Steve told Victor he wouldn't go anywhere without checking on his sister first, or even taking her with them if it was going to be a long trip. Victor had agreed though he wasn't entirely happy with it. He said it was because he didn't want his share of the treasure to go down but Steve said he and Mary would split their half, and Victor would get the other.
They made their way through the back alleys of the marketplace to Steve and Mary's small home and went inside, trudging up the spiral staircase.
The sight that greeted them was unexpected. There was food spilling out of the pantry, there was new furniture and Mary was in a uniform for what looked like a new job.
"Mary, what happened?" Steve asked, astonished.
"Oh my God, Steve!" She ran to him and hugged him. "The prince got you out?"
"Not exactly. Mary, what is this?"
"It's from him. He wanted to thank us. Steve, he paid off dad's debts. All of them."
"He what?"
"He sent a note with the new chairs, about how our generosity deserved some in return. Then he said something weird about wanting to help support me if I was on my own. I feared the worst when no one at the guard house would tell me anything." She reached up and hugged him again.
"No, sis, I'm here. Just. Wow, he really did that?" He felt a surge of something in his heart that he could only describe as pride. Pride in his prince, in the fact that he hadn't fought in wars for nothing, that fighting for this kingdom he loved was the right choice because if their ruling family could be like this then it was worth it. Prince Daniel had vowed to take care of Mary in Steve's absence and he would be eternally grateful for that even if it was no longer necessary.
Then he thought more. If Prince Daniel had paid his debts, he didn't need the treasure from the cave. He just needed to support himself and Mary, he didn't need riches.
"Victor, I don't-"
"You are not backing out, Steve," Victor warned. "You owe me for getting you out. Besides, you're an escapee now, you can't live the life you had before."
He had a point and Steve had to concede it. Things had changed dramatically. Now, his only hope of coming home again and of making sure Mary was safe, was to fulfill his promise to Victor and then hope that the treasure was enough to, perhaps, clear him of his wrong doing. That or they would be able to afford to move to another city.
"Mary," he looked down at her. "This is a 'friend' of mine, Victor. Look, a lot has happened over the last day. I need you to come with me and we can explain."
"I just got in, I'm tired Steve, can't it wait?"
"Sorry, Mare. We should go and it has to be now, I'll explain on the way."
The small band had escaped the city, perhaps a little too easily, but they knew the streets well enough to get away. Once outside, they made their way into the desert lands of the kingdom, explaining everything to Mary as they went, and continued to trudge until Victor seemed happy with their location. How he could tell, Steve didn't know. Not until he watched him pull a ring from his hidden pocket. Just how deep was that thing?
He rubbed the ring and Steve was shocked to see a woman now standing in front of them as smoke cleared from around her.
"You found him them?" She said to Victor, head indicating Steve. She didn't seem entirely impressed with anything
"Yes, I found him. Now I'm pretty sure we're at the right spot."
"She came from the ring," Steve said, still stunned, looking between everyone and seeing the same kind of surprise on his sister's features. He pointed between Victor and the woman. "You have a magic ring?" he asked Victor.
"Yes, I have a magic ring, this is the Spirit, get over it quickly," Victor said. "Now, bring forth the cave," he ordered her. The woman closed her eyes, and then Steve grabbed at Mary's arm as she stumbled back a few steps watching as the head of large cat with big teeth was brought forth from the sand.
"Who dares approach the cave of wonder?" A voice boomed through the opening.
Victor looked at Steve, expectantly. "Uh, I do. My name is Steve McGarrett," he said, voice becoming more confident. This was something to get used to but he could do it and quickly. He was a soldier, he could put aside the weirdness and deal with the job at hand. Besides, he'd seen some basic sorcery in his time, just not women living in rings or caves in the shape of animals.
"You may enter. Touch nothing but the lamp."
"What does it mean 'touch nothing but the lamp'? I thought we were here for treasure," Mary asked.
"We are," Victor said. "But the lamp is first. Resist the rest of the treasure right now. Think of it as a test. Bring me the lamp, then we can sort out the rest."
"Okay," Steve said, a little wary. This man was a criminal after all, he didn't exactly trust him and there was something he wasn't being told, but he'd come this far. He made sure to take Mary with him, not letting her stay up top alone with a sleaze like Victor and deciding she'd be safer with him.
They made their way into the cave. The stairs were steep and there were many of them. They were lucky that the cave had torches lining the walls. When they reached the bottom, Steve took one down from its bracket and walked with it further into the cave, taking the lead and shielding Mary in case there was something else down here to be wary of.
"Wow," Mary breathed out as they moved into a large cavern, filled to the brim with gold and jewels, the light from the torches around them glinting off everything he could see. There were piles of coins. Actual piles. Victor had been right; this place would make all of them rich beyond their wildest dreams. Steve could start his own kingdom with just his share.
He swallowed. They had to resist the gold and look for a lamp. Somewhere in here was a lamp that had to be the first thing to leave the cave. He gestured for Mary to stop staring and follow and then began to make his way through the room, carefully peering around piles of treasure and behind plinths. They passed all the way through to the other end of the cavern and still nothing. Maybe he'd missed it, he thought, confusion passing over his face.
He turned around; looking everywhere he could, when he saw the dark doorway to the side. He made his way over with Mary hot on his heels. He held the torch high and passed through into a smaller cavern. In the center of the room was a tall pillar - lit from above but with no sign of an origin for the light - and a staircase led up it. Underneath it was surrounded by a moat of water, with unevenly placed stones that formed a bridge. He handed the torch to his sister to hold and rubbed his hands together.
