I still own nothing from the Mummy or the Mummy Returns. When I win the lottery, I will buy it all!
"What are you doing?" Rick asked, his voice filled with amusement.
Rebecca was stretched out on the
cold stone floor, peering at what appeared to be a blank, dead-end wall. She was back in the chamber they'd found the
key in, searching for more clues.
"I feel a draft. It has to be coming from somewhere. Don't you feel it? Look at your torch." She
answered, not even looking up at him.
He looked at his torch. The flame was moving erratically, as if
disturbed by a breeze. As he stepped
forward he could feel it ruffle his hair.
"You think there's something
behind that wall." He said, moving
forward to give her more light.
"I think there's another
door. I was looking for a gap."
"How about a keyhole?" Rick asked casually.
"That would be helpful." Rebecca said
sarcastically. "But I doubt the Medjai
would make it that easy, Rick."
"Oh, well then. I guess this star pattern is just for looks
then." He said, grinning when she
turned to look at him with disbelief.
Rebecca looked where he was
pointing, irritation crossing her face when she realized her was right. It was a keyhole, hidden in plain
sight. She scowled as she rose, dusting
of a layer of grime that she'd picked up off the floor.
"I can't believe I've been
crawling around on the floor looking for a gap when there was a keyhole there
the whole time!" she ranted, looking up
when Jonathan walked in.
"You're filthy! What've you been doing, rolling around in
the dirt?" Jonathan asked, disgust
clear in his voice.
Rick burst into laughter as
Rebecca turned away in a huff. Jonathan
looked at him in confusion, wondering what he'd said as Rebecca took the key
out of her pocket, unwrapping it and pressing the button Evy had shown her on
the side. It sprang open, forming the
star shape that fit perfectly into the spot on the wall. She turned it slowly, hearing the ancient
lock release. The wall began to open,
swinging inward until it came to rest against the corridor wall.
"We're not going in there, are
we?" Jonathan protested.
Ardeth walked in just as his
wife was about to take a step forward into the corridor. He ran forward quickly, grabbing her arm and
yanking her back, fury on his face.
"Have lost what sense Allah has
given you?" He demanded, shaking her
lightly. "If the chest was marked for a
Medjai, then the key may open a doorway that may very well be marked the
same. Are you trying to get yourself
killed?"
"Let go of me!" Rebecca snapped, shaken by the anger in his
eyes. She stepped back, rubbing her
arms where he had gripped her. She did
not hear the worry that the anger covered. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."
"Do not be so thoughtless
again." Ardeth ordered, taking the
torch Rick held out to him as the men faced the doorway.
For once Rebecca held back,
letting the others go first. She had
been startled by his anger. Jonathan
patted her arm as he hung back with her, understanding unexpectedly written on
his face.
"Don't let it worry you, old
mum." He said affectionately, giving
her shoulders a squeeze. "You scared
him."
"I scared him?"
"You should have seen his face
when he walked in and saw what you were about to do. You spooked him." Jonathan said, letting her go ahead of him into the corridor. "He wasn't thinking about your feelings at
that point. He was thinking of
protecting you."
Rebecca stopped, sending
Jonathan a sideways glance.
"How did you get so smart?" She asked.
"I live with Rick and Evy, remember? The first time we met up with Imhotep he
locked her in her room to keep her safe. Made her pretty mad, if I remember correctly. Not that it helped, Imhotep got in anyway. But it's the thought that counts, right?"
"I love you Jonathan." She said fiercely, surprising him with a
hard embrace. "In my heart, you're my
brother. You know that."
"I know." He replied, patting her back awkwardly. "Now let go, before Ardeth comes back and
beats me senseless for touching you."
"He wouldn't!" Rebecca protested as they continued to walk
forward.
"You wanna bet? He wants to kill me for talking to you
sometimes." Jonathan joked.
Up ahead Ardeth and Rick halted,
waiting for the others to catch up. They stood before a doorway. Rick held the torch up so Evy could read the text on the wall. Using her hand to clear the dust, Evy spoke
aloud.
"The basic translation is that
the books are within. Only a Medjai can
remove them."
