Hamunaptra-City of the Dead


Night had descended hours ago, yet the workers still hadn't stopped working. The dig was spread out across a huge expanse of land with plenty of men to work on searching through each area. Those in charge wanted to leave nothing unexamined until they found what they were looking for.

A large, stocky man strode under the canopied structure that had been set up as a makeshift shelter. He placed a book fashioned completely out of some sort of black metal down on the table.

"The Book of the Dead gives life," Lock-Nah said.

Meela stepped into the canopied structure herself, carrying a similar book, except that it was all done up in gold. "And the Book of the Living takes life way." She blew the remaining dirt off the cover of the book before placing it down on the table.

Lock-Nah turned towards his mistress with a smirk. "I thought that was my job," he said.

Meela's own expression was one of smug satisfaction. "We're almost ready," she said.

She turned at the sound of a car horn beeping, a flare of excitement rising within her chest as she realized who it must be. She was already racing down the small hill, Lock-Nah at her heels, when she heard Baltus Hafez, the leader of their cult, speaking.

"Did you acquire it?"

Meela could already feel her former hopes plummeting, however, as the leader of the band of thieves avoided Baltus' gaze.

"The, uh, opportunity passed us by," Red said.

"We need that bracelet," Baltus said.

"And we need it before it opens," Lock-Nah growled.

"Enough!" Meela snapped. She marched over to Baltus, forcing a touch of softness into her tone. "My dear Hafez, I told you I should have handled it."

Baltus glanced back at her over his shoulder. "I did not want your…past history…to cloud the issue."

"Well don't you worry now," Red said. "We know where it is. We'll take care of it."

Baltus whirled around to face him. "No, we'll take care of it," he said. "I have a different chore for you now."

"Where is the bracelet?" Meela demanded.

"It's on its way to merry old London," Red replied.

Baltus exchanged a quick look with Meela before striding forward, pushing Red aside as he approached him. "Then London is where we must go."

None of them took any notice of the man who watched their every movement from behind the piece of cloth that concealed his face. Or the young woman at his side, who did the same, her face pale and drawn.


Tessa had hoped that her sister would eventually talk herself out with all this talk about the Bracelet of Anubis, but by the time they were lugging their luggage back into manor Evy was still going on about it.

"I think the bracelet," she was saying, "is some sort of guide to the lost oasis of Ahm Shere."

"Evy, I know what your thinking," Rick said, "and the answer is no. We just got home." He dumped all the luggage he was carrying on the floor to emphasize this point.

"That's the beauty of it," Evy said. She flashed her husband a grin. "We're already packed."

Tessa cast her own husband a sidelong glance as he took the luggage she was carrying from her, having already set down his own. "She does have a point," she said. She was a little bit surprised when her statement was met by a scowl and a quick shake of the head.

Rick didn't seem to have noticed the exchange, his eyes still fixed on Evy. "Why don't you just give me one good reason."

"It's just an oasis, darling." Evy's voice was soft, almost coy. "A beautiful, exciting, romantic…oasis."

Rick let out an intrigued little hum. "The kind with the white, sandy beach and the palm trees and the cool, clear, blue water and… We could have some of those big drinks with the little umbrellas."

"Sounds good," Evy said.

"Sounds too good." Rick seized Evy by the shoulder, looking intensely into her eyes. "What's the catch?"

Evy's voice was completely flat now, devoid of the charm it had held before. "Supposedly it's the resting place of Anubis' army."

"Huh, you see?" Rick said. "I knew there's a catch. There's always a catch. How did I know that? And let me guess. It was commanded by that Scorpion King guy?"

"Yes, but he only awakens only five thousand years," Evy said. She was moving out of the foyer now and up the stairs that lead to the library.

Imhotep had been planning to drag Tessa off to their bedroom for a talk of their own, but then he realized that she was following after her sister just like Rick was. It left him with little other choice but to head along as well, although he did it with a groan.

"And if someone doesn't kill him," Rick was saying, "he's gonna wipe out the world."

"How did you know that?" Imhotep demanded.

Rick just shrugged at him. "I didn't," he said. "But that's always the story."

"The last known expedition to actually reach Ahm Shere," Evy said, "was sent by Ramses the Fourth over three thousand years ago. He sent over a thousand men."

