Chapter Two

Grace walked up to the house, still thinking about what she learnt. She didn't even register the car outside as she walked through the front door. She found Evy showing Alex a book in front of their luggage; they'd clearly only just gotten home. "Hey, where have you been?" Evy asked as she noticed her walk in with a frown on her face.

Grace blinked in surprise and shook her head clear. "Just had the weirdest experience of my life, I'll explain later." She said glancing at Alex. "How was your trip?" She asked.

"Simply wonderful. We found the bracelet of Anubis; did you know it's the year of the scorpion?" Evy said very quickly before turning to a box and trying to open it. "Alex, where's the key?" She asked.

"Umm..." He trailed off as he looked in his pocket. He shrugged sheepishly.

Evy dug through his pockets frantically. "Alex, I'm serious. If you've lost that key you're grounded." She said sternly.

"I haven't lost it, I just can't find it. There's a difference." He replied matter-of-factly.

Grace snorted and walked over to Rick's sword collection hanging on the wall before she completely lost it. "Well you'd better start finding it then!" Evy replied also amused by him.

"Good evening." A male voice said.

Grace spun around and found a large, bald, black man standing in the doorway. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" Evy ordered moving Alex behind her.

Grace took a sword off of the wall. "I'm looking for the chest of course. Give it to me now." The man ordered.

Alex grabbed the chest off of the table as Evy ran over to Grace, grabbing a sword. "Get out of my house." Evy warned holding up her sword.

"Woah. Mum, Aunt Grace, maybe not the best idea." Alex said in surprise.

"Alex, get back." Evy told him as the man looked surprised at Grace's name.

The man was joined by more men. "Definitely not the best idea, I think it's time to call for dad now." Alex suggested in fright as he took a step back.

"Now I will kill you and take it anyway." The man said as if he wasn't just going to do that anyway.

"I think not." Said another voice behind them. Evy and Grace looked behind them and saw Ardeth Bay walking up to Evy and Grace.

Ardeth held his blade tight in his hand as he faced the men. "Ardeth, what are you doing here?" Evy questioned.

"Perhaps explanations are best left until later." Ardeth was tense. Ready for battle.

"Ardeth Bay." The man placed.

"Lock-nah."

That was the cue for the fight to begin. Grace was fluent with her sword, memories coming to the surface of her fighting lessons with Anck-su-namun. She heard machine gun sounds upstairs and knew Rick was having some trouble of his own. Grace focused solely on the men she was fighting and not what was going on around her. She glanced at Evy and for a moment saw her dressed in Egyptian clothing. A memory came forward of Evy fighting with Anck-su-namun whilst Akila watched in amazement. The name Nefertiri came forward in her mind and Grace knew it to be the name of Seti's daughter.

Shaking the memory away she got back into the fight. Her mind storing memories of Nefertiri as she did so. "Mum look out!" She heard Alex shout. Grace looked just in time to see Evy getting knocked out and carried away by one of the men.

But as she was distracted another man hit her across the head sending her into unconsciousness. Lock-nah threw a dagger at Ardeth who just barely avoided it before Lock-nah and his men left with the chest. "Mum." Alex cried. A smash was heard upstairs, like a window breaking, and then they heard a machine gun outside.

Ardeth and Alex went outside and saw Rick and Jonathan outside as two cars drove off. "Dad! Dad!" Alex shouted running up to Rick.

Rick knelt down and pulled Alex into a hug, relief on his face. "Son, you're alright." He muttered into his hair. Alex nodded into his shoulder.

Finally the father and son separated and Rick noticed Ardeth. "O'Connell." Ardeth bowed.

Rick grabbed him and swung him around against the nearby pillar. "What the hell are you doing here? Actually, scratch that, who the hell are those guys and where are they taking my wife and Grace?" He demanded getting into his face.

Ardeth released himself of Rick's hold before pulling out a picture from his coat. "My friend, I am not sure. But wherever this man is, Grace and your wife will surely be." He showed everyone the picture.

Alex grabbed it and studied it closely. "Hey, I know him! He's the curator; he works at the British Museum." Alex said eagerly.

They all looked at him. "Are you sure?" Ardeth held Alex's arms.

"You'd better believe it. He spends more time there than he does at home." Rick said with a nod. They turned to the car and walked towards it, knowing their destination. "Okay, you're here, bad guys are here, Grace and Evy's been kidnapped, let me guess..."

"Yes, they've once again removed the creature from his grave." Ardeth confirmed.

Jonathan pointed his golden stick, the only treasure he had left, at Ardeth. "I don't mean to point fingers but isn't it your job to make sure that doesn't happen." He said accusingly.

"The woman who is with them, she knows things, things that no living person could possibly know. She knew exactly where the creature was buried." Ardeth explained. "We were hoping she would lead us to the bracelet, she obviously did; now they have it."

"I wouldn't get too nervous just yet." Alex pulled up his sleeve as they stopped at the car, revealing the bracelet.

Ardeth grabbed Alex's arm, studying the bracelet. "Is that gold?" Jonathan licked his lips hungrily.

They all looked at the bracelet. "When I put it on I saw the pyramids of Giza, and then whoosh straight across the desert to Karnak." Alex said dramatically.

"By putting that bracelet on you have started a chain reaction that could bring about the next apocalypse." Ardeth said seriously causing Alex to gasp.

Rick pointed to Ardeth, "You, lighten up." The finger moved to Alex, "you, big trouble." The finger moved to Jonathan, "and you, get in the car." He ordered.

They all climbed into the car and Rick drove off, heading for the museum. "I'm sorry if I alarmed your son but you must understand, now that the bracelet is on his wrist, we only have seven days before the Scorpion King awakens." Ardeth said seriously.

"We? What we?" Rick questioned.

"If he is not killed, he will raise the army of Anubis."

Jonathan leaned forward. "I take it that's not a good thing?" He said.

Rick and Ardeth looked at him incredulously. "He would wipe out the world." Rick said dryly.

"Oh, the old wipe out the world ploy." Jonathan leant back in his seat clutching his golden stick.

"Whoever can kill the scorpion king, can send his army back to the underworld or use it to destroy mankind and rule Earth." Ardeth explained.

"So that's why they dug up old Imhotep, he's the only guy tough enough to take out the scorpion king." Rick said with an 'oh' sound.