A/n: My kid cousin deleted the original story when he was messing around on my computer the other day. I've decided that I'd just post it all as one instead ofputing it into chapters.

Meeting up with Eva - Pankot Palace – 1935

"Hello," Indiana Jones spoke as he, Short Round, and Willie Scott approached the main doors of Pankot Palace.

"I should say you look rather lost." An Indonesian man with glasses came out to meet them. "But then I cannot imagine where in the world the three of you would look at home."

"We're not lost. We're on our way to Delhi." Indiana said to him then pointed to Willie behind him. "This is Miss Scott." He put a hand on Shorty's shoulder. "This is Mister Round."

"Short Round." Shorty corrected.

"My name is Indiana Jones," he finished off.

"Doctor Jones, the eminent archaeologist?"

"Hard to believe isn't it?" Willie put in.

The man held his hand out to shake Indiana's. "Ah. I remember first hearing your name when I was up at Oxford. I'm Chattar Lal, Prime Minister to His Highness, the Maharaja of Pankot." He dropped Indiana's hand and took Willie's. "I'm enchanted."

"Enchanted. Thank you very much. Thank you very much," she smiles happily and shook his hand.

Lal patted Shorty's cheek gently. "Welcome to Pankot Palace."

Once inside Indiana and Shorty were given their own room. Shorty stood out on the terrace and looked with amazement at the sunset view.

"Shorty, where's my razor?" Indiana asked from the wash dish.

"I don't know Indy. I didn't pack your bag, you did. If Miss Eva were here she'd be able to tell you."

"Well she's not so would you help me look for it?" There was a knock on the door. "Never mind. Answer that will you?"

Shorty answered the door to find a palace servant. "Can I help you?"

"This for Doctor Jones. From Miss Evangeline," the servant said handing Shorty a leather case before leaving.

Shorty closed the door and placed the case by Indiana. "Hey, Doctor Jones, Miss Eva send this to you. I come just now."

Indiana looked at the case. "Is she here?"

Shorty shrugged. "Didn't say, just gave me case and leave."

Indiana sighed and continued cleaning himself up.

Later he and Shorty made their way to the dining area escorted by Lal, who spoke. "We are fortunate tonight to have so many unexpected visitors." He led Indiana over to a British Captain. "This is Captain…"

"…Blumburtt. 11th Poona Rifles." The Captain finished. "And you, sir, are Doctor Jones, I presume."

"I am, Captain," Indiana said shaking his hand.

"Captain Blumburtt and his troops are on a routine inspection tour. The British find it amusing to inspect us at their convenience," Lal explained to Indiana.

"I do hope, sir, that it's not, uh, inconvenient to you, uh… sir."

"The British worry so about their empire," Lal continued. "Makes us all feel like well-cared-for children."

Willie made her entrance nearby. Garbed extravagantly in pale gold she headed for Indiana who spoke. "Ah… you look beautiful."

"I think the maharaja is swimming in loot. Maybe it wasn't such a bad idea coming here after all," she whispered to him before turning to Lal. "Mister Lal, what do they call the maharaja's wife?"

"His Highness has not yet taken a wife," he replied.

"How Interesting. Well, uh, maybe it's because he hasn't found the right woman." She said hoping to continue the conversation.

Captain Blumburtt led Indiana away from the pair and they began speaking about the palace when Indiana heard Shorty talking to someone.

"Come on, Indy wants to see you. You been gone too long."

"Excuse me for just a moment will you?" Indiana excused himself to walk over to Shorty. "Short Round, who are…" he trailed off seeing his assistant, Eva Williams, garbed extravagantly in off white with silver accessories.

"Oh hell," she said as he stood there staring with his mouth open. She closed his mouth and rubbed his chin. "You're welcome."

"For what? Oh, the razor. Yeah, thanks, I think I forgot mine." He looked away and scratched the back of his head nervously.

Eva laughed lightly. "Yes, I figured that. You never could pack worth anything, so I brought your spare with me just in case we met up. And," she gestured to the room, "here we are."

"I missed you Miss, Eva," Shorty said hugging her waist.

"Missed you too, Shorty. Come on, boys, let's go take our places," she said leading the way over to the low table, taking the place next to Lal, Shorty and Willie next to her, Indiana across from Lal.

Lal stood in front of the table and spoke loudly for everyone to hear. "His Supreme Highness, guardian of Pankot tradition, the Maharaja of Pankot, Zalim Singh." He stepped aside and a young boy entered from the door behind him. The maharaja took his place at the head of the table and sat down, everyone else following his lead.

"That's the Maharaja? A kid?" Willie sounded a bit put off by this news.

"Maybe he like older women," Shorty put in.

"Actually the Maharaja doesn't think he will ever take a wife," Eva said to them. "He still thinks most girls are to inferior to him."

The prince merely yawned as the meal continued.

Indiana spoke to Lal. "Captain Blumburtt was just telling me something of the interesting history of the palace, and the importance it played in the mutiny."

Lal sighed. "It seems that the British never forget the Mutiny of1857."

"Yes," Eva chimed in, "well, you know, I think there are other events, before the mutiny, going back a century, back to the time of Clive, that are more interesting."

"And what events are those, Doctor Williams?" Lal sounded annoyed.

"Well, if memory serves me correctly," Indiana said interestingly, "this area, this province, was the center of activity for the Thuggee."

