gave the name some thought, then reached inside his jacket and took out a small PDA. ‘Should I know this name?’
    ‘As an author?’ Lev shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t think so. I only stumbled upon a book he’d written lately myself.’
    ‘You are a language professor at the University of Jerusalem. Please forgive me for pointing out that books are your business, not mine.’
    ‘I have reason to believe that any book written by Yazid Ibn Salam would be worth a considerable amount to anyone looking for it.’
    Tamboura scrolled through the PDA. The ghost gray of the screen reflected against the hard planes of his face. ‘If I had such knowledge, it might be costly.’
    Lev smiled. Greed was a constant in Tamboura’s world, as true as due north on a compass. ‘I can pay.’
    ‘I’ll be the judge of that. Some of my contacts can be quite costly.’ Tamboura searched his database. Several international art houses and insurance companies would have loved to know what was in that database. He glanced up and shook his head. ‘I can find nothing about your author.’
    Lev sighed.
    ‘Perhaps I could continue searching for information about this author.’ Tamboura put his PDA away and regarded Lev with his dark eyes.
    ‘That might not be a good idea.’
    When Tamboura’s eyes glittered, Lev realized he’d said the wrong thing.
    ‘Are other people searching for books by this man?’
    Lev stood, and the pain in his leg throbbed to renewed life. He put money on the table. ‘For your time, Abu.’
    Tamboura looked at the money for a moment, then shrugged. ‘I haven’t done anything to earn it.’
    ‘You confirmed something that I would have wasted time trying to find out.’
    Tamboura scooped the money up in one hand. ‘Then I’m glad to have been of service.’
    As Lev turned to go, the doorway suddenly burst open, and a man stepped through with a pistol in his hand, followed by others.
    Lev saw Tamboura already in flight toward the back of the building. Moving quickly, Lev slammed a fist into the naked lightbulb, shattering it and plunging the room into darkness. He ran after Tamboura. The wily smuggler always had a way out.
    In the darkness, Lev collided with a wooden cabinet. Pottery splintered against the concrete floor in a kaleidoscope of noise. Evidently the man in the doorway thought he was being fired on because he began shooting.
    ‘Stop shooting, you fool! He must be taken alive!’
    Lev had an arm in front of him, fumbling at a run through the dark.
    Then Tamboura pulled open a door almost hidden behind a wide bookshelf filled with boxes of soap. The little man scurried into the evening as traffic noises echoed inside the small room.
    The doorway let out into a small alley that ran between stone buildings. To the left, a wooden fence barred the way. To the right, the alley opened up onto the street. Tamboura ran toward the street, and Lev was at his heels.
    Before they’d gone a half dozen steps, a car turned down the alley and raced at them. Tamboura froze, trapped in the bright headlights. The doors opened, and men stepped out, all holding guns.
    ‘Professor Strauss. We don’t wish to harm you.’ He spoke in English, but his accent was Arabian.
    Lev turned immediately and ran in the other direction. Tamboura wheeled around as well and started to pull even with Lev, showing surprising speed. Then shots erupted, and Tamboura’s head shattered into a bloody mess. His corpse managed one more faltering step and fell on the cobblestones without a sound.
    Even with the prosthesis, Lev made good speed. He hurled himself at the fence and climbed as quickly as he could. Before he could top the fence, he felt something thud into it and thought that one of his pursuers had reached the barrier as well.
    Then a man crested the top of the fence on the other