Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own the Mummy series nor any of the handsome characters. **sigh** But a girl can dream.
Bad Author Notes: I'm a bad girl. A very bad girl.
Damaged Goods
By Lady FoxFire
June 29, 2002
"O'Connell!" Tarig called out to the American. "I've found something."
Leaving the remains of the campsite, Rick hurried over to Tarig's side. "Christ!" he exclaimed as a swarm of flies ascend into the air. Next to where Tarig knelt, lay the remains of two men; their gray robes stained with blood
"How long?" Rick as in a soft voice as he studied the remains.
"Day and a half, two at the most. My guess would be around the time of your attack." Tarig replied as he pulled the body of a longhaired man on to his back. "YAHA!!" He exclaimed as he fell back in surprise
"SHIT!" Rick exclaimed as he looked at the familiar face of the dead man. His dark brown eyes stared up accusingly at Rick, as the maggots crawled out of his opened mouth and over his bearded chin. "For a moment…" Rick whispered, shaken.
"Aywa," Tarig agreed with Rick as he struggled to his feet. "He looks…"
"Yeah. But he's not," Rick said in relief as he pried his eyes away from the remains of a man who looked so much like his brother, so much like Ardeth. "Who do you think they were?" he asked turning his back on the dead.
Tarig shrugged. "Bandits. Slavers. Someone who lost at the auction," he explained. "A Med-Jai warrior would have been a hard prize to lose." Silence settled between the two men as they walked towards the abandoned campsite.
Muammar and Nasir arrived at the deserted campsite moment before them.
"We found two bodies over there," Nasir said with a nod in the direction the two Med-Jai had came from, his lips snarled back with disdain as he glanced over at O'Connell. "Ardeth wasn't among the dead, unlike your dire prediction, American."
"I never said Ardeth was dead," Rick growled at the beefy Med-Jai as he unconsciously rubbed the palm of his hand against his breastbone. "I said that something had changed. And obviously it did," he said with a wave towards the dead
"Enough bickering; we have more important things to worry about." Muammar command as he stepped between O'Connell and Nasir. "When we turned over one of the men, we found this underneath him," Muammar said as he held up a hilt of a knife. "It may lead us to whoever has Ardeth."
"Can I see that?" Rick asked with a strange look in his eyes. Taking the knife hilt, he turned it around in his hands, studying it intently. "I need to see the other bodies," he said as he suddenly started off in the direction Nasir had indicated. "I need to be sure."
"I told you Ardeth wasn't among the dead," Nasir said in an annoyed tone.
Muammar stared at Rick as he walked away before hurrying after him. Grabbing Rick by the arm, Muammar spun him around to face him. "O'Connell, what is it? You look as if Imhotep has arisen once again!"
"I…I…this knife." Rick held up the broken knife hilt, his eyes wide with fear. "The last time I saw a knife hilt like this…" Rick licked his lips nervously. "That person is dead, I saw what was left. There's no way they could be alive. Unless…"
"Unless what?" Tarig asked in confusion as he walked up beside Rick.
"Unless it wasn't who I thought it was," Rick said cryptically. "I mean the body was the same height, same hair color but the face…. the face was gone. I was so sure." Rick stared down at the knife in his hand. "And if I was wrong… then Ardeth is in more trouble than I thought." Rick left the Med-Jai standing there lost in their thoughts and concerns for their leader.
Rick flipped the body over with his boot. "Shit," he exclaimed as the flies settle back on the bodies. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" he said as he stormed past the Med-Jai towards the camels.
"I take it the person you're looking for isn't here," Nasir said with his arms crossed over his chest, glaring once again at Rick. "After you drama in the city, I expected you to find Ardeth among the dead."
Rick turned and with one move sent Nasir flying back with a punch to his jaw. "If I didn't need your sorry ass I would have left you behind long ago!" His hands clenched tight wanting too rip into Nasir again. "I'm sick of your snide comments and your 'holier than thou' attitude."
Muammar stepped in between Rick and Nasir as he sat on the ground nursing his jaw glaring evilly. "O'Connell," he said softly as if he was trying to soothe a wild horse. "Rick, tell me about the owner of the knife."
O'Connell licked his lips nervously. "The owner went by the name Fennec. We used to run together before I joined the Foreign Legion." Rick ran a hand over his face. "There was a plane accident. No survivors."
Silence settled upon the men as the Med-Jai watched O'Connell carefully. Clearing his throat nervously Tarig spoke up. "O'Connell can you still feel Ardeth? Can you still locate Ardeth?"
"Yes," Rick said as he climbed on his camel. Looking around, he tried to locate a landmark in the sea of sand. "Where are we? I know you said that it was the city of jackals."
