The Tomb of Genghis Khan Read online

  Acton knew what Sandra didn’t want to vocalize. If the Mongolian government wanted him dead, then there was nothing they could do to help him. He was a Mongolian citizen, in Mongolia. His racing mind paused. “Wait, we don’t even know where he is.”

  Laura gestured toward the phone. “What’s the country code on the number?”

  Acton brought it up. “976.”

  Milton turned his head. “Alexa, what is Mongolia’s telephone country code?”

  The smart speaker quickly replied.

  976.

  Sandra shrugged. “I guess that proves it.”

  Laura shook her head. “Not really. It just proves he used his phone that is registered in Mongolia.” She chewed her cheek for a moment. “Whenever we had exchange students, we had them list family contacts back home. I assume you do the same here?”

  Acton and Milton both smiled at each other. “Of course!” Milton grabbed his phone. “Rita can look that up for us.”

  Sandra frowned at him. “Leave that poor woman alone. It’s her day off. Someone else at the office can look it up.”

  Milton stuck his tongue out at her as he pressed the phone to his ear. “That woman adores me, and besides, she can log in remotely to check.”

  “Adores you?”

  “I’m an adorable guy.”

  Acton gave Sandra a look. “He is, you know. It’s the only reason we’re still friends.”

  “Hi, Rita, it’s Greg…sorry to call on your day off, but I need you to do me a hopefully quick favor. Jim Acton is going to text you the name of a Mongolian exchange student we had a few years ago. We need his emergency contact info…yes, I’ll explain later. Thanks.” He ended the call and turned to his wife. “Adores me.”

  A bird was flipped. “Then maybe she’ll jump up and down on you tonight, because I certainly won’t be.”

  Milton laughed. “Why punish yourself?”

  Acton snorted as he sent Arban’s info to Rita Perdok, Milton’s assistant of many years, and the sweetest, nicest woman one could ever meet. “She’d be horrified to hear you two talking like that about her.”

  Milton frowned. “You’re right.”

  Sandra appeared contrite as well. “Sorry.”

  Acton chuckled. “Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to her.”

  Her mouth dropped, aghast. “Then we’d both be mortified!”

  Milton patted her hand. “You’re right. We won’t speak of it again.” He leaned closer. “So, the jumping up and down is back on?”

  She gave him the stink eye.

  Milton grinned at his guests. “I think that’s a yes!”

  Acton’s phone vibrated and he smiled. “Say whatever you want about the woman, but she’s good. I have his wife’s number here. Let’s just hope it’s not out of date.” He texted back a thank you, then dialed the number, putting it on speaker so everyone could hear.

  It was answered after several rings.

  In Mongolian.

  “Hello, is this Badma Namjiliin?”

  “Yes?”

  “Hello, my name is Jim Acton. Your husband, Arban, was a student of mine several years ago in the United States.”

  “Professor Acton?”

  “Yes. He mentioned me?”

  “Yes, of course, he spoke very highly of you.”

  “Ma’am, I received a rather disturbing text message from Arban a few minutes ago. Is he all right?”

  “You heard from him?”

  She sounded worried, the others leaning in as they evidently picked up on it as well.

  “A single text message that indicated he was in trouble. Have you heard from him?”

  “No, I’m so worried! I’ve tried calling the Ministry, but he doesn’t answer. His supervisor doesn’t answer, nor will anyone tell me where he is. I don’t know what’s going on, but for me to not hear from him all day is so unlike him.”

  “So, he’s working for the government?”

  “Yes.” She sniffed. “Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. He was so proud to get the job. It’s a good job, in his field.”

  “Is he in the capital?”

  “Yes. Ulaanbaatar. But that’s not where he spends his days, at least for the past couple of weeks.”

  Acton leaned closer to the phone, the connection choppy. “Where has he been working?”

  “I’m not sure, all I know is it’s out of the city, and something he wasn’t allowed to talk to me about. He said it was very important, and an honor to have been chosen by his supervisor to participate, since he was so young and new.”