To Eva's left a snake on a plate was served in front of Willie. The man next to Willie liked pleasantly happy with the dish. "Ah, Snake… Surprise."

"What's the surprise?" she half whispered not really wanting to know. The snake stomach was cut down the middle and from it came eels squirming for freedom.

Eva flagged down a servant and spoke with him in the native tongue. The servant left and Eva spoke to the two. "Their native food might be a bit un-nerving for you two so they're going to bring you out simple salads. No dressing or anything, just veggies."

"I think I love you, Miss Eva," Shorty said thankfully as Willie just nodded gratefully.

"Doctor Jones, you know perfectly well the Thuggee cult has been dead for nearly a century," Lal continued.

"Yes, of course," Captain Blumburtt said poking at his drink. "The Thuggee was an obscenity that worshipped Kali with human sacrifices. The British Army nicely did away with them."

"Well I suppose stories of the Thuggee die hard." Indiana continued to push his luck on the subject.

"Indy," Eva hissed at him cautiously.

"There are no stories anymore," Lal said warningly.

"I'm not so sure. We came from a small village." Indiana continued to push. "The peasants there told us Pankot Palace was growing powerful again because of some ancient evil."

"Village stories, Doctor Jones. They're just fear and folklore." Lal explained. "You're beginning to worry Captain Blumburtt and Doctor Williams."

"I'm not worried, Prime Minister, just, uh…" Blumburtt was more focused on moving eels from his elbow room. "Just, um, interested."

"I'm hardly worried, Prime Minister Lal," Eva said as beetles were passed her way, "I'm merely trying to hush my employer before he goes and says or does something stupid again."

Indiana ignored his assistant and continued. "You know, the villagers also told us Pankot Palace had taken something."

"Doctor Jones," Lal sounded like he was on the end of his rope, "in our country, it's not usual for a guest to insult his host. I suggest you take Doctor Williams' advice and hold your tongue."

"I'm sorry," Indiana apologized insincerely. "I thought we were talking about folklore."

"What exactly did they say was stolen, Indy?" Eva looked at him questioningly.

"A sacred rock."

Lal chuckled and said, "You see, Doctor, a rock!"

"Something connected the villager's rock and the old legend of the Sankara Stones."

"Doctor Jones," Lal wiped his mouth and continued, "We are all vulnerable to vicious rumors. I seem to remember that in Honduras you and Doctor Williams were both accused as being grave robbers rather than archaeologists."

"Well, the newspapers greatly exaggerated the incident," Eva defended remembering.

"And wasn't it the Sultan of Madagascar that threatened to cut off your head off if you ever returned to his country?" Lal sent a straight look at Indiana who looked more than a little embarrassed.

"No, it wasn't my head," he said.

"Then your hands, perhaps."

"No, it wasn't my hands, it was my… my misunderstanding." He said ashamedly looking down to his trousers for answers then to Eva for help. Eva gave him a look that clearly said "You got yourself into this."

"Exactly what we have here, Doctor Jones."

"I have heard the evil stories of the Thuggee cult," the Maharaja finally spoke and the entire room went silent. "I thought the stories were told to frighten children. Later, I learnt that the Thuggee cult was once real and did of unspeakable things. I'm ashamed of what happened here so many years ago, and I assure you this will never happen again in my kingdom."

"If I offended you… then I am sorry." Indiana for once he sounded sincere.

The music continued and the dinner continued to desert. Eva spoke to Shorty and Willie again. "Ok the desert is not that bad. You really should try it." Monkey heads were placed in front of all those who were seated at the table. "Chilled monkey brains."

Willie only fainted. Shorty was brave enough to take a small bite. "Wow! This is good."

Eva smiled and the night went on.

Secret Doors and the Thuggee

Indiana and Shorty headed off to bed after dropping Eva off in her room just down the hall. Shorty had a covered plate of fruit for Willie, who had hardly eaten her salad. Indiana took the plate from him as he yawned and sent him off to bed in there room.

As he was about to knock on the door to her room, Willie opened the doors. "I've got something for you," he said teasingly.

"There's nothing you have that I could possibly want." Willie was serious in her manner.

"Right," he said turning around hiding the plate behind his back. He uncovered it and took a bite out of an apple.

She rushed out to see if it was real and began to eat the apple from his hand before grabbing the plate from him and going back to her room. "Oh, you're a very nice man. Maybe you can be my palace slave."

Indiana turned around and invited himself in. "You wear your jewels to bed, Princess?"

"Yeah. And nothing else. That shock you?"

"Nothing shocks me. I'm a scientist," he said taking another bite of his apple.

"So, as a scientist, you do a lot of research?"

"Always."

"And what sort of research would you do on me?"

"Nocturnal activities," he said taking off his glasses, playing along with her.

"You mean like what sort of cream I put on my face at night, what position I like to sleep in?"

"Mating customs."

"Love rituals?"

"Primitive sexual practices."

"So you're an authority in that area?"

"Years of fieldwork," he said leaning in to kiss her.

When they pulled away she sighed and said, "I don't blame you for being sore at me. I can be hard to handle."

"I've had worse," he answered honestly thinking of Eva, Marion and a few choice others.

"But you'll never have better."

Indiana drew in a breath and turned away needing to get out. "I don't know. As a scientist, I don't want to prejudice my experiment. I'll let you know in the morning," he said closing the doors purposely pushing her anger.

