Giza Key chapter 7

by Ammundaea

The Giza Key: found and the search for the weapon has begun! please read chapters 16, then R&R!

The Order of the Giza Key

Chapter 1: Laraya

Cole Marshall sighed as he shifted ruble out of his path. He had been down in the temple for an hour and hadn't found anything of consequence, unless the Cairo Museum was collecting rocks shaped like elephants. He'd found plenty of those. But other than that, it was monotonous. Long stretches of dank, grey stone were occasionally punctuated by faded hieroglyphs, but they had long since been discovered and were now just gathering dust.

Cole stopped and wiped beads of sweat off his sun burnt forehead. A teenager of fifteen, he had curly blond hair and blue eyes that gave him that irresistible boy-next-door look. His mother, Kalira, was an Egyptologist, and he was often dragged along on her many, fruitless digs. This time, they had traveled to Abu Simbel, near Aswan - a supposedly fascinating dig site. Cole never found it interesting, though. Each time, his mother would tell him "this time we'll find it" or "I've got a good feeling about this place", but each time they were unsuccessful. What it was they were looking for, his mother never said. All she knew herself was that it unlocked a mystery. "Just keep your eyes out for anything unusual, anything that could be a key." And so they looked. Time after time, they searched for something they didn't even know existed.

"If I only knew what to look for," muttered Cole, his blue eyes sweeping the cavern in which he was now standing. "Maybe then I could find it...whatever it is. Maybe then we could go home."

He didn't enjoy this; this was his mother's dream, not his. He found it completely boring to spend hours examining ancient scribbles and trying to figure out if prehistoric people used toilet paper.

Cole was interrupted from his musings by the chinking sound of metal on stone. This struck him as odd; his mother had said she was working several levels above him. He stepped in to the next enclosure to greet her and received a shock.

Kneeling at a cartouche on the opposite wall, with her back to him, was not his mother, but another girl. She had dark, waist-length hair that had been pulled into a loose ponytail. She continued to work, apparently unaware of Cole's arrival. He looked around the room and noticed that someone had been pecking at a wall with nothing on it. Even more strange was that there did not seem to be anything interesting about the symbols she was working on. Cole stepped forward to greet the girl, but she interrupted him almost immediately.

"Hi, I -"

"You'll have to move along, this spot is taken." She kept her back to him, and Cole felt a flicker of annoyance. You did she think she was?

"Sorry," Cole responded serenely, "Just saying hi."

The girl turned, her hair whipping around. She stood up quickly, wiping dust from her hands as she did. She was very pretty, with vibrant green eyes that seemed to sparkle. She couldn't have been much older than Cole himself.

"Sorry," said the girl. "I thought you were someone else. There's been a bunch of guys down here who keep telling me to shove off." She stopped talking and looked him up and down appraisingly. "Aren't you a little young to be wandering around a temple alone?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," said Cole, now with a definite edge to his voice. This girl sure could patronize.

"Well, not that it's any of your business, but I'm here with my grandfather." She looked him up and down again with a frown. "So, why are you here?" she added with a snicker. "School field trip?"

"Well, not that it's any of your business, but I'm here with my mother. She's an Egyptologist," he added with a trace of pride, but he deflated almost at once. "It's boring as hell though. Did you get dragged along, too?"

"No", she replied coolly. "I love Egypt. I find it so fascinating." She turned away from him and Cole noticed the light in her eyes igniting as she spoke. She definitely seemed to be on another planet. "The people, the mythology, all of it. I just love it," she repeated.

"Oh yeah, me too," replied Cole. The girl turned back to him, her eyebrows raised.

He blushed and hurried on. "Er...I'm Cole, by the way. Cole Marshall."

"Laraya," she said shortly, and turned back to her work.

Just then, the voice of Kalira Marshall came over Cole's walkie-talkie: "Cole? Get up here quick, please, I think I found something!"

"That's my mother, I've got to go. It was nice meeting you, Laraya." said Cole.

"Uh huh," said Laraya. She was already absorbed in her work.

Cole shook his head, giving one last look at the wall across the room and ran back up the sloping path to where his mother was working. As he ran, he felt hope flare up inside him. Maybe she really had found something, and they could go home.

As soon as Cole had left, the girl named Laraya picked up her tools, moved to the wall across the room, and resumed her work. She took her pick and started jabbing at the stone. She was looking for something, too. She and her grandfather were searching for the fabled Giza Key, an artifact said to unlock a powerful, ancient weapon. If the Children of Anubis got a hold of it, there would be disastrous consequences.

"See the engravings on the case? And look at how the jewels are set into the ridges here! Oh, Cole, I think this is it!" Kalira Marshall proclaimed excitedly. Her vivid red hair bobbed on her shoulders as she spoke. She was beside herself with delight as she explained her findings to her only son.

"Great, great. Does this mean we can go home now?" said Cole. He was excited, but at the prospect of going home, not at this curious relic. His mother's face fell, and instantly Cole felt guilty. His mother had been searching for this for over a year and he was wrecking this moment for her. "I'm sorry, mom. I'm just homesick."

Kalira gave him a small, understanding smile. "I know sweetie. But this could be very important. We'll take this back home with us and I can work on opening it in the lab. I'll tell you all about it on the plane ride home. Now go pack up your tools, let's get back to Aswan."

Cole almost bounced the two floors down to his backpack. They were going home! Finally, after over 4 months. No more sleeping on dirt or in creepy hotels in Cairo. He bent over his backpack, packing his crossword puzzles and half-eaten lunch. No more having to empty his shoes of bugs before putting them on in the morning. Back to civilization, to television, to his friends...

Cole's happy thoughts were broken by the sound of gunshots above him. He straightened up sharply and spun his head around, cricking his neck. He grabbed his backpack and set off at a run toward his mother. What was going on? Was it just a cave in? Or could someone be firing at his mother? Frantic thoughts swirled in his head as he sped up the passageway. He was so gripped by these thoughts that he didn't see an arm reach out from a crevice in the wall and grab his shirt, jerking him off the stone path. He tried to yell, but felt a hand clap to his face, covering his mouth. His attacker grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back. He was trapped!

