Chapter 12: Sahara

The sun beat down like a hammer on the forge as the three intrepid wanderers journeyed through the sands. Odion was in the lead, cutting a path for Marik and Sivya who were behind. Sivya had since sold her goats to the next tribe they came across, in exchange for food and fresh camels for their journey. If anything, these camels were even more uncooperative than the last bunch, according to Marik. Sivya teased that he just wasn't a very good camel rider. Odion his a smile behind his headcloth as the memory came bubbling back.

One of the village elders had warned him of portents of a sandstorm roaring in in the afternoon, but so far, there was no indicators of a impeding sandstorm. The camels though, seemed antsy and more stubborn than usual, so maybe there was something behind the warnings. He told himself to watch for the telltale signs. His eyes scanned the horizon, and yet he saw nothing. Before they left their ancestral home, Ishizu arranged for them to meet up with a friend of hers from Israel, to grant safe passage through the country. However, due to the proliferation of refugee camps along the narrow border between the countries of Israel and Egypt, Odion decided to swing around and avoid the camps.

"The Nile, is it as beautiful as they say it is? I only went there once, and as an infant," Sivya was saying.

"It is. On a clear day, it looks like someone had sliced a piece of the sky and stuck in the middle of the desert. Date and palm tress grow along the river banks and the farms look like a patchwork of colors." Marik was saying.

"I wish I could remember my trip to the Nile. I was only a baby at the time. My father and mother took me there to be baptized."

"Baptized? Your parents were Christian?"

"Yes, he was. He was a Coptic Christian, you know. My mother was Muslim and when they married, my grandfather was very upset. So they fled to the desert, to make their own way."

"I bet your grandfather was."

"Marik!" Odion's voice called out. The wind was starting to pick up and the camels were beginning to become even more restless. "Something's coming!" Marik immediately silenced and placed his camel in front of Sivya, protecting her.

"I can take care of myself," Sivay harrumphed, brandishing her walking staff, knowing full well of Marik's intentions.

Sure enough, a plume of dust was racing closer and closer to them. Odion started to turn the camel around, head over one shoulder, eying the impeding plume. Fears of an incoming sandstorm were quickly abated as the plume grew smaller is it came closer. Odion squinted his eyes. It looked almost like...

...A vehicle?

It was in fact a vehicle bearing down on them. Odion reached for his pack, for something to shield them from the possible threat. The vehicle slowed as it got closer and Odion could feel his heart flutter against his chest, realizing that he had nothing save his own flesh to protect his younger brother.

The vehicle, actually a forest green jeep, pulled up sideways against them and came to a stop. One of the camels panicked and bucked, nearly throwing their supplies onto the desert floor. The jeep looked well worn, its forest green coat now a dusty dun color with the desert sand. One of its doors, the driver's side, was missing.

The driver was a man well into his thirties, wearing a tan polo shirt and khaki cargo shorts, bulging from unknown objects. A bowie knife, nearly seven inches long, was strapped to his left side, while the silhouette of a side arm was on his right side, hidden under his polo shirt. Black boots laced up to his knees. He turned to face them, showing a craggy, but handsome face worn by years of hardships and trials. His hair was black, with grey temples, cropped short save for some hair tickling the nape of his neck while his eyes were a shade of hazel. "Odion Ishtar?" he inquired, revealing an Israeli accent.

"This is he," Odion growled, stepping off the camel to stride across the desert, ready to grapple him if necessary.

"My name is Aaron Levi, I was asked by your sister Ishizu to escort you and Marik through Israel and beyond." He stared at Odion hard. "You don't look like her very much."

"I was adopted," Odion explained. "It's a long story. Beyond? I wonder what he meant by that." he thought.

"Ah, very well then. If you would be so kind, I do not have very long." Aaron gestured towards the back of the vehicle."

Marik brought his camel up to the jeep. "How can we trust you?" he asked, skeptical.

"I helped your sister while the was tracking the Egyptian God cards and you," Aaron replied. "I helped her find Obelisk the Tormentor."

That got his attention and suddenly something clicked. A man brandishing a gun while escorting his sister from things unseen, summoned by the Shadow Realm. Something white and blue was strapped to his left arm, glowing with an unnatural light. He flushed in shame. "I remember you now," Marik said.

"Well, that's good, because you'll definitely need some help crossing into the border. They're very strict you know. Luckily I know some contacts."Aaron's eyes landed on Sivya and she turned away. "but I don't know if I can get her in though. I'll have to really pull some strings."

"That's nice of you and all," Marik interjected before Sivya could reply. "But why are you doing this?"

"Because, I well, owe your sister a little "favor" shall we say." Aaron gestured over his shoulder to the back seats. "Now come on, get in. There's rumors of a sandstorm looming."

Marik slid off the camel and nearly fell into a heap in the dirt. His legs were sore from riding the beast all day, with the hump of the camel's back digging into his tail bone. Odion helped him up. Sivya joined Marik, leaping off the camel like it was nothing, landing gracefully, still clinging to her shepherd's staff. Marik gawked at her feat. "How does she do that?" he asked.

