Watching the mysterious couple retreat deeper into the shadows, Peggy was impressed by their quick thinking.

Howard was suddenly by her side, her pack clutched in his hands. He was craning his neck to see over the crowd, "Did you recognize them?"

"No, but eventually I will catch them." Determined, she shrugged on her heavy pack and allowed Howard to take her arm in his.

Peggy hoped that their tail would keep far away since she was now on the lookout for them. She did not want to be bothered while they investigated the subterranean chamber of the Great Khufu Pyramid. She felt somewhat protective of their find and resented anyone else nosing around it.

No longer impeded by the paparazzi or spies, they headed straight toward the majestic Pyramids of Giza.

If they had just waited a moment, they might have seen four Niqab-covered women effortlessly pursuing them. Only the slit through the veil revealed their cold brown eyes that never once missed Peggy's or Howard's movements.

As the duo walked along the dirt path, the marketplace began closing around them. The rising temperature from the noonday sun would soon become unbearable. But once it was cooler, they would reopen again.

Looking past the thinning merchant stalls, Peggy saw there was still a long stretch to reach the spectacular Pyramid structures. Ahead, her vision caught the waves of simmering heat as it radiated off the hardened trail.

After wiping her sweating forehead, she tugged off Jarvis's long coat and wrapped it around her waist. She would have gladly donated the heavy tweed apparel if it hadn't concealed the holstered gun on her hip.

Deciding to take a page from the locals, Peggy and Howard agreed to use a pedicab for the remainder of their journey. Motioning over one of the few drivers that had yet to quit for the afternoon, an energetic young boy rode his bicycle contraption over to them.

Using an ingenious method, the kid had hooked a makeshift open cab to his bicycle. The attached compartment was made of wood that seemed to be held together with wire and twine. Peggy studied it with a wary eye. For all she could tell, it was actually spit and polish that kept the rickety thing in one piece.

Ignoring her reluctance, the boy chivalrously opened the splintering cracked door of the cab for her.

Happily chattering to them, the boy indicated to climb aboard. He spoke in a mixture of Arabic and English, with a hint of French added in for good measure.

Usually, this reminder of British imperialism set Peggy's teeth on edge. She vehemently disagreed with the appropriation of other country's legacies for England's ego. But in this one instance, she was relieved that English was predominately used and not the local language.

"Come on, Peg. We don't have time to be picky," Howard said as he practically shoved her inside.

Due to his own background in inventing, Peggy figured he was used to turning a blind eye to all things cobbled together, regardless of whether they would fall apart in mid-transport.

Once she had clambered in, Howard began to do so and pointed ahead with the order of, "To the Pyramids, boy, post-haste."

Nodding, the young driver replied, "Oui, sir."

Not even making sure that his fare had been properly seated, the cab jerked forward as the boy began to pedal. The rickety wooden contraption had a faded awning overhead that provided some relief from the sun. And though it proved not to be a very comfortable ride, it sure beat walking in the dry heat that seemed to pummel down upon them.

Peggy felt bad for the young kid, but he rode with much enthusiasm. She figured he was probably used to the heat of the day.

To get her damp hair out of her way, Peggy weaved it into a thick ponytail and then crammed her cap back on.

Reveling in the warm breeze that brushed against her perspiring face, Peggy fixed her gaze on the ginormous stone triangles that continued to grow larger the closer they got.

Even in its abandoned state, photos did not do these imposing giant's size justice. Instead, she felt dwarfed in their presence, much like an ant gazing upon a breadcrumb.

Peggy then noticed the Sphinx statue to the left, and though smaller, it was no less impressive to the eye. She wished they had time to visit it, but even that was limited.

The boy stopped pedaling and cruised to a stop. He had gotten them close to the three behemoths as the dirt road allowed. He then hopped off his bike and ran around to the side to assist them in stepping down. As they left the wobbly cab, the springs dipped dangerously, and Howard remarked, "Hey kid, you need to tighten those screws before you launch someone."

The kid smiled and nodded adorably. Either he did not understand or frankly did not care. Howard grinned back and ruffled the boy's dark hair. After he tipped the boy generously, he said, "Thanks for the fast pedal, kid."

Howard pressed an additional bill into the boy's palm to show his appreciation. The kid's grin of gratitude was not lost on Peggy.

Due to the overhead hot sun beating down, the area was devoid of sightseers. Once the temperature cooled, tourists would certainly creep back. But for now, this solitude worked in Peggy's favor.

Ahead, she noticed the two bored British constables standing in the shade. The men barely looked over at them, probably mistaking them as tourists foolish enough to come at the hottest time of the day. She made sure to play the distracted sightseer and not stare at officers for too long as they strolled past them.