The Order of the Giza Key

Chapter 2: Escape

"Be quiet and don't move," hissed a voice in Cole's ear. He knew that voice. It was the voice of the girl he had talked to earlier, Laraya. What was going on? Did she have something to do with the gunshots he had heard? She had seemed so...well, not exactly nice, but not likely to shoot his mother. As he wondered this, he heard the voices of two men coming down the path. Laraya pulled Cole deeper into the fissure.

"Damn girl got away, and took the casket with her," said one of the men in a raspy voice. Cole felt Laraya stiffen behind him. She was gripping his arm so tightly he was loosing blood. She seemed to sense his discomfort, for she loosened her grasp, but did not relinquish it. He tried to forget the shooting pain in his arm and strained to hear what the men were saying.

"...shot her when you had the chance, Mort." the second man was saying. His voice had a sly quality, he would not have been out of place at a stockholders meeting.

"And if I'd hit the chest? The boss would kill me!" said the man called Mort. They were now standing directly in front of the crack where Cole and Laraya were hiding. Cole could only see the back of one of them. He was tall and skinny with greasy hair that matched his voice.

"What about the boy?" said the second man in his oily tone.

"Must've slipped out ahead of us, let's go out and look by the dune buggy." said Mort.

"Right," agreed the second man, and they set off down the passageway. Their voices drifted back up to the concealed teenagers as they walked further away.

"What about the girl and her dear old grandfather?"

"We'll find them eventually, but they're not as important as the Key."

The two teenagers remained frozen for a full minute before Laraya released him and he fell out onto the trail, panting. He stood up just as she squeezed out and looked anxiously up and down the path.

"We don't have long, they'll be back. We have to find you're mother. Come on" she said.

She set off at a brisk walk up the narrow walkway, with Cole trailing behind her, gaping as he jogged.

"Do you think you could tell me what the hell is going on? Do you know them? And what do they want with my mother and I?"

"This is not the right place to discuss it. We'll find you're mother and my grandpa and get back to Cairo." she panted, not meeting his eyes. "I take it your mother found the Giza Key." she added with a sigh.

"Er, the what?" said Cole, gasping for breath as they climbed a set of steep stairs.

"It's okay, you can tell me, my whole family's looking for it too." she said, looking around the room they had just reached. "Well, almost my whole family," she added sadly.

"No, I'm serious; I have no idea what you're talking about. I mean, my mom just found something, but I have no idea what it was." said Cole.

Laraya turned to him, looking surprised. "You mean you don't know anything about it? Oh great, this is going to be fun," she said sarcastically. "Just wait till I - Grandpa!"

A distinguished looking man of about seventy-five had just emerged from behind a column. He sighed with relief and embraced his granddaughter.

"Oh, thank God, I was worried they'd got you. Ah, and this must be young Cole," he said, holding out his hand for Cole, you shook it uncertainly. "Mathias Carter. Pleased to meet you," continued the man. "Your mother and I have been searching for you two. Miss Marshall!" he called over his shoulder. "They're here!" Cole's red haired mother appeared around a corner and ran forward to give her son a bone-cracking hug. She seemed very shaken.

"Oh, Cole, are you alright? Are you hurt? Did they see you? Oh Cole!"

Cole gently removed himself from his mother's arms. "I'm fine mom. But what about you? We heard gunshots, and those men mentioned the case you found."

His mother gave him a small, reassuring, smile. "I had just finished packing when I heard them come up the passage behind me. I grabbed all my stuff and ran around the corner just as one of them took a shot at me. I turned another corner and ran straight into Mathias, here."

Cole grinned. "The same thing happened to me. Laraya grabbed me and got me out of the way just in time." He turned to her. "Thank you."

"No big," she said with a wave of her hand. "But I suggest we get out of here and find a safe place to discuss all this." She turned to her Grandfather. "Dad and Uncle Jack will want to know the Key's been found."

"Right," said Mathias. "Let's get a move on."

"Alright, they're coming back up through the temple." Mathias motioned for Kalira, Cole and Laraya to join him. They were standing at the top of yet another set of stairs and looking out onto the desert below. Cole could just see the top of each man's head as they made their way up the stone steps.

"Alright, we have to get down to the car while they're in here looking. That means we have to get past them and out into the desert without them seeing us. Hmm..." He looked around at them all with a hopeful expression. "Any ideas?"

"There's a crack in the wall that Cole and I hid in while they came down the path," said Laraya. "But I don't think it'll fit all of us. We were pretty squished, and there was just the two of us."

Kalira spoke up. "Cole, why don't you and Laraya go down into that crack and Mathias and I will stay around the corner here. When they walk past you, go straight down to the car."

"What about you?" argued Cole. "How will you get out if they walk right up here?"

"We'll just have to hope they don't look behind every door." said Mathias with a frown. "They didn't look that bright, to be honest."

"Alright, let's do it. Cole, we better get going," said Laraya, dragging him by his sleeve. Cole broke free of her grasp and ran to embrace his mother.

"It's alright, Cole. I'll be fine with Mathias. Now get going. Quickly!" said his mother.
Cole gave her a look, then turned and followed Laraya, who was already racing down the steps. They went swiftly down to the crack in which they had hid and squeezed in just as the two goons turned the corner. The teenagers crouched down in the gap and looked out into the aisle with bated breath. To their delight, they walked straight past Cole and Laraya without looking twice. Cole caught snatches of their conversation as they marched past.
"Damn it, we're done for now. The boss will kill us!" said Mort. He sounded extremely anxious.
"We're not done looking yet," snarled the greasy haired man. "They're probably still in the temple. We'll keep looking."
Cole and Laraya stepped out as soon as Mort and his slippery comrade had turned the corner. Both looked anxiously up the stairs.
"C'mon, you heard your mom. We've got to get down to the car." said Laraya, nervously fingering a gold locket that hung around her neck.

"We can't just leave them there!" said Cole incredulously. "That's my mother up there!"