Willie opened the door again. "Why you conceited ape. I'm not that easy."

Indiana opened the other door again. "I'm not that easy, either. Trouble with you is, Willie, you're too used to getting your own way," he said walking back across the hall to his room.

"And you're just too proud to admit that you're crazy about me, Doctor Jones," she said stubbornly.

"If you want me, Willie, you know where you can find me."

"Five minutes. You'll be back over here in five minutes."

"I'll be asleep in five minutes."

"Five. You know it, and I know it."

After Indiana and Shorty left Eva's room she took a quick bath that was ready for her when she entered the room. Afterwards she changed into her nightdress and crawled sleepily into her bed. "Sleep at last," she said to herself snuggling in.

Outside in the hall she heard yelling and sighed, thinking, "Can't he just get along with people for once without me having to come save him?"

She waited for the argument to stop between Indiana and Willie before she got up to retrieve Shorty, already knowing what was going to happen.

She never noticed the man in her room. He came from behind her and wrapped a cord around her neck, cutting off her air supply. She threw all her weight into flipping him over her shoulder. This released the cord from her neck long enough to cry for help.

"INDY!" Her attacker wrapped the cord back around her neck before she could call out again. Not a few seconds later Indiana bust through the doors and knocked the man out and caught Eva as she fell, gasping for air.

"You alright," he asked placing her on her bed gently.

She nodded and said hoarsely, "I think so. Some water and I'll be good. Go check on Willie."

He poured and handed her a glass of water and headed for Willie's room. A few minutes later Shorty came into her room and told her of a secret passageway that Indiana had found in Willie's room, leading down underneath the palace.

"We going down now. Hurry up get dressed and follow."

"All right. I'll be there in a few moments. Don't get into too much trouble without me, okay?"

"Okeydokey Miss Eva," he said before he left.

As soon as she was finished she heard Indiana calling for her or Willie frantically. She came into the room hearing Willie's screams from inside the passageway.

"They're in my hair!"

"Aw, shut up Willie," Indiana sounded sour.

Eva quickly made her way into the passageway and arrived in time to hear Indiana's thoughts about the door. "There's got to be a fulcrum release leaver somewhere."

"What?" Willie was hysterical at this point and was going to be no help at all.

"A handle that opens the door."

Eva jumped in at that point. "There are two square holes here, which one do you want me to try first?"

"Either one Eva, just do it quick."

Eva stuck her hand into the left one first. "I'm in the left." She met Indiana's hand half way in between their two sides.

"No good. Go to the right."

Eva placed her hand inside quickly and felt around. "Indy, I don't feel anything inside this one!"

"What? There has to be."

Eva pushed her hand in further. "Wait I think I've got it," she said pulling on what felt like a handle.

"That's it!" Shorty's yell was thankful and well earned.

The door rolled open and Eva walked inside. Willie, still hysterical, followed her in.

"Get them off of me! Get them off of me! They're all over me! Get them off of me!" Willie bent down to brush the bugs from her slippers and bumped the switch that activated the trap room.

"Hurry up, Indy!" Shorty called from the other side of the room where the door was slowly closing. Indiana pulled Willie by her arm and threw her through the door before he went himself, losing his hat.

Eva followed right behind him and grabbed his hat before the door shut. "Stop losing your stuff," she said putting the hat back on his head.

"Thanks, Eva."

"My job."

The group made their way through caverns towards the sound of men chanting. They came across an overlook where they could see a ceremony proceeding.

A large cavern divided the altar and the rest of the followers. At the Altar stood a large statue of Kali, the Indian God of Death.

"It's a Thuggee ceremony," Indiana said to them. "They're worshipping Kali.

"Have either of you ever seen anything like this before," Willie asked Eva.

"Nobody's seen this for a hundred years," Eva replied not looking away from the ceremony.

As they watched on a man in black priests robes with a skull on his head was one of the first to enter the altar area. A man in white ceremonial pants was forced out into the area next, accompanied by two guards on either side.

The man in white was forced into a metal hanging offering bed that could be lowered into the hot pits. The man in black approached him offering prayers to Kali. Before he stepped away from him, the man in black dug his fingers into the man in white's chest and dug out his heart. Stepping away from the body he held the heart up in the air for the followers to see.

Willie screamed and was pushed out of the way so she couldn't see the remainder if the ceremony. Shorty hid himself in Eva's arms as she and Indiana watched on.

"He's still alive?" Eva saw in surprised horror as the sacrifice was lowered into the pit; his heart began to pump faster as though it was still in the body. She pulled Shorty away from the overlook so he wouldn't see what was happening. "Don't look Shorty."

As the screams of the sacrifice became louder the heart erupted in flames and burned in the priest's' hand. When the bed was brought back up the metal was red hot and the inside completely empty. It was raised so that it hung above the pit that was now covered by a covering stone.

Shorty took this time to rejoin Eva and Indiana in watching what was happening. Three men in skeleton paint brought out three Sankara stones. Bringing them close to each other the stones began to glow. The men placed the stones in a large stone skull at the base of the Kali statue and bowed to it while walking away.

"That's the rock they took from the village," Indiana said quietly.

"It's one of the Sankara Stones," Eva put in.

"Why they glow like that," Shorty asked before Eva shushed him.

"The legend says when the rocks are brought together, the diamonds inside them will glow," Indiana provided.