"Thamaniyat Ajras," Muammar replied as he climbed onto his camel. "Its real name is Thamaniyat Ajras. We're about three days from Al Qubbah al Kabirah," he explained pointing in a northeast direction.
Rick chewed on his bottom lip; his eyes closed in concentration. Suddenly his eyes snapped open. "I know where they're at," he said as he kicked his camel into motion, heading northwest.
"What? Why are we going this way?" Nasir blurted out. "These nothing in that direction for days but sand and rocks."
O'Connell turned in his seat and smiled knowingly at Nasir. "You're wrong. There's more than that out there. To be exact there's a hidden oasis about a day away from us. That's where we will find them," he explained as he turned forward in his seat
"And how, oh Great Wahid, do you know that?" Nasir snarled, his voice dripping with venom
"That's my secret Nasir," Rick answered, with a smirk on his face. "Besides, I also know how to force Fennec to give us Ardeth."
~*~
Rick silently slipped into the tent. "Ardeth?" he whispered as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the dim light inside the tent. He soon spotted Ardeth sleeping just a few feet from him underneath a pile of blankets.
"Ardeth?" he called once again as he knelt next to the sleeping Med-Jai. Brushing the hair out of Ardeth's face, Rick studied the bruised features of his friend. His face was marred with fading bruises, and a bloody bandage covered his forehead. "Damn it Ardeth! What did they do to you?"
Gently, Rick grabbed his shoulder and gave him a small shake. "Ardeth, time to wake up, old buddy. Come on open your eyes." Rick tried shaking him a little harder. "Come on Ardeth, wake up! Evy is reading from the Black Book again!"
Ardeth moaned softly, his eyes opening halfway. "Rick?" he said caught halfway between the real world and that of his nightmares. His bound hands reached up to grasp O'Connell's wrist.
Rick's face broke out in a grin. "Yeah it's me. Come on, let's get you out of here." He said as he untied Ardeth's hands.
"Rick!" Ardeth hissed as he woke up completely. "We have to get out of here before he finds you! He was going to use me to draw you to him; planned to use me as bait. He said he wants you back, wants to finish breaking you!"
Rick chucked softly. "Don't worry about that Ardeth. Right now lets get you up and moving."
"How did you find us? How did you defeat him? I saw him fight, he fights like a Med-Jai." Everything rushed out of Ardeth at once.
"Ardeth," Rick said softly his eyes sliding from his friend's face to the ground. "I hate to tell you but you're not exactly free. At least not yet."
Ardeth's eyes widened at his friend in reaction to his words. "What do you mean?" he growled at Rick as he grabbed his arm roughly. "What have you done O'Connell?"
"Nasir's going to fight for you," Rick said, looking up at his friend, his eyes cold and voice firm. "If he wins then you're free."
"And if he loses?" Ardeth asked in a soft voice.
Rick just looked at him. That was all the answer Ardeth needed.
"Come on, you might as well wait to see who your new owner is," Rick said, standing and pulling Ardeth with him. "Lean on me," he whispered, wrapping an arm around Ardeth when his knees buckled beneath him. Slowly the two men hobbled out of the tent.
"Ardeth!" Tarig said, in surprise as he saw Ardeth leaning heavily against the American. The bruises he had received at the slaver's hands stood out sharply against his dark skin. "What did you do to him?" The young Med-Jai growled as he turned back to the Master with hatred in his eyes.
"I kept him alive," the master growled back, as he dropped into a combative stance, waiting for the Med-Jai to make his move.
"Tarig," O'Connell snarled at the young Med-Jai. "Back off right now!" Leading Ardeth over to a shady spot, Rick turned to the Master. "Fennec I think we deserve an explanation. Some of these wounds are fresh."
The man glared at O'Connell, his eyes cold and deadly. "What do you think happened Richard? We were attacked," Fennec snarled. His voice was cold, hard as steel and as deadly as an Asp. "I thought you knew me better than that, O'Connell. I thought you know how I treat my prizes."
"Ardeth is not someone's prize!" Tarig snarled at Fennec, his hand resting on his weapons.
The Master snorted at Tarig's reaction before turning back towards Rick and his prize. "He reminds me a bit of you, O'Connell, before I broke that bad habit out of you." Fennec said with a nod towards the young Med-Jai.
"Leave O'Connell out of this," Ardeth said as he struggled to his feet. "This concerns only you and me," Ardeth said, swaying on his feet.
"Sit down, my prize, before you fall down." Fennec chuckled softly at the Med-Jai defense of the American. "If I remember right we agreed to first blood, no death blows allowed," he said pulling his sword free from the sheath. "Does your champion agree with this?"