  Acton chewed his cheek for a moment. If they were going to give any information to the authorities, they needed more. The fact Arban was working for the government suggested a possibility that they could be who was after him, though he hoped it wasn’t—for there’d be no chance for the poor kid if it were true.

  “Does he do any work from home?”

  “Yes, he’s always on his computer.”

  “Do you have access?”

  “No. I mean, it’s sitting right here, but I don’t know his password.” A heavy sigh resulted in a burst of static. “Professor, I’m really worried. If he said he’s in trouble, then I don’t know who to trust. For him to send a message to you must mean he doesn’t know who to trust here. Is there anything you can do? Can you help him? Please?”

  Laura grabbed his arm, squeezing it, and he turned to see her eyes filled with tears at the heartbreak in Badma’s voice. He smiled knowingly at her.

  “I’m going to make some calls. Stay by your phone. I’ll call you back shortly.”

  “Oh, thank you so much, Professor. You really are the wonderful man my husband said.”

  Acton smiled. “I’ll call soon. Goodbye.”

  “Goodbye.”

  He ended the call with a tap then blasted a breath through pursed lips.

  “That poor woman,” said Sandra. “I’d be worried sick!”

  Laura agreed. “We have to help her any way we can.” She patted Acton’s arm. “So, who are you going to call?”

  “Who do you think?”

  5 |

  Tangut Empire, Western Xia August 17, 1227 AD

  Mutukan’s master’s leg had been tended to. It was a vicious wound, though ignored by the Khan the entire time it had been treated. No pain had been shown, no concern shared. It was as if it were a mere streak of soiled skin that required nothing but a warm bath to rid himself of it.

  Again, such courage.

  To say he worshipped his master was an understatement. He adored him like a living god, he embodied everything a man should want to be, and had proven himself wise beyond all others.

  For ruling an empire so vast required far more than cunning on the battlefield. It took administrative skills, and diplomatic skills.

  And sometimes those diplomatic skills demanded difficult decisions be made.

  Like those about to be.

  What remained of the royal family of the defeated Tangut were on their knees, lined up for the Khan to decide their fate. The head of the family was already dead, his sons and daughters all that remained. As the Khan slowly walked the line, his men were systematically burning the city, slaughtering all the males in the capital, and taking their women as spoils of war.

  But the best would be preserved for the Khan, who would choose from the most beautiful whom he would bed, the rest going to those he chose to honor for their service, reward for their bravery, or inspire to fight even harder in hopes of additional prizes of the flesh.

  “Your empire is no more. Your armies vanquished. Your future erased.” He stopped in front of the eldest son. “Your line is finished.” He drew his sword and swung, the son’s head tumbling to the floor, the gleaming stone now stained as the slain prince’s brothers attempted to hide their fear unsuccessfully, his sisters sobbing. “Cowardice will not be tolerated.” Another head was severed. “Disloyalty will be punished.” Another, this one requiring an uncharacteristic second blow that had Mutukan conc
erned.

  Is he growing weak?

  He glanced at the leg, blood trickling onto the floor from under his pants.

  He must rest!

  “Your deaths will be a message to all who dare oppose me.” He raised his arm to behead the final prince when he stopped, wavering slightly. Mutukan stepped forward to offer a steadying hand when the Khan grunted at him, dismissing him with a jerk of the chin.

  Then finished the male bloodline of the court of Tangut.

  In one stroke.

  He regarded the princesses then pointed at the most beautiful. “Her.”

  “Yes, my master.”

  The Khan spun on his heel, swiftly leaving the room, a trail of blood marking his path as the other princesses, not given the honor to serve their new master, were taken away to be enjoyed by those the Khan would single out at tonight’s celebratory feast.

  Mutukan stepped in front of the remaining princess, staring down at her, his crotch mere inches from her face. “Look at me.”

  She didn’t.

  He grabbed her by the chin, jerking her head up. “Look at me.”

