Another day, another chapter! Actually two chapters combined in one. The second part was called "Questions w/ no Answers" but I wanted to combine the two to make it longer. Anyway...this is the chapter where Yami gets personal with his captors and is really in the doghouse. And Yugi gets confused a lot. *Btw, it's 2 in the morning and I'm writing these author's notes which is why they aren't so caring...I feel evil...lol* I'll have the next chapter up soon! Enjoy:-)
****
The four men had driven Yami to where the boss had planned, the older, private airport just outside of Domino where they had scheduled the takeoff with the staff. This place was frequently used for the storage of private planes and flying lessons, so not many people took off from it. They checked to make sure that the many cans of gasoline were tucked securely away in the plane's compartments. Making some pitstops along the way, her men would be able to make it to Egypt without too much difficulty. After all, this had all been planned.
The largest of the men, wearing a regular white tank top and a pair of cargo pants gruffly pulled Yami from the back seat of the car which was parked close to the plane, looked both ways to make sure no one was looking and carried him into the back. No one had seen him. There were only a few people on the job today and they were inside the "airport." It was a small, white building where people bought tickets for the lessons and registered their planes for storing them there.
The leader leaned Yami against the wall and called one of the men in to watch him in case he awoke. But Yami was completely unconsious, his fair face left with a look of sadness on it. His clothes were ruffed up from the scuffle. His breathing was shallow and every so often one of the men would press two fingers to his neck to make sure he had a pulse. He was to be brought alive and well, the boss had said.
Finally, the man in charge wearing the tank climbed into the cabin and started the plane.
**
About an hour into the flight Yami started to stir. His head was pounding and his vision was blurry, but he was able to make out the shape of a man sitting across from him, eating a sandwich and bobbing his head to a song from his cd player. The air was thick and humid and there was no breeze. Yami tried to move but he felt numb, and saw that he was tied tightly by a thick cord around his arms and waist. He took a quick breath as his senses started returning and murmured,
"Where am I?"
At these words the man looked up, removed his head phones, got to his feet (barely missing the roof of the cargo area) and turned toward the cockpit.
"He's up."
"Huh?" muttered a still half-drugged Yami.
"Shut up." With this the man kicked him hard in the ribs.
Yami cringed and nearly slid onto his side. The kick took him out of his drugged stupor and he opened his eyes. He painfully asked again, with more determination,
"Who are you?"
"I said, shut up." Again the man kicked him.
"Hey! Hey, stop. Just drug him again. The boss will get pissed if his pride and joy is toyed with before he gets to," mumbled a man from the cockpit.
This comment echoed in Yami's head. Who was he talking about? A sharp pain in his temples caused him to grit his teeth. His side was sore and the cords cut into him.
Glancing down he saw that his clothes were torn a little.
"What's the big deal? Not like I'm gonna kill him," taunted the man who had just kicked Yami.
He smiled down at him with a malicious look in his eyes.
"So this is supposed to be a powerful guy? Doesn't look like much."
Yami looked up, but chose to ignore the comment. If he said anything, he'd most likely get kicked.
"You're just gonna take it?" teased the man.
Yami looked away. He was so confused. Why was he here? He thought of Yugi back home, and all his friends. Home? Wait, was he on a plane? All he knew was that the thing he was in was moving quickly, due to the noise and vibrations, but their were no windows in this area and he couldn't move enough to see the cockpit. Questions flooded through his head.
"Where are you taking me?" he managed to ask. He knew it would probably end up in another kick but he had to know.
"Should we tell em?" asked the man standing over him, eating the last piece of sandwich.
"Why not," answered the man in the front. "He could probably guess on his own. The boss seems to really hate this guy."
The man laughed.
"Alright, we're takin you somewhere. That's all I'm saying. Somewhere nice and hot. And deadly, for you."
Yami narrowed his eyes and then fell silent. A blank look came over the pharaoh's eyes as he realized that he would probably never get home and the truth sank in that he was helpless and confused as to what was happening, but it seemed that he was in very great danger of being killed. But by who?
The man eating his sandwich stopped chewing like a cow for a second and studied the King of Games with a half smile.
"My name's Black Jack, as the boys like to call me, but to you I'm just Jack. That is, if you're gonna talk. I know you probably hate me but I'm just doin' my job. We're gettin' a big payoff from the boss."
"Why you talkin to him? Not like he's gonna answer after you kicked him," joked the guy in the cockpit. He turned around, looked at the two of them and Yami's blank face, shook his head and then turned back around.
"Whatever," muttered Jack with an annoyed glance. He walked towards a giant black duffle bag in the back of the plane and took out a white, unlabeled bottle and a rag.
"Eh? You like this stuff? Pretty strong, huh?"
