The dry, desert winds filled the air with sand, providing at least a little protection from the scorching, yellow sun. At the spot, Phoeb stopped and stared into the empty horizon.

Rick panted and fell to his knees. "Not even," he panted, "a little," he panted again, "drop of water?"

"No," Phoeb's voice boomed.

Rick shook his head. "First you make me walk barefoot all the way to the spot, and now you tell me I can't have a drink. This is manslaughter!"

"It's not manslaughter. You're being prepared for the sacrifice. You must be ritually dry to undergo the Hom-Dai."

"The WHAT!?" Rick yelled. "Get me out of here!" He got up and turned to run.

"You're too late, O'Connel," Phoeb muttered.

Suddenly, the rising sun began to ripple, and with it, the entire horizon. As the ripple faded, the City of the Dead appeared in its towering glory.

Phoeb grinned. "Come now." He began to walk toward the city.

"Oh, no," Rick grunted, turning and walking away. Suddenly, a pillar of sand erupted at his feet, throwing him on his back. In the sandy waterfall, the bald face of Imhotep roared at him.

"This has been pre-ordained," said Phoeb. "Imhotep lives. Now fulfill your destiny as Imhotep's sacrifice, and he may just spare you as his servant."

Rick had no choice but to proceed toward the city. As they stepped in, he looked around at the familiar columns and ruins. He shook his head. His wife would have to come after him alone, he didn't know where his son was, he was about to get sacrificed and nobody knew he was there except Phoeb, and possibly, Imhotep himself. He looked around as if searching for a rescuer, but he only saw tall, lonely ruins and the impatient face of the priest.

"Come. The Underworld awaits you," Phoeb grunted. They walked toward what seemed to be a stone hut. Raising a hand, the priest muttered some words in Ancient Egyptian, and the door dragged open, giving way to a downward stairwell. As they stepped in, Rick turned to catch one last glimpse of the sun. He figured it would be the last time he saw it.

After going through a familiar maze of tunnels, they arrived into a black room with one blue ray of light seeping through. Phoeb raised his hand, and a parabolic mirror reflected the ray. One by one, the ray bounced off of hundreds until it reflected off piles of gold and treasure. Rick's eyes widened as he looked all around at towers of riches.

Phoeb stopped in front of a human skeleton lying on the floor with mouth wide open. He turned. "Do you know this man."

Rick stared at it. "Um, I don't know. All skeletons look the same."

"He was a greedy treasure hunter just like you. Look, he died in this very room, surrounded by the treasures he'd spent his life seeking. He must have died a happy man."

Rick looked closer, noticing the skeleton's open, screaming mouth. "No, I don't think so." Then he froze. "Benny?"

"Was that his name?" the priest asked. "He is well learned in the Ancient Egyptian occult arts. He once became the servant of Imhotep, and he must be resurrected in order to receive his reward. But he can yet be used for Imhotep's purposes." He turned and walked toward another stairway.

Before he followed, Rick stooped and picked up a handful of sand.

After a few more staircases and tunnels, they came out over a cliff looking down into a bottomless pit. Phoeb had a flaming torch in his hand, and he raised it into the air, lighting the other side.

Rick looked down and across at an alcove on the other side. "I've never seen THIS part of the city before."

"It is a part of the city you will come to know well," Phoeb cackled.

Rick wondered if Alex was somewhere here. Nostalgic thoughts of his son began to swim through his head. "Great. So how are we getting across?" He burned with hate for the priest.

The priest raised his hands into the air, the torch in the hand closest to Rick, and prepared to mutter a chant.

Just then, O'Connel approached him and covered his eyes with his sandy hand. Phoeb grunted and rubbed his eyes blindly. Rick grabbed the torch and shoved it into Phoeb's hip. Phoeb bent down, covering his hip, still blind. Rick balled his hand and gave Phoeb a blow to the forehead, then spin-kicked him off the ledge. Phoeb fell screaming into the bottomless pit.

Suddenly Rick felt a jolt. Pebbles started falling as the ground began to shake. He turned and charged up the staircase into a four-way tunnel. He looked around, trying to remember which way he'd come. Just as he looked around, the sand rose where his feet stood.

He knew what that meant. He picked a tunnel and bolted down through it just as the mound burst into a swarm of scarabs. He rushed down and turned a corner, disappearing deeper into the tunnel, hoping to find an exit, not knowing what he was running toward.