"Diamonds? Diamonds!" Shorty sounded excited at this news as did Willie who was now calm enough to rejoin them on the overlook.

"Shh…"

As the people below dispersed, Shorty leaned over the edge to get a better look at where they were going. "Hey, hey." Indiana pulled him back and set him beside Willie. "Look, I want you two to stay up here and keep quiet. Shorty you keep an eye on her."

"Why, where are you two going?"

"Down there," Eva said lowering herself to the ledge that lay below the overlook.

"Down there? Are you crazy?" Willie grabbed Indiana by the front of his jacket and held him there with both hands.

"I'm not leaving here without the stones," he said calmly, prying her hands off of his jacket.

"You both could to get killed chasing after your damn fortune and glory!"

"Maybe," Indiana said dropping down in front of Eva. "But not today."

The Children and the Blood of the Kali

Indiana walked along the edge in front of Eva, reaching the gap in the room first. Climbing carefully onto the unstable ledge, he used his whip as a rope swing and swung himself down to the altar. He swung the whip back and waited for Eva to join him. Eva coiled the whip and opened her satchel for Indiana to place the stones inside of.

They quickly gathered the stones and were about to return to the others when they heard the painful cries of a child coming from somewhere beyond the Kali statue and went to investigate. What they found were catacombs and children being used as slaves to dig through them. A hole in the floor was their hiding place and from there they could see quite a bit.

"Oh my God," Eva whispered quietly as they saw a young boy fall to the ground and be yelled at and whipped for not getting back up in time by a handler.

Indiana took a nearby rock and threw it at the handler's head, hitting his mark. The handler looked around and spotted them. The handler shouted orders to the other handlers and they turned to go, only to find that they were already surrounded.

Indiana was led to a cage that oversaw the catacombs. Inside, Shorty and Willie were there along with two other boys. Indiana was chained with his hands in the air as was Willie.

"Doctor Jones!" Shorty hugged the man. "I keep telling you, you listen to Short Round more, you live longer."

"Please, let me die," one of the boys moaned. "I pray to Siva, "Let me die," but I do not. Now… now the evil of Kali take me."

"How?" Willie sounded worried as though she were going to become hysterical again.

"They will make me drink the blood of the Kali. Then I'll fall into the black sleep of the Kali Ma."

"What is that?" Indiana was calm to try and hide his worry.

"We become like them," the other boy said looking out to the dig site. "We'll be alive, but like a nightmare. You drink blood, you not wake up from nightmare"

Willie began to hyperventilate as Shorty and Indiana looked at each other solemnly.

Indiana and Shorty were taken to a separate room where the priest, now known as Mola Ram, and they were chained onto the stone walls.

"You were caught trying to steal the Sankara Stones." Mola Ram said standing by the stones. "There were five stones in the beginning. Over the centuries, they were dispersed by wars, sold off by thieves like you."

"Thieves like me, huh?" Indiana was still calm. "Ha! Still missing two."

"A century ago, when the British raided this temple and butchered my people, a loyal priest hid the last two stones down here in the catacombs."

"So that's what you've got these slaves digging for, huh? They're innocent children."

"They dig for the gems to support our cause. They also search for the last two stones. Soon we will have all five Sankara Stones, and the Thuggees will be all powerful."

"What a vivid imagination," Indiana said sarcastically.

Mola Ram approached him with a head decanter. "You… don't believe me? You will, Doctor Jones. You will become a true believer."

Indiana smiled sarcastically with the thought and noticed a large man in the shadows approach him. "Hi."

The man said nothing but grabbed his face to force his mouth open as Mola Ram poured a foul tasting liquid into his mouth.

"Doctor Jones!" Shorty called out to his friend. "Don't drink. It's bad. Don't drink. Spit it out."

Indiana spit the liquid right onto Mola Ram. Mola Ram spoke to the maharaja who pulled out a voodoo doll of Indiana and placed it over the fire. Shorty kicked the maharaja in the side causing the kid to drop the doll on the floor. They were turned around in their places and re-chained.

The larger man took up Indiana's whip. "You dare not do that," said Mola Ram appreciatively surprised. The man merely uncoiled it and used it to strike Indiana several times. The maharaja took a smaller whip from one of the other guards and used it to strike Shorty as punishment for kicking him.

"Leave him alone you bastards!" Indiana's voice was beginning to become frantic with worry and anger.

When they were done, Indiana was forced to his back as the man once again held his jaw open for Mola Ram. This time he had no choice but to swallow the liquid as Mola Ram spoke. "The British in India will be slaughtered. Then we will overrun the Muslims. Then the Hebrew God will fall. And the Christian God will be cast down and forgotten. Soon, Kali Ma will rule the world."

Indiana was left in a chamber filled with candles and a single platform acting as a bed. A night of twitching and terrors was all that was to be looked forward to.

Sacrifices and Freedom

Shorty worked hard to break the chains around his ankles. He just had to save Indy and Miss Eva!

A new ceremony was beginning. Mola Ram gave opening prayers and introduced the newest member of Thuggee.

"Kali Ma protects us," Indiana said as though in a trance. "We are her children. We pledge our devotion to her with an offering of flesh…"

"No! Let me go!" Eva's cried rang through the altar.

"…and blood," he finished.

The metal offering bed was lowered. "Your friend has seen… and she has heard. Now she will not talk," Lal said to him.

Eva was clasped inside but leaving one of her hands free. "Indy, please! Help me! What's wrong with you?"

Mola Ram began the offering prayer, standing in front of her. Eva used her free hand to cover her heart. Just as she thought he would take her heart, Mola Ram offers his hand out to Indiana. "Come. Come."

Indiana looked slightly proud to be offered and took the spot in front of Eva. "No, no, no. Indy, please, don't do this," she whimpered to him softly, cupping his cheek in her free hand. "Please, Indy, I love you, just let me go. Please." He began stroking her cheek in return. "That's right, Indy, it's me, Eva. Please come back to me. Don't leave me in here." He ran his fingers down her arm and gently cradled her hand in both of his.

Shorty dropped his chains to the ground and began to make his way out of the catacombs grabbing his and Indiana's things along the way.

He climbed the tallest ladder that was high enough that he could jump off of and catch the rope that hung out of the hole in the ceiling. He was only spotted by one guard who followed him halfway up the ladder before he took a running leap and used his momentum to tip the ladder in the opposite direction.

He jumped and caught the rope hanging from the hole and climbed up. When he looked back down he saw all the children looking up at him with hope in their eyes. Taking a moment to breath he set on to go save his friends.

"Mola Ram, Suda Ram." Indiana began chanting with the rest of the Thuggee as he placed her hand into its restraint.

"No. No, no, no, please Indy, no," she cried hanging her head as he closed the gates of the bed over her front.

Eva was turned over so she faced the pit of lava that boiled beneath her. She did not scream loudly or beg for release. She just watched helplessly and hung there, waiting for life to end.

Shorty made his way behind the Kali statue to see Indiana looking over the Thuggee. He placed the bags on the ground and pulled on Indiana's arm. "Wake up, Doctor Jones, wake up!" Indiana looked at him for a moment and backhanded Shorty across the face. Shorty looked up at him in tears. "Doctor Jones."

Mola Ram spoke to the guards in the native tongue as Shorty ran to grab a nearby torch which he used to ward off the guards who were trying to capture him. He burned the man in control of the offering bed.

Down below, Eva stopped moving. "Oh, Indy, please tell me you're getting me out of here," she cried to herself.

Shorty ran back to Indiana and said, "Indy, I love you," before burning him in the side with the torch. "Wake up, Indy! Wake up." Indiana jumped back with a pained yell and the guards caught Shorty and threw the torch to the ground. "You're my best friend! Wake up, Indy!"

One of the guards' not holding Shorty drew a knife and gave it to the one that was. "Wait! Wait!" Indiana pointed to the guards and stood up. "He's mine." Indiana took Shorty by his shirt and his arm and held him over the lava pit. "I'm all right, kid," he said quietly, winking at him.

Shorty looked surprised for a moment before Indiana propelled him to the side so fight off the guards. This caused outrage among the followers and the maharaja was forcefully escorted out.

One of the skeleton guards pushed the leaver for the offering bed down. Eva cried in despair as she came close to the lava. Indiana pushed one of the regular guards into the skeleton making them both stumble away from the leaver, leaving Eva hanging just barely above the lava.

Indiana took care of a few guards by pole vaulting them into the chasm that separated the altar and the rest of the room with a spear one of them had tried to attack him with. Spotting Mola Ram on the floor near the Sankara Stone skull, ha attempted to kill him, but Mola Ram opened a trap door and rolled away underneath it laughing.

Indiana threw the spear away and ran over to the pulley system that raised and lowered the offering bed. He began pulling Eva back up. Just as she was almost out, Lal attacked him with a knife, forcing him away. Indiana landed near the pit and made eye contact with Eva before she passed out from the terror and was lowered again.

Indiana attacked Lal and punched him in the face causing him to be lifted by the leavers and trapped between them and the floor, cracking his back painfully. Indiana began pulling Eva up again, this time with Shorty's help.

Once she was high enough Indiana went to catch the bed and pull it to the side. "Give me some slack," he ordered Shorty, who gave it to him. Indiana unrestrained Eva and helped her up. "Eva, Eva," he called as he shook her. "Come on, wake up."

Eva lifted her head and looked at him. "Go away mad spirit, I shall not follow."

"Eva, it's me! I'm back!"

"Really," she asked with a faint grateful smile.

"Yes, it's me. God, I'm so sorry," he said hugging her close.

"Oh, thank God." She held him close.

They pulled away from each other and went to grab the stones. Shorty tossed Eva her satchel who held it open for Indiana to put the stones in. Once that was done Indiana went over to Shorty placed his baseball cap on his head. Shorty reached up to put Indiana's hat on his head but Indiana took it and kneeled down to Shorty's level.

They embraced like a father to a child and Shorty spoke. "Indy… my friend."

"I'm sorry, kid."

They parted and Eva put a hand on Indiana's shoulder. "Indy, now let's get out of here. All of us."

The group attacked the handlers easily, most going down with not much effort. Shorty released Willie from the cage she was still kept captive in and the four of them took the keys and unshackled all of the children.

The children ran out of the catacombs as fast as they could once un-shackled. Eva watched them go with a smile on her face before turning back to Indiana, nodding to him that all the children were gone.

