The Power of Five Oblivion

the shoulder and pointed. A plane, a Boeing 747, lay on its side with a buckled wing and a crumpled fuselage, half-buried in sand.
    “Cairo airport,” Tarik said, the first words he had spoken since they had left.
    “No flights to Dubai?” Richard asked.
    “No flights anywhere.”
    They drove another thirty minutes and all the time the weather improved until it was almost like a normal day, the sun hot in the sky and the sand lying still for once. Richard wondered if this was actually something to be grateful for. It made them more visible. But at the same time, at least it meant they could see where they were going, and if they were about to set off on the long journey to Dubai, they would need a clear road. Now they were travelling down a wide avenue, empty of other cars apart from the ones burnt out and abandoned along the side.
    “I am taking you to meet the man who will drive you to Dubai,” Tarik said, speaking loudly so that Scarlett and Rémy in the back could hear too. “He is waiting for you with a Land Cruiser. It has a ninety-litre tank filled with diesel and he is carrying another hundred litres, which should be more than enough. The car is equipped with a compass and maps, water and basic rations. If you get lost in the desert, you will die. So I would advise you not to leave the road.”
    “Who is this driver?” Richard asked.
    “His name is Ali. He has done the journey many times. You have no need to worry. You will be safe with him.” Tarik brought the jeep to a halt. The other jeep drew up beside him. He pulled on the handbrake. “This is where we get out,” he said.
    They had come to the crest of a slight hill, with nothing around them apart from a few stunted palm trees. Taking out a pistol which he held beside him, Tarik ran forward. He was keeping low – it was almost a habit – and threw himself down on the very edge of the hill so that he could look down without being seen. The others did the same. Ahead of them, the desert stretched out to the horizon with a single road, a surprisingly modern strip of pale-yellow concrete, forming a straight line all the way. The hill itself sloped down for about two hundred metres to a rubble-strewn area that contained a small, white building with arched windows and a domed roof. Scarlett wasn’t sure if it was a store house or some sort of miniature church. But that wasn’t what caught her eye. Just as Tarik had promised, there was a fairly new Land Cruiser parked next to it, with supplies and spare tanks of fuel strapped high on the roof. A single man stood waiting, wearing traditional Arab dress.
    Samir had brought binoculars with him and scanned the area. “He is alone,” he said – in English, not Arabic. Richard noted the change. Normally, when the two men spoke together, they used their own language but Samir was obviously trying to make them feel more secure.
    “So what happens now?” Richard asked.
    “Now, you begin your journey. You can drive the jeep down and leave it there. We will collect it later.”
    “You’re not coming with us?”
    Tarik shook his head. “It is not in the agreement. The driver will meet with you and only you. If he sees more than three of you approaching, he will be gone long before you reach him.” Tarik saw the doubt in Richard’s face. “If you lived in my world, you would understand. Everyone is very careful. If they are not careful, they are dead. It is better for you to have us watching and to know that, in the unlikely event that you have been betrayed, we are here to help.”
    Richard nodded. “All right. Anything you say.”
    “Then leave us now. We will not waste time with goodbyes. We have lost too many friends in the last years to wish to hear that word. I will only say to you – good luck. I hope you will find what you are looking for in Dubai.”
    Richard, Scarlett and Rémy walked back towards the jeep that had brought them this far. The other jeep was next to it but the driver was still standing at the front, as if warning them to keep away. That was when Richard knew for certain that he was right. There could be no more doubt.
    “Listen to me,” Richard said, speaking in a low voice. “This is a trap. I don’t know how many men there are waiting for us in that building down there, but they’re not going to let us get anywhere near Dubai.”
    “You are wrong,” Rémy began.
    “Don’t tell me I’m wrong,” Richard snapped. “And please don’t give me any more