Yami looked over at him and then back at the cords tying his waist. He desperately didn't wanna be drugged again but he wouldn't lower himself to begging. Jack doused the rag with some of the clear liquid and then sauntered back over towards Yami, giving a little wobble at a slight bit of turbulence. He dangled the rag in front of Yami's face.
"Talk to me," he grinned, "or I'll make sure that you can't."
With defiant eyes Yami stared into Jack's brown ones and then spoke, slowly and clearly, "You're not worth it. I'd rather be drugged then have to listen to you."
Jack's face broke into an angry contortion and he pulled back. Then, shaking it off he shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself."
With this he put the rag to Yami's face and held it there without resistance until the pharaoh's eyes closed. Then he backed away.
"Black Jack, what didja' do? He wasn't doin' anythin."
"Why keep him awake? We don't need anyone bad mouthin' us. He's the one whose tied up, not us."
"Oh, poor Jackie, did he insult you? It seems like whenever you watch anyone for the boss you always get all hot and bothered. What did this one say?"
"Nothin, Ryan, just shut up."
With that the disgruntled Jack sat down and continued to bang his head to the heavy metal drifting through his head phones.
***
"Yami? Are you here?" Yugi walked slowly into the house, shutting the door behind him. He walked to the counter in the kitchen and took a handfull of cereal out of the box. Munching loudly, he called again, "Yami?" When no answer emerged from the warmly lit house he went into the living room and flicked on the t.v. Hardly anything good was on and Yugi decided that he'd take a nap. Curling into a ball on the couch he shut his eyes and let the warmth of the bright golden sun pour in from the window and lull him to sleep. It had been a fun day and soon it would be sunset. But now sleep was resting itself gently on Yugi's shoulders, and he drifted off in complete bliss, thinking of the beautiful face of Tea Gardener, smiling down on him and laughing.
***
"Wake the hell up." Jack stood over Yami and was pushing him with his toe. The drug had been wearing off for a few minutes now but Yami tried to stay asleep, not wanting to wake up just to find out that he was still captured. When the prodding became more severe he opened his eyes with great effort and looked dully up at the cruel face above him.
"What do you want?" he asked in a cold, hard tone, which made Jack step back.
"We're landin' to gas up. The airstrip that we gotta' stop at has guards. They'll probably search the plane and if you're in here "sleepin'" they're gonna doubt that we come in peace. I untied you."
"So why should I cooperate?"
"If you don't," hissed Jack, "then we'll make you."
Yami shrugged. "Your drugs and tough-guy attitudes don't scare me."
Jack just scowled down and then grabbed Yami by his shoulder and squeezed it hard. Again the pain was the thing that fully woke the Pharaoh up.
"Get up. You better cooperate. If you say anythin' stupid they won't listen anyway. These guys don't speak too much English. And by the way, if you say a word in the first place then you won't feel so smart when you get back on the plane."
"I'm shaking." Yami gruffly got to his feet, staggering a little, and held onto a cold metal shelf loaded with bags. The plane was not roomy, but it wasn't tiny either. Now that he was standing he realized how much shorter Jack seemed. It would be easy for him to attack the guard, but what good would that do? He didn't know how to fly a plane.
"Now listen," explained Jack. "Don't say anything. Just shutup and stand there. They're gonna search the plane a little and then we can get on our way."
Yami glared at him and then spoke. "Say I run. What could you do?"
"Chase you and beat you until you bleed when we get back. Plus, where would you run to? You don't even know where you are."
This was all true. Yami's doubt had been growing. He had no idea where he was, only now he knew he was on a plane. And if they were flying to somewhere foreign, which is what it seemed, he would be completely lost. He was completely lost, and alone.
Sighing he held on and braced himself along with Jack for landing.
The plane stopped momentarily and as soon as it came to a complete hault the doors were opened abruptly. Jack looked at Yami. "Get off." He flashed a small pocket knife hidden in his coat.
Obediantly Yami hopped out of the plane. He knew it was no use fighting. It was 4 on 1 and he had nothing to defend himself with. And no millennium puzzle.
Three men in army suits trotted over. They had dark skin and black hair and one of them carried a gun over his shoulder.
In broken English, the head of the group approached the leader of the kidnappers and spoke slowly. "Why do you land here?"
"We have to gas up our plane. There wasn't any more strips around. I'm very sorry to bother you but we needed a place to land. As soon as we get gassed up we're on our way."
The man nodded and looked from face to face. He stopped on Yami and then motioned towards the plane.
"A quick search, ok?"
Then the other men hopped into the plane and noisily searched around. Yami wondered how they would pull off hiding weapons and the chloroform. But this could not bother him now. They were right. If he said anything, it wouldn't get him far. And he felt the cold steel of the pocket knife, now on the small of his back. Jack was behind him subtly holding him to silence. The tension was rising in him. Yami could feel Jack's nervousness but he himself was also very tense. He tried to relax. The air blew warm here and the base where they had landed had people scattered here and there. The sky was pink and the outline of a city in the distance could be seen over the horizon. This was a risky place for the men to stop. Yami glanced around to see if there was any place he could escape to. None. The small airstrip continued on. Coarse grass grew on the sides of the strip and further on a field could be seen. But no houses. Yami held his breath as he felt the steel press harder into his back.