"And none of them was ever seen again," Rick said.

"How did you know?" Evy asked this time.

"I didn't," Rick repeated. "But that's always the story."

"Did I mention there was a pyramid of gold?" Evy asked.

This time Tessa answered along with Rick, both with similar tones of exasperation. "Twice."

"Alexander the Great sent troops in search of it," Evy said.

"Hooray for him," Rick said.

"So did Caesar."

"Yeah, look what happened to his career."

"Oh, and we mustn't forget Napoleon," Tessa piped up. She tapped the frame of the painting of the man in question which hung on the wall.

"But we're smarter than him," Rick said. "And taller too."

Evy climbed up one of the small ladders propped up against the bookcases, trailing her finger across the spines of the books there. "Exactly," she said. "that's why we're gonna find it."

"Because we're taller?" Rick said.

Evy fell backwards, letting Rick catch her before she even came close to falling. "That's why I love you."

Rick planted her back on the floor with a grin. "Nice try," he said.

The moment was interrupted by the voice of one of the children, calling up from the living room down bellow.

"Mum!" It was Asa. "What are we suppose to do with this chest?"

Alex, who was the one carrying said chest, grumbled. "This sucker weighs a goddang ton."

"Alex, watch your language!" Evy scolded.

"Rather weighty, this," Alex corrected. He flashed his cousin a grin as the boy snorted.

Imhotep drew their attention back to the task at hand by stepping forward, snatching a book up from a nearby table. "Evy, you had your first dream exactly six weeks ago, correct?"

"I think so, yes," Evy replied. "But what's that got to do with anything?"

Imhotep flipped through the book until he found what he wanted, holding it up for her and the others to see. "It coincides with Egyptian New Year." He tapped the image on the page. "It is the year of the Scorpion."

"Oh," Evy said. "That's right. What a coincidence."

Rick plucked the book from Imhotep's hands, snapping it shut. "Maybe," he said. "But I agree with him. We should be cautious."

Imhotep felt glad to have Rick's support in this. It gave him the hope that what he said next might be received a little less harshly than he had originally imagined. "And, besides, if you were to launch this expedition then I could not allow you to bring my wife, or even my son if you dared to."

Evy's head snapped towards him, eyes wide, and her sister followed suit not long after. "What do you mean by that?" she demanded.

Imhotep took a deep breath. He had learned just how vicious the female species could be, especially with the liberties given to them in this day and age. "I have been given the chance to have the life that I use to only dream about. I would be a fool-no, more than that-to throw it all away when I know just what can await you in Ahm Shere."

Rick held up a hand before either of the women could protest. "No, no, he's right." And this was such a strange thing to hear that he had the attention of the women almost instantly. "If anything happened to you, Evy, I would never forgive myself. You and Alex are the only thing that matter to me."

Evy let out a sigh, but there was a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth. "Well, the Bembridge scholars have been begging me to run the British Museum."


Asa headed over to the chest the instant he realized that the adults weren't watching him or his cousin. He had heard some sort of noise coming from it-he knew he had-and he was determined to see what could have caused it. Neither his parents nor his aunt and uncle had told the boys what was inside the chest, after all, and there had to be some sort of reason for it.

And Asa did love a good mystery.

He had to admit there was a part of him that was a little disappointed when he opened the chest and saw that it was only a bracelet. He turned to Alex to say as much when he noticed how fascinated his cousin seemed to be by it. He nudged the other boy with his shoulder. "Hey, why don't you try it on?" he said.

"What?" Alex's eyes darted up to the landing where the adults were still talking away amongst themselves. "I couldn't do that!"

Asa rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on," he said. "It's just a bracelet! No harm ever came from putting a bracelet on." He cast his cousin a smirk. "Unless you're afraid of it."

"I'm not afraid!" Alex shot back. His eyes darted back down to the bracelet before he lifted it carefully from the chest. He only had to hover it over his wrist, however, before it clamped down on his wrist. It began to glow a heartbeat later, jerking Alex's arm up in the air.

Both boys stood there in shock as various Egyptian sites-many of them ones they had seen in history books-were projected out like some sort of film.