"O'Connell?" Ardeth hissed with concern as he gripped Rick's arm.
"I have no problems with this," Nasir pulled his sword free and took a few steps into the clearing to face Ardeth's master. "But know this, slaver, you will lose," Nasir growled with confidence.
"We shall see," Fennec simply said, as he settled into position, his scimitar in his hands.
As the others settled in the shade to watch the combat, the two warriors slowly circled each other, taking stock of the other.
"Don't lose, Nasir," Muammar whispered to his brother Med-Jai, as he stood next to the younger warrior. Stepping between the two men, he said, "This is a battle of honor, a test of skill. The first warrior to draw blood without seriously harming the other will be the champion. Is this understood?" Both men nodded. Stepping out of their way, Muammar shouted, "Begin!"
The sound of steel clashing against steel rang out through the hidden oasis as the two warriors attacked each other. As suddenly as the battle began the warriors back off a bit, once again eyeing each other, judging their opponent.
"Bad leg, Med-Jai?" The Master said with a smirk in his voice. "You seem to favor you left leg. Old injury?"
"Bad face?" Nasir replied, with a smirk. "Why else do you keep it covered?"
"My, my, my. Such razor wit," Fennec said with a chuckle. "I shall undoubtedly bleed to death from your razor sharp tongue since you're so slow with the blade."
Nasir eyes widened at the insult before attacking once again, driving the Master into a furious defense.
"Nasir will lose," O'Connell said with confidence as he sat next to Ardeth. "He has no chance in hell of winning." His eyes glittered madly as he watch the battle.
"What!!!" Ardeth sputtered as he stared in shock at his friend.
"O'Connell you said this was the only way to free Ardeth," Tarig said, in fear for his leader's safety.
"I lied." Rick simply said, as he smiled evilly watching the two combatants fight. "I wanted to see Fennec destroy Nasir for all the shit he's put me through these past few days." He glanced over at Ardeth. "Don't worry, my brother, you'll come to understand your master's mind soon enough," he said with an insane look bubbling up in his eyes.
"Rick," Ardeth said, grabbing his friend's arm. His eyes were filled with fear and confusion at O'Connell's words and attitude.
O'Connell's face softened, his evil grin changed into a kind smile as he realized the fear his brother felt. "Don't worry Ardeth, everything will be fine. You just have to trust me on this," he said before turning back to the battle.
Muammar and Tarig shared a look of concern. "He's insane, the dreams must have broken his mind," Tarig whispered grabbing a hold of Ardeth's arm. "When the battle is over we'll escape."
"No," Ardeth whispered back as he watched O'Connell enjoy the fight between the two warriors. "I trust O'Connell."
"Do you trust him with your life?" Muammar whispered to Ardeth.
Ardeth nods his head. "I trust him with my life, and with my soul."
Both warriors were breathing heavily as they paced around each other after a fiery battle, in which neither was able to gain any ground. "I thought you brought me someone to fight against, O'Connell, not someone to teach." The Master called out never taking his eyes of the large Med-Jai warrior.
Nasir growled at his words. "I will teach you, kelb!" he shouted, as he attacked once again. Nasir's furious attack drove the master back with each mighty blow. He forced Fennec back further and further around their battlefield, his blows stronger and angrier, each time forcing the Master to defend himself.
The battle soon brought them in front of the audience. "Rick?" Fennec sang out in a softer singsong voice as he ducked under a slash from Nasir.
"Destroy him," Rick snarled with angry glee as he climbed on his hands and knees, his eyes wide with joy as he watched the warrior. "Teach him his place."
"With pleasure!" Fennec hissed back evilly as he switched from defense to offence. His sword danced in the light as he forced the Med-Jai back.
Nasir was soon on the defense as his victory vanished like a mirage in the desert. A sudden flash of light off Fennec's sword blinded Nasir for a moment, causing him to stumble to the ground. His eyes opened to find his opponent a few steps from him, waiting.
"Get up, kelb, and face me as a warrior." Fennec said as he looked down at the Med-Jai on the ground. "Or does your leader matter so little to you?"
Nasir scrambled to his feet, sword in his hand. His face twisted with hate at being made a mockery of. "You're letting your emotions cloud your judgment, Nasir. Didn't your teacher school you in keeping your temper in check during a battle?" Fennec called out, teasing the Med-Jai.
Nasir took a shuddering breath as his eyes narrowed with a grim determination. "You will play for that insult!" He growled as he attacked once again but instead of pushing his opponent back, Fennec stood his ground.
"Much better, Nasir. But you still lead too much with your right, it may cause you trouble later." Fennec explains in a patient tone as he found fault with the Med-Jai's fighting style. "You really need to work on that."
