This excerpt from Chapter 1 was written before hostage drama began. It now seems almost prophetic.

Jacques was in his late thirties, and I was pleased that he'd recently found someone new, or so I'd picked up in a comment he'd posted on Facebook. It was someone I had not yet personally met, but I understood that she was an archaeologist as well, which to me sounded like a good match.

He led me into his study where his laptop was open, with several notes and a diary lying beside it. I assumed he was writing an article about his visit to Israel, and more specifically about Qumran. I also knew that he'd recently done research about the Biblical Exodus, so I assumed he was writing something about that as well.

"And where is that girl you met while you were in Israel?" I asked. "She was at Qumran, not so? By the way, I saw your recent article about the Scrolls in the Sunday Times, and also on Facebook. It was absolutely brilliant."

Jacques nodded and briefly covered his eyes. "Yes, the girl's name is Tamar. She's a doctoral student, but after I wrote that Sunday Times article she was high-jacked. Forcibly abducted, I mean. It was terrible. I not even sure if she's alive still."

At that point his voice broke, but after a minute he said, "Sorry about that. Let me show you a photo."

He opened a page on his laptop, showing an attractive, twenty-something girl with dark hair and a faintly teasing smile. It was my impression that she was partly nude in the photo, but of course I didn't say that to Jacques.



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