Hi, i am back! And I'm happy to see that some people have favored and are also following the story. Now this chapter shows a little more of Alice's character and i am really happy with the result!

Chapter two: Nice to meet you, Mr. O'Connell

Not wanting to be hindered, the Carnahan sisters persuaded Jonathan to take them to the source where he found the artifact. And of course he had a reason for hesitation, the artifact seems to have been stolen from someone who was now trapped in one of the worst prisons in Cairo.

As the brothers walked through the gallows square, being led by the warden to the prisoner's cell, Alice felt glances of desire for some men as if they had never seen a woman before. As Evy did not notice that, she was already stressed out with Jonathan, there was enough left over to the younger girl to look hard at the men, who knew that the girl was not kidding.

"You told me you found it on a dig down in Thebes!"

Alice could not believe how much her older sister still had an ounce of hope in a possible honesty in Jonathan. Ever since he was little, Jonathan had been able to fool his parents for a while when he wanted something. Dealer's word, Dad said.

"I was mistaken."

"You lied to me!"

"I lie to everybody, what makes you so special?"

"I'm your sister."

"That just makes you more gullible."

"Touché."

Evy cast a piercing glance at her younger sister.

"You stole it from a drunk at the local Casbah?!"

"Picked his pocket, actually."

Even if he did things wrong, Jonathan was smart when he wanted to. The warden ushers the Carnahan siblings into the holding cell.

"And what is he in prison for?"

"I did not know, so when I heard you were coming, I asked him that myself."

"And what did he say?"

"He said... he was just looking for a good time."

"Um, a troublemaker, I like that."

Evy sends a reproving glance while Jonathan is shocked by his sister's preferences, but he was like that too, he always chose the forbidden fruit.

The interior cell door burst open and a man with half his face covered by long hair, a beard and many bruises appears. Yeah, looks like he's been in there for some time. But as soon as he lifted his head, the light brown eyes held the Carnahan's youngest, in a curiosity that fascinated her, for the eyes beyond beauty showed a hard life and full of obstacles. This was no ordinary man. But it seemed that this fascination was not shared by his sister, because disgust covered his features.

"But he's just a filthy criminal?"

"Way to go, Evy."

The stranger gives Evelyn the once over, then looks at Jonathan and finally at Alice. It seemed that he recognized her as a strong personality among the trio.

"So who's the broad?"

"Broad?!" asked Evy offended

"She's my sister, actually."

"Yeah? Well,... I'm sure she's not a total loss."

"Hey! I would you like you to respect my sister. Only me can make jokes about her and to her."

And with his hands in a form of surrender, he accepted the order. Evy looked as if she was going to explode with such rage that she was.

"I'll be back in a moment." Said the warden

"I tremble with anticipation."

A guard clubs the stranger across the head, making his face bounces off the metal bars. He shows no pain, but just look back and gives the guard a nasty look. This man was a rough diamond, Alice could tell, for it seems that even the prison did not destroy him. Evelyn, though hesitant, did not stop approaching the prisoner.

"We uh,... found... your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it."

"No."

"No?"

"No... You came to ask me about Hamunaptra."

Evelyn and Jonathan quickly look around, hoping the guards didn't hear him. Alice seemed even more interested in him, for besides being rough he was intelligent.

"How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?"

"Because that's where I found it. I was there."

Evelyn is dumbstruck, Jonathan looks suspicious and Alice without taking notice gets closer to the prisoner, even more interested in what he has to say.

"You were there? Actually there? What is it look like?"

"Now, hold down a minute Ali, how do we know that's not a load of pig swallow?"

The prisoner look away from Alice to Jonathan, a glint of recognition.

"Hey,... don't I know you?"

"Um, well, you see..."

"He is the one who stole from you the puzzle box."

"Oh, geez, thanks Ali."

"You're welcome." The girl smiles innocently.

And out from nowhere, a fist comes flying through the bars, hitting Jonathan in the jaw. He hits the floor and a guard clubs O'Connell. His head bounces off the bars again, showing no pain and again giving the guard nasty look. Evelyn goes to take care off her brother, screaming at Alice about giving Jonathan away.

"Well, he should've seen this coming."

And Evy looks like agreeing with her.

"So back to business. You were actually at Hamunaptra?"

"Straight to the point, sarcastic ... I liked you."

Maybe it was the scorching sun that made her blush and not a compliment coming from a stinking, uneducated prisoner.

"Yeah, I was there."

"You swear?"

"Every damn day."

