The Carthage Connection: Erin and Craig Books, #2

By Kenneth Joel Teicher

After two unsuccessful digs, one in Israel and one in Tunisia, archaeologist Erin Mathews is facing the loss of funding for future digs and the dreadful prospect of going back to teaching. Her current excavation, in the silt-filled seaport of ancient Ephesus, is also turning out to be a bust. The arrival of her boyfriend Craig Johnson an ex-CIA agent, does little to raise her spirits. But when she learns that a boat she and her team are excavating may contain scrolls rescued from the storied great library at Alexandria, everything changes. Her quest for these historic artifacts becomes the adventure of her life.

Mossad operative Rebecca Schuler, sanctioned to work in Turkey, is tracking the mysterious Cult of Tanit. This group, that traces its roots to the founding of Carthage, is also after the scrolls. Cult members believe their ancestors rescued invaluable artifacts when the library was burned in 48 BC. The Mossad believes the Cult wants the scrolls to fund terrorist actions in Israel.

A group of renegade Cult members begin a series of attacks to stop Erin. Further complicating her plans, an Egyptian, dispatched by his government's Department of Antiquities, is sent to claim the treasure for his country. Erin's colleague is seen making a deal with this man and is murdered by rogue Cult members. The murder prompts Craig to talk Erin into giving up her dig, but she is determined to make the discovery to rescue her failing reputation.

Even with the involvement of the local police, Cult members find ways to thwart Erin's efforts. They break into a storage shed, where discovered relics are stored and there is a malicious nocturnal disruption of the dig site. As upsetting as these events are they do not prevent Erin from continuing her search. The Cult's actions escalate to car chases, blackmail, a ransacking of Erin's hotel room and even armed assaults.

In a frenzied attempt to locate the treasure before anyone is hurt, Erin directs her team to dig in the debris field where artifacts from the boat are soon discovered. Certain she is days away from finding the scrolls, Erin enlists the aid of Craig and Rebecca to help with the excavation. Soon sixteen crates, clearly of Egyptian origin, are uncovered.

With permission from Turkish authorities, Erin begins the delicate task of opening the first treasure chest. The Cult leader, desperate to take title to the scrolls, appears at the site where he is quickly placed under arrest. While Erin breaks an ancient seal and works through the heavy waterproof lining of the first box, Cult members launch one last vicious attack. The deadly assault is brought to an end by a large team of police, aided by both Craig and Rebecca.

At last, with the representative from Egypt, the handcuffed Cult leader, Turkish authorities and of course Erin's graduate students all looking on, the contents of the chests are revealed. Erin's excitement is uncontrollable as she removes one ancient scroll after another. Her wildest dreams have been realized – a fantastic history making discovery of lost knowledge from the ancient world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kenneth Joel Teicher
• Release date: Mar 18, 2012
• ISBN: 9781452430027

Kenneth Joel Teicher

Having grown up in a home where reading was treated as not just a pastime but also a true pursuit. I have been reading many genres all my life, from historical biographies to science fiction. I have also learned to love the craft of writing. After years of diligent effort, I self-published my first book in 1991. Trips including historic sites, during a period of more than forty-five years, have always fascinated me - from the Roman Forum and Pompeii in Italy, the Acropolis in Greece, Stonehenge and the Roman Baths in England, the fantastic ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey, the ruins of Carthage in Tunisia, the fabulous Great Pyramids and Sphinx in Egypt, various sites in Israel, the fabled city of Machu Picchu in Peru, the Mayan ruins at Chichén Itzä in Mexico, The Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall in China, and countless other locations around the world. These adventures have strengthened my fascination with the wonders of ancient civilizations and my growing amateur interest in the study of archaeology. They also triggered my desire to create a series of stories that have developed into the Erin and Craig action/adventure series. These stories are based on many of the locations noted above. I am currently working on the fifth book in the series. Future trips to other exotic and historic locals will, I hope, provide additional stimulating sites on which to base future stories in the series. My other passion is the fanciful world of science fiction. Over the years, I have sought to add my own work to the field. I am currently editing the seventh addition to this part of my collection.