Honestly, it was not a difficult role for her to play. This close to the Pyramid, she could not even see the pinnacle of where the four points met. And the stones that stepped up it were huge. Each one was taller than her waist, and some were even higher than that. The awe-inspiring spectacle made her steps falter, and Howard tightened his grip on her elbow.

She ignored his chuckle at her reaction, "I know, right? Come on, let's hurry and get out of the sun."

Peggy nodded mutely and allowed him to pull her along.

Heading toward the ticket booth tucked in the shadows, Howard indicated the Pyramid base. He stated offhandedly, "There are not many left, but along the bottom are the casing stones that were used to cover the step-like levels that you see higher up. In its heyday, those stones were so precisely laid that you could not even stick a piece of paper between them."

Soon they passed dozing donkeys and squatting camels, their handlers napping nearby in the shade. All paid little heed to the two crazy tourists.

While Howard purchased their tickets, Peggy continued to stare at the multitude of stones that made up the Pyramid. Further up, she noticed the massive hole the first explorers used to break through to find their way within.

Motioning for her to go first, she and Howard scrambled up the large blocks to the newer, smaller entrance leading to the inner chambers. After Howard had handed their tickets to the bored attendant at the opening, they headed inside.

Surprisingly the temperature was refreshingly cool. Peggy imagined more locals would be inside if it weren't so cramped. Making their way forward, the path was level, but because the masonry had been cut away, it was not a straight shot through.

As Peggy twisted past a jutting stone block, she noticed the air wasn't musty. She figured it was probably due to the Pyramids being located in the dry desert. She also noticed that a few things were missing. Frowning, she asked, "Where are all the hieroglyphics?"

Playing the consummate guide, Howard replied easily, "Actually, there are none in the Great Pyramid. Funny thing, it was the Greeks who had coined the term hieroglyphics, which meant sacred."

"My, you are a regular fount of knowledge, Howard," she cheekily replied.

After traveling a bit, they came upon a junction. Ignoring the ascending corridor, they stopped at the chained-off steps that led downwards. Once they were sure that no one was around, Howard lifted the heavy metal links high enough so that they could pass under them.

As she descended into the darkness, Peggy took a small flashlight out of her backpack. Behind her, she heard a click, and a blinding beam of light suddenly flared on. It was so bright, it was as if the sun had risen. She visibly flinched at the painful glare, and Howard murmured, "Sorry." And after a quick adjustment, the light lessened in intensity.

Peggy mused that, of course, Howard had invented a flashlight that would make the sun envious.

Nodding demurely, Peggy began to take the steeply angled passageway toward the subterranean chamber. Unfortunately, the square-shaped corridor had the dimensions of a four-foot-sized box. They had to stoop over to make the descent, or they would have scrapped their heads on the smooth ceiling above.

And it was a very long journey.

After what seemed like an eternity of hunched-over walking, Peggy could not refrain from biting out, "Well, you certainly know how to show a girl a good time."

Howard chuckled and reassured, "Thankfully, this corridor only goes down about 350 feet. I would say that we are more than halfway there."

Regardless of how much they had left to go, her back was already killing her. Plus, she felt rather claustrophobic and wanted to hurry along but could not due to the corridor's constraining size.

Howard mumbled behind her, probably also affected by the diminutive size of the passageway.

Peggy found that he tended to ramble more when nervous or excited. By his subdued tone, it was not the latter, "Once we pass under the smaller well shaft for the upper grotto, we will almost be to our destination. I checked the schematics, and the size of the subterranean chamber will be 27 feet by 56 ft of carved bedrock." He finished his description with a sigh. "This certainly is a damn deep abyss, and I can see why it was referred to descending to the Underworld on that clue."

Finally reaching the unfinished underground chamber, they found that, unlike the smoother corridors that they had just used, this was a cavern of chiseled bedrock. And though the ceiling was even, the floor was rough and made of loose rubble.

After painfully straightening out her back, Peggy frowned at the vast size of the open area. Luckily in front of them was the pit.

Looking in, it was almost a ten-foot-deep well that went nowhere. Peggy wondered why the Egyptians had dug it. Perhaps it was going to be an underground swimming pool, she thought with a chuckle.

"See anything down there?" she asked Howard as he shined his powerful flashlight into it.

It was a quick inspection. "Nope, nothing but dirt."

Nodding determinedly, Peggy declared, "Right." With such assurance spoken, they carefully walked around the large circular hole.