It ended as quickly as it had started, leaving the boys to try to collect their wits before Alex tried to remove the bracelet.

"Aw, cripes, how do you get this thing off?" he said.

"How should I know?" Asa asked. He grabbed onto the bracelet as well, trying to yank it off along with Alex, only to find that it remained unmovable. "Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh?" Alex said. "Is that all you can say?" He jabbed a finger into Asa's chest. "This is all your fault, you know?"

"My fault?" Asa gaped. "You're the one that put it on!"

"Only because you dared me to!" Alex said.

The two of them froze in place as Rick's voice echoed down to them. "Hey, boys, behave yourselves for five minutes, alright?"

"Okay, Uncle Rick," Asa called back. He yanked the sleeve of Alex's jacket down over the bracelet before darting over and sticking one of the small statues inside the chest.

Fortunately he was able to manage all of this before his parents came back downstairs with his Aunt Evy in tow.

His mother reached out to ruffle his hair, grinning when he wrinkled his nose and rushed to smooth it all back into place. "Happy to be home?" she asked.

"Of course," Asa replied.

"Couldn't be happier," Alex tossed in.

Asa swallowed hard as his father glanced between the two of them with raised eyebrows. He let his breath go in a rush after the man said nothing, however.

Now they just needed to figure out how to get that damn bracelet off.


Tessa was on her knees before Asa, rummaging through the boy's pockets while Evy did the same with Alex.

Imhotep, meanwhile, just stood nearby with his arms crossed over his chest as he looked sternly down at the boys. "If you two have lost that key," he said, "you will receive a far worse punishment than grounding."

"We haven't lost it," Alex said. "We just can't find it. There's a difference."

"Well you'd better start finding it then," Evy said.

"I will, Mum," Alex said. "There's nothing to worry about."

Or at least there wasn't until a deep rumble of a voice broke through their conversation.

"Good evening."

There was a man standing there in the doorway, dressed in a brilliant red that contrasted sharply with the darkness of his skin. He was certainly no one that anyone could imagine allowing into their house unless they were looking for hired muscle. And even then they wouldn't trust someone who leered at them like that.

Evy and Tessa rose as one, moving to stand in front of their sons while Imhotep stepped in front of them in turn.

"Who are you?" Imhotep demanded. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for the chest, of course," the man said. His eyes narrowed as Alex instantly picked up the chest, clutching it close. "Give it to me now."

Evy marched over to the wall where a line of swords-thought decorative to everyone else who saw them-were arranged. She pulled one free before passing another to Imhotep. Tessa claimed another, shorter one for herself, determined not to be left out of the fight.

"Get out of my house," Evy said.

"Whoa, Mum," Alex said. "Maybe not the best idea."

"Alex, get back there with Asa," Evy ordered. Her focus snapped forward as more men appeared to join the first.

"Definitely not the best idea," Asa said.

"I think it's time to yell for Dad now," Alex said.

"Now I will kill you and take it anyway," the man said.

"I think not," another voice cut in.

The strange men drew their weapons as a man in Arabic clothing appeared with a similar, yet younger woman at his side.

"Candace, Ardeth?" Tessa said. "What are you doing here?"

"Perhaps explanations are best kept for later," Ardeth said.

"Ardeth Bay," the man said.

"Lock-Nah," Ardeth replied.

"Wait, you two know each other?" Tessa said.

"He is not the only one I know." Lock-Nah's eyes took on a strange, uncomfortable glint as they shifted over to Candace. "I have the pleasure of knowing the lovely Candace as well."

Candace scowled back at him. "My name is Candace Bay," she snapped.

"If that is what you insist on calling yourself," Lock-Nah said. "It won't make much difference when I slit your husband's throat."

Candace's eyes narrowed as she slid into a fighting stance. "I'd like to see you try."


Alex struggled to hold onto the chest, refusing to let it be pulled away by the man who had a grip on the other side. It helped that Asa had fixed his hands over his own and was pulling just as hard. "Let go!" he demanded.

The man responded by wiping the chest around with enough force to send both boys sprawling to the ground, placing the boys out of the fight, at least for awhile.

Candace, meanwhile, was fighting back to back with Tessa. "What's in the chest?" she called over her shoulder.