Book preview

THE CARTHAGE CONNECTION

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Copyright 2008 Kenneth Joel Teicher

Smashwords Edition

Erin and Craig action-adventure series

The Alkano Letters

Carved in Stone

Mystery of the Kukulcan Temple

Science Fiction Stories

The Mission

A Matter of Time

The Yesterday Tree

Solitude

Temporal Consciousness Transposition

Gateway: The Shula Intervention

This is a book of fiction. Descriptions of locations are based on the author’s recollections and altered or enhanced to suit the story. None of the characters are intended to portray real people. Names and incidents are either the product of the author’s own imagination or are fictitiously used and any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead is entirely by coincidence. Historical information is the result of the author’s research and has been modified or altered to enhance the needs of the story.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing by the author.

PROLOGUE

Thaylee sat on a small hill overlooking the large beach where countless people worked in the construction of boats. He had become a competent oarsman and spent his days watching the construction of the boat to which he was assigned. Thaylee did not originally train to be a rower. It was only after he had tried and failed at several other crafts that he had been selected to train for his eventual profession. Since he was currently not occupied in any task, he relaxed, hidden in a field of tall summer grass, thoughtlessly brushing away the occasional insect that landed on his body.

Seeing his large size and obvious strength, Thaylee was chosen to train as an oarsman. A profession he quickly took to. He learned to love the open sea and enjoyed the strain of rowing. Oarsmen were a hearty group, enjoying the hard work and comradery of their fellow crewmembers. Thaylee did not object when he was required to join the Cult of Taint, which worshiped Queen Elissa, the Goddess founder of Carthage. He was less happy when the sign of the cult was burned into his palm.

Not only was the work hard, but it was also dangerous. The oars rested in small keyways, cut into the upper planks of the boat. Cut too deep and the oars might bind, too narrow, they prevented the proper sweep. Oars sometimes broke, causing injury to the man as he pulled back on the long heavy oar. If a keyway was too shallow, the oar might jump from its place, forcing the man out of his seat, again causing injury.

Thaylee worked as an oarsman for three years and saw many men injured, suffering more than one accident himself. He was a thoughtful person and spent most of his free time thinking about how to solve this problem. Thaylee found that if he placed a piece of well-greased animal hide around his oar, in the area it met the keyway, it moved more freely. Perfecting his idea took many months, but he finally came up with the perfect solution. Taking a large rectangle of unsheared lambskin, soaked in animal fat, he pegged it to the boards surrounding the keyway so that the material acted as a cushion for his ore. He also learned to reshape the keyway to just the right depth and width.

When his companions saw that he no longer suffered any injury they asked that he alter their own keyway, adding the bit of skin as he had done to his own. When the ship’s captain learned of Thaylee’s improvements, he quickly saw the benefit and rewarded him by making him the lead man on his side of the boat. Upon their return to their homeport, word quickly spread and soon every boat was outfitted with Thaylee’s invention. So great was the value of this device that fewer oarsmen were needed on board to replace those who were injured. This led to another benefit. Fewer men in the crew meant the size of cargo could be increased, thus increasing the profits and bigger shares for the crew.

Trade routes grew longer and longer. Soon the boat Thaylee called home was stopping at ports as important as Alexandria, in Egypt, and as far away as the great city of Ephesus. One evening Thaylee, sitting in the stern, marveled at the enormous port of Alexandria with its tall light house and beautiful library. He had no idea what was inside the library, but it was a wonderful building to look out. Without warning, flames began shooting up from the very building. Shortly thereafter a small craft was rowed to their starboard side.

Thaylee looked on as several large, heavy boxes were carried on board and quickly brought below deck. A firm hand shake between the captain and the strangely dressed man, who had accompanied the odd cargo, ended quickly as a large Roman war ship came into view. As the small craft left the area a hail of flaming arrows came crashing down on Thaylee. He managed to stamp out the flames when the captain called for all men to take up their stations. Thaylee ran forward to his position and rowed like he never rowed before to escape the attack.