Along the way, they kept a lookout for any markings or glyphs like what had been rubbed onto the copied papyrus. Finally reaching the wall on the other side, they spotted the small crawl space and headed toward it.

Standing above the stout passage, Peggy glanced at Howard, who grinned back at her. Then, with a flourish, he stated, "Ladies first."

She rolled her eyes, but game, Peggy crawled into the tight tunnel. Pulling herself down the snug corridor, she went for over 35 feet only to find herself at a dead end. She looked for any markings along the way, but spying none, she called back to Howard, "Nothings here."

Then she heard him inch toward her, and his voice echoed, "Wow, this sure goes deep."

Soon his hot breath was ruffling the few wisps of her hair that had escaped their confines. "Let's try this. First, shut off your flashlight."

Reluctantly, Peggy did as he asked. Without light, the small passageway was darker than pitch. She remembered being in such cramped darkness before, and she shuddered. Those had not been good times.

Peggy heard Howard mumble as he fiddled with his specialized flashlight. Finally, it came back on, but this time a red beam was projected on the wall in front of her. "Let's see if an infra-red spectrum can pick up anything."

As he carefully waved the filtered red light around, Peggy wondered, "Does that have x-ray capabilities?"

"I wish, but the radiation levels would have been too high."

Motioning the device back and forth, some markings flickered across the wall of the dead end.

Peggy's breath hitched when she recognized the seven odd wedged-shaped markings that had been so prominent on the center of the papyrus.

Howard handed her the flashlight, and then he rooted through the small backpack around his waist. With an excited grunt, he pulled out the copy of the scroll. Glancing from it to the wall, a triumphant Howard pressed the glyphs in the sequence that was on the paper.

Always fearful of traps, Peggy asked, "Sure of the order?"

He sounded unconcerned when he replied, "That's how they are laid out on the papyrus."

It took a moment, but then they heard the grinding of stone and a small hidden door slid open in front of them. Both grinned at the other in excitement.

Switching back on her flashlight, Peggy looked inside the passageway. She noticed a tight tunnel that descended a short distance toward a darkened opening.

Taking a deep breath, Peggy crawled in first carefully. Howard was right on her heels, and she was tempted to snap at him that it was best if he stayed back in case this was a trap. But she knew he was too eager to listen.

Thankfully, this deep underground, the air was cooler, and Peggy enjoyed the pleasant temperature. Finally, she reached the opening at the other end. Taking a deep calming breath, she then pulled herself through.

Staying in a crouched position, Peggy saw that the room appeared to be about twenty feet long and ten feet wide.

Glancing up to ensure she would not bang her head, she stood slowly. At least the chamber had a tall ceiling, close to at least ten feet high. Straightening, she rubbed her sore back and groaned in relief. Besides the aches, she felt as if the Pyramids grit had gouged itself deep into her shins.

As she surveyed the elongated room, Howard crawled in. Standing, he glanced about the room with rapt wonder.

Every wall and even the ceiling were covered in those odd wedged-shaped glyphs. They looked at one another in amazement. This had to be what they were looking for.

Studying the strange markings throughout the room, Peggy knew these symbols were essential in solving this treasure hunt.

Peggy's voice echoed when she stated, "Good, maybe now we can get some answers." She shined her light along the chamber walls, almost as if expecting that a big neon sign would appear and reveal all its secrets.

Howard shook his head, "We might never find out who set all this up, Peg."

Ignoring her inelegant snort of a response, he saw that same pattern of odd glyphs on the opposite side of the room.

Gingerly walking across the sand-covered bedrock, Howard made his way over to them. Hand on chin, he contemplated these seven specific symbols.

While he did so, Peggy's flashlight shined on some crushed bits of old bones that were strewn about the center of the room. She nudged them tentatively with her foot and glanced over at Howard. Thankfully he was too preoccupied with the glyphs to make some snarky comment about the bones belonging to his' mummy.'

Other than the remains of brittle bones, the room was empty. Peggy stared at the calcified remains and muttered, "Odd, looks like we are not the only ones searching for this treasure."

"Yeah, I am sure there have been other similar clues scattered about the world for others to find and use. This just proves that what we seek is something good. I mean, why would you advertise something that is only meh?"

She smirked at his choice of wording, "But to what end, Howard? Surely someone is not being altruistic."

Howard turned and smiled at her, "That's half the fun with these types of adventures."

Tempted as it was to call him on what other times he had done this sort of thing, she instead tried to hide her frustration when she asked, "Well, now what?"

Focusing on the seven runes in front of him, Howard said with a shrug, "Well, since this worked the last time." And before she could question his logic, he pressed the glyphs in the order on the paper.