"Stop torturing him Fennec and just finished him off! I'm hungry," Rick called off from the sideline, with a bored expression on his face.
"You're always hungry Richard! As long as you're not doing the cooking, I don't believe my prize could survive the slop you call food," the master said as he drove Nasir back a step.
O'Connell snorted at the comment. "I'm a great cook. Anyway I was thinking of having Tarig do the cooking, he's a hell of a lot better than you."
"Well, as long as you're not cooking your specialty," Fennec commented driving Nasir towards the others. "First blood," he suddenly said in a bored voice stepping back from Nasir. The Med-jai stared down at the scratch on his hand, a single drop of blood oozed out.
Sheathing his scimitar, Fennec walked over to where Rick sat on the ground smiling like a maniac. "Why?" His voice broke as he looked down at O'Connell. "Why did you leave me?"
The smile on O'Connell's face failed as he gazed up into those broken brown eyes. Climbing to his feet Rick reached out and gently stroked Fennec's check through the fabric hiding his face. "I thought you were dead. I saw the body, the papers. Everything you had with you on that flight. There was no reason for me to doubt that the body they claimed was yours, wasn't."
Fennec shook his head no. "A thief. Everything I had was stolen, I sent you a telegram."
"I never received it. After your funereal I join the Foreign Legion to forget," Rick said sadly, a tear running down his face as he remembered those lonely days. "But I never forgot. And you're here now and I'm not letting you get away. You don't need this anymore," he said as he pulled the scarf from Fennec's face.
Tarig's eyes widened as he stared at the face of Fennec. "You're...you're…you're a girl!"
Tarig's simple statement broke the spell over them causing Fennec to collapse against O'Connell giggling as the Med-Jai looked on. Wrapping his arms around her, Rick pulled her to his chest. "I missed you," he said softy as he kissed the top of her head.
"I searched for you. I even found what fort you were stationed at but when…" she said with tears in her voice as she clutched him to her, almost afraid that he'd vanish like a puff of smoke if she let him go.
"We were marching into Egypt," O'Connell finished. "But I'm here now and I'm not letting you go, Aeryn."
The woman sighed contentedly, against his chest. Arching her neck back so she could look O'Connell in the eye, she said, "So who's the real owner of my prize?" she asked as she grinned like a Cheshire cat at him.
Rick eyes sparkled as he chuckled. "His grandmother."
"His grandmother?" she said in disbelief, stepping back as far as O'Connell's arms would allow her.
A hearty laugh escaped O'Connell's lips. "Do you remember Sister Mary Margate?"
A curious look passed over Fennec's face. "Yes," she said wearily.
"Aziza, Ardeth's grandmother, is worse."
"WORSE?!" Fennec gasped. "Worse than the Holy Sister from Hell?!?!" Rick nodded his head as he grinned like an idiot. "Damn!" Fennec whispered in awe turning her attention to where the injured Med-Jai sat. "Ardeth are you sure you want to go back? You could always travel the world with me." She asked.
"Hey! I promised his grandmother that I would return him," Rick argueed as the Med-Jai looked on in confusion as they began to fight.
"Hay is for horses and you know that," Fennec said pulling out of his grasp. "Anyway it's his choice."
"Oh no, it isn't," O'Connell said, glaring down at her his fists on his hips. "No way I'm returning to camp without him."
"Since when did he become your propriety?" Fennec asked, glaring back at Rick in defiance.
Rick opened his mouth to comment, his index finger raise at her when a shrill noise sounded in the oasis. All eyes looked to the source in confusion, all eyes turned towards Muammar.
"Now that I have your attention, I want some answer before you two decide to kill each other." Muammar said in a voice that he uses to break up fights among his children. "To start with, who are you?" He said glaring at the Master.
The woman grinned at Muammar as she gave a little bow to him, her eyes never leaving his face. "Aeryn McKnight. Better know as Fennec. Also present owner of Ardeth Bay," she said with a wink to Ardeth.
"Aeryn," O'Connell groaned at her antics. "Behave."
"Why?" Ardeth said so softy that they almost didn't hear it.
"Ardeth?" Tarig said, laying a hand on his leader's shoulder.
A shudder ran through Ardeth's body. Swallowing nervously, he looked up at the woman that held him captive for the past five days; the person who ordered him to strip, who watched him and touched him. The person that he fought against and who protected him from his enemy. "Why? Why did you do it?"
Fennec turned away from him, from his question, and hugged herself. "Aeryn," Rick said softly to her back, his hands resting on her shoulders.