"Can't we just leave them in
there?" Jonathan asked, leaving Rebecca
to linger in the corridor as he stepped forward. "If only a Medjai can take them out, no bad guys should be able
to get in."
Rebecca, about to step forward,
was suddenly seized from behind. An arm
twisted about her neck, and a hand clamped down over her mouth.
"Works for me." Rick said, turning to Ardeth. "What do you think of that idea?"
"I think you should come up with
a new plan." A voice said, making
everyone's head turn.
He stepped forward, showing that
he held a knife at Rebecca's throat. Ardeth stepped forward, his hand going to the sword at his side.
"Molnar." He growled, hatred making his voice
hard. "Release her, now."
Rebecca's gasp as the point of
the knife broke skin made his heart stop. He halted, his eyes narrowing at Molnar's laughter.
"I see you understand me
now." Molnar said, easing the pressure
of the knife. "Now, Ardeth Bey. Get me my books."
Rick began to ease his way to
the side, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"If you move again, Mr.
O'Connell, I will order my man to shoot your son."
Alex froze as a rifle was
leveled at his head. He looked over at
his parents, seeing the impotent rage on his father's face, the fear on his
mother's.
"Don't do it!" Rebecca said, crying out when Molnar jerked
back on her hair, cutting off her voice.
He dug in her pocket, his
fingers closing over the key. He tossed
it to Ardeth, who caught it in reflex.
He could see how these men had
gotten past. They dressed as Medjai,
for they had once been part of the tribe. Molnar's greed for power had gathered a following, and an uprising,
quickly put down, had taken place. They
had been cast out, after the mark of the Medjai they wore on their faces had
been marred, marking them as outcasts.
"You can see there is no
choice." Molnar continued, his voice
soft as he released his hold on Rebecca's hair, bringing his hand up to stroke
her cheek. "You would not want me to
kill your wife, would you?"
Rebecca's eyes closed at the
anguish that crossed Ardeth's face. She
would willingly die if it meant preventing the awakening of Imhotep. She silently willed Ardeth not to
surrender. She opened her eyes to see
him turn, and insert the key into the lock.
"No." She whispered. "It's not
worth it."
"I cannot let you die." Ardeth replied, turning the key.
The door ground its way open,
and Ardeth disappeared through the opening. Molnar motioned his men forward, a look of expectation on his face as
Ardeth emerged, two cloth wrapped bundles in his arms. Molnar gestured for him to head down the
corridor, back the way they had come. He heard Rebecca's cry of pain as she was shoved forward, only the sword
pressing into his back prevented him reaching for his own.
They emerged into the desert,
where one of Molnar's men took the bundles from his arms, unwrapping them to
reveal the books they had sought.
"We will take the woman with us,
to ensure your future cooperation." Molnar said, an evil smile upon his face. "We will also take the boy."
"No!" Evy cried, lunging forward. Only Rick pushing her behind him prevented the blow. He took it instead, falling to his knees as
Alex was dragged to stand beside Rebecca. Rebecca swung with her free arm, connecting with her captor's jaw and
freeing herself as she swung a kick at the man that held Alex.
"Run!" She told him, yanking the sword free from the fallen man's
side. "Run, Alex!"
He did as he was told, shooting
off quickly as Jonathan rushed Evy off. Rick came up swinging, taking out one man as Ardeth swung his sword at
another. The sudden thunder of hooves pounding
announced the approach of the Medjai set to guard the city. Rebecca looked around wildly for Molnar,
knowing the books had to be regained. She saw him running after Alex, a book beneath each arm. She ran after him, determined not to lose
sight of him.
Ardeth and Rick made short work
of the remaining men. Stopping to catch
his breath, Ardeth looked around wildly for Rebecca. Rick saw Alex running towards them full speed. He caught him, holding him tightly as he
babbled out what he'd seen.
"He's got Aunt Becky, she
fought, but he had more men hidden. She
told me to run, and when I looked back they had her!"
Evy rushed over to hug her son,
Jonathan pointing at the group of horses disappearing over the crest of a
dune. A group of Medjai followed close
behind. Ardeth leapt onto the back of
his own horse, racing of in pursuit of his wife.
He returned an hour later, empty
handed.