Getting Out and the Rope Bridge

The large man who had held Indiana's face stood silently behind him. Indiana picked up a large hammer and threw all his weight on it into the man's stomach. The man caught it and pulled on it, bringing Indiana closer, and punched him in the stomach. He threw the hammer over his shoulder, knocking one of the handlers out.

Shorty attempted to help Indiana but Willie pulled him back. "No!"

Indiana got up and jump-kicked the larger man in the side with no effect. The larger man simply punched him while he was down. Then he picked him up and threw him against a metal cart used to collect rock debris.

Shorty struggled against Willie. "I've got to save him!"

"He can take care of himself."

"He needs me," Shorty argued. Indiana was punched in the heart area and it caused Shorty to struggle more. "I've got to save Indy!"

Further away Eva was fighting off a pair of guards with a scimitar when she saw Indiana get picked up by the man. "Shorty, help Indiana, damn it!"

"Okay," Willie said pushing shorty out, "save him."

Shorty ran and picked up one of the whips that the guards used on the children and began to use it on the man as he walked with Indiana to a moving cart. "Drop him down. I kill you! Drop him down!" The man turned on him took the whip and easily threw him to the side.

The man began to push the cart up the incline as Indiana began to get his bearings, kicking the man in the face twice and punching him as he tried to get into the cart. The Maharaja appeared on an overlook with the voodoo doll of Indiana and took a pin from his turban. Stabbing the doll in the back Indiana seized and cried out in pain.

"Indy!" Eva cried out to him, looking back and losing her focus with fighting off the remaining guards. One was given a clear shot to punch her face and took it, bringing her attention back to the fight.

"What's the matter with him?" Willie tried to see closer without moving from her safe spot.

Indiana took two hits to the face before he felt as though he could move again, punching the man once before they were dumped onto a conveyer belt that was headed for a large stone crusher.

Eva finished off the guards and saw the Maharaja and the voodoo doll. "Shorty, the kid," she called out to him. Shorty had apparently thought the same thing and raced to find a way to quickly get up to him.

Indiana and the man fought their way down the line. Several times Indiana seized in pain almost getting crushed. Willie tried to help throwing stones at the guard. When both Indiana and Shorty finally gained and kept the upper hand with their opponents, they practically mirrored their movements. That was until the man Indiana was fighting picked up a stone and cracked it on the side of Indiana's head.

Indiana fell to the side slightly disorientated. He picked up two buckets while the other man picked up a small boulder and held it over his head. Using the buckets, Indiana hit the man in the sides causing him to drop the boulder on his own head as his arms fell.

The man's scarf got caught in the stone crusher and pulled him towards it. Indiana tried to help him out by handing him one side of a rope on a pulley and hanging on the other, but it was too late. The man was crushed beneath the stone slab wheal.

Indiana was pulled up on to the second level and Eva pulled Willie away from the sight of blood and towards one of the carts. "Come on help me get this thing going."

Up above the Maharaja stabbed Shorty in the shoulder with the pin formally used on the voodoo doll. Shorty jumped back as the Maharaja took out another, longer, knife. Shorty saw a torch nearby and used it to burn the Maharaja who woke from his trance. "It was the Black Sleep of Kali," he explained as the Maharaja looked around in a mixture of surprise, gratefulness, and horror.

Indiana was set upon by a few guards on the second level who were simply thrown off. He spotted Shorty with the Maharaja and yelled out to him. "Short Round! Quit fooling around with that kid! Get down in the cart, now!"

"Okeydokey, Indy!"

Below guards tried to apprehend Eva and Willie as they pushed the cart towards the tunnels. One grabbed Willie from behind but was quickly knocked out by Shorty with a thick pipe. The guards continued to come and Shorty fought them off as the women pushed the cart to gain speed before jumping in.

Above Indiana was being shot at as he tried to find a way to get down to the cart quickly. He found a way and saw that Shorty wasn't in the cart. "Shorty! Quit stalling!"

Mola Ram and a few leftover guards ran in and Mola Ram gave an order to a man with a gun.

"Come on, Indy!" Shorty ran for the cart.

"Shorty, behind you!" Eva said sharply as she noticed a guard running after him. The guard jumped and missed, catching the edge of the cart. Shorty ran up the mans' back stepping on his hands before he landed in Eva's arms.

Indiana grabbed a rope that, until quite recently, held a large water bucket. He used the rope to swing himself down into the cart almost not making it as the cart sped up.

"Indy, take the left tunnel," Shorty urged. As they sped down the tunnels, Indiana used a shovel to turn and break the track switch. "No Indy! You missed it! Left tunnel!"

They sped faster down the tracks. When they reached a particularly high point Willie screamed loudly.

"I hope you've got that out of your system now, because that was entirely unhelpful to the rest of us," Eva said calmly cleaning out her ear.

Indiana turned around from the front and saw that they were being followed. "We got company!" he gave Shorty the break and crouched down in the back of the cart as the guards following them got closer. Indiana pulled on Shorty's jacket to get his attention. "Let her go. Let go of the brake."

"What?"

"Let her go," Eva repeated pulling Shorty's hand away and continued with Indiana's line of thought. "Our only chance is to outrun them."

The men behind them began to shoot at their cart. Eva saw a sharp turn ahead and attempted to slow the cart down. "Shorty, take the break again. Watch it on the curves, or we'll fly right off the track."

"Okay," he said as he retook control of the brake.

