Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12 "Welcome back to Jerusalem!" Dr. Simon beamed as Dr. Gomez and Michael entered his office at the Antiquities Museum. "What brings you here?" The three took seats in big leather chairs in front of Dr. Simon's desk. After failing miserably at trying to convince his boss back at home of the discovery of two talking 2,000-year-old squirrels, Dr. Gomez was nervous about raising the subject with another professor. He took a deep breath and began,

"This is going to seem crazy..." He told Dr. Simon the story of Michael's discovery of Merle and Pearl, their reanimation in Tennessee, and the pursuit and eventual squirrelnapping by the man in the suit and sunglasses. To Dr. Gomez's surprise, Dr. Simon just listened and nodded, not seeming fazed in the least. "Excuse me, Dr. Simon, may I get on your Wi-Fi?" Michael asked during a pause. "Sure. The password's JAM3000BC. All caps," Dr. Simon responded, then said to Dr. Gomez, "It seems to me that the person most likely to be after your squirrels is Khalil Whaba." "Khalil Whaba?" Dr. Gomez repeated. "I don't think I've ever heard of him." "I wouldn't think you would've. He likes to lay low. Operates out of Cairo. A wealthy businessman who collects all types of ancient treasures. Things that belong in a museum like mine." Dr. Simon picked up a pen and pad of paper from the coffee table and wrote out an address. "It's about a 9-hour drive. I suggest you leave right away." Michael looked up from his phone, which had just successfully connected to the network. "We're going to Egypt?" "It's lovely this time of year." Dr. Simon smiled and handed Dr. Gomez the address, then stood up to see them out. Dr. Gomez thanked his old friend. Just as they were

exiting the office, Michael heard the familiar ding of a message download. As they reached the lobby of the museum, Michael pressed play on Sadie's link. "Dad!" Michael exclaimed as they exited the museum. "It's Pearl! Where's Haifa?" He showed his dad the clip of Pearl dancing. "It's about two hours in the opposite direction of where we were headed," Dr. Gomez replied. "But that makes much more sense. When I heard the man in the suit and

sunglasses talking on the phone in the hotel back home, he was speaking Hebrew, not Arabic. It wasn't making sense to me that he'd be working for an Egyptian." Dr. Gomez and Michael jumped in the car and headed north toward Haifa.