Steve knew this was why he was here. There was no way Victor would make it over these stones without falling and he really didn't trust his sister to manage either. She'd probably slip from lack of attention. The stones were small, he'd not be able to get his whole foot on so he'd have to be careful but quick at the same time. He tested the first stone with his toes and then slowly put pressure on it. He had to keep his balance while he tested the next one, then the next, speeding up as he did so, all the while feeling like he was walking a tightrope to get there. On the last few steps he braved putting his eyes up and facing the lamp. He couldn't look away. It was like it was calling to him, it was hypnotic. As he climbed the stairs he wasn't looking where he was going until he found himself standing in front of the pillar.
He reached out and carefully picked up the lamp. He held it in his hands. It was battered and old but there must be value in it for it to be kept safely in this chamber. He shook it, but there was nothing inside. His hands fell to his sides, one still holding onto the lamp and it hit against his leg. No, it was just a battered old lamp, kept in here because it wasn't like the treasure of the other room.
"Is that the thing we came for?" his sister yelled up at him from below as he attached it to his belt.
"I think so. It doesn't seem special to me. I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder," he said as he began to make his way down from the plinth. Of course, if this was a test then it made sense that what you had to find first was the most worthless thing in the room.
He ran back along the stepping stones and took a satisfied breath upon reaching solid ground again. His sister looked at the lamp where it hung by Steve's side. "Seems like a worthless hunk of junk, we'd be much better off with just one of these," she lifted a single gold coin up in front of Steve's face.
His eyes widened. "Where did you?"
"What, it was right here and..."
The ground shook like the beginning of an earthquake. "Uh-oh," Steve said, looking up at where the rocks of the cave were beginning to throw dust down around them. "Come on, come on let's go, quickly!" he ushered her in front of him, encouraging her to run as fast as possible. "Only you, Mary! Only you! They said not to touch anything but the lamp!"
"I know, I'm sorry! I didn't realize I'd even done it!" she excused herself as they ran as fast as they could back to the main cavern.
Steve was tempted to pick up more treasure on the way since they'd already messed up, but resisted, knowing it would slow them down and the way the cave was shaking it was sure to collapse soon. He could sense the danger behind him, the darkness and the falling rocks approaching them but he just grabbed at Mary's arm and sped her along, not looking back, just running.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and Steve put his military fitness to good use, running up them, dragging his sister. He wished only he had come into the cave - he'd have made it to the top by now, but Mary was slower, not used to the rigors of this kind of activity and when the steps in front of them began to crumble, Steve's eyes widened, fear creeping in as he realized they wouldn't make it.
Suddenly, a large chunk of steps gave way and they stopped with a stumble before falling through the gaping space.
"Throw me the lamp!" The voice of their criminal accomplice rang out.
He looked up to see Victor, shadowed in the light of the opening. There was someone with him, but he couldn't see who. It wasn't the woman from the ring though.
Steve gestured for Mary to clamp on around his neck. He'd carried heavier loads - all part of his training - and he could only hope he had a shot at jumping the distance. He took a flying leap and was able to grab onto the bottom step closer to the cave mouth, but his hold was precarious. "I can't hold on. Give Mary your hand and help her up!"
"First give me the lamp," Victor said back.
Steve was incredulous. For the stupid lamp Victor would risk both Steve and Mary dying? But he didn't have time to argue. He reached to unhook the lamp from his belt, holding it up, trying to get it closer to Victor, but then he pulled back. Victor didn't care about them and he was a criminal. He could easily double cross them. "What's so special about it?"
"That doesn't matter, just give me it, then I'll pull you out."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"You don't have much choice, McGarrett,"
Steve didn't have time to think. He reached up and could feel Victor's hands on the other side of the lamp, but when he saw a triumphant look in Victor's eyes, a menacing, dark look, he knew for sure he wasn't getting rescued. Victor wanted the lamp and nothing more. Steve clamped on with his other hand, dangling from Victor's hold, hoping it would give him no option but to pull Steve out. Instead, Victor did everything he could to shake Steve off; Steve's weight too much for him and Victor's hands slipped, giving Steve back the lamp as he fell, grabbing onto an outcrop of rock by the skin of his teeth while Mary scrambled to try and get back onto the still crumbling steps.
"Help us!" Steve cried out, but Victor was angry, seeing red.
"We'll just get it some other way!" he yelled and pulled out a knife to attack Steve. On instinct, Steve let go only to exchange one possible death for another. The two siblings tumbled down, backs hitting against step after step as they plunged together into the darkness.
Along the way, Steve - hands still clutching tightly to all the precious objects in his charge - hit his head and everything went black.
"You fool!" Wo Fat bellowed at Victor Hesse. "Because of your anger we've lost the lamp. Now we must find a new person to fetch it."
"We found McGarrett; we'll find the next one, no big deal. I didn't like him anyway," Hesse spat on the spot where the cave had been. "And if the fall didn't kill them, they're stuck in there now."
"Give me the ring, the Spirit will know what to do."
"Sure," Victor looked at his hand. The ring was no longer on his finger. "Uhm…" He touched his pocket but it wasn't in there. He looked around at the sand but saw nothing. "Uhm…"
"Where is my ring?" Wo Fat asked, astonishingly calm.
"I don't have it."
"You don't have it?"
"It must have fallen or… McGarrett, he must have taken it when he tried to hold on."
"YOU FOOL!" Wo Fat screamed at him. "Without the ring, I have no way of knowing who the diamond in the rough is!"
"Maybe you can get another ring?" Hesse asked, edging away from Wo Fat to be on the safe side.
"It took us five years to find that one. There aren't many rings like it in the world, AND I WANT MY LAMP!"