Disclaimer: Twilight and all of its character's are the sole property of Stephanie Meyer. No infringement is intended. She merely allows us to play in her world for a bit, for which I am grateful.

Chapter 7: Luxor, Part II

After only five minutes of driving, we had crossed a bridge to the east bank of the Nile River and I slowed down to speed more fitting for the crowded urban setting. It was about 5 pm on Friday afternoon so there was perhaps another hour of daylight left. Thus, most of the shops in the tourist district through which we were driving were still open for business. Large groups of pale, sun-starved Europeans or Americans were excitedly haggling with the local street vendors over trinkets, faux pottery, or pewter models of the Pyramids of Giza and the Temple of Karnak, thinking they were all experts in the art of bargaining. Having been in a similar position myself during my last visit, I now knew that unless you were essentially given the item for free, you were being ripped off. Most of these articles were actually produced across the Indian Ocean in sweatshops in Indonesia, Bangladesh, or India. Even in the third world, the axiom "you get what you pay for" holds true and I knew that true collectors only visited the certified Bazaars in Cairo to find quality Egyptian merchandise.

The crowds meant it was a rather tight fit entering the downtown area of Luxor. Lining the narrow streets were large, air-conditioned busses which would soon take their clutch of tourists back to the high-class hotels in the north of Luxor in preparation for an assault on a different Egyptian city the following day. Apparently, all of the haggling and bargaining were not holding their attention that well after all since the sudden arrival of Amun's flashy red Ferarri was sufficient to immediately draw most of the gazes. I saw a few camera lenses pointing our way and imagined I would hear male jaws hitting the ground were the engine not so loud. The car handled like a dream which allowed me to carefully weave in and out of the mass of humanity and busses despite my meager skills behind the wheel. I was particularly careful not to even tap anything since the thought of Amun angry at me for denting his car terrified me beyond belief. As it was, I was thankful that I had not seen him once the entire week.

"Benjamin, where is Amun? Do you think he will mind we swiped his car?" I asked, voicing my thoughts.

"Nah, he's fine with it. I borrow it all the time when I don't need Jeeves for the stealthy look. He's hunting with Kebi right now. That's his mate, or wife, I guess."

"Vampires can…marry?" That just sounded weird to me.

Benjamin looked at me strangely. "Of course. Well, we can't have children since our bodies never change in that way, but I assure you that we feel emotions just as strongly as you do. And that is all marriage really is, after all."

I guess that made sense.

"Oh, okay. So where are we going?" I asked, changing the subject.

"Just this place I know. Turn right at the next intersection onto Sacriya Boulevard and I'll direct you."

I did as he instructed and we thankfully moved out of the congested shopping district and headed towards the banks of the Nile. Soon we were passing The Temple of Karnak on our left and entering the oldest part of Luxor. I followed Benjamin's directions and moments later pulled up in front of a familiar establishment on the riverfront.

"Oh, I love this place!"

"You've been here before?" Benjamin asked, surprised.

I nodded vigorously, and then blushed slightly. Al-Salem. It was a classy authentic Egyptian restaurant that catered primarily to those visiting the city.I had eaten there many times during my previous stay in Egypt, due mostly to the presence of a young waiter. His name was Naseer and he was drop-down gorgeous with long, wavy black hair, a powerful, yet lean build, and the deepest hazel eyes I had ever seen. He was the son of the restaurant's owner, which meant that he really had no business waiting tables. Yet he had waited on mine every time I had dined there and I was not so dim as to think this was an accident.

Naseer was 19 at the time, three years older than me, and for a girl who had just begun to look at boys that way and had normal teenage self-esteem issues, such attention was a big confidence booster. I had also broken up with my first real boyfriend the week before I left the States and was eager to get back in the game, as it was. So we usually flirted throughout the meal and he would sometimes leave small trinkets at the table after he had cleaned up. These were not cheap knock-offs from the aforementioned street vendors, but likely something his well-off father had purchased in Cairo.

In the end, however, I suppose that I took the whole thing much less seriously than he did and nothing ever came of it. I considered flirting to be a full-contact sport, a verbal repartee and a right of passage in any relationship. With Naseer, said contest was like Michael Jordan taking on a first grader, where I was MJ. All of the witty remarks came from my side of the field while he would just smile, flex something, or make some sort of off-color joke, believing that qualified as flirting. It was enough to initially captivate a naïve 16-year old, but by the end of my stay, I had begun to see the rather uninteresting forest in spite of the decidedly attractive trees. You could only sugarcoat boredom with a sexy smile and luscious hair for so long. Before I left, he had given me his number and asked that I call him, but I had yet to do so and had scarcely thought about him except in my most rebellious moods. I imagined he still worked here and if I saw him, I hoped he wasn't too angry at me for not calling him up.

Of course, the food at Al-Salem wasn't bad either, but I'm sure there were better places in Luxor. It was one of those restaurants where they made the meal in front of you and each table had its own small grill, visibly enhancing its claims of exotic Egyptian cuisine. The upstairs deck was completely open-air and was situated mere feet from the Nile. I could have flicked an olive from a salad over the edge and down into the water if I had desired. In the evening, as the sun dropped below the sandy hills to the west and shimmered golden light off the glassy water, there was no more beautiful place on the entire planet in my mind. Benjamin had good taste.

We walked inside and I requested a table on the upper deck and we were promptly led up the stairs. It was a perfect spring evening and the temperature was comfortable as the day's warmth was slow to fade. I looked out over the Nile where the last few fishing boats were straggling to the shore with the day's catch and a lone felucca was sailing slowly north on a cruise downriver as the sun hung low in the western sky. It was beautiful. I was dragged out of my naturalistic reverie by a familiar voice.

"Tianna Sabbat! I heard in the kitchen that you are back!"

I almost laughed. Naseer stood in front of me. He looked good, a year or two older, a bit more mature, but he still had the same winning smile. Apparently I was forgiven for ignoring him the past two years.

"Hi Naseer. I'm just visiting for spring break."

I don't know if he even heard my response. He had noticed Benjamin and was glaring at him something fierce. I realized I realized I should probably make introductions.

"Naseer, this is Benjamin. He works with Professor Worthington. Benjamin, this is Naseer. We're friends, from last time I was here."

Benjamin politely offered his hand, but Naseer continued to glare at him and made no move to shake his hand. Benjamin looked over at me curiously, but I just shrugged.

Naseer seemed to look him up and down, sizing him up.

"You know, colored contacts went out of fashion years ago. Especially red. Just for your information."

"Oh, I never followed the crowd," Benjamin replied airily. "In fact, I've been told they look rather intimidating."

He sat up, straightening his broad shoulders and fixed an intense gaze on Naseer, who involuntarily took a step back. I had become so accustomed to Benjamin's eyes over the past week that I had completely forgotten he usually didn't move about in public without some sort of disguise.

Naseer laughed nervously and quickly set the table with a pair of diner plates, a full complement of silverware, and poured us each a glass of ice water.

"I'll be right back to take your order. It is good to see you again, Tianna."

Naseer turned and retreated to the kitchen.

"What's with that guy?" Benjamin asked as soon as Naseer was out of earshot.

I shrugged. "I dunno. We talked a bunch when I as here last time."

Benjamin narrowed his eyes at the steps leading down to the kitchen. "Sounds like he wants to do a bit more than talk to you. At least, that's what he's telling his buddies downstairs in the kitchen right now…"

"How do you know what they're—?" Oh, right. Vampire senses.

He didn't reply and was staring intently at the stairs, listening. Apparently, something was not to his taste because his lips curled back exposing his shiny white teeth and he abruptly stood up.

"Are you kidding? What a pig! Seriously, Tia. This guy is a tool…"

I didn't have a chance to say anything, because Naseer chose that moment to saunter back up the stairs carrying a pen and paper. Benjamin glared at him, making Naseer stop in his tracks before walking a bit more hesitantly over to us. Perhaps he was a bit more intimidated by Benjamin's crimson irises than he had let on.

"So, what would you like, Tianna? Lambchops and green peppers?" He asked, smiling winningly at me. He remembered my favorites. Good memory.

I nodded. "That sounds lovely."

He turned to Benjamin.

"And you?" he asked, much less politely.

"Hmmmm, I think I'll go for that nice rack of lamb," he said theatrically.

Naseer blanched, and his eyes widened, but he coolly replied, "That is one of our most expensive meals, sir. Are you sure that is in your price range?"

"Yes, you may be right. It could tap my wallet a bit too hard." Naseer was looking at him furiously, while Benjamin was lounging smugly back in his seat.

I understood what was going on now. On the one hand, I was pissed at Naseer if he really said what Benjamin was insinuating he had said. On the other hand, I didn't really like the over-protective brotherly crap that Benjamin was pulling right now either.