Peggy winced when she heard a sharp 'twang' behind them.

Twisting around, she dashed toward the small entrance they had just used. But before she could reach the opening, a hidden panel slammed shut across it.

Their only escape was now blocked.

Sliding across to the closed hatch, Peggy tried to pry it open, but it would not budge. Then there was another horrible sound as if huge gears were turning.

In moments, the walls on either side of them began to close inwards slowly.

Peggy hollered, "You've got to be kidding me!"

"That shouldn't have happened." Howard sounded more insulted that something dared to go against his plans than worried.

As Peggy pushed against the moving walls ineffectually, she grumbled, "I can't believe we are stuck in some 'B' grade movie cliffhanger."

She then placed her back against the obstinate surface. But the sand made her footing slippery, and Peggy was nudged closer toward the opposite advancing wall.

Her normally calm demeanor had shortened considerably, and she glared at Howard. His gaze was solely fixated on the paper's markings as if they would give him an answer. She huffed angrily, "Well, you're the brilliant engineer. Help me figure out how to stop these things!"

Ignoring her demands, a distracted Howard mumbled, "Maybe it was an incorrect sequence." After pressing the odd Cuneiform-styled glyphs in different arrangements multiple times, the walls started to close in faster.

Peggy hissed, frustrated, "Not helping!"

Flustered, Howard shined the red-filtered flashlight beam on the walls. But nothing out of the ordinary stood out among the multitude of wedge-shaped symbols around the chamber.

Switching the flashlight back to normal, he waved it about, looking for any possible escape. He studied the ceiling, but there were no gaps between it, the moving walls, or even a trap door for escape.

Discouraged, he then rushed over to Peggy. But, even propping his shoulder against the sliding wall, nothing could stop these solid barriers from pressing in.

A desperate Howard tried a different position. As they moved forward slowly, he grunted from exertion, "By my calculations, we will run out of room in less than a minute."

Peggy snapped, "So glad your mathematical prowess is still on point. What else do you have in that funny little pack of yours? Any explosives? Acid?"

He quickly shook his head, "You're the one-armed to the teeth. What about you?"

The closer the walls got, the higher her pitch became, "No, I am afraid what I have would barely make a dent in these things."

After exchanging a look of worry, they once more shoved ineffectually against the moving walls.

Taking a deep breath, Peggy forced herself to think. Since physical strength was not an option, that just left mental fortitude. "Here, let me see that—" and she plucked the crumpled paper from Howard's grasp. She then held it up to the flashlight for a better view.

After studying the seven large glyphs in the center of the page, she looked the rest of it over. That was when she noticed the perfectly aligned faint markings along the bottom and top of the paper. There were two sets of them, and they looked too purposeful to be a mistake.

Nudging closer to their doom, Howard gulped from fear. He worriedly cautioned, "Margaret—"

Peggy tried to ignore the alarm in his voice. Needing both hands free, she handed her flashlight to Howard, "Make yourself useful, darling, and hold this."

Howard snatched the device from her and held both flashlights on the paper she grasped. He watched as she folded the sheet vertically to line up with the first top and bottom marks. The inventor spat, "Now is not the time for paper airplanes, pal."

"Just a minute…I think I've figured out your sequencing problem." After she finished creasing the other set of matching marks, she folded that side of the paper inwards. Now when the page lined up, it formed a different single large odd glyph. Excitedly she told him, "Here, Howard, look for this marking."

Alas, there were hundreds of wedged-shaped glyphs left exposed on the walls.

Howard shook his head, his anxiety now palpable, "You can't be serious, Peg. That's too easy."

She gritted her teeth. They did not have time for doubts, "Do you have any other ideas, Howard?"

Sighing, he relented, "Fine, let's just say you are right. It could be anywhere, even covered up by the walls now."

Peggy held firm. It was their only hope. "No, whoever planned this would want to give the participants as much time as possible to find it. It has to be still exposed." She quickly amended, "Well, one would hope they would not stack the deck 100% against us."

"Exactly, this could be a way to kill any who dared get too close," Howard added bitterly.

Grabbing her flashlight from the worried inventor, Peggy joined him in trying to track down this specialized glyph. As they were pressed closer and closer together, Peggy said optimistically, "I don't think it is a trap, but a test of sorts. Possibly it is a means to see if one is worthy of whatever lies ahead."

"You got all that from that paper?" Howard stated incredulously, his gaze continually darting about the walls. "You could have fooled me, Peg."

"No time to be cheeky, darling. Keep looking." As the walls inched nearer, her back was soon up against his.

Tighter and tighter the walls closed in, and at any moment, they would be squished flat.