She flushed at the compliment. "It's not much really. It just takes practice. I'm sure you'll get it soon."

"Thankfully where we'll be heading," Aaron said, helping Odion with their bags. "We won't need the camels."

"Then where will they go?" Sivya asked.

"There's a tribe a few miles that way. We can give the beasts to them. They'll be grateful for the gift."

"I can help escort the camels then. They'll need to be herded over there."

"That would be very helpful, thank you."

Odion frowned. "I wasn't intending to go through the refugee camps."

"Unfortunately, that's how we got to get over the border. I have visas and a boat waiting for you at the shore." Aaron looked over at Sivya again, who was talking soothingly to her camel, calming it. "I'll have to make a few calls to get her a visa though."

Odion crossed his arms. He wasn't satisfied with Aaron's method, but it was the only way to get into Israel and make up for lost time due to traversing across the desert. "Very well then. We'll go." Odion went around the vehicle to seat himself in the passenger side. Sivya and Marik would have to ride in the back. They set off, just as the sun crossed its zenith in the clear blue sky. Aaron drove the jeep at a slower clip then he would have liked, because of Sivya and the camels, but eventually, they made it to the tribe—though it was more a a family unit than a tribe—that Aaron had mentioned and they graciously handed the camels over to the troop, who was immensely grateful for the gesture. They had insisted that they stay with them at least overnight, until the sandstorm passed over, but Odion refused, even though Aaron liked the idea. Marik had the impression that Odion didn't approve of Aaron.

As they were driving, the landscape in a blur, Marik noticed something glinting under a tarp in the front part of the jeep. A bump pushed the tarp away, exposing a KaibaCorp Duel Disk. That was on his arm in the flashback. But then something else came to him as well.

"Wait a second," Marik began. "Aren't you the Israeli National Champion?"

In the rear view mirror, Aaron winked. "Yes I am. Originally bought the Duel Disk for my nephew in Tel Aviv and ended up using it more than he did. Eventually became the National Champion in the process."

"But, I thought you were known as Benjamin Navin on the circuit."

"The name is a fake, to protect me from any would be killers. A retired Mossad agent is a ripe target for any would be extremists."

"That would explain the gun and his demeanor," Marik thought. "And the visas and safe passage. So you're really former Mossad?"

"Retired," Aaron corrected. "I was shot on the line of duty and was forced to retire from the service." He held up his right arm, showing a knotted patchwork of scars. "Terrorists sprayed my right arm with rounds. Damaged the nerves in my shooting hand; my hand was too shaky to aim my sidearm right, so I retired." He flashed a grim smile. "But I damaged more than just an arm on him." Marik shuddered at the thought, a mental picture of Aaron shooting someone springing up in his head. Sivya and Odion remained quiet, Odion contemplative and Sivya unaware of the game of Duel Monsters altogether.

Her golden honey eyes seemed intent on the horizon, as if sensing something. Just then a deep rumble was heard and on the western horizon something dark and wide, almost as wide as the horizon itself thundered towards them. The wind picked up, clawing at their clothes. Sivya shouted.

"Sandstorm!"

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

The small port town was bustling at that time of night, the dim lights of the harbor in the lights of the bar. She strode in, her curly black tumbling down her shoulders, clearly an exotic feature in Israel. She was supposed to meet someone that evening, someone she disliked strongly, but it was her boss's orders. She ignored the leering eyes and the wolf whistles from the patrons of the bar and made her way towards the back of the back of the bar, in a secluded table away from the "usual" customers. She began to wonder whether her black dress and red heels were ideal to these settings, but it was all a part her plan. Her business was secretive and she wanted to keep as few prying eyes from her meeting as possible. She thumbed the green stone danging from a red lace choker, thinking.

Besides, she only had enough poison to kill one person, not an entire bar.

"So, you finally arrived," the person at the table growled, his hands fiddling with a half empty bottle of beer. Like her, he too had foreign features, Russian, to be exact, and thus, had less qualms about alcohol than some of the other locals here. A couple empty shot glasses, reeking of vodka, sat next to his bottle. He clearly had been waiting a while for her. "'Bout time too, I was goin' mad being surrounded by these yodels. Idiots, the whole lot of them."

"Cool it Dimitri," she warned, the box in her purse feeling obscenely heavy. "I'm here to do business, remember?"

"We work for the same man, Tabitha," he sneered. "Your business is mine. Now, the box, if you would please." Dimitri gestured towards her purse resting on the table, where the bulging outlines of the contents could be seen.

Tabitha growled quietly to herself and pulled out the box, placing it on the table. Dimitri crowed in drunken delight and reached for it as a child would grab for candy. He yanked it close to him, cooing at the marvelous detail of the ancient box.

"Is this the one?" he asked, his fingers resting lightly on the lid of the gilded container.

"The very same, the one our boss wanted."

