The Power of Five Oblivion

us.”
    “And what’s in it for him?” Richard asked.
    “You don’t understand the man,” Rémy replied. “He’s doing the right thing because that’s what he always does.”
    “What about Dubai?” Scarlett asked. “Is it the same as here?”
    “I haven’t been there for three years but there is no fighting in Dubai,” Rémy said. “We’ll find other members of the Nexus waiting for us. It’s better than being here.”
    “But there’s no doorway in Dubai. Not like the Great Pyramid.”
    “There are planes. There are cars. There is fuel and there is food. Please, don’t worry, Scarlett. I promise you this is for the best.”
    But much later, when the darkness had drawn in, Richard and Scarlett were still concerned. They were sitting in Richard’s room, and although they were supposed to be asleep, they both knew there was little chance of them closing their eyes before the morning.
    “I think we should just slip out,” Scarlett said. “If we can make it back to the Great Pyramid, maybe we can take them by surprise. We can just run through the door and be gone before anyone notices us.”
    “I think it’s too dangerous,” Richard replied. “Field Marshall Whatever-his-name-is knows about the door. It’s all he knows. He will have made sure that we can’t get anywhere close.” He stopped. “Of course!” he went on. “That’s what’s been bothering me…”
    “What?
    “Why do we have to slip out? Why is it that suddenly they’re treating us like prisoners? Why did Samir tell us we weren’t allowed out tonight?” Richard went over to the window and craned his head so that he could see along the side of the building to the front door. A moment later, he turned back. “They’ve put a soldier outside,” he said.
    “They’re protecting us.”
    “I wish you were right. But I think they’re guarding us. There’s something happening inside this compound that they don’t want us to know about.” Richard paced back and forth and Scarlett could see he was turning things over in his head. He came to a decision. “I want to take a look around,” he said.
    “Is that a good idea?” Scarlett asked. “I thought we were already in enough trouble.”
    “They’re getting rid of us tomorrow so I don’t see that it can hurt. Are you going to come?”
    “Of course.”
    The two of them were still dressed. They opened the door and looked down the corridor, which was lit by a single bulb, burning low. There was nobody in sight. Together, they crept forward, passing the room where Rémy was quartered, and up to the door that led out into the compound. They saw at once that there was no way out. Samir – or maybe Tarik – was taking no chances. A guard had been posted there, standing in the doorway with his back to them.
    Richard and Scarlett backed away again.
    “We need a diversion,” Richard whispered. He thought for a moment. “Look, I can do this on my own,” he continued. “Do you mind? I’ll say you’re ill. Everyone worries about you and nobody really cares about me. While they’re looking after you, maybe I can have a quick sneak around.”
    “Where are you going? What are you looking for?”
    “I don’t know, Scarlett. Actually, I want to start in that ward we were shown. The one with all the children.”
    “Why?”
    “I’ve just got a feeling. I don’t think Tarik was telling us the whole truth.”
    Scarlett nodded, her face pale in the darkness. “Just be careful, Richard. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you.”
    “You’d be fine. You’re the one with the power.”
    “Just make sure you come back in one piece.”
    The two of them separated. Richard waited until she had disappeared from sight, then hurried over to the guard, doing his best to look alarmed. The guard heard him approach and spun round, his hand automatically reaching for the gun that he carried. He was clearly unhappy to see Richard. This wasn’t meant to be happening.
    “It’s Scarlett,” Richard said. “She’s not well. She’s really ill. She needs help.” He didn’t know if the man understood English and as he spoke he rubbed his stomach and pulled a face as if he was being sick.
    The guard hesitated. He didn’t want to leave his place but saw that he had no option. “Wait here,” he said, and ran off in the direction of the hospital block.
    Richard followed him. It was almost pitch-black inside the compound and, as always, the swirling sand was adding to