"So, what's the plan?" I asked, not liking the idea of walking the African plains in this unstable area in either broad daylight or by moonlight.
We ambled down into a depression that had some shrubbery and I was starting to wonder if I was going to get an answer, when Flint lifted the edge of a sand camouflaged canopy tarp and flicked it back to reveal a British Landover type jeep, which instantly made me feel better.
Once we were in it Flint opened a sack and handed me a plastic bag. "Allow me to present your dinner, your highness."
I wrinkled up my face distastefully, when I realized it was a military ration pack. He just laughed and started driving, "You never answered my question?"
He glanced over, "You have your secrets and I have mine."
He couldn't be serious? I saw his mouth twitch slightly and then I knew he was playing me. I socked him in the shoulder.
"Ouch! You're mean!"
"Oh shut up you wussie and spill the beans!"
"You just told me to shut up and I'm supposed to tell you anything?"
I raised my fist again and he chuckled. "I know where three of the old caravan stops are."
"Three?" I glanced at him, surprised.
"That's right, three. Your father was only told of two. Ahmed and Phillip came to the conclusion quickly that your father wasn't to be trusted, especially when it concerned money. They outlined out their first two discoveries in great detail, but said they were ambushed by a group of raiders, when they tried to go on, which was only partly true. They were ambushed on the way back from the third site, not going to it, as they had told your father. Your father, deeming the expedition a waste of his time, refused to pay the survivors what he had agreed to and told the two men if they told anyone of what they had been hunting for that their lives would be forfeit. The two men split and went dark for a few years and then, as they had planned, they started to get ready to return to the third caravan stop, but fate intervened. Phillip got in trouble and to bargain his way out, he leaked what he knew of the treasure to outsiders. Ahmed, well Ahmed found love and was content with what he had in life without risking everything to go back."
"Flint, the treasure is not at this caravan stop."
"Glad you clarified that for me, but I already knew that. However there was more than enough gold fragments left to entice the greed of the two men, enough to give them a couple of million each, according to Phillip. More interesting to me is that Ahmed said that there were murals depicting various scenes that had been stunningly preserved in the dry desert air. He hadn't gotten to examine them for very long and he dared not take any pictures for fear of your father finding them. Your father had both men searched quite extensively. I'm hoping that I can beat whoever Phillip told about the place to it and that some of the murals there will show me the next stop. Either way you can kick back and relax as it will take a couple of days to get there."