"Remember, don't say anything." Jack's voice whispered into his ear, hardly audible. Finally the men emerged. They nodded to their leader and then the leader shook hands with the pilot of the plane. "You may now refuel your plane."
After the men disappeared Yami was lead back into the cargo hold. Jack shoved him and commanded him to sit down again. With the help of one of the other men he tied Yami down. His job was done for now. Again he took his seat across from the Pharaoh and twiddled the blade of the knife between his fingers.
**
Yugi walked into the old museum. It was 7:30 at night and Yami hadn't returned yet. Yugi doubted he was still here but he refused to just wait until he came home. He had been gone too long and Yugi was worried.
The museum's lights had been turned on and more people were browsing around. The cool yellow light shining from the friendly hanging lamps reflected off the sides of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. He gazed around in silence. An old woman dusting a case in the corner saw the distressed look on the little boy's face. She remembered seeing someone just like him, or was that him? come in today. She wore the regular plum colored museum uniform, with an ID around her neck. The nametag read, "Silverston, Fran" and a smiling picture of the older woman was included. She walked with short steps over to Yugi, smiling the whole way. "Can I help you, young man?"
Yugi turned around and nodded cheerfully. He put on his most polite attitude. "Yes, did you happen to see someone come in today that looked like...um...just like me? He's my older brother and..."
The old woman patted him on the back.
"He was very polite, also! And yes, to answer your question, I saw him a few hours ago. He was at the Egyptian wing, down there."
Yugi frowned. A few hours ago?
"Did he leave?"
"Now I'm not quite sure...I didn't see him go by me again, maybe he went out one of the other exits."
Yugi nodded and then shook the old woman's weathered hands. "Thankyou!"
She smiled and watched him walk away.
***
Yami was growing hungry and the light was quickly fading in the cargo hold. Jack had grown restless and often snapped at his co-workers, chatting away in the front. The King of Games had stayed quiet, wanting to listen in on their conversations. The loneliness had grown immensely in Yami. He was more unsure now than ever. His mind was clouded with questions, but he tried to relax. Panicking wouldn't help and now he realized that they were not well stocked, weapon wise, and he could most likely find a way to get out of this once they landed.
So far the men had talked about everything, mostly women and t.v. and things that they had bought or were looking forward to getting once they were paid. Apparently they were working for a new boss, they did "deliveries" for all sorts of rich and powerful people and even for some foreign countries.Yami had found out many things about them just by hearing them talk. Jack was a stuck-up, tough guy who was constantly picked on by his fellow men and was quick to anger. He was their weak link. The pilot's name was Andrew and he was short on words. He hardly ever was seduced to anger but his size was immense. Yami didn't want to see him even close to anger. Ryan, the co-pilot, let words flow from his mouth like a broken fountain, never stopping. He continuously had something to say and often started singing loudly when he heard a song on his portable radio that he liked. The last man was Tom, the brains of the operation who was definitely strong. He was the one who had helped tie Yami down. This man seemed to take his job very seriously and frequently reminded his fellow kidnappers what they came to do. This was no joy ride, they were to deliver, receive and go. He was obviously the leader of this expedition.
Yami listened intently and occasionally looked over at Jack to see exactly what he was doing. Jack would just stare back and occasionally taunted Yami. A few times Yami had probed him for answers as to where they were taking him but he couldn't make Jack talk. He didn't try questioning anyone else, they hardly looked at him. To them, he was just a piece of luggage.
Soon the boredom started to eat away at Yami. The hum of the plane engine, the thick air and the sound of the radio in the cockpit was starting to become irksome. Yami noticed that Jack was also annoyed. Yami's fear had worn away slowly. He realized that most of the kidnappers were not extremely smart and he could probably scare them more with his mind then they could scare him with their weapons. Plus, he knew that they couldn't hurt him. If he was dead, then they would receive absolutely no money. Yami sat there, still tied and decided that he would be strong. Whatever was to come, he would defeat it. But first a little fun.
"Is this your idea of fun?"
Yami looked intently at Jack who was leaning back against the wall. It was hard to hear Yami from the cockpit if he talked softly. The men only heard Jack because he yelled.
"So you're finally talking. What did you say?" snapped Jack.
"I said...is this fun for you?"
Jack shifted around.
"You mean baby-sitting guys who are gonna die? It's not bad. I mostly do it for money."
Yami smiled.
"What's so funny?" asked Jack, looking rather annoyed.
"You. You sit there and act like you know what you're doing. