Read The Blood Gospel for Free Online Page B

with eyes like two oiled brown marbles. “You must come with us, Dr. Granger.”
    She had to take care of Heinrich first. “I’m busy. My student is injured and—”
    “I’m Lieutenant Perlman. With Aman. I’ve been ordered to fetch you.”
    As if to underline his point, the soldiers raised their weapons a fraction of an inch.
    Aman was Israeli military intelligence. That couldn’t be good. Anger rose in her chest. They had come to fetch her, and their machine had spooked the horse that hurt Heinrich. Erin kept her voice steady, but it still came out cold. “Fetch me to where?”
    “I’m not authorized to say.”
    The lieutenant did not look like he would be backing down anytime soon, but she could make use of him. “Your helicopter frightened a horse, and it wounded my student.” She balled her hands into fists at her sides. “Badly.”
    He looked down at Heinrich, then inclined his head to one of the soldiers. The man pulled a trauma kit from a pack and climbed into the trench. A medic. That was something. She unclenched her hands and wiped her bloody palms on her jeans.
    “I want him airlifted to a hospital,” she said. “Then, perhaps, we can talk about other things.”
    The lieutenant looked down at the medic. The man nodded, looking worried.
    That couldn’t be good.
    “Very well,” Perlman said.
    He gestured, and his men responded quickly. Two soldiers helped lift Heinrich out of the trench; another two hauled over a stretcher. Once loaded, he was carried toward the helicopter. Julia followed them, sticking close to his side.
    Erin drew in a deep breath. A helicopter ride to the hospital was the best chance Heinrich had.
    She took Lieutenant Perlman’s proffered hand, noticing his strength as he pulled her out of the trench.
    Without a word, he turned and headed back toward the helicopter. The remaining soldiers stepped in behind her, indicating that she should follow. She stomped after Perlman. She was being kidnapped from her site at gunpoint.
    She wouldn’t win this fight, but she would get what information she could from them. “Does this have to do with the earthquake?” she called to Perlman.
    The lieutenant glanced back, didn’t answer, but she read his face. Her mind filled in the blanks. Earthquakes broke things. But they also uncovered them.
    All of which raised another question.
    There were plenty of other archaeologists in Israel. What reason could they have to drag her out of her own dig? No ancient treasure warranted this kind of urgency. Archaeologists didn’t get shuttled around in military helicopters.
    Something was very wrong.
    “Why me?” she pressed.
    Perlman finally responded. “I can only say that it is a delicate situation, and your expertise has been requested.”
    “By whom?”
    “I could not say.”
    “If I refuse?”
    Perlman’s gaze bored into her. “You’re a guest of our country. If you refuse to come with us, you’ll no longer be a guest of our country. And your friend will not be taken to the hospital in our helicopter.”
    “I think the embassy would not condone this treatment,” she bluffed.
    His lips twisted into an unconvincing smile. “It was a member of the delegation at the U.S. embassy who recommended you.”
    She fought to conceal her surprise. So far as she knew, no one in the embassy cared anything about her. Either Perlman was lying, or he knew way more than she did. Regardless, the time for talking was past. She had to get Heinrich to a hospital.
    So she continued walking toward the helicopter. The soldiers had dropped into formation around her as if she might bolt like the stallion.
    Nate and Amy hurried along behind. Nate looked belligerent, Amy worried.
    Erin turned and walked backward, calling out instructions. “Nate, you’re in charge until I return. You know what needs to be done.”
    Nate talked over a soldier’s shoulder. “But, Professor—”
    “Stabilize the skeleton. And have Amy study the left femur before you jacket