Oni spun her head around. "Silver cars," she moaned under her breath. Ardeth looked at her.
"Here we go again." The cars sped up and Evie floored it.
"Hold on everybody, we're going to try and outrun them," she shouted. Gunshots rang out, pinging off the trunk. Oni and Ardeth ducked down. Ardeth dug into the bag at his feet, pulling out a machine gun, a rifle and a shot gun. He tossed the shotgun up to Rick, grabbed the machine gun for himself and handed the rifle to Oni.
"Will you be able to shoot?" he asked. She nodded and took the gun. "Aim a little to the left of whatever you are shooting at," he instructed. "hand it to me if you need to reload."
"Ready?" Rick asked from the front. The people in the backseat nodded. The cars were gaining on them now, and two of them were flanking the back of the car. Ardeth gave Oni an encouraging smile, then rolled his window down a crack. He squeezed the trigger, the sound filled the car, nearly deafening Oni. One of the cars swung sideways, attempting to avoid the line of fire. It crashed into a fire hydrant, unleashing an explosion of water. Ardeth continued shooting, hitting the engine. The explosion blinded Oni momentarily.
"Nice shot," she complimented. He winked at her.
"One down," Evie yelled over the sound. "Three more left. Rick, to your left!" A car had broken away when it had swerved to avoid the explosion and was now pulling up to the passenger side of the car. The car rolled their window down and a man with a gun emerged.
"Crap, I'm out of bullets!" Rick yelled. Ardeth was busy shooting behind them.
"Oni!" he yelled. She was already in the duffle bag shuffling through for the shells. In the meantime, Rick had managed to pull the other man further out of the window and was wailing on his face. This caused the other car to swerve, crashing into a low cement wall. The engine started smoking.
"Two down!" Rick yelled. Oni handed him the box of shells. Ardeth was dealing with the third car. A German took the butt of the rifle to the face and another was unlucky enough to take a bullet or two to the chest. The third car swerved away. Ardeth turned and smiled.
"I think they're giving u-" he was interrupted by a bullet tearing through the back windshield and striking him in the arm. He gasped in pain. Oni was on him, already trying to stem the blood flow.
"We need to get out of here!" she yelled. Evie swung the car around a corner.
"We're a mile away from backup. Hold on!" Rick grabbed the machine gun, nodding encouragingly at Ardeth. He turned and fired at the last of the cars. It turned the corner and disappeared.
"We're in the clear for now."
"Almost there," Evie announced. Oni increased the pressure on Ardeth's arm. She did not speak, but her eyes shone with worry.
"I'll be fine," he whispered through gritted teeth. She pressed her forehead to his.
"Just breathe," she said. Evie pulled the car into a sudden and screeching halt.
"We have to go the last block by foot. Can you make it?" She looked at Ardeth.
He nodded. "Let's go."
To her relief, Oni saw British agents rushing toward them. Rick and Evie were already out of the car. Ardeth pulled himself out as well.
"I've got the bag, Go!" She reached under the seat. She heard Rick scream something at her. Before it could register, her door was wrenched open. She felt rough hands grasp her ankles and tug. Without thinking, she tossed the bag as hard as she could to the other side of the car. A British agent caught it. She felt herself being yanked to her feet. The cold steel of a rifle pressed firmly under her jugular. Time stopped.
She could see Ardeth screaming, the British men pulling him back. Rick and Evie were yelling as well, but she didn't know what they were saying. She heard the Germans behind her, bartering her life for the book. She didn't know what happened next, only that she was suddenly in the backseat of the German truck. Something blunt connected with her head, and her world slipped into darkness.
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Ardeth tore out of the grasp of the man holding him back. It was too late; the German truck was already fading into the horizon, Oni in the backseat. It turned the corner and was gone. He let out a frustrated scream, some guttural sound that startled the British agents and surprised even himself. He scarcely remembered that he was bleeding until a medic timidly approached him. His response was a venomous glare. He stomped toward Rick.
"We have to get her back." it was not a question or a request, but a solid command. A bold British officer spoke up.
"We can't. We finally got the book back. We can't trade it for her."
"Who said I had any intention of trading?"
"No," the officer repeated. He straightened his posture defiantly. "We have our orders. It's too risky. One casualty to save the world is a small price to pay." Ardeth lunged forward, prepared to beat the insensitivity out of the man with his one good arm. Rick stepped in between them, saving the Brit a couple of bruises.
"We're saving her." his tone was final.
"But-" the Brit attempted to argue again.
"No. This man saved us more times than I care to count. He saved Evie without question. He saved Alex without question. We're returning the favor."
Evie agreed. The Brit tried futilely one last time. "But that means traveling all of the way to Egypt! They want us to raise the monster!"
Ardeth silenced him with a look. "I have already said I have no intention of doing so."
"Well, what are you going to do?"