"And my grandfather!" hissed Laraya, her eyes flashing. "Look, I don't like this plan any more than you do, but we've got to stick to it."

Cole looked at her imploringly for a moment, but then, seeing that she wouldn't budge, sank into a grudging agreement. "Alright. Let's go."

Laraya looked relieved, as though she had been suspecting more hostility than this. She quickly turned and raced down the path, Cole trailing along in her wake.

They arrived at the desert floor in a matter of minutes. Both teens squatted down behind the vehicle and peeked over the top of it.

"As soon as you see them coming out, tell me and I'll start this thing up," said Laraya, gesturing to the car.

"Okay," said Cole. They waited several minutes in silence before he spoke again. "Where are they? Why haven't they come out yet?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure they're fine," responded Laraya, with an attempt at her usual maddeningly superior tone. But she too looked worried.

Just then, two figures were seen coming out of the pyramid. Cole squinted into the bright sunlight to see who they were. He caught a glimpse of flamboyant red hair and felt relief rush over him like a flood. "It's them! Start the car!"

But something was wrong. They were running quickly, Kalira's duffel bag banging against her leg. Both were looking wildly over their shoulders. Cole looked harder and saw the two gangsters running after them. Mort was waving the gun violently.

"Hurry, Laraya, Mort and the other one are right behind them!"

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!" said Laraya through gritted teeth. "I can't find the key! Oh here it is. All right, come on. Get in."

Cole jumped in the back of the car just as Mort fired the gun. Kalira grabbed the wheel and Mathias jumped in as a second shot rang out. As Mort and his associate let out howls of rage, the red haired Egyptologist floored the gas pedal and they sped off into the gathering dusk toward Aswan.

The Order of the Giza Key

Chapter 3: The Library

"Is everyone alright?" Came the anxious voice of Cole's mother. Laraya scowled at Cole, who had toppled on top of her in the rush.

"I'd be better if this great oaf got off of me!" she growled.

"Oh come on, it's not like I meant to." Cole glared at her as he struggled into the seat. "I don't normally encounter big, gun toting men who try to do me in! I was a tad panicked, can you blame me?"

"If it involves my stomach being crushed, then yeah, I think I can!"

"Okay, I think you're both fine." Said Kalira, rolling her eyes. "Mathias?

"I'm jim-dandy," said Mathias grimly. "But those buffoons will be quick on our tail. We'd better get a move on. If you give me the wheel, I can take us to a secure location." They stopped and quickly changed places. As soon as they got back in, Mathias pulled out a beeper and gave it to Laraya. "You know what to do," he said.

"What are you doing?" asked Kalira.

"I'm sending a message to my sons to let them know we're coming. Do you still have the casket?" continued Mathias.

Kalira patted the duffle bag on her lap. "It's right here."

"Good. I don't think I need to tell you how important the contents of that case are." He exchanged a significant glance with his granddaughter.

"Uh, actually, you need to tell me," said Cole. "I haven't the faintest idea what's going on."

Mathias looked surprised. "You mean you don't know anything?" He turned to Kalira. "You haven't told him about the Key, or the Children of Anubis or anything?"

Kalira shook her head. "I didn't think it was necessary."

"Oh boy," sighed Mathias.

"What? What's he talking about? What aren't you telling me? What's the Children of Anubis? What -"

"This is not the appropriate place to discuss it. We have to wait. Please be patient," said his mother imploringly. Trust me, sometimes I'd rather not know."

"Well way to peak my curiosity, Mom," Cole glowered at the back of his mother's head. He crossed his arms and looked across the seat at Laraya, who was staring at him haughtily. "Oh you love this, don't you: knowing something I don't?"

"Oh come now, Cole. I know plenty of things you don't," she smirked. "But I must admit, this is fun."

"Why you little -"

"Cole, that's enough. Your questions will be answered. Just be patient. We'll get there soon…I think. Mathias?" Kalira looked enquiringly at their driver.

"Not long now. I just hope Jack and Daniel got the message. They won't be able to let us in otherwise."

They rode along in silence for almost ten minutes before Cole spoke again.

"Where is this 'secure location' anyway? And just how 'secure' is it?" he said nervously.

"It's in the basement of the Aswan library. We know the curator, he let's us use it," said Laraya.

"Don't worry, Cole. We'll be safe there. It should only take us a couple hours, then you will have your queries answered," said Mathias.

After what seemed like a lifetime, they turned onto a small side street in downtown Aswan. They stopped in front of a small building and stared at what was before them. The door was hanging lopsidedly off its hinges and several of the windows had been broken. They stepped inside, trying to absorb the chaos around them. Broken glass and overturned tables littered the floor.

"Uh, is it supposed to be like this?" asked Cole. "I mean, I know it's not exactly a nice part of town, but this is a little much."

"Oh course it isn't supposed to look like this, idiot!" snapped Laraya. "Someone's been here. They knew where to look, how could they know!" she was becoming hysterical. She stopped to take a breath, and then cried out. "Oh, no! Oded!" She ran around a corner and almost tripped over a figure on the floor.

A man no older than thirty was lying on his side, his eyes wide open. There was blood seeping from a deep gash in his head. Laraya let out a sob.

"He's dead," said Kalira softly, crouching down beside the body. "Did you know him?"

"He was the curator," groaned Mathias. "And a good friend of mine, too."

"I'm sorry," said Cole. Laraya gave him a waterlogged nod and he turned away, embarrassed. "We'd better get out of here, whoever did this could be back soon," he continued quickly.

"Well, it doesn't look like they got to the basement; something must have scared them off," said Mathias, examining a trap door that he had just uncovered.

"Yeah, us," said a voice. The four comrades turned quickly to see a tall man striding toward them, thrusting fallen desks from his path. He had a strong build, with a slightly hardened look to his face. His features appeared to be chiselled in stone.

"Uncle Jack! Are you alright? Where's Dad?" said Laraya, rushing to her uncle.

"Your dad and I are both fine, but we didn't recognize the car you came in. We thought it was the Children of Anubis back for another raid, so he went around back to sneak in."

"It was them, then?" said Mathias. "I had hoped not."

Jack nodded. "We couldn't stop them killing Oded, though. We weren't fast enough," he said sadly. He stopped suddenly and seemed to notice Cole and his mother for the first time. "Oh, hello there," he said, looking very puzzled. "Sorry, the library is closed today for..." he paused, looking around the destroyed library, "…refurbishment."

"Actually, we're here with them," said Cole, jerking his thumb at Laraya and her grandfather, who were staring transfixed at their fallen friend. "We're not patrons."

"Oh, really," said Jack. "And just who are you?"

"I'm Kalira Marshall, and this is my son Cole. We were in Abu Simbel with your father and niece when the Children of Anubis came."

"They found the Key, Jack," said Mathias, looking up from the curator's limp body.

"You found it!" said Jack, warming up at once. "Incredible! Did they take it? Where did they go?" He grew louder and louder as he drilled questions at her. "What did it look like? How long ago was it taken?"

"Umm, I've still got it," said Kalira, looking confused. "They didn't manage to take it from us."

"Oh," said Jack. He looked shocked for a moment, then brightened instantly. "That's excellent. Really, really…excellent." He paused, then carried on. "C'mon, let's go. You can meet Daniel."

"But what about Oded? We can't just leave him here!" said Laraya.

"You're father's already called the Aswan authorities. They'll take him to the…hospital."

While the other's made their way to the back exit, Cole paused to think. There was something peculiar about this man. He didn't look criminal, but there was something in his eyes when they mentioned the key. Like a red glow that had flared, but was instantly extinguished. 'I'll have to keep my eye on him,' thought Cole, as he hurried after the others.

The Order of the Giza Key

Chapter 4: The Children of Anubis

The group made they're way across the wreckage, shifting books and fragments of parchment that still littered the floor. They finally found the back door and stepped out onto a veranda. A white jeep was parked in a small, dingy lot. There was no sign of Laraya's father.

"He should be here!" said Jack, gazing around the lot with his cold eyes. "I told him to wait back here! Daniel! It's only us, come out!"

"I'll go back inside and look for him," said Kalira.

As she disappeared, a head poked out from around the corner of the building. "Laraya? Jack? Are you all right?" The man emerged and ran to his daughter, who

hugged him briefly. He stepped back and sighed in relief.

Besides a few subtle differences, Jack and Daniel could have been twins. Daniel Carter was a tall man, with a more mature look than his brother. His eyes were soft and somewhat sadder than Jack's, as though he carried a haunting shadow of his past.

After he had finished greeting his father, Daniel turned to Cole. "You look familiar, son. Have I seen you before? And how did you get caught up in all of this?"

Cole was quick to respond. "My name's Cole Marshall. My mother found the key…thingy in Abu Simbel. Apparently this is a humungous deal to all of you, but I still haven't the faintest clue about any of this."

"You found the key! That's amazing! We've been looking for it for years! Who's your mother? I have to meet her!"

"Her name's Kalira. She just went back inside looking for you," said Mathias.

Daniel's face paled. "Did you say your last name was Marshall? Your mother is Kalira Marshall?"

"Uh, yes," said Cole, giving Daniel a puzzled look. "Do you know her or something?"

"Me? Uh, no. No. Never met her. I've just, uh, admired her work. Um, yeah," he sputtered. Laraya raised her eyebrows at Cole.

"Uh, right. She should be back any second now," said Cole. "MOM! WE FOUND HIM!" hollered Cole.

Kalira appeared through the door, her duffel bag at her side and a stack of parchment in her hands. "Look at all these writings! I've got to compare this to -" She stopped short at the sight of Daniel. Her eyes widened in shock and she dropped the scrolls she was carrying. Daniel remained immobile, staring at her with nothing short of wonder. The rest of the group looked back and forth between Daniel and Kalira, who were staring at each other like statues, unflinching. It was not until Cole broke the silence that they were brought out of their trance.

"Am I missing something?"

"Uh, no, Cole," Kalira snapped out of her reverie and bent to pick up the fallen scrolls. "I'm just…honored to meet Dr. Carter. I've…read…about you." She paused and cleared her throat, unsure of what to say next.

"Well, um, we should probably get going and uh, find a safe place to figure all of this out," said Mathias, casting Kalira and Daniel a perplexed look.

"Right, yes," said Daniel, drawing his gaze from Kalira at last. "Does anyone know where we should go? This was our safe house."

"My mom and I are at a hotel here in Aswan. We could go there," suggested Cole.

"Don't be stupid, Cole. The Children of Anubis knew you were looking for the key, they knew you were in Abu Simbel. They'll know what hotel you're in and when you go back to it."

"Okay, I get it! It was just an idea. I don't see you coming up with any."

"Guys! Cool your jets! Sheesh!" said Mathias. He turned to his sons. "They were like that in the car too. On and on and on! They never quit!"

"I know where we can go," said Kalira. "There's a place in Cairo that should be ready for us by now."

"What place? Why didn't you tell me about this place? Boy, you sure are one for secrets, mom," said Cole.

"Let's just get in the jeep and we'll talk while we drive," said Jack. "Cole needs his questions answered."

"Finally!" said Cole as he climbed into the jeep. "Wait, what about our car?"

"Uh, about that," said Daniel. "Your car doesn't happen to be silver SUV, does it?"

"Yeah, it is. Why?" said Cole curiously.

"See, I kinda thought it was the Children of Anubis' car, so I, um, popped your tires," he said sheepishly.

"You never really were a thinker, Daniel," smiled Kalira.

"I thought you two had never met," said Jack suspiciously.

Daniel and Kalira both sped into hasty explanations.

"You're right, it's just what I've read -"

"Never met her in my life -"

"Okay, let's just get going, please," said Laraya, climbing into the jeep after Cole. "I'm sure Cole's dying to finally be let into the loop," she smirked.

"Oh ha ha, very funny," snapped Cole. "Can we just go now?"

"Right," said Mathias. "Everybody in? Alright, let's get a move on."

They all piled in and Cole, squished between Laraya and his mother, wasted no time in getting to the point. "Okay, first question: What is 'the key' that you all keep obsessing about?"

"The Giza Key is an Egyptian artifact said to release a powerful, ancient weapon," said Mathias from the front seat. "Until now, it's only been a legend, an old story. Many people believed that the Pharaoh Khufu had been given a weapon by Anubis. This weapon was to be used by Khufu to destroy his enemies. When he died, the weapon was supposed to be hidden in The Great Pyramid for his use in the afterlife."

"A thousand years later, Nefertari, the favorite wife of Ramses the second, heard this legend and took it seriously," continued Daniel. "She ordered her servants to raid the tomb of Khufu to find it, hoping to present it to her husband as a gift. When they got there, however, all they found was a casket, containing a large, blue diamond. Nefertari believed this was the key to the real weapon, so she hid it away until she could figure out where the actual weapon was."

"Where did she put it?" asked Cole.

"In Abu Simbel, where you found it four hours ago," said Laraya. "Duh!"

"Right, right. I knew that," said Cole. "Continue, Daniel."

"More specifically, in her temple dedicated to Hathor," Daniel carried on. "But unfortunately, she died before she discovered where the weapon was."

"Do we know where it is?" ask Cole.

"Unfortunately, no," said Jack. "But we were hoping the Key was some kind of clue or map."

"What is the weapon itself?" Cole asked.

Mathias shrugged. "We don't know, exactly. Some stories say it's a great plague, other's say it's an explosive with the force of an atomic bomb."

"Cool!" exclaimed Cole. "That Khufu guy had it made!"

"Look, the point isn't what the weapon is. It's how to stop The Children of Anubis from taking it," said Daniel impatiently.

"Which brings us to my next question," said Cole. "Who are The Children of Anubis?"

"They're a group of criminals who heard the story of the Giza Key. They want to find the weapon and use it for god knows what. They'll either keep the weapon for themselves, or they'll sell it to the highest bidder," said Jack.

"And you guys fit into this how?" asked Cole.

"Well, now that the key's been found, we'll concentrate our efforts on stopping The Children of Anubis and finding the weapon and destroying it."

"And now, unfortunately, you and mother are caught right in the middle of it," said Daniel. "The Children of Anubis will know you two are involved in this mess and it isn't safe for you to walk away from it all. If you stay with us and help us find the weapon, you'll be much safer."

Cole and his mother met each other's eyes for a moment, having a completely nonverbal conversation.

"So, let me get this straight," said Cole. "We can leave, turn our backs and try to forget all this, but still have a bunch of deranged lunatics on our tails. Or, we can stay; help save the world from total annihilation and still have deranged lunatics on our tails. Is that about right?"

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up," said Laraya.

Cole and his mother looked at each other. "We're in."

The Order if the Giza Key

Chapter 5: Headquarters

Far away from the car now traveling toward Cairo, a figure sat alone in a darkened room. The room was empty, except for a chair and a small desk, behind which she was sitting. She was gazing at blueprints for what looked like a library, illuminated by a dim lamp. Just as she heaved a frustrated sigh and began to roll up the papers, the door of the room burst open and a heavyset man came in, holding two other men by the scruffs of their necks. One was thin and greasy looking; the other was stocky and looked very anxious. The man holding them tossed them roughly into the room, gave a small bow to the woman behind the desk and left, closing the door with a snap. The woman gave them an icy sneer.

"Why have you come back empty handed? Where is it? Didn't you find it? Speak!"

The stocky man opened and closed his mouth several times, looking terrified. The second man cleared his throat and began to speak, looking angry.

"You can't blame us, we didn't know the Carters were going to be there! They had other help, too. The informant told us that it would just be the girl and her stupid old grandfather!"

The woman paled, but when she spoke, her voice was calm. "Are you saying that they have it? After months of planning, you let a little girl and a feeble old relic take it?" As she spoke, her voice was becoming steadily louder. "That Key is the single most important thing in order to keep this operation running and YOU LET IT SLIP THROUGH YOU SLIMY LITTLE FINGERS!" The two men looked at each other hopelessly as the woman raged on. Then, the stocky man timidly put up his hand, and the woman abruptly stopped her pacing and ranting to stare at him. "What, Mort?"

"They didn't actually find it," he began, "It was these other people, but I didn't recognize them. They left with the Carter girl and her grandfather, though. We tried to stop them, boss, we really did!"

The woman glared at them both then began to speak, her voice determinedly calm. "I will give you one more chance. As soon as I have word from my informant, I'm sending you two after it. I had two of my best men search their little hideout, but they found nothing. I want you to find them! And I want you to figure out who those people were! If you fail me again, make sure you come back. It would just be so much trouble to hunt you down and then kill you. If you come back it'll save us all a lot of running around." She sneered at the terrified faces of her cronies and then bellowed, "GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!"

Laraya was dozing fitfully and awoke to find herself in the back of her father's car. It took her a moment to remember all of the day's events, but then they flooded back into her mind, each thought cascading over the other. She sighed inwardly and looked around. Cole's head was drooped onto her shoulder. The rest of the car was silent; they were all either asleep or lost in thought. Laraya gazed down at Cole, and smiled. She could not help noticing how much she liked him. Sure, he could be completely annoying, but there was something about him... She found herself in a daydream, going over their meeting in her head. She suddenly shook herself out of her reverie and realized what she was feeling. She tried to stop her thoughts and moved Cole's head from her shoulder roughly. He woke up and shook his head, murmuring. "Are we there yet?"

"No," said Laraya gruffly. "Go back to sleep."

There came a mumble of consent and he fell asleep immediately, his head dropping back onto her shoulder. Laraya looked annoyed for a moment, then softened. She slowly and tentatively lowered her head onto Cole's, smiled to herself, and finally fell asleep.

Cole awoke several hours later as the car went over a bump in the road. He shook himself awake, rubbing his eyes. "What time is it?" he asked blearily.

"It's a little after three a.m.," said Jack from the front seat. "We're almost in Cairo. Can you give us directions, Kalira?"

Cole turned and saw that his mother was fully awake. "Go straight through the city down the main road. Then turn down the last street before you reach the turnoff for Giza," she said.

It took them twenty minutes to get all the way through Cairo. When they turned down the road that Kalira had indicated, they saw it went on for several miles. When they were almost at the end, Kalira told Jack to stop, her eyes scanning the derelict houses. "That one," she said, pointing at a miniscule shack on the left side of the street. "That's our new headquarters."

The others stared at it in disbelief. It couldn't have been more than twenty square feet. "Uh, mom?" said Cole. "Are you sure you've got the right place? I mean, how are we supposed to fit in there, let alone work!"

Kalira smiled mischievously, her eyes twinkling. "Oh, I think we can all fit. Everyone out!"

The group climbed out of the car, wondering if Kalira had lost her mind. She walked over to the hut and swung open a rickety door. It was completely bare, but a door at the other end indicated a second room. Cole walked over and tried to open it. "It's locked," he said, rattling the handle.

"It's a combination lock," said Kalira, squeezing past her son. They watched, amazed, as she felt along the wall to the right of the door and finally found a small switch. She flicked it and instantly a minute keypad popped out of the wall to the left of the door. She typed for a few seconds, then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the keypad zoomed back into the wall and the door gave a click. Kalira rotated the knob once more and this time, it opened. What they saw gave them a shock. It was an elevator.

"No way," said Laraya in a hushed voice. "It's underground?"

Kalira smiled widely. "That's right! This little hovel is just to throw everyone off the trail."

Cole was almost hopping with excitement. "Well, come on! Let's get down there!"

The rest of their group clamored in, casting each other amazed looks. Once they had all piled in, Mathias, who was nearest to the panel on the wall, pressed the down button. They started moving, each of them imagining what awaited them. Finally, they stopped moving and the doors opened. It was everything you could ask for. They all stepped out and looked around in wonder. They were in a large, square room with a very high ceiling an elaborate fireplace at one end. In the centre of the room was a set of squashy furniture, and past it they could see a spotless kitchen and dinning room. There were doors leading off the left side of the room, possible bedrooms. On the right side was a wide doorway, and through it they could see a laboratory, equipped with a wide array of instruments and computers. The walls were littered with a vast quantity of drawers and cupboards.

At the far end of the room was a small doorway, and Cole noticed that it had no door handle. Before he could think of what could be behind it, his mother's voice drowned out his thoughts.

"Now, I originally thought that it would only be Cole and I in here, so there's only two bedrooms. But there should be a spare room. But that still means we'll have to double up. Cole can stay with me. Mathias, why don't you and Jack share a room. That leaves Laraya and…Daniel." She cleared her throat uncomfortably and then said quickly "Alright! Let's get moving."

Cole followed his mother into the room closest to the kitchen and stared around in astonishment. There were two beds, two dressers and a large closet. There was also a large television with a DVD player lying beneath it. A door led off into a large bathroom.

Kalira smiled at the stunned look on her son's face. "Do you like it?"

Cole opened and closed his mouth, at a complete loss for words. "How did you arrange all of this?" he finally croaked out.

His mother smiled. "I have some important contacts that helped us out. We're all free to stay here for as long as we need. It's one of the most secure places I could find."

Cole finally stopped gawking at his bedroom and unpacked quickly. He wanted a chance to explore the rest of the house before everyone else. He left and went across the room to the laboratory, finding Laraya already there.

"This place is amazing," exclaimed Laraya. "Look at this lab! We've got everything we need here! This is perfect, absolutely perfect."

"Yeah…perfect," said Cole. But he wasn't looking at the lab.

The Order of the Giza Key

Chapter 6: The Key

Kalira sat on her bed lost in thought. The fact that he was here changed things radically. She was totally unprepared for this, for him. They would have to tell everyone the truth eventually, this she knew. But what would they all think? And Cole, what kind of affect would this have on him? He would feel so…betrayed. His trust in her would be lost. The same would go for Laraya. And what about the rest of them? They would judge her, but she knew she had to tell them. However, the first thing she had to do was talk to him. Yes, that's what she would do. She stood up, squared her shoulders and walked out of the room and into Daniels.

Laraya stood beside Cole, examining the different tools and computers. It was a while before Cole spoke.

"You know, I was thinking. Won't someone see the car? It would be a dead giveaway, especially if they know our license plate."

"Yeah, but my dad went up and hid it in another one of those cabins up there," said Laraya.

She looked up as she heard the door of Cole's room open. She watched as Kalira very hesitantly walked toward the room Laraya was sharing with her father, knocked on the door and went inside. Laraya looked over at Cole, who hadn't noticed anything.

"Do you notice anything strange going on between your mother and my father?" she asked him.

Cole frowned, his brow furrowed. "Yeah, I did. Weird eh? They've met before, that's for sure. I just want to know what happened between them that makes them both so awkward."

Laraya nodded toward the door of her room. "Your mother just went into my room," she said. "Now's our chance to find out."

Cole looked hesitant. "I don't want to eavesdrop on my mom," said Cole, though he looked excited all the same. "What if they catch us? My mom would kill me, especially if what they're talking about is important enough for them to lie about it"

Laraya nodded. "You're right, I'm sorry. It's their business, not ours. They'll tell us…eventually."

At just that moment, Mathias came out of his room and walked into the lab. "Where's the Key?" he asked. "We should start analyzing it right away."

"Kalira had it in her bag," said Laraya. "I'll go get them and Cole can grab the key."

"Wait," said Mathias. "Where's Jack?"

Everyone looked around. Jack was nowhere in sight. As they were looking, he jogged through the doorway. Cole noticed him putting something into his pocket quickly. "Sorry, I was…exploring the kitchen," he said, casting Cole a wary eye.

"Right," said Cole, "I'll go get the Key." He walked over to his room.

As soon as he stepped into it, he spotted his mother's duffel bag in the corner and picked it up. He set it on the bed and zipped it open. He reached in and picked up the chest, admiring its design. Adorned with jewels and writings, it was very beautiful and very heavy. Taking it carefully in his hands, he left the room and made his way to the lab. Daniel and Kalira were there already, both looking livid. When they saw Cole, they stopped throwing each other angry looks and gave the casket in Cole's hands their full attention.

"Put it here, Cole," said Daniel, indicating to a table near the center of the lab. Cole set the heavy case down carefully and stepped back. Kalira walked forward, looking at it with something close to reverence.

"It says: The great Key of Giza lies here, most cherished treasure of the great pharaoh Khufu." The excitement that filled the laboratory was thick and intense.

"This case," Kalira continued, "Could very well contain the most important archaeological find of the century. This is incredible." She stood in front of the table for at least fifteen seconds before Mathias spoke.

"Kalira?" he asked timidly "Do you think you could open it now? We're kind of suffocating from the tension, here."

Kalira turned to him, looking confused. "What? Oh yes, yes of course." She reached forward and grasped the lock that held the lid in place. It crumbled away immediately. With shaking hands, she reached forward and lifted the lid….

In a dimly lit office, a woman was speaking angrily into her cell phone.

"Good, good….yes, I'm sure they are….well, figure it out! What do you mean, you can't? Oh come on, it can't be that complicated…it is? Oh god…look, I don't care how long it takes, but figure out how to get in there!"

As she hung up her phone, there was a knock at the door. "Enter," she said sharply. The heavyset man came in. "Anything new, miss?" he asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact. My informant just called. We know where their new hideout is," said the woman.

The man grinned, showing a set of misshaping teeth. "Excellent. When do we start our attack?"

"Not yet, Walter. We still need to know how to get to the key. Apparently, it's in a very secure place. And the base itself is one of the most secure places I've ever seen. We'll need all the information we can get before we try anything."

"Let's just hope your little mole can provide us with something," said Walter showing his yellowing teeth.

The six friends stared at the Key in wonder for several long minutes, transfixed by its beauty. It was exquisite, a sapphire the size of a baseball, and cut into a perfect pyramid. It had an incredible sparkle that seemed so unreal, it was doubtful there was a more perfect stone anywhere on earth. None of them could see any flaws in its incredible heart. After a long time, Cole spoke:

"Wow."

Then they all began to speak at once.

"This is amazing -"

"Look at its colour -"

"I can't believe it's really here -"

"Put it in the scanner here, Dad," said Laraya, her eyes shining with excitement.

Daniel carefully placed the gem into a complicated device and typed into its keypad for a moment. A bright green light lit up behind the stone and it began moving back and forth across it, very slowly.

"We should have its results in about 3 hours," said Kalira. "In the meantime, I suggest we all try to get some sleep. We've had a very long day."

The others grudgingly agreed, and they all began to filter back into their rooms. Laraya and Cole remained, taking seats in front of the fire. Laraya sat huddled up in her chair, her unblinking eyes gazing into the fire. One hand was fingering the locket around her neck.

"Where did you get that?" asked Cole. "That necklace."

Laraya avoided his eyes. "It was my mother's," she said briskly.

"Oh," said Cole. "So she's…um…I mean she's not -"

"Dead," finished Laraya, staring determinedly at the fire. "Six months ago. Okay?"

"I-I'm sorry," said Cole. "I didn't mean to -"

"Don't worry about it," she said shortly, standing up as she did. "I think I'll try to get some sleep. Good night." She walked swiftly to her room, without looking back. Cole continued to gaze after her, even after the door to her room was firmly closed.

The Giza Key

Chapter 7: Suspicion

Daniel sat alone in the laboratory, examining the Key. It would be another two hours before the computer was finished analyzing it, but he had to keep his mind occupied, keep his thoughts from straying to…other matters. She was here, after all these years. It could not be coincidence that they had found each other again. And now they were both wrapped up in this situation, but it was so much more complicated now. She had Cole, and he had Laraya. And it hadn't been a year since Lanora had died. He could only assume that Cole's father had left. And now, she was here…

Daniel suddenly remembered that he was trying not to think about her. Annoyed with himself, he resumed his inspection of the Key. Just then, Jack walked through the large archway separating the living room from the lab. Daniel looked up, eager for a distraction. "What's up?"

Jack said nothing for a moment. He leant he elbows on one of the long work tables and turned to look at his brother, an odd expression on his face. "So, are you going to tell me?"

Daniel's pulse quickened. "Tell you what?"

"Oh, like you don't know," said Jack sarcastically. "You and Kalira obviously have something going on. What happened between you two? And don't tell me you've never met her before, I'm not going to believe that."

"It's nothing," said Daniel, not meeting Jack's eyes. "Yeah, I've met her before. But it was along time ago. Things have changed since then."

"Exactly how long ago?"

Daniel took a deep breath. "About sixteen years."

Jack gave a low whistle. "And what was 'it', precisely?"

Daniel gave him a look. "I told you, it doesn't matter," he stood up. "I've got to go and finish unpacking." And with that, he walked out of the lab, pausing only to wake Cole, who was dozing in the living room. He jerked awake, staring up at Daniel blearily.

"Is it done?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

"No, there's still a couple hours," said Daniel. "Get back to your room to sleep; you'll be more comfortable there."

"Right," said Cole, and then promptly fell asleep again. Shaking his head, Daniel retreated into his room.

Cole awoke a little later, feeling somewhat refreshed. He glanced over at the computer scanning the Key and saw that there were still fifteen minutes left. Everyone else was in their rooms, presumably sleeping. He got up and began walking to the kitchen, hoping to grab an early breakfast. He stopped when he heard a voice issuing from the pantry leading off the kitchen. Cole walked over and was about to open the door when he heard the voice again.