Weeks later, they arrived at the furthest point on the adventure, the city of Ephesus. They entered the harbor in the evening twilight, the oarsmen at a dead slow pace as the helmsman angled the boat. Suddenly there came from the stern a terrible sound of boards smashing against stone. In another moment the boat began to fill with water. Thaylee ran to the stern to see if anyone was hurt. The captain ordered all men overboard before he climbed into the hold. He was attempting to pull out the crates but it was no use. The water quickly rose, floating the cargo through the large hole, along with the captain. Thaylee was the last to jump from the boat as it sank into the depths of the harbor of Ephesus.

CHAPTER ONE

Craig was having trouble finding the right words as he quietly rehearsed his marriage proposal to Erin. A loud crash followed by a succession of tremors shook the jumbo jet as it jerked hard to the right. His jaw slammed shut and he tasted blood. What the hell? Pressing his lip to stem the flow, he tried to clear his head. Another shudder rattled through the plane as it continued its descent to Istanbul Atatürk airport.

The whining noise of the engines modulated as the pilot adjusted their thrust. Craig felt his body lift out of the seat and then push hard into it. Clear air turbulence? No, the plane is not acting as if it’s flying through changing thermal levels. This is something far more serious. As if his thoughts had been communicated to the passengers, their chatter abruptly morphed into intense cries of horror.

The plane leveled and then banked to the left, correcting its course. Craig relaxed his grip on the armrests. Years of perilous experiences in army

intelligence, the CIA, and as a mercenary taught his body the trick of staying calm.

Looking out the window, he caught sight of the outboard engine. Thick black smoke almost masked the harsh yellow-blue flame streaming out. Sure as hell isn’t clear-air turbulence. Could it have been a bird strike? No, too high for that. What could do that to an engine? Some kind of explosion? The plane can easily fly on the three remaining engines–I hope.

The crackling sound of a bullhorn interrupted his thoughts. Why is the flight attendant using a bullhorn instead of the PA system?

Ah … the pilot has informed me that we’ve sustained some … ah … some damage to our outboard starboard engine. The power and fuel have been cut to that engine and the … ah … the fire is out. There is no cause for alarm and we’ve already begun to descend. What the sh–

A horrible whistling noise drowned out the passengers’ screams. Craig felt his ears pop as he turned to see an airline blanket sucked halfway through a crack in the double-paned window three rows back. With the decrease in cabin pressure, the oxygen masks dropped from their overhead compartments. The passengers’ screams grew more frantic. Craig’s eyes refocused on the yellow plastic mask dangling in his face and he pulled it over his nose and mouth.

The flight attendant’s voice had been cut off by a loud siren. The sound quickly died away and she began speaking again.

It appears that a … ah … piece of metal has … ah … compromised the cabin. I am told by the pilot that the use of oxygen is safe. As a precaution, the cabin crew will be coming through to help you with your masks. Not to worry, we’ll be below 8,000 feet in … ah … a few minutes and the masks will no longer be needed.

Taking a deep breath, Craig was rewarded with the calming effect of the oxygen-rich mixture. He hoped it would do as much for the other passengers. Another breath cleared his mind and countless images flashed through his thoughts. All at last resolved into an image of Erin.

Only a week ago he had received her phone call. She was traveling to Turkey. A friend had invited her to take part in his dig in Ephesus. Now she was inviting Craig to join her. The feeling in his stomach was one he thought he’d mastered years ago, the feeling of impending death. Will I ever see Erin again?

A loud crash brought his attention back to the front of the first-class cabin. A flight attendant was wrestling with the portable oxygen tank she was lifting from the floor. After fumbling with the straps, she got the tank seated on her back and donned her mask. She began moving from passenger to passenger. They flailed frantically as the attendant helped them pull on their masks. After finishing in the first-class cabin, she disappeared into economy.

The nose of the giant plane dipped for a moment but the pilot quickly corrected, bringing the jumbo jet back to level flight. Another shudder set off a new round of screams. Craig turned to his seatmate to see if she needed any help. Expecting to see her in hysterics, the unruffled look of the young woman surprised him.

What happened? she asked casually, rubbing sleep from her eyes, calmly putting the mask over her nose and mouth, and pulled the strap over her long dark hair.

Looking past her, he peered through the window. Thankfully, the flames and smoke were gone.

The outboard engine caught fire, he yelled, his voice muffled by the mask. There must have been some kind of explosion.

The young woman turned toward the window.

More than an explosion, I think, she announced, lifting her mask for a moment. She spoke as though she knew exactly what she was looking at.

Once again, the sound of a bullhorn crackled as the attendant fingered the power. The passengers became quiet.

We’ve cut back the power to our port outboard engine to give you the smoothest ride we can. We’ll be going through some thick cloud cover in another few moments as we begin our final descent and it’s going to get a little bumpy for a while. Please remain seated and keep your seatbelts fastened. Once we break through, the ride will become smoother. We’ll enter another patch of clouds as we begin our final approach.

After she clicked off the bullhorn, the passengers began another round of screaming, this time with a greater amount of agitation. The situation had obviously registered in their minds. As if on cue, the plane began shaking. Craig felt like he was in a car with bad shock absorbers, driving over a road full of potholes. Once again, he heard the sound of the engines modulate as the pilot dealt with the turbulent moisture laden clouds.

Overhead compartments sprang open. The contents spilling out onto the passengers. Cries of pain merged with those of fear. The cabin crew went into action, closing the compartments and attempting to calm the passengers. Craig turned back to his seatmate.

What in the world do you mean? he asked, resuming their conversation. Maybe it was a bird. I’ve heard that kind of thing happens more than is reported.

No bird, take a closer look at the damage. Can’t you see the top side of the engine housing is still intact? From here, you can hardly see any damage. An explosion or the introduction of a bird would’ve caused damage all around the engine. There appears to be additional damage to the wing tip. This is not a rare engine failure or an avian collision.

Craig could not believe their detached conversation. The plane might crash at any moment and they were debating the probable cause of their impending death. Their eyes met for a second before he diverted his attention to study the damaged engine.

The plane continued to shudder, but the pilot kept it level as they descended. Even so, the plane shook violently at random moments. Craig saw an attendant pull off her mask. We must be below 8,000 feet. He pulled off his own mask. Twisting around, he glanced through the window and got a glimpse of the wing before it was obscured by a thick white mist of clouds. The top of the engine housing was still intact. In fact, he could see little evidence of the engine failure.

We must be close to landing.

The level flight seemed to be soothing the passengers. Their screams were now little more than quiet mumbling, rising and falling in tune with the jet’s random shuddering. The woman’s lips curled into a thin smile and her eyes twinkled as she nodded knowingly. Craig felt more than heard the grind of the motors as the pilot began extending the flaps in preparation for landing. The air deflectors momentarily popped up for added control.

The sound was immediately followed by a louder one as the pilot lowered the landing gear. Glancing out the window again, he got a glimpse of the neat fields that make up the countryside outside Istanbul before they were engulfed in another layer of patchy clouds that almost hugged the ground.

It appears Yagil has regained control of the plane.

Who?

We suspected some kind of action might be made during the flight. We arranged for one of our people to take the pilot’s seat. Yagil is a very competent military pilot.

Your people? What are you talking about? Who are you?

Before the woman could respond, the wheels hit the ground. Loose objects not already fallen, came tumbling out of the overhead compartments. The silence in the plane filled with thunderous applause and noisy conversation as the passengers realized their terror-filled ordeal was over. The brakes and the reverse thrust of the remaining engines, at last, stopped the plane’s forward motion. Craig reached for his carry-on just as the lead flight attendant began speaking.

Please, everyone remain seated. The fire is out and the plane has sustained no other damage. As a precaution, we will remain here while a preliminary inspection of the damage is made. You will see fire trucks and other emergency vehicles beside the runway. Do not be alarmed as this is standard procedure. The authorities will arrive shortly, as will buses to take you to the terminal. Thank you.

The nervous trill in the flight attendant’s voice was transmitted to the passengers, whose anxious murmurs once again intensified. First to arrive were two large mobile stairways. Hatches on each end of the cabin were immediately opened and, it seemed to Craig, that every passenger was instantly in the aisles. The crew worked hard to get the passengers off in as orderly a manner as possible. As Craig and his seatmate passed the cockpit, the door opened. Before exiting, Craig saw a heavily mustached man poke his head out and return a nod from the woman.