"The bracelet of Anubis!" Tessa called back.

"Oh, you have got be kidding me!" Candace groaned.

"I'm afraid not," Tessa said.

"Can't you ever stay out of trouble?" Candace asked.

"Of course not!" Tessa said. She sent one of the men stumbling back with a slash on his arm, leaving him open to be punched in the face by Candace. "It's the only way I get to see you."

Imhotep broke away from his own struggle just long enough to shout out a demand of his own. "They must not get the bracelet! Get it and get out of here!"

Alex and Asa chose to get their revenge at this moment, shoving a bookcase down on the man who had stolen the chest from them. It sent him tumbling to the ground, the chest slipping free from his grasp.

Tessa darted over, letting her sword fall so that he could snatch up the chest. She didn't hear the cry from her son until it was too late. By the time she turned around she was already being backhanded across the face with enough face to render her unconscious.

The man hoisted her over his shoulder while another took the chest, fleeing from the house after Lock-Nah left Ardeth on the floor with a few well placed blows.

It wasn't enough to stop Imhotep from chasing them out into the driveway, however. A car was already peeling out by the time he arrived, yet the curtains in the back window parted for a spilt second to reveal Tessa's face.

Her cry came out muffled from behind the glass, but it was no less clear to his ears. "Imhotep!" A rag was being thrust over her mouth a second later, however, as someone pulled her back into her seat.

"Tessa!" He couldn't believe that after working so hard to protect what he had managed to achieve it had all been snatched from him in the blink of an eye.

He was hardly aware of Rick and Jonathan stumbling up to meet him, looking a little worse for wear, yet he did turn when he heard a cry of, "Dad!"

Asa was rushing up to him with his aunt, cousin, and the Medjai in tow. He gripped onto his father's shirt, staring up at him wide eyed. "We'll get Mum back, won't we?" he asked.

Imhotep forced down his own fears for the sake of his son, holding him tightly. "Yes, of course we shall." There was no way he could not make sure of such a thing.

His attention was drawn back to the others as Rick suddenly grabbed Ardeth by the collar, slamming him up against a statue.

"What the hell are you doing here?" He dropped the man just as quickly as he had grabbed him. "No, scratch that. I don't care. Who the hell are those guys?"

Imhotep cut in, his voice smooth and cold. "And where are they taking my wife?"

"My friends, I am not sure," Ardeth said, "but wherever this man is, Tessa will surely be." He held up a photo of a man who only made Imhotep more frustrated since he had no idea who he was.

Alex reached up to snatch the photo from Ardeth's hands. "Hey, I know him. He's the curator. He works at the British Museum."

"Are you sure?" Ardeth asked.

"Believe him," Rick said. "Asa and him spend more time there than at home."

Rick clapped his hands together as the group headed off to where the garage was. "So, you're here, the bad guys are here, Tessa's been kidnapped. Does this seem familiar to anyone else?"

"At least there's no Hamunaptra this time," Jonathan joked.

"No, now there's something possibly even worse," Candace grumbled.

Imhotep arched a brow at the female Medjai. "What could be worse than the City of the Dead?" he asked.

Candace shot him an unreadable look before Ardeth began to speak again.

"It's the woman who's with them, she knows things that no living person could possibly know. She knew exactly where the books would be buried. We were hoping she would lead us to the bracelet. She obviously did. And now they have it."

Alex stopped besides the car, shifting a little on his feet. "I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." He pulled back the sleeve of his jacket as he held out his arm to reveal where the Bracelet of Anubis was still locked on.

"When I stuck it on," Alex said, "Asa and I saw the pyramids at Giza. Then, whoosh! Straight across the desert to Karnak."

"By putting this on," Ardeth said, "you have started a chain reaction that could bring about the next apocalypse."

Alex exchanged a glance with Asa as the boys gasped as one.

Rick pointed at Ardeth. "You, lighten up." His finger moved to Alex next. "You, big trouble."

"Asa told me to put it on!" Alex said. He winced as Asa shoved him and would have shoved back if his mother hadn't pulled him back, swatting both boys upside the head.

"You're both in big trouble then," she said. "Now-" She jerked her head at Jonathan. "-you, get in the car."