"Yes, they're scanning it now.…it has about fifteen minutes left.…yes, but….don't worry, I'll figure it out….alright ma'am….don't worry, I played my part well...I'll call you as soon as I know anything…." Before he could properly process what he had just overheard, Cole heard footsteps walking rapidly toward the pantry door. He hurriedly backed into the bathroom adjacent to the kitchen and closed the door almost all the way, leaving a crack just big enough to see through. He crept out of sight just as Jack walked out of the pantry, stuffing a cell phone into his pocket has he did. Cole stood at the doorway for a full minute, his heart hammering.

He stayed in his hiding place for a few minutes, thinking hard. 'There's a perfectly innocent, logical explanation,' he thought. 'He was just talking to one of his friends…about something completely unrelated. Yeah, that was it. They were talking about….well, I don't know, but it only sounded suspicious, it was really nothing at all….' But as hard as he tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, his misgivings only increased. He seemed to be taking orders from someone, and he had to figure something out for her. 'It still could be innocent,' Cole said to himself. 'This person might be trying to help us. She could be on our side.' Then he groaned inwardly. 'But if she's on our side, why is Jack hiding his discussion with her?' Even though he wanted to believe Jack was innocent, his subconscious seemed to want to poke holes in his theories. Cole's thoughts were interrupted by a loud beeping coming from the laboratory, followed by a computerized voice: "Scanning Complete."

At once, Cole heard four people scrambling out of their rooms and into the lab. They had all arrived before Cole had even taken his bearings and emerged from his hiding spot.

"Hurry up, Cole! It's done!" called Laraya. Cole could hear her voice quivering in excitement and hurried out to meet them. He tried to push Jack's disturbing telephone conversation from his mind and took a seat in the lab beside his mother.

"Ok, Kalira," said Jack. "What does it say?"

Kalira examined the screen for several seconds, her brow furrowed. "It contains massive amounts of energy, that's for sure. The computer detected no writings or flaws of any kind in the heart of the stone, so he can probably rule out the possibility of a map of any kind."

"Damn it, how are we going to find it now?" moaned Laraya.

"Is it possible the scanner missed something?" asked Cole.

"Probably not," said Mathias. "The scanning was very thorough."

"It was always a distinct possibility that the Key wouldn't help us find the weapon itself," said Jack, with a look of deep disappointment on his face.

"It's probably for some kind of lock," said Kalira.

"So the Key is…just a key," said Cole.

"Most likely," said Laraya with a grimace. "Great. Well this gets us nowhere."

"So, what do we do now?" asked Cole, as the others drifted off.

"I guess we just keep it safely locked up until we can find the weapon," said Daniel.

"And uh, will it be safe? I mean, the Children of Anubis found your hideout once, theoretically they could do it again, right?"

Daniel gave Cole a reassuring clap on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Cole. No one knows about this place besides us."

Cole shot Jack a quick look. He was looking the other way, but Cole was sure he was listening intently. "Are you absolutely certain? No one knows but us?"

Daniel laughed. "Yes," he said emphatically. "So stop worrying, okay?"

Cole nodded and quickly walked from the room. Laraya was sitting at a stool in the kitchen, drinking a glass of juice, staring off into space. He walked over to her and said in a low whisper: "I need to talk to you. Now."

She gave him a bored look. "What is it?"

Cole looked over his shoulder. His mother and Jack were still in the laboratory, examining the Key. Daniel and Mathias were in the living room, speaking quietly to each other. Cole turned back to Laraya, who was frowning at him.

"Well, what is it?" She asked him impatiently.

Cole lowered his voice. "It's about your uncle. I, I think he's…well, I don't know exactly what, but…he's up to something."

"'Up to something?'" repeated Laraya, looking thoroughly unconvinced. "What do you mean 'up to something.'"

"I don't know, it's just something I heard him saying, that's all." He hurriedly told her about Jack's cell phone conversation, while continuing to glance over his shoulder. He noticed that Jack seemed to be looking at him as well, with a suspicious look on his face. When he finished telling Laraya, she stared at him for a moment, then burst out angrily.

"That doesn't mean anything, Cole! God! You've got a lot of nerve, waltzing in here after we saved your butt from the Children of Anubis and suspecting members of my family like that. God! You haven't got a shred of proof and your word is not going to convince me or anyone else in this house that my own uncle is working with the Children of Anubis! God!" Then, abandoning her juice, she marched from the kitchen and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her.

'Great, now she's mad at me,' he thought. 'That's just what I need.' Kicking himself, but knowing he had to keep a very close watch on Jack from now on, maybe then he could get some proof. Cole walked into the laboratory, where his mother and Jack were talking.

"…after I came back from serving in Iran," Jack was saying.

"You're in the army?" asked Cole, taking a seat beside his mother.

"I was," he grunted. "For three years. I was court marshaled, then I decided to leave."

"Why were you court marshaled?" asked Cole.

"Insubordination," he said. Cole expected him to elaborate, but when he did not, Kalira spoke.

"I think we should leave this for now," she said, indicating the Key. "I'll lock this up, then I'm calling it a night. Even though it's seven thirty in the morning…"

"How do you lock it up, Kalira?" asked Jack.

"Oh, it's quite complicated, really," she said, standing up and taking the Key carefully in her hands. She strolled from the room, moving toward a door near the kitchen. It was the one that Cole had noticed earlier, the one with no doorknob. "I'm the only one that can access it," she said as she reached up to the top of the frame. She pressed a button that was camouflaged to look like part of the wood and a small panel on the door slid out of place, revealing a glowing pad. She placed her palm to it and they watched as her handprint was scanned. After a few seconds, she lifted her hand. A small display to the left of the pad flashed the words 'Access Granted.' The door gave a click and swung open. It looked just like a cupboard, with one shelf halfway up. It also had a control panel set into the back wall. She set the Key carefully on the ledge, then typed a few commands onto the control panel. "It's sort of like a dumbwaiter," continued Kalira as she swung the door shut. It carries the Key way up into a room in the rafters. This is the only way to get to it. If an unidentified person tries to get in, an alarm will sound. No one's getting at it," she finished. "So we can all rest easily." As she and Jack walked into there rooms, Cole wondered if he would ever rest easily again.