"Your order, sir?"

"You know what? I'm tired of looking at every meal as just another piece of meat. So just a garden salad for me. But hold the dressing and keep your other…condiments…to yourself"

"Very well. I will be back with your meal in a minute," He said, winking at me.

I glared over at Benjamin, but he looked decided unapologetic. Boys, I hrumphed. Everything is a testosterone contest.

I crossed my arms and said nothing but instead focused my attention idly on the river and watched the same felucca I had seen before. It hadn't made much progress at all in the calm conditions and was drifting aimlessly below us on the glassy river. Moments later Naseer emerged from the kitchen carrying a collection of vegetables, several slabs of raw meat, and a bag of charcoal briquettes. This was one of the novelties of Al-Salem. They made their own charcoal that was prepared according to some ancient formula that the restaurant claimed added a unique flavor to its food.

He dumped the briquettes onto the grill, and from there, things started to go down hill. Every time he tried to ignite the briquettes with his little butane lighter, a gust of wind would rise up from the otherwise calm evening extinguishing the flame. I noticed that none of the chefs at the other tables were having any difficulties. By the fourth or fifth try, I was beginning to get suspicious and glanced over at Benjamin whose pursed lips and downturned eyes looked far too innocent. I kicked his foot under the table and glared at him, sending a look that said Stop messing with the weather, please.

He sent me a look back that said But the guy is a jerk! He deserves it!

I struggled not to laugh at his self-righteous expression. Our silent conversation had apparently distracted Benjamin enough so that Naseer was finally able to light the briquettes. But, as soon as he did so, yet another gust of wind sent the nascent flames blowing back onto his fingers, which he drew sharply away, cursing. Then the flame went out again.

"Perhaps it's just not a good night to grill outside, mate," Benjamin said with thinly-veiled sarcasm. I choked back a giggle.

"Nonsense. I'll be right back, Tianna," He said, not looking at Benjamin.

I waited until Naseer left, before rounding on Benjamin.

"Would you like to explain what that was all about?" I asked in what I hoped was an angry, irritated voice.

"Tia, that guy is a creep! He is talking about you in there like you were a piece of meat!"

"What did he say exactly?"
Benjamin's eyes widened and he glanced at the ground. "Well, I'd rather not say…but…you wouldn't like it…"

I sighed. I wasn't too terribly surprised. I had never gotten the impression that Naseer was really interested in me as a person so much as, to use Benjamin's phrasing, a particularly tasty piece of meat. This wasn't an issue before, because any attraction I might have felt towards him was along the same lines. Now, however, I was going to trust Benjamin's judgment on this one.

Further soul-searching was put on hold because at that moment Naseer returned…carrying a can of gasoline. Uh-oh.

"You've got to be kidding me," I muttered. I turned towards Benjamin.

"Don't you dare try anything," I whispered.

He leaned back in his seat, looking very pleased. "Don't worry. I won't have to. This should be amusing."

Naseer swaggered towards us like the veteran pyro I was sure he was not.

"Naseer, I really don't think that is a good idea…" I began.

"Nonsense, Tianna. The briquettes are just too old to light. This will help them along." He proceeded to empty about half of the gallon-sized can onto the charcoal. Benjamin sighed quietly beside me.

Naseer jabbed the lighter into the briquettes and flicked the switch. Immediately, a fireball erupted up five feet into the air with a loud whoosh. A strong gust of wind blew the flames away from where Benjamin and I were sitting, but Naseer wasn't so lucky. Once the flames died down, I saw that his eyebrows were singed off and his face was covered in ash. He coughed, exhaling a large quantity of smoke and dust. The other diners on the deck looked over at us and, once they saw everybody was okay, I heard a few snickers.

"A little too much gas there, you reckon?" laughed Benjamin, in an atrocious hillbilly accent.

I kicked him in the shins from beneath the table, but the corners of my mouth were upturned.

Naseer looked dazed. "Umm, well, I'll just go have them prepare things in the kitchen, shall I?"

He hobbled off, smelling of singed hair and gasoline. I sighed.

"I'm sorry, Tia. But trust me, he deserved it. And anybody stupid enough to douse twenty pounds of charcoal with a gallon of gasoline…"

"You know what, I'm not even really that hungry. Do you just want to go and wander around town?"