  She glared at him, defiance in her eyes as she trembled at what was to come.

  “Your name.”

  “Princess Kurbelyin Goa Khatun.”

  He gripped her chin tighter. “You are a lucky woman, Princess. Tonight, you will serve your Khan, and should you please him, you may just live to see tomorrow.”

  She tore her chin away with a jerk of her head. “I would rather burn in the pits of eternal damnation than bed that pig of a man.”

  Mutukan raised his hand to beat the insolence from her, yet he held back. His master wouldn’t be pleased if he delivered a bruised, broken woman to him. And besides, defiance was what the master liked.

  A smile spread and he grabbed her chin again. “Be just like that tonight, Princess, and you will please him.”

  6 |

  Unknown Location, Mongolia Present Day

  “Did you get him?”

  Hendrick Stander nodded at his client, Michael Conrad, a pissant of a man if there ever was one. He was a pencil pusher from America who acted physically tough, the diminutive man likely suffering from a Napoleon complex that he overcompensated for, especially around men like Stander, whom it was obvious the man felt inferior to.

  “Yes,” replied Stander, his hands clasped behind his back, his posture perfect, decades of military and private security service never to be forgotten.

  “I sense a but.”

  “He texted someone before we located him.”

  “Who?”

  “I don’t know yet. The name on the phone is James Acton. I’ve got my men looking into it.”

  Conrad rose from behind his desk and paced the room. “This isn’t good. James Acton. It sounds Anglo. What would a local nobody kid be doing with a foreigner’s phone number?”

  “No idea. It’s a stateside number. He should be easy enough to track down.”

  “And the message?”

  Stander removed Arban’s phone from his pocket and pulled up the message. “‘Professor, I’m in trouble. I don’t know who to trust. I think they’re going to kill me.’”

  Conrad cursed. “Well, if that doesn’t pique someone’s interest, I don’t know what would. And you know what interest means. Questions. We can’t afford questions.” He stopped his pacing. “Okay, find this Professor Acton and eliminate him.”

  Stander regarded his client for a moment. This was the problem with men like Conrad. They too often were impulsive, not thinking things through. “Isn’t that risky? Killing someone here is one thing, but in the US? That’s something entirely different.”

  Conrad stepped closer, staring up at him. Stander kept his eyes forward as if the man was a drill sergeant and not to be looked at. “Do you have any idea what’s at risk here? We’re talking billions. Tens of billions. I don’t care who has to die. When I hired you, I was told you were the man to get things done, the man I could count on to do whatever it took to protect what we’ve got here.” Stander could see the man’s face get closer, Conrad evidently on his tiptoes. “Are you that man, or was I misinformed?”

  Stander stared down at Conrad, controlling his desire to snap the tiny neck. “I’m your man. You want somebody dead back in the US, then so be it. I’m just letting you know the risks.”

  Conrad stepped back, returning to his chair behind his desk. “I’m well aware of the risks. Seattle sent me here because I’m willing to do whatever it takes to succeed.” He pointed at the door. “Now, do your job, and never question my orders again. Kill Professor Acton and anyone he may have told about the message.”

  Stander clicked his heels. “Yes, sir.”

  7 |

  Acton/Palmer Residence St. Paul, Maryland

  “We might need your help.”

  Tommy Granger nodded at James Acton as their respective partners entered the room with a platter of homemade nachos. Laura Palmer placed the steaming mound of inauthentic Mexican cuisine on the table as Mai Trinh delivered bowls of guacamole and sour cream. Tommy’s hand darted toward the food when Mai slapped it down.

  “Manners!”

  Tommy blushed and retreated, waiting for Laura to sit, Acton winking at his wife, always enjoying the company of the younger couple. Mai had helped save them and some friends in Vietnam from a frameup by the Vietnamese and Russian governments, and had been forced to flee to the United States. She now worked for Acton at the university, where she met Tommy Granger, a graduate student who had a knack for computers—such a knack that he had been arrested as a teenager for hacking the Department of Defense.