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Oni had no recollection or idea of how long she had been held captive. She estimated that it had at least been several days. She was often kept literally in darkness. Her days were dominated by the guttural sounds of German, and occasionally a Nazi leering in at her. She knew that as the hours passed, her time here ticked away. Whatever the Germans wanted she was sure they were not going to get. Once they realized it, she was useless. She was afraid to contemplate what would happen to her. She decided that at the first opportunity for escape, she would take her chances. Unfortunately, it never came. The German's guarded her heavily; she was their only bargaining chip. She only saw brief glimpses of her surroundings, a flash of the hull of a boat, later a glimpse of the street, and then the wing of a plane. She had an idea where she was going. She dared to hope she was right. It was her only chance.
The Germans finally stopped traveling. She felt her bare feet (her clogs had been lost back in Germany) plunged into hot sand. The black bag was ripped from her head. White light rushed in, nearly blinding her. She blinked. Eventually her vision cleared and she looked down at herself. She was pretty bruised and her milk maid outfit was dirty anc crushed until it was shapeless, but otherwise she was fine. The Nazi's were rushing around setting up a camp. Tents took shape before her eyes. She was left standing in the middle of the bustle, arms and legs bound. She contemplated escaping, but realized that she did not know in what direction to flee. She was prodded roughly in the back. A soldier was barking something at her, forcing her into a nearby tent. She was tied to a wooden pole supporting the tent and left alone, a guard posted at the entrance. She struggled quietly, trying to get the knot binding her wrists loose. After several hours of trying in vain to escape, she slid into an exhausted and hopeless sleep.
She was jostled awake. She noticed that it was darker outside. She tried to calculate how long she had been sleeping. She quickly abandoned the effort, realizing it didn't matter. He was being forced to her feet. Someone had untied her legs. The butt of a gun was forcing her outside and then to the end of the camp. The sun was rising to the east. In the shadows of the early morning she made out three figures. Her heart skipped a beat. Ardeth had come for her. Rick and Evie flanked him. There were shouts, and she was moved forward again. She couldn't keep the smile off of her face as she got closer to her friends.
A man stepped forward, speaking in harsh tones. Evie responded in German. The other man became outraged. Evie responded calmly in English.
"It's either that, or no deal." The man's face turned beet red. He barked out some orders then nodded. Oni was confused. Ardeth pulled out the Book of the Dead. It was already open. Oni began panicking. She didn't know what would happen if it were read, but she knew it was nothing good. Ardeth couldn't sacrifice the world for her.
"Don't!" she yelled. "It's not worth it!" A German shoved her.
"Quiet!" he yelled in her ear. Oni struggled until she was knocked forward onto her knees. Her face hit the sand. In her ears she heard Ardeth's voice, reading in some language she did not understand. Below her the sand began to shift on its own. Another voice mingled with the whistling of the wind. It frightened her more than anything she had ever heard before. She pulled her head up quickly. The sand was swirling now. The German's yelled excitedly. With some difficulty, she managed to pull herself up to her feet. The winds were howling, and the sand stung her eyes and face. Ardeth reached out for her, pulling her to his chest and out of the spiraling sand. The German's were too preoccupied to notice. Ardeth was dragging her backwards, trying to get away from whatever was about to happen.
"Brace yourself!" he shouted to the O'Connells. Oni's eyes grew wide as the ground opened up in front of her feet. She watched the desert sands get swallowed into themselves. She realized that a giant, open- mouthed face had formed. The voice on the winds increased into a near yell. The entire camp in front of them was disappearing at a tremendous rate. The horses the Germans had brought were frantically leaping over collapsed tents and equipment. Their owners screamed, desperately looking for a means of escape. It was over as quickly as it had begun. The desert was swept smooth, no sign that anyone had ever been there. The Germans were gone, all trace of their existence in the desert wiped clean. All that remained were Rick and Evie and Ardeth and Oni. They looked at each other silently.
"Whoa," Oni breathed. She realized that she had a death grip on Ardeth's arms. She loosened it slightly. Her reaction caused Rick to chuckle. He was soon joined by Evie, then finally Ardeth.
"I almost forgot that this is the first time you've dealt with things like this," Evie mused.
"I guess that is the end of that," Rick observed.
"What was that?" she asked. Her mind was trying to work out what would cause the winds to move like that, or the sand to make that shape, or that terrifyingly deep voice that she could have sworn she had heard.
Ardeth answered simply, "What we are protecting the world from." he locked eyes with her. Something told Oni he might explain it to her later.
"Well," Evie said, "that's that. Shall we go home now?" she addressed Rick.
"Sounds like a plan." He swung his arm around his wife's shoulders. Ardeth helped Oni up onto his horse. Rick and Evie were already mounted on their camel. Ardeth swung up behind her. He braced her against himself with one arm encircled around her waist. Oni leaned into him, taking comfort in the warmth of his body. "Ready?" Rick asked.
She snuggled closer into Ardeth, turning her cheek to his chest. His arm tightened around her. He spurred his horse into motion with a single sound. The talk was joking and light on the way to the village, save for Evie's question.
"Are you going to return to England with us?" it was directed at Oni. A shadow of something flickered over Ardeth's face, but he quickly quelled it.
"Oh, erm-" Oni attempted to answer. It didn't matter, Evie had already turned around. Evidently, she had only wanted to start the thought process behind Oni's decision. She was chatting with her husband in low tones. Rick glanced up at Oni and raised his eyebrows. She looked away, the gears in her head turning. She was so lost in thought that the rest of the ride passed without her noticing. Her heart swelled as the village came into view. The wall had been fixed. No one was up quite yet, it was still early in the day and the population was tired from rebuilding and clearing the damage. They rode into the village. Rick and Ardeth helped the ladies down.
"I'm going to go change. Oni, do you want to come?" Oni agreed. She sent a meaningful look at Ardeth as the two left.
"You know," Rick began a little later when the two men were putting their mounts in the stables, "if you don't want to lose her, you need to tell her." Ardeth glanced at him.
"Tell her what?" Rick rolled his eyes.
"If I have to tell you, then she really shouldn't stay." Ardeth stayed silent for a moment.
"Do you think she will stay?" he said finally. Rick clasped him on the back.
"Only one way to find out."
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Evie and Oni had gone to the river to bathe. In the early light of morning, the water was cool and refreshing. Oni submerged herself, glad to be out of that damned disguise. She allowed the water to wash away the blood and dirt. Her entire body was sore and weary, but the simple act of washing out her hair helped relax worked her fingers through the knotted mess that was her hair, trying to untangle it. Evie was rinsing as well, but significantly less dirt and blood was rinsed off of her skin. She let Oni wash in peace for a moment before she asked her burning question.
"What is between you and the leader of the Medjai?" Oni paused, then ducked her head underwater. She came up, sputtering.
"I don't know."
"Well how do you feel about him?"
"I--" Evie interrupted her.
"Don't think, just answer." she instructed.
"I really care about him. I just don't know if he feels the same way."
"Well he has kissed you hasn't he?" Oni's eyes widened. "No use denying it," Evie waved her hand. "Rick told me about you two. Ardeth doesn't strike me as someone who kisses women lightly." Oni considered this for a moment. "All I am saying is, opportunities only present themselves once in a lifetime. Don't let something you care about go so lightly." She climbed out of the water. "I am going to go find my husband. Good luck." She walked away. Oni washed for a while, then did a few laps, trying to clear her mind. But when she drug herself out of the pool, her emotions were as erratic as ever.
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Oni had two outfits laid out in front of her. One, Evie had provided, a common skirt and blouse. The other was an outfit much like the one she had first worn in Egypt. Kiya had brought her for her, but not before fussing over the woman and making sure she was in good health. Oni's heart had grown at teh affection. It was almost like having a mother. She was staring at the clothing now, clutching the robe around her body, trying to make a decision.
"Opportunities only present themselves once in a lifetime. Don't let something you care about go so lightly."
Oni stood still, silent in thought. Evie's words echoed around her head. Exhausted and confused, she allowed herself to collapse on the bed next to the clothing. She laid there for a while, confusing thoughts rushing through her head at frightening speeds. Leaving home was not the issue. London had never seemed like home to her. She loved the people here, Nizam and Kiya and the others in the village. The trouble was, if she chose to stay here, what would Ardeth think? Would she have a future with him? Behind her she heard the sound of someone entering. She knew it was Ardeth when her heart skipped a beat. The bed caved in a little as he rested his weight on it. She rolled over and faced him. He laid down next to her.
"We first kissed here." he said softly. Oni smiled.
"Well, almost." she took his hand. "You left."
"Well, despite that, I would like it very much if you stayed," he said point blank.
She sat up, daring to scoot closer to him. Her fingers brushed the bandages covering his arm then trailed down across his ribs. Her chocolate curls created a curtain, shielding her face. "Are you feeling any better?" she evaded.
"It is your decision of course. But here, you could have a good future." he said pointedly. "And yes, I do feel better. I still have a few of those pills you gave me," he sat up next to her.
"I know I will have a future," she began tentatively, "but, will it be with you?" The cards were all on the table.
"Yes, if that is what you want." He brushed his lips against her eyelids, then the tip of her nose, and finally her lips. Oni pressed into him, allowing him better access to kiss her. Their kiss was uninterrupted this time. Ardeth held her close. They kept kissing, long after the first time they needed to breathe. When they finally stopped, Oni's lips had the pout of kiss-swollenness. Ardeth stroked her hair and pulled her chin gently up, tilting her head to him. They locked eyes, unspoken admissions passed between them.
"I will leave you to change and to decide." he said finally. He stood and walked out of the door.
Oni looked at the clothing after he left. She knew in her heart that she had already decided.
A/N: School is getting crazy hectic, so I will be wrapping up the story soon. Truth is, I could continue this story for a while more, but time isn't allowing and I want to finish it before I lose my muse. Thanks to those who reviewed!