Benjamin nodded and we quickly retreated downstairs and back out into the twilight. I headed back to the car, but Benjamin lightly grabbed my hand and pointed north, parallel to the river. I looked where he was pointing, but all I could see was the Temple of Karnak in front of us.

"Umm, Benjamin, it's almost dark. I'm pretty sure Karnak is closed for visitors now," I said, stating the obvious.

He just laughed. "Remember, my boss helped build the place. He says it's always open and I'll take his word for it. Besides, this is the best time of day to visit. Let's go!"

He took my hand, but instead of pulling me towards the temple, he flipped me up into the air and I landed on his back. Before I had a chance to protest, we were flying forward. We ran at an impossible speed. I could scarcely see Benjamin's legs pumping, yet the riverfront flew by at such a speed that I was unable to recognize any of the buildings. My long hair whipped behind me and I felt my eyes watering, but I refused to shut them so thrilling was the ride. We covered the half-mile or so to Karnak in under a minute.

As I expected, the area outside the entrance to the temple was empty and very much closed. This didn't seem to bother Benjamin who, barely breaking his stride, sheepishly looked around before turning to me and saying, "hold on!" He bent his knees and jumped, sending us airborne. I didn't even have a chance to scream in surprise before we had landed atop the ancient structure.

In ancient times, the Great Hypostyle Hall of the Temple of Karnak was composed of 134 massive limestone columns that supported a stone roof, much like the Parthenon in Athens or the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. 2000 years later, most of the roof had collapsed leaving only scattered blocks from the original roof still being supported. It was atop one of these that we landed, perhaps 90 feet above the level of the Nile.

Benjamin carefully lowered me onto the block which had been eroded to the point where it was bowl-shaped, allowing me to comfortably sit down.

"I love this place," Benjamin said, sitting down beside me. "I come here to think sometimes."

I doubted anybody had enjoyed such a view of the Nile River and the surrounding desert since Karnak itself was constructed. The sun appeared nearly level with the water on the western horizon and the entire surface of the river was glowing orange like a river of fire. It was a magical scene. Despite its age, Karnak remained the tallest structure in Luxor and here I was, standing at its highest point looking out over the city and beyond. I felt like the queen of the world in that moment. Facing west, I could easily see the wide expanse of sandy desert all the way to where it merged with the horizon. Squinting into the setting sun I could even make out the distant ridges of the Jilf Al-Kabir plateau that dominated western Egypt. In ancient times, this was a desolate and forbidden land crossed only at great risk by traders traveling from the Kingdoms of Ghana and Mali to the southwest. Little had changed in 2000 years, with only scattered settlements huddled around the occasional oasis all the way to the border with Libya and Sudan. Over 90% of Egypt's population was located within five miles of the river.

Looking down the Nile, I could follow the river northward to where it suddenly made a buttonhook back to the west, creating a small crescent of fertile land around Thebes and Luxor. The poor Felucca I had seen from Al-Salem was still making excruciatingly slow progress northward under calm conditions and was only a few hundred yards north of us.

"You know, that boat down there hasn't gone a mile since we arrived at Al-Salem," I began, for lack of anything else better to say.

"Yea, there's never much wind at night," Benjamin said, awkwardly. He then smiled.

A fresh breeze stirred up around us moving quickly northward. I could see the glassy water shatter as ripples spread out. The breeze reached the felucca and its sails immediately billowed. I heard a muffled cheer from on board as the craft began to move forward.

I looked down to see Benjamin looking at me, studying my face. "Pretty spectacular, isn't it? I love ships with sails, using nature as their only means of travel, even if nature doesn't always cooperate. I can probably keep them going for a few hours till the wind picks up, if I keep my focus. It's good practice for me."

I watched as the crew on board rushed to let out more sails in order to take advantage of the sudden breeze. I envied those on board for a moment, but quickly came to the conclusion I had by far the best seat in the house.

"I have been around the world, but nothing can compare to a sunset on the Nile," he continued. "They say that the desert is a cruel and dead land, but how can you look around you now and not see this as the most beautiful country on the planet?"

I agreed wholeheartedly. I was somewhat shaken to realize that this would be one of the last sunsets that I would ever see in Egypt. If Edwin and Amun did indeed have nefarious plans for me, I would be leaving suddenly either tomorrow or Sunday morning. If Benjamin was wrong, I would still be departing Sunday afternoon to arrive home in time for classes to resume. Regardless, I knew this would be the last time I would ever visit the country. Despite my love of this land, the knowledge that it was populated by a powerful coven of vampires out to seize control of its largest city ensured that I would not return. Witnessing the majestic panorama surrounding me, I felt extremely depressed and angry towards the vampires, save Benjamin, who were forcing my hand. This entire trip, since that fateful morning in Milan, had been a rollercoaster ride of emotions, but now I just felt a sense of regret.

"I'm going to miss Egypt so much. This is my home, I can feel it." I said. "It's like I'm being exiled from my own country."

Benjamin looked sadly over at me. "I'm really going to miss you, Tia. This week…it's been like…having an actual friend."

I smiled brightly at him. Hearing him say something like that tugged at my heartstrings. I put my arm around his neck and pulled myself over to hug him.

"You should come to visit America…often." I said, my voice muffled against the cleft of his shoulder.

He tightened his grip on my neck and I felt his soft breaths on my cheek. Moments passed and then I suddenly sensed him move closer and I felt his lips come into contact with the skin of my cheek. I stopped breathing. His lips were freezing cold, like nothing I had ever felt before. What felt like an eternity probably only lasted a second because as quickly as he had reached in, he pulled his head back, looking nervous and apologetic.

"I'm sorry, Tia. I shouldn't have done that. I've never actually kissed anybody before and I thought…"

I smiled at him and pushed him back against the stone block. I rolled myself over so that I was on top of him, straddling his waist. My long hair hung down hiding our faces in a shroud of black. I leaned forward until my lips just brushed against his. He stiffened momentarily before relaxing.

Never before had I kissed somebody with less experience than myself. Back home, I was rather selective with the boys I went out with long enough to get to the kissing stage and, let's just say, I didn't date the D&D-playing crowd. My boyfriends had always been older and usually took charge in the relationship. Now, ironically, with perhaps the strongest individual in the country lying beneath me, I felt more powerful than ever before and for once in my life, I wanted to take control.

Not only had I known him for under a week, but he was a vampire, whose kin had destroyed fifty innocent people before my eyes and whose boss wanted to turn me into one as well. Nevertheless, I was inescapably drawn to him. His eyes were inches from mine, but were wide open. His red pupils burned fiercely with need, not the same overwhelming thirst that I had seen in Heidi's eyes back in Volterra, but rather with desire. I felt empowered, knowing that I could bring about such a reaction in this perfect creature.

I leaned down, deepening the kiss and he responded in kind. It was comparatively chaste, by no means like some of the scandalous make-out sessions I had partaken in back home. It was sloppy and fumbling, yet at the same time, it was the most intense and passionate experience of my life. I knew that he could break me so easily and that the temptation of my blood must have been overpowering, yet he was perfectly gentle against my lips. The world fell away and I grew a bit dizzy. My entire concentration was focused on the pleasure of feeling his lips moving against mine.

From where I was laying, I noticed out the corner of my eye that the surface of the Nile had turned to glass and that the sails of the Felucca had deflated, stranding her once again. It looks like somebody can't multitask. I laughed happily to myself and my attention returned to Benjamin.

My body melded perfectly against his, and everywhere we touched, I felt chills. His hands wrapped around my back, pressing my lips harder against his. A small purr escaped from my mouth as he gently stroked the small of my back. I closed my eyes as a shiver went down my spine. I moved my lips away from his and began kissing his jawbone and slowly made my way down to his neck. His skin was freezing cold. I heard Benjamin suck in short breaths as I experimented with planting kisses in different spots along his neck, while I stroked the other side of his face with my hand.

To my disappointment, he was the first to break the kiss, pushing me gently upward and sliding himself into a seated position. For an immortal vampire, he certainly looked flushed. His short black hair was tussled and untidy plastered against his forehead. Despite not technically needing to breath, his chest rose and fell rapidly as if he was out of breath. His eyes were burning a more intense crimson than I had ever seen before.

"Tia, I'm sorry… I could have--"

I reached over and covered his mouth with my hand. "Shhh, I want to watch the sun set."

I was being terribly obvious, but I didn't want him to ruin this moment for me with any apologies or regrets. Besides, my excuse was actually a good one.

The sun was just ready to move below the horizon. We both turned and sat comfortably ninety-feet in the air atop Karnak and watched as the long day finally ended. As the sun slipped below the horizon, its last golden rays were suddenly accented by a brilliant green burst of light that illuminated the entire western sky. I had never seen a Green Flash before, but knew that it was a phenomenon that had something to do with the earth's lower atmosphere refracting light at a lesser wavelength due to the low sun angle. However, no scientific definition could do it justice. The contrast of bright green against the dying orange of the sun was breathtaking as the two colors battled for control of the dim western sky. As the green light faded, the desert landscape was plunged into darkness with only the lights from Luxor behind us providing illumination.