"No, I mean-"

"-I know what you mean. I was there, alright. Seti's place. The City of The Dead."

"What did you find? What did you see?" her eyes sparkled as the sunlight.

"I found sand. I saw death." and there it was again the hard look.

The warden enters and Alice without losing time leans even more closer to O'Connell.

"Could you tell me how to get there? The exact location?"

"Want to know?"

She knew what he was doing, it was a game of seduction. An exchange. "Yes."

"Really want to know?"

She knew she was screwed as soon as she laid eyes on him, so at that moment it did not matter a stolen kiss. Repentance would come later.

"Yes."

And as if it had been taken off the floor, O'Connell's kiss was quick but shocking, leaving a taste of want more.

"Then get me the hell outta here."

And still in shock, Alice saw the prisoner taken. And a new wave of determination filled her being.

"Where are they taking him?" she asked, amidst Evy's questioning about the kiss.

"To be hanged."

The warden shows-off his green teeth and that was the last straw for her to get him ou of there.

"In fact, I'd like to negotiate with you."

Jonathan and Evelyn looked shocked about their sister's proposition, because it was likely to not end well. Oh, was it?

Hundreds of filthy prisoners stare down onto the gallows as the hangman's noose is draped over O'Connell's head and cinched tight around his neck. Meanwhile, Alice and the warden sat down onto a balcony above the gallows. Though the men were animated by a hanging, they did not take their eyes off the beauty that Alice was, some might claim to be a true Egyptian beauty. O'Connell looks up and share a look with the woman, she had no time to waste.

"I will give you one hundred pounds to spare his life."

"I would pay one hundred pounds just to see him hang."

"Two hundred pounds."

"Proceed!"

"Three hundred pounds!"

O'Connell can hear every word, he looks hopeful. Other than Alice, you could hear a pin drop. The hangman turns to him.

"Any last requests, pig?"

"Yeah, I'd like ya to let me go."

The hangman grabs the lever to the trapdoor.

"Five hundred punds!"

The warden sets his greasy, lecherous hand on Alice's leg.

"And what else?"

Feeling disgusted, she ends up slapping the warden's face. And him feeling insulted, angrily turns and gesture to the hangman, who pulls the lever.

"NOOO!"

O'Connell drops through the hole, the rope pays out, then jerks taught. O'Connell's body snaps at the end of the rope. But he's still alive.

"His neck did not break! Good! Now we watch him strangle to death."

And at the same time she felt a relief, a dread feeling took hold of her body upon hearing the last words of the warden. The prisoners go ape-shit, screaming and shouting in anger. The guards look around, nervous. O'Connell struggles at the end of the rope, gagging. Alice is horrified, she quickly turns to the warden, leans forward and whispers in his ear.

"He knows the location to Hamunaptra."

The warden spins around and faces her.

"You lie!"

"I would never! I'm certainly not my brother!"

At the end of the rope, O'Connell is choking and gagging and turning several shades of red. The warden stares at Alice.

"Are you saying this filthy godless son of a pig knows where to find the City of The Dead? Truly?"

"Yes and if you cut him down, we will give you ten percent."

"Fifty percent."

"Twenty."

"Forty."

And without trembling the girl gives her final offer. "Twenty-five percent, and not one single farthing more."

The warden flashes a big green smile, then yells in Arabic. A scimitar slashes the air. The rope is cut and O'Connell crashes to the ground, half dead. Rolls over, gagging. All of the prisoners burst into cheers. The couple look at each other, Alice smiling broadly and waving down at him. And without noticing a corner smile appeared on the prisoner's chastened face.

All the way to the rented apartment, Jonathan and Evelyn kept talking about what had happened in prison. Evelyn lecturing her sister's careless behavior and Jonathan wondering how the negotiations with the warden went.

"Enough! I know I was careless and could almost go wrong with my plan but it did not. And yes, Jonathan's negotiation was very good, we'll give twenty-five percent of what we get in Hamunaptra for him, the warden."

And with that the older pair of Carnahan siblings looked at each other with satisfaction.

"Now, I just want my bed. Tomorrow the day will be full. Good night!"

"Is it just me, or Alice seems more lively than usual?" asked Jonathan.

Evy just rolled her eyes, because sometimes her brother could be slow. What a day! In the bed right above them, Alice would stay almost all night awake, thinking about light brown eyes and a rough kiss.

Hold down guys, they are not fallen in love, yet. Things are progressing. Hope you guys liked and any mistakes just let me know!