She shrugged them off and started to walk away. "He needs his bandages checked," she told them as she walked off. "I'm dirty, I'm going to take a bath."
O'Connell closed his eyes, his head bowed as she walked in to the brush and out of sight. The Med-Jai looked on in confusion. "O'Connell?" Ardeth said as he struggled to his feet. "Rick?"
"When we were kids…" Rick's voice trailed off as he stared at the ground, his boot kicking up dirt. "We were running around Cairo at the time. She was a beauty even at such a young age." Rick licked his lips nervously at what his memory brought up. "I tried to defend her but I was just a kid. I don't know what would've happened if he hadn't shown up. He died defending her. Protecting both of us. She swore a life debt to him. I don't know if he was Med-Jai or not. She'll never break a promise."
~*~
The sun was painting the evening sky with color as Tarig helped a yawning Ardeth out of the tent and over to the fire. Sinking gratefully on a pile of blankets near the fire, Ardeth let out a sigh.
"Feeling better?" Muammar said handing their leader a bowl of stew and a piece of flat bread.
"Aywa, shukran," Ardeth said before digging into the bowl. "Much better than her cooking," he mumbled around a mouthful of food.
Ardeth suddenly looked around for O'Connell and the woman in question. Swallowing, he asked, "Where is O'Connell and that woman?"
The others shared a look between themselves over Ardeth's head. Muammar was the first to speak. "They are out…talking," he said uncomfortably, not looking at Ardeth.
"Talking?" Ardeth replied noticing the way his Med-Jai were acting
Nasir snorted in disbelief. "How he was acting when he saw her I doubt they're talking."
"You can't expect the Med-Jai to pay that amount to get Ardeth back!" Rick's voice floated through the air.
"Why not?" Fennec replied. "It's a fair amount."
"It's insulting," Rick exclaimed, as the sound of their voices came closer to the campsite.
"Why? Why is it insulting?" Her voice came from behind the shrub. "I had to double my asking price when he tried to kill me."
"He tried to WHAT?!?" Rick roared as he walked into the campsite. Fennec was riding on his back, her arms and legs entwined around his body.
Slowly she unwounded herself and slid down O'Connell's back as Rick glared at his friend. "Rick," she cooed to him. "Settle down. All he tried to do was strangle me."
O'Connell's mouth opened, then closed, opened, then closed, like a fish out of water as he stared at the woman at his side, than over to his brother. "Strangled? You tried to strangle her?" He growled as he started to march towards Ardeth.
Ardeth scooted back, in fear. He had never seen O'Connell this enraged before. "I was trying to escape, O'Connell! I would never have harmed her if I knew she was a woman."
"Now settle down Rick," Fennec said as she stood in O'Connell's way, trying to calm him down, when Ardeth's words suddenly dawned on her. "What do you mean by that? Do think that just cause I'm a woman I can't defend myself?" She snarled as she spun around to face Ardeth.
"I did not say that," Ardeth sputtered as he faced this she-demon.
"Oh yes you did, Ardeth," Rick said with an evil glint in his eyes as he watched his friend twitch under Fennec's merciless gaze. "You just said that you wouldn't have fought a warrior if you had know she was female."
"Let me see if I understand you," Fennec knelt in from of Ardeth, her gaze pinning him to that spot. "Because I am a female, you would not have tried to escape from me. I could have done horrible things to you and you would have remain my willing slave."
"I would still have tried to escape," Ardeth replied swallowing nervously. "But I would not have tried to harm you."
"So if you could not escape without hurting me, then you would have willingly suffered whatever torments I inflicted on you!" Fennec cooed in pleasure.
"Aeryn, back off," O'Connell said with a chuckle. "After all, what fun is it to torture the injured?"
Fennec looked up at O'Connell with a pouting face. "Only for you, Rick. Only for you." Turning back to Ardeth, she said, "But this is not over yet, Med-Jai."
Fennec stood up and stretched, her arms rising about her head, purring with cat-like pleasure. "Now where were we, Rick?" She asked innocently after she finished stretching.
"I was telling you that you can't charge the Med-Jai that amount for Ardeth. It's insulting," Rick said as he went back to arguing with Fennec.
"And why not?" Fennec said taking a bowl of stew from Muammar. "After all, he's damaged goods."
The Med-Jai looked back and forth between the two khawaaga. "How much is she asking for me?" Ardeth asked, a trace of dread in his voice.
"One pound," Fennec said sweetly, as she ate her stew. "After all, you're damaged goods."
~*~
Kelb - dog
Khawaaga - foreigner
"Uskut!" it means, "Be silent!"
Aywa, shukran - Yes, Thank you
Aywa - yes
Rashim - stupid