"I guess we should head back," Benjamin said from beside me.

I nodded. He stood and carefully picked me up before leaping off the temple roof. My mind was still spinning so that this didn't even bother me. Nonetheless, we landed gently and silently on the ground.

"Would you like to just walk back? It's so nice out tonight. I can get the car later," Benjamin asked.

I nodded.

We set off up the road. It was a mild desert evening and with no humidity our brisk pace was very refreshing. A few minutes into the hike, I felt his hand reach for mine. I took it, smiling softly. We walked for the next hour or so hand-in-hand but in silence, just enjoying one another's company. Once we left behind Luxor-proper and its city lights, the waxing gibbon moon above provided our light as we walked along the sandy roadside. Too soon we were back at camp and in front of my trailer.

"Goodnight, Tia," he said softly, releasing my hand.

"Thanks for a fun evening, Benjamin," I said. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

He nodded.

I turned to head inside, but felt his arms wrap around me into a hug. I returned the embrace and smiled into his shoulder. I felt him place a light kiss on the very top of my head before letting go and flying into the darkness.

I turned and shakily opened my door. I didn't even bother to change into my bedtime clothes and just threw myself onto my bed. I was enthralled and tortured at the same time. The evening, heck, even the entire week, had been magical. Never before had I felt such a connection with any land, nor with any person. Yet I knew what I had to do, what was the wisest course of action. I must return home, to my parents, to my friends, to all that was familiar and comfortable, to a land without vampires, without a constant fear of being turned into a blood thirsty monster. My mind had been made up the moment I saw Amun and learned of Edwin's betrayal. No force on this planet, even the potent combination of Benjamin and my father's homeland, could convince me to risk becoming a vampire. Benjamin might set an admirable standard for his kin, but I had seen enough vampires to know that he was a unique exception, not the rule. I twisted beneath my blankets and punched my pillow in frustration. Despite my conviction, I could not excise that small part of me that begged to stay and let God do with my fate what He will.

****

I slept late the following morning, not waking until after noon. I took my time taking a hot shower and then preparing a delicious breakfast of eggs and bacon. Looking out the window, I saw that it was a beautiful afternoon, with only a few puffy clouds gliding across the sky. I decided to get some fresh air.

I headed outside and hiked up into the narrow wadi at the head of the camp. I had been walking for perhaps ten minutes when I reached the new excavation site that I had seen earlier in the week. As I moved to walk past the entrance, Edwin emerged from the structure and waved at me.

"'Afternoon, Tianna! How was dinner last night?"

"Very good, professor. Thank you," I said, not bothering to explain what words could never do justice.

"Excellent. Actually, I wanted to ask you something. I know this great little tea parlor downtown and was wondering if you would care to join me this evening, since you will be leaving us tomorrow?"

I froze. This was it.

"That, um, sounds lovely, professor," I mumbled.

"Excellent, Tianna. I shall look forward to it. Should we say 5 o'clock?"

I nodded. He turned and headed back inside the excavation. I immediately began running, back down the wadi and to my trailer. Even though I had anticipated this moment the entire week, the fact that it was here hit me like a bombshell. In my mind, I had half-convinced myself that Benjamin was just being paranoid and that there was no danger at all.

But now I knew the danger was very real indeed and I was terrified. What if Benjamin couldn't save me? What if Amun knew of our plan? I fumbled in my pockets for my key and it took several tries to open the door since my hands were shaking so badly. I scrambled around for my purse and pulled out the pre-paid cell phone I had purchased in Rome. I found where Benjamin had entered a number and dialed.

Moments later, he picked up. "Tia?"

"Benjamin, Edwin just invited me to dinner…tonight. He wants me to meet him at 5pm."

My voice sounded hoarse and rough.

"Okay, Tia. Stay in your room. I'm on my way. I will be there in half an hour. Whatever you do, don't leave the camp. Stall, do whatever is necessary."

I heard an engine roaring and tires screeching before he terminated the connection. I threw the phone on my bed and sat down and waited.

To Be Continued…

Thank you for reading! Please review and let me know what you think… The next chapter is a big one…