  And it was those skills they needed.

  “Do you think you can get into the computer?” asked Acton, partaking of the nachos now that everyone had settled down. Tommy tentatively reached out then stopped, glancing at Mai who rolled her eyes and gave the go ahead. He grinned and grabbed.

  “If it’s connected to the Internet somehow, then easily. If not, then I’ll need to access it physically. Shouldn’t be a problem.” He crunched through a mouthful then took a drink. “I’ll just go with you. I don’t mind.”

  Laura shook her head. “Absolutely not. It could be dangerous.”

  Tommy shrugged. “I’ve gone with you before.”

  “Yes, but this is Mongolia. Not exactly Germany.”

  “But I want to help. Communications are spotty from there, and bandwidth is for sure low. Trying to connect from here will be almost useless. It would be like that old movie you had me watch, Doc, WarGames.”

  Acton grunted. “Hey, it was state of the art when it came out. Love that movie.”

  Tommy shrugged. “It was okay.”

  Mai dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “It would have been better if you hadn’t spent the entire time tearing it apart.”

  Tommy turned to Acton, knowing he wouldn’t get anywhere with Laura. “What if you can’t reach me to help you access it? Or I can’t connect from here?”

  “We’ll deal with it. Like Laura said, it could be dangerous. We could be dealing with dangerous people.”

  “Doc, you’re always dealing with dangerous people. Hell, we’ve been shot at and I was almost killed right here on home soil.” He grinned. “Frankly, no place is safe when you two are around.”

  Acton shook his head. The kid was right. Bad things just happened around them. Milton, his best friend, had been shot twice in the back just for helping him, Mai had nearly been killed saving them, Tommy and Mai had been kidnapped, with Tommy nearly killed.

  Nobody was safe.

  Yet it didn’t mean he should be intentionally putting them into harm’s way.

  Tommy pressed on. “Your friend needs help. You need to access his computer, and you know I’m the only one who can do it. And the bottom line is, I’m willing to go.”

  Acton sighed, leaning back in his chair, the nachos forgotten. “I don’t know. If only it wasn’t Mongolia. If only we knew more.” He cursed. “If
only we’d heard back from Dylan.”

  Laura swallowed some of her creation. “He must be on an op somewhere. Incommunicado.”

  “I’m not surprised. But do we wait? I mean, minutes count here, don’t they? It’s been four hours since we received that text message this afternoon. I say you give Mary a call, book the jet, and we head there now. When we arrive, if Dylan has something for us, we can turn right around. If not, we go see Arban’s wife, check out the computer, and hopefully find out who might be involved. We can then get that info to Dylan, and maybe he can help somehow.”

  Mai cleared her throat. “Umm, can’t Dylan get that information himself? I mean, can’t he go there himself?”

  Acton nodded. “I’m sure he could, but he works for the CIA. He can’t just drop what he’s doing and pop over to Mongolia just because an old student of mine might be in trouble. We need something more concrete, and even then, it’s unlikely our government would do anything about it.”

  “Then what’s the point?” asked Mai. “I mean, not that I don’t think he should be helped, but I mean, if there’s nothing you can do with the information, then why bother?”

  Acton shook his head. “No, you’re forgetting one thing. Right now, we don’t know who we can trust. Let’s say we find out something from what’s on his computer. It might let us know who is actually after him. What if it isn’t the government at all? It might be some local gang, a pissed off neighbor, any number of things. If we could determine that, then we might be able to go to the local authorities and they could help.”

  Tommy smacked his hands together. “Then that settles it. You need access to that computer at a minimum. I’m coming with you.”

  Acton sighed. “If I could be sure they wouldn’t be waiting for us at the airport, then maybe. But if they caught him, then they have his phone, which means they might know about the text message. If they’re connected enough, they could be monitoring passenger lists of incoming flights.”

  Mai raised a tiny finger. “Umm, I have an idea.”

  They all turned to her. “What?” asked Laura.