"Alex, you there?" Rick called from the other side of the door. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a key, twisted it into the keyhole, and swung the door open. "Al--" He gasped in horror. All the chairs and couches tipped over, all the drawers out and on the floor, papers scattered throughout the room, and nobody home.
"What is it?" Evy asked, oblivious. Then she stepped into the room and looked around.
"Looks like SOMEBODY put up a fight before disappearing," said Rick. "That's not a good thing."
"Whoever kidnapped him had a knife," said Evy.
Rick jumped in surprise. "What?"
"Look here." Evy bent over a seatback and pointed to several slits in the cushion.
"Oh, home sweet home away from home!" Jonathan sang as he trotted toward the door. "Great to get away from those guys. I didn't like them very much." He stepped in. "Now let's sit back, relax, and--oh, my God! What happened? This is terrible!" he yelled in a panic.
"Yes, I know," Evy agreed.
"My favorite couch!" Jonathan cried.
Rick frowned. "Screw the couch! Where the hell is my son?"
Jonathan looked around.
"Hello," a deep voice suddenly startled them.
The three of them jumped and jerked their heads toward a corner of the room.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," the figure said. He was tall, bald, and wore a black tunic. His brown eyes pierced into Rick's as he stepped forward.
"The only thing that scares me is what you've done to my son," Rick snapped, bending over. He reached into a cabinet hole but found nothing.
"Don't search for your guns," the figure groaned. "You won't find them."
"Who are you, and where have you taken my son?" Evy barked at him.
The figure grinned. "Your son is in good hands."
"Good. Now give him back to us."
"Sorry, I can't do that yet."
"Then tell us who you are and what you want!" Rick yelled. "And fast."
The figure nodded. "My name is Phoeb. I'm a descendant of the priests of Imhotep."
"Imhotep?" Jonathan squeaked.
Rick sighed. "That guy just doesn't quit, does he?"
Phoeb pointed to Rick. "You are coming with me. You are going to help me retrieve Imhotep and then be my human sacrifice when I revive him."
Rick's heart jumped. "What?"
"Come with me now."
Rick reached into his back pocket and pulled out his jacknife. "Back off, or you'll be mummified like your ancestors."
Phoeb nodded. "Then so will your son."
"NO!!" Evy screamed. "Rick, live today, fight tomorrow! Please don't kill our son!"
Rick paused and turned to Evy. Breathing a sigh of sisgust, he closed the knife and slipped it onto his pocket.
"No," Phoeb broke in. "Give me the knife."
Rick reluctantly pulled the knife out and tossed it to Phoeb.
"Now you come with me," Phoeb ordered.
"Where are you taking me?" Rick snapped.
Phoeb drooped his shoulders. "Do I really have to tell you?"
Jonathan's eyebrows raised. "The City of the Dead?"
Phoeb nodded.
Rick raised a finger. "Just one thing. Imhotep didn't die at Hamunaptra."
"But his soul is in the Underworld," Phoeb replied, "and I can bring it back at Hamunaptra. Now come with me.
Rick turned to Evy. "This is all happening too fast!"
Evy gave Rick a warm smile. "I'll have you and Alex in my arms in no time, sweetie." Then she turned to Phoeb and gave him a cold, hateful glare. "I'll be seeing YOU again," she bellowed, almost under her breath.
"This way," said Phoeb.
"What is it?" Evy asked, oblivious. Then she stepped into the room and looked around.
"Looks like SOMEBODY put up a fight before disappearing," said Rick. "That's not a good thing."
"Whoever kidnapped him had a knife," said Evy.
Rick jumped in surprise. "What?"
"Look here." Evy bent over a seatback and pointed to several slits in the cushion.
"Oh, home sweet home away from home!" Jonathan sang as he trotted toward the door. "Great to get away from those guys. I didn't like them very much." He stepped in. "Now let's sit back, relax, and--oh, my God! What happened? This is terrible!" he yelled in a panic.
"Yes, I know," Evy agreed.
"My favorite couch!" Jonathan cried.
Rick frowned. "Screw the couch! Where the hell is my son?"
Jonathan looked around.
"Hello," a deep voice suddenly startled them.
The three of them jumped and jerked their heads toward a corner of the room.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," the figure said. He was tall, bald, and wore a black tunic. His brown eyes pierced into Rick's as he stepped forward.
"The only thing that scares me is what you've done to my son," Rick snapped, bending over. He reached into a cabinet hole but found nothing.
"Don't search for your guns," the figure groaned. "You won't find them."
"Who are you, and where have you taken my son?" Evy barked at him.
The figure grinned. "Your son is in good hands."
"Good. Now give him back to us."
"Sorry, I can't do that yet."
"Then tell us who you are and what you want!" Rick yelled. "And fast."
The figure nodded. "My name is Phoeb. I'm a descendant of the priests of Imhotep."
"Imhotep?" Jonathan squeaked.
Rick sighed. "That guy just doesn't quit, does he?"
Phoeb pointed to Rick. "You are coming with me. You are going to help me retrieve Imhotep and then be my human sacrifice when I revive him."
Rick's heart jumped. "What?"
"Come with me now."
Rick reached into his back pocket and pulled out his jacknife. "Back off, or you'll be mummified like your ancestors."
Phoeb nodded. "Then so will your son."
"NO!!" Evy screamed. "Rick, live today, fight tomorrow! Please don't kill our son!"
Rick paused and turned to Evy. Breathing a sigh of sisgust, he closed the knife and slipped it onto his pocket.
"No," Phoeb broke in. "Give me the knife."
Rick reluctantly pulled the knife out and tossed it to Phoeb.
"Now you come with me," Phoeb ordered.
"Where are you taking me?" Rick snapped.
Phoeb drooped his shoulders. "Do I really have to tell you?"
Jonathan's eyebrows raised. "The City of the Dead?"
Phoeb nodded.
Rick raised a finger. "Just one thing. Imhotep didn't die at Hamunaptra."
"But his soul is in the Underworld," Phoeb replied, "and I can bring it back at Hamunaptra. Now come with me.
Rick turned to Evy. "This is all happening too fast!"
Evy gave Rick a warm smile. "I'll have you and Alex in my arms in no time, sweetie." Then she turned to Phoeb and gave him a cold, hateful glare. "I'll be seeing YOU again," she bellowed, almost under her breath.
"This way," said Phoeb.