Forced to move away from the plane, Craig watched a number of vehicles, that had been waiting on the tarmac, quickly approach. In a matter of moments, they were surrounded by fire trucks, ambulances, airport police vehicles, and a number of unmarked cars. Firefighters spent minutes pumping thick white foam all over the wing. Convinced their work was finished, the firefighters moved away. Now two mobile stairways were rolled to the damaged wing, while ground personnel attempted to keep the passengers away from the plane.

Craig watched several people ascend to perform a preliminary inspection. Certainly, the section of the wing and the ruined engine would be torn apart for a thorough examination once the plane was brought to a hangar. After inspecting the engine from below, two men climbed onto the wing. They pushed away the fire-suppressing foam and hung over the trailing edge.

The damage was carefully studied. Several minutes went by before one of the men looked up and signaled to someone on the ground. All the inspectors climbed down and the mobile stairways were pulled back. A tow vehicle drove under the nose of the plane at the same time as a number of buses approached.

CHAPTER TWO

Thinking they were now safe, the passengers almost immediately found themselves surrounded by airport security. The stern, uniformed officers made an effort to steer the beleaguered passengers away from the plane. Someone noticed the small fleet of buses approaching and the passengers quickly began queuing up as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred. Craig could almost feel the palpable relief of the passengers as they began speaking with each other in normal tones. Some of the women sobbed quietly, while others broke out into loud bouts of crying.

Craig noticed the woman, who had been his seatmate, manage to make her way to the damaged side of the plane. He scrambled to stay at her side and they both looked up at the destruction that had nearly cost them their lives.

As if reading his thoughts, the woman began to explain her theory. We were over some dangerous territory. I’m sure, based on the evidence, that this plane has been hit with a small shoulder-fired weapon. It was a small missile and it struck the front area of the underside of the engine, leaving the top intact.

How can you possibly come to such an outrageous conclusion? We were too high for that kind of attack.

On the contrary, there are many such devices from both Russia and China available on the black market. Whatever was used must have been very old and possibly modified in some way.

But a SAM (Surface to Air Missile) attack would have … would have brought the plane down, Craig said.

I read a paper, some years ago, about Air Force One, a 747 like this one, and its survivability from a SAM attack.

It may have the same air frame, but Air Force One is a completely different plane. It has a lot of sophisticated radar that would have alerted the pilot in plenty of time to take evasive action. It probably also has counter-measures it could release to defend against a missile attack. This plane has none of that. Just the same, I can’t believe a missile would have simply damaged the engine and not brought us down.

You’d be correct if the weapon was of current production and launched by a soldier with the proper training. A modified IGLA SA-18, which is of Russian manufacture, might have been used.

Modified? Craig asked.

Yes, the standard model has an operable ceiling of 3.5 Km, about eleven or twelve thousand feet. We were certainly higher than that when the attack occurred. That particular missile includes an infrared heat seeking system. I suspect the modification, that gave it greater range, caused the … ah … misfire.

Misfire? You mean it malfunctioned?

Well … yes.

Lucky us.

I think you misunderstand. I believe the attack was not meant to take out the plane, only to cause damage.

What! How can you say something like that? Surely this was a terrorist attack and terrorists don’t warn.

Trust me; I’ve seen things like this before. The woman responded confidently. We had already begun our descent. They waited until we were low enough and slow enough to attempt their attack, she finished, glancing up at the engine.

For a moment, Craig marveled at the woman’s assertive tone. He opened his mouth in astonishment and attempted to announce how crazy he thought the young woman was. Before he could speak, she held up her hand to stop his words, continuing her speculation.

It looks as if we’re not the only ones that knew you would be aboard this flight, Major Johnson.

Craig felt a knot in his stomach grow taut and the veins in his neck begin to pulse painfully. This woman knew who he was and that he would be a passenger. What the hell is going on?

I’m surprised you don’t recognize me, it’s only been a few years, she said with an almost whimsical smile. Walk with me and I’ll try to explain.