The men behind them continued to shoot at them. Indiana and Eva pushed the beam that was in the cart onto the track length wise to slow the other cart down more. Ahead Indiana saw a sand trough stand above the track. Using the shovel he broke the fastenings on the trough as they passed. The sand landed on the cart behind them, causing the guards to become disoriented. They didn't see the out-jutting rock before it was too late and the beam that lay across their wheels caught on it and flipped them off the track.

"Yay!" Willie seemed calm for once though that changed when another cart of guards flew past the first.

"Oh hell!" Eva cursed loudly.

Indiana grabbed the shovel again. "What are you doing?" Willie asked as he readied himself.

"Short cut."

"Yes, Indy?" Shorty called thinking he heard his name.

"Short, cut," Eva repeated.

Indiana used the shovel to turn the track switch again. A few shots sounded behind them and they were led into the left tunnel. The men following them were to the right and both carts were racing above lava on nothing but cart tracks.

One of the men with a shotgun attempted to shoot at close range. Indiana took it by the barrel and swung it like a bat. He dropped it into the lava and knocked one of the men out. Eva did the same to another one of the men before noticing one of the remaining guards had taken hold of Shorty and he was halfway into both carts.

"Indy, Eva, help!"

The trio of adults played tug of war with Shorty as the rope until the slipped the mans' grip just in time to avoid getting smashed on a dividing rock. The second cart went along its tracks until it appeared above the first. One of the guards jumped onto Indiana's back holding a knife. After a struggle Indiana Knocked the guy off and turned smiling to the other three.

Eva shook her head and used his shoulder to knock the same guy off of their cart. "You missed him the first time. Next time make sure he's really gone." She patted his shoulder.

Willie screamed again and Eva turned to look ahead. "Oh hell." The track cut off from its self, leaving thirty feet missing in length and a twenty foot drop. Indiana pushed everyone's heads down and didn't let go until he thought they had safely landed.

"Alright," he said as they continued to move.

"What?" Shorty replied first.

"Brakes. Brakes," Indiana said to him. "Slow us down."

"Okay," said Shorty pulling on the breaks. The brake stick broke off. "Uh-oh. Big mistake. Big mistake, Indy!"

"Figures," Willie said sarcastically.

"That would be our luck, wouldn't it," Eva also put in.

Indiana crawled onto the front of the cart and used his foot to slow them down. Eva looked ahead and saw that they were headed for the end of the track. Before she could say anything Willie began to freak out.

"We're going too fast! Too fast! We're going to crash!"

Indiana used his tensed body weight to push on the wheel until they stopped; his back just inches from the block. He sighed in relief that they stopped before the burn from the tire reached his foot. He jumped off the cart and started dancing around in pain. "Water, water, water!"

"Oh, look," Willie said pointing at his foot, "Fire! You're on fire!" she attempted to put out the some with the sand that was nearby.

Eva turned still inside the cart to look behind them to see if anyone was following them only to see a wall of water heading for them. "Oh, shit. Water!" She jumped out of the cart and pulled Shorty out with her. "Indy, water!"

Indiana interrupted his dance and looked up seeing the water. "Run!"

The group ran through the tunnels before running through a smaller tunnel that led them to an un-flooded area. They all chuckled in relief until they saw another wall of water heading for them.

"Let's go!" And they continued to run until they reached the end of the track that led outside.

"Climb to the sides!" Eva gave a little push to Shorty to get moving.

They did as such just as the water began to rush past them; Indiana and Eva on one side Willie and Shorty on the other. The water dissolved some of the surrounding clay that made up the mouth of the new formed waterfall, causing the four to move to safer places.

"Head for the bridge. Go," Indiana yelled over the water to the other side as he and Eva began to climb up the canyon face.

As they ran for the bridge two guards jumped out in front of them, swords drawn. Indiana smirked and tried to pull his gun from his holster. The gun that had been dropped when he almost fell off the cliff. He smiled at the guards as though he were about to negotiate with them when they attacked the duo. Eva disarmed and knocked out her opponent easily and waited for Indiana who used his whip to do the same.

Indiana went to follow his attacker but stopped as he saw more guards running for them. He made a few noises of fear and ran for the bridge, dragging Eva behind him. Halfway across the bridge they heard Willie scream again and stopped.

"Doesn't she ever get tired of screaming?" Eva wondered aloud. She looked behind her and saw that a few of the guards were following them onto the bridge. "There's about five coming from behind us," she informed Indiana.

Indiana took a few steps forward and yelled, "Let 'em go, Mola Ram."

"You are in a position unsuitable to give orders," he yelled back.

Indiana backed up again and held the satchel carrying the stones out over the edge. "You want the stones, let 'em go."

Mola Ram chuckled. "Drop them, Doctor Jones. They will be found. You won't." He gave an order to the guards that surrounded the duo.

"Indy, Eva!" Shorty yelled to them in fear.

"Behind you!" Willie put in.

Indiana looked at both groups of guards that were coming towards the two. "Oh, shit," he muttered and got into position as though he were going to cut the rope. He looked to the side and saw that Mola Ram was making Willie and Shorty get on the bridge as well and began to panic. "Shorty," he called, wrapping his foot around one of the ropes that held the hand rope to the boards. "Chow Chi. Latsu tan ta," he said in Chinese.

Eva wrapped her leg around a rope and held onto Indiana's belt. "Are you sure about this?"

"Not really." He said before yelling to Mola Ram again. "Mola Ram, prepare to meet Kali… in hell." He struck the rope with the sword, breaking the whole thing in four swings.

The rope bridge collapsed and broke in half, most of the guards falling into the hungry crocodile infested river far below. Eva clung to what was left of the bridge and Indiana as they swung down towards the rock face. Once they hit the cliff a few more of the guards lost their grips and fell with the others.

As they began to climb, Mola Ram broke a plank that sent him down, past Willie and Shorty, to the level of the remaining two guards, causing one of them to fall into the river. The crocodiles happily ate the guards that fell into the river. Indiana looked down at the feast fest and continued upward. He reached Mola Ram's feet and attempted to pull him off. Mola Ram fought back and attempted to kick him off the rope bridge. Indiana succeeded in pulling Mola Ram down to his level and the two began punching the other to disorientate them and knock them off.

Shorty and Willie watched from above and Shorty yelled down, "Indy, cover your heart! Cover your heart!" As he spoke, Mola Ram attempted to dig Indiana's heart from his chest. Indiana caught his hand and attempted to push it away. For a few moments neither one moved but soon Indiana was able to pull Mola Ram's hand away and punch him with it.

Mola Ram climbed up again while Indiana stayed where he was to check his heart and then begin back up. Mola Ram reached the last guard and threw him off in the hopes that he would hit one of the archeologists below him. The guard did not but still landed in the river of, now, not so hungry crocodiles. Mola Ram yelled to the guards on the opposite side of the ravine and archers began to shoot at Indiana and Eva.

"Ow, shit, pain!" Eva yelled as she was hit.

As Mola Ram neared Willie and Shorty, the duo began to stomp on his hands, causing him to let go in pain and fall back down to Indiana's level. The satchel strap holding the Sankara Stones broke as Mola Ram tried to take it from Indiana.

"The Stones are mine!"

Indiana looked at him with an ugly scowl. "You betrayed Siva. Tou Shiva ke meshwa scoteo."
As he chanted this mantra the stones burned a hole in the satchel, sending them down to the river. Seeing that they were falling, Eva grabbed one from the air.

Mola Ram caught the last stone as it fell but it burned his hand making him let go of the rope and the stone in surprise. Indiana tried to catch the stone but it fell just out of his reach. Indiana reached the top of the rope bridge first to see the British army based in India taking out the Thuggee.

Eva followed him and handed him the stone before she made her way completely up. "Here take this, I'm holding on with my good arm." An arrow stuck through her other shoulder.

Indiana handed the stone to Shorty and pulled Eva up. "You alright?"

"Well there is this arrow in my shoulder, but other than that I'm okay I guess."

"Let's find someone to take that out for you."

"Nah, you can do it. Just pull it straight out… Ow!" Indiana pulled it sharply from her shoulder before she finished talking. "A little warning would have been nice."

"Sorry."

"No you're not. Now let's find someone to patch me up."

"Nah, I'll do that. Might as well, anyways," he said pulling her towards a vehicle marked as medical

"You're a big meanie who likes to cause me pain aren't you?" She allowed herself to be ushered and sat down on the bumper as Willie and Shorty followed, Shorty holding her bad hand gently.

"Yes, now get over it."

"No. OW!"

The End

Indiana and Shorty led the way to the village that they had visited, Willie slightly behind them. It turns out Eva had visited the village before and after the children were taken and was with them a ways behind. As they came to the village, Indiana, Shorty, and Willie bowed in respect to the village elder before the children ran to meet their parents.

Eva walked up to the elder and bowed to him. The elder leaned close to her and whispered something in her ear and touched her head with his hand before she stood straight with a small smile on her face.

"We know you are coming back when life return to our village." Indiana stood in front of the elder with Eva and un-wrapped the rock from its protective covering, before handing it to the elder. "Now you can see the magic of the rock you bring back."

"Yes," Indiana said with a small smile. "I understand its power now."

Around them children and parents laughed. "You two could have kept it," Willie said to Indiana and Eva.

"Ah, what for? They'd just put it in a museum. It'd just be another rock collecting dust," Eva said shrugging before she was pulled away by Shorty and a few other children.

"She's right," Indiana agreed.

"But then it would've given you your fortune and glory." Willie said.

"Anything could happen. It's a long way to Delhi."

Willie chuckled. "No, thanks. No more adventures with you, Doctor Jones."

"Willie," he said putting a hand on her jaw, pretending to be sore. "After all the fun we've had together?"

Willie turned serious and stepped away from him. "If you think I'm going to Delhi with you, or anyplace else after all the trouble you've gotten me into, think again, buster! I'm going home to Missouri where they never feed you snakes before leaving you in a cold cell for a day with no food! This is not my idea of a swell time!" Indiana turned as if to explain something to her before she pushed him aside and ran after the elders' assistant, asking him for help.

"Let her go, Indy," Eva came up behind him. "She's nothing but heartbreaks and headaches."

"I know. Come on lets go," he said walking towards the biggest elephant.

"Hey, Willie, we're leaving! You coming?" Eva called to the other woman but was ignored. "I guess not."

"Come on, sweetheart," Indiana called to her.

She sighed and looked up at him, "Okay boys, let's go." She crawled up on the elephant behind Indiana as they waited for Shorty to be ready.

"Okeydokey, Doctor Jones, Miss Eva, let's go!"

The End