"It is quite beautiful." Dimitri lifted the lid and picked up one of the green stones, holding it to the watery yellow lights of the bar. "And to think, this tiny little rock causes so much destruction." As he mentioned this, Tabitha saw the flash of green on his right hand and Tabitha saw the stone mounted on a thick silver ring. Dimitri was reluctant to place it back in the box though, the lure of power too much for his tiny mind, Tabitha thought distastefully. Some men just shouldn't have that kind of power; they were either too stupid or too righteous with said power, like someone she knew from so long ago.

"So Dimitri got a little "promotion", I see," she thought. Dimitri finally set the stone down, next to his beer bottle, within easy reach, Tabitha noted. Already the stone was affecting his judgment. "Now, about our deal. . ."

"Yes, yes don't remind me. You get to deliver it for the rest of the journey-"

"To keep your little "ex" off our trail." Dimitri reminded her. Oh how he liked to taunt her about that; he knew it irked her as well, hence the reminder.

"Let's not talk about him, shall we?" Tabitha cooed, leaning in seductively. "We should talk about us, Dimitri."

The man's eyes nearly bulged out of his head as he gawked at her. The alcohol was taking affect, very noticeably, she saw. "Yes, we should, shouldn't we?" he said huskily.

Suddenly, Tabitha stood up, reaching for her purse. "I'm going to get a drink? Would you like for me to get you another beer?"

Dimitri looked at his beer bottle like it was the very first time he noticed it. He sloshed it around. "If you could, woman."

"See you soon," Tabitha waved coyly and went back to the main part of the bar, ordering herself water, poured in a martini glass with an olive, and a beer bottle for Dimitri. The bartender had raised eyebrows at her with her own order, but nevertheless complied, especially after she handed over a hefty tip. Both drinks in hand, she made her way back to her table, casually flipping the lip on her poison ring and allowing a white powder to pour into the open lid of Dimitri's drink. It was too easy.

She slid back into the table, passing the bottle to Dimitri, who sucked greedily from the bottle like he hadn't drank in many days, though after seeing his table, it was clear that he had one too many.

"Now," Tabitha began, steepling her fingers. "What do I get in payment for out little "arrangement"?"

Dimitri belched in reply and whipped his chin. "You get the money wired into your account, like we agreed."

"While you get all the credit for the theft." Tabitha frowned. "I'm not agreeing to that."

"Well, too bad, that's what you get," Dimitri began to reach into the inside coat of his heavy bomber jacket, presumably to pull out a gun on her, something she didn't like. "We work together, remember?" he leered, hands reaching around the grip of his weapon, a hand gun, probably a which he had mounted a silencer on specifically for this. He didn't like her, nor how she worked and this would be an easy way to deal with her once and for all. Nobody would hear the gun over the din of the bar occupants.

Suddenly, his fingers loosened around his gun to clutch at his chest. His heart was beating erratically, with a squeezing pain to go with it. Now, it was Tabitha's turn to smirk. "you were always such a glutton. There's a reason why it's a deadly sin."

"You...dirty...little witch!" Dimitri wheezed. His vision was beginning to darken in the corners and he felt so dizzy, his entire world spinning. His hand spasmed, knocking over the drink she gave him and sending the stone spinning across the table. Tabitha plucked it off the table, clenching it between her thumb and forefinger.

"I'm sure you know exactly what I did. You should know better then to trust me with getting you a drink." Tabitha picked up the box, dropping the stone inside. She stashed the box back inside her purse and shouldered it, watching Dimitri thrash and froth at the mouth as she did so. She watched him with cold eyes as his own went glassy and he flopped down on the table, slack jawed and dead. "But it you want to know, its the kind of poison that mimics an overdose. The best part is that it decomposes in your system as alcohol as you sit there. It's my very own concoction you know, but you probably don't care about that now. You're dead."

She started to walk away, but not before she turned back to the fresh corpse. "Nice dealing with you. But by the way-

-I work alone. Ta ta." She sauntered off, exiting the bar, acting like nothing happened.

It wouldn't be until almost three o'clock in the morning that someone would discover the corpse of Dimitri Malkovich. The local medical examiner would determine it was an accidental overdose, brought on by his consumption of alcohol, judging by the extremely high levels of blood alcohol in his system. It was determined through fingerprints that Dimitri Malkovich was a former smuggler, known for smuggling high grade opium from Afghanistan and weapons to Hamas who had then dropped off the radar for nearly five years, only to turn up dead at a seedy Israeli bar. The corpse was then cremated, since no one claimed it and the ashes dumped, obliterating any and all evidence of the crime they had missed, but even if they did, they would have been reluctant to prosecute it anyways.

There truly was no honor among thieves.

Yeah, so that chapter took a bit of research, but hey, fun research is good research. And after looking this chapter over, I realize that I probably watch too many crime shows, more notably NCIS.

But only a tiny bit, I swear :).

For those who are curious, Aaron Levi is sort of inspired by Ziva David from NCIS, but every time I write him, I imagine George Clooney. He is a duelist, with a Dragon themed deck. Tabitha has a plant/beast warrior themed and Midas has a Angel themed deck, with a few other monsters scattered throughout.