Craig looked into her dark eyes and somehow was sure they had met before. He simply could not assign a place, time or circumstance to their meeting. Before he could ask, people began boarding the buses. Craig followed her and they took their place in line. In the terminal, the passengers were met by a group of worried people and reporters eager for a story. Frowns and looks of anguish turned to hesitant smiles as family members or associates were recognized. An instant outpouring of happiness blossomed into annoyingly loud chatter as he and the young woman shouldered their way through the crowd.

Minutes later, they stood in the terminal baggage claim area. Since their next flight was within the country, on a different airline, they were required to pick up their bags and walk them over to customs and then to the check-in counters.

The woman picked a location separate from the passengers and Craig stood beside her. Speaking in hushed tones, she continued her explanation. We met in Jerusalem. At my father’s direction, my sister and I, along with several policemen guarded you and your group during your visit to a bar.

As soon as she uttered the remark, Craig’s memory of that night sprang into his consciousness. Of course, this woman is one of Inspector Schuler’s daughters. Allowing her to keep her secret, at least for the time being, Craig went back to her last statement.

If I remember correctly, you were both in the Israeli Defense Force. Are you Sara or Rebecca?

Rebecca.

What in the world were you doing on the plane?

I should not be telling you this but, because you’ve been in military intelligence and the CIA, I guess you can be trusted. I’ve moved over to the Mossad, she responded so matter-of-factly that Craig’s jaw dropped.

The crowd of people continued to grow and still no suitcases came down the chute.

It appears we’re going to be here for a while. What were you saying about the Mossad?

After I served my term in the army, I was approached with an offer to join. I guess it wasn’t really an offer, more of a directive. That’s the way it is in my country, Rebecca explained. Well anyway, after my initial training I was assigned to small group surveillance. A rather dull assignment, I must say, but one I have come to enjoy. About six months ago my team began investigating the Cult of Tanit.

Sorry, I’ve never heard of that one before.

I’m sure you haven’t. It is a rather ancient Cult born in what has become the country of Tunisia. They count their founding to the ancient city of Carthage, almost three thousand years ago. Tanit was the Carthaginian lunar goddess and also a mother goddess and symbol of fertility. She was the Patron of Carthage.

You sound more like a student of history than a member of an elite Israeli intelligence organization.

It’s the job. Funny how most people have the notion that intelligence work is nothing more than covert activity, fast cars, and gun battles. You of all people should know it is really a lot more of dull research and long meetings, attempting to figure out what all the research means and if any actionable threats are involved.

Yeah, so what does all this research and threat assessment have to do with me?

"Well, you have to understand the overall nature of our work. We monitor every organization we come across to determine if they represent a threat to Israel. Most groups are very benign. The older ones are usually nothing more than religious cults, while the more current ones are political in nature.

The Cult of Tanit was found to be an ancient religious group, whose activities remained within the borders of Tunisia. Recently we discovered them becoming involved with a terrorist group here in Turkey. We still don’t understand the connection but the Turkish group has as its main goal the overthrow of the government."

What else is new? I still don’t understand what all of this has to do with me, Craig interrupted again, still having no idea why this officer of Israeli intelligence had made such an effort to sit next to him.

I’m coming to that. We have intercepted messages between these two groups. For some reason, the Cult of Tanit is exchanging their support for permission to act in Ephesus.

The name of this ancient city made Craig jerk to attention. This has something to do with Erin!

Yes, that is exactly what this is all about. We believe your friend, Professor Mathews, is in great danger from the Cult of Tanit. They apparently learned of your pending arrival. They know who you are.

I can’t believe some ancient secret cult is interested in my visiting Erin. Certainly not to the extent of attempting to blow up a plane. Surely, this was just some random terrorist attack. From long before 9/11 to Mumbai, terrorists have been blowing things up and have seldom aimed their attacks at particular people. As to the attack, I really don’t believe it was. It seems much more logical that it was nothing more than an electrical short–a simple accident. This cult can’t be after me anyway. That makes absolutely no sense. What haven’t you told me?

Rebecca looked around as if suddenly realizing where they were. This is not a very good place to have this conversation. We should wait until we arrive at our destination.

Craig’s mind raced to understand what this frightening pronouncement meant. Erin had said nothing about any danger. They had not