Where In The World Are The Killers?

Death in the Desert

Deep in the Sahara...

"Anders, you've read the brief: we've got a new lead on Chief Ripley's killer!" Carmen announced as she and Anders rode through the desert in their Jeep.

Anders laughs as he slows the Jeep to a stop, "pretty sure I wrote the brief, Carmen! The killer's operating under the codename The Sword... and we have to follow their trail deeper into the desert, where they're hiding."

She nods, "the deep Sahara is uncharted territory. Sometimes, the nomadic tribes set up camp. But-"

"Are you the police?" a man wearing a pale blue headscarf asks, running towards them.

"Yes," Anders confirms, "Agents Anders and Carmen from the Bureau."

"My name is Anir Aznag, I need your help! Something's happened! I'm the leader of the Najwa, a travelling tribe... And there's a dead foreigner in my camp!" Anir cries, pointing in the direction of some large tents not far from where they parked.

"What?!" Carmen exclaimed, unbuckling her seatbelt, "where? Show us the way to your camp, Mr. Aznag! We will investigate right away!"

The agents jump out of their Jeep to follow Anir to his tribe's campsite. Slowing to a stop just past the tents, Anir points towards the center where a fire pit had been set up. Anders and Carmen saw the burnt body laying across the still red coals and firewood. The man's clothes were somewhat intact so they could see that he was wearing a black suit and dress shoes. Looking around the Nomadic camp, Anders spots a clay pot stuffed with items sitting on a carpet several feet away from the fire pit.

"Anders, that tribesman was right: the man lying on the campfire is dead!" Carmen exclaimed, seeing the burned face of the body, "the victim's wearing a suit... he's definitely not a nomad, but that's odd even for a foreigner."

"What happened, Anir?" Anders inquires, turning to the nomad.

"I don't know! Agent Anders, we were away, tending to the animals. I came back alone, and I... found this dead man in the camp!" Anir explained, frazzled.

"Wait... you mean a stranger dropped dead in your camp, without any of you seeing a thing?" he inferred in disbelief.

"The Almighty have mercy on your soul, Agent Anders, that is the truth! But... this man's not a stranger! I know him! He's an American called Donald Barnes," he informed them sadly.

"Well, get your story straight, Anir!" Carmen orders, "Agent Anders will take your statement in a minute!"

Anir nods before walking off to one of the tents which they assumed must have been his.

"I see you've found a clue, Anders!" Carmen says as she watches her partner sit down on the rug, "good call, we'll have a look inside that clay pot!"

"What do people store in these things?" Anders wondered as he began pulling out matchboxes, red bell peppers, garlic, spice jars, and wooden spoons, "I could make the team dinner with some of this stuff!"

"I think it's Lars's turn to cook tonight, Fili better have a fire extinguisher ready," she rolls her eyes, "why we let him near a stove I'll never know... But more importantly, we've just arrived, and already there's a dead American in a Najwa camp. I'm not liking this one bit!"

He pulls a digital watch out of the pot, "food aside, this is one high-tech-looking watch!"

"Such a fancy device probably belonged to the victim. But it's locked!" she points out.

Anders whistled for Loki to get off his neck.

"Good idea, Anders," Carmen agrees, catching onto his train of thought, "Loki can unlock the victim's gadget! It might explain how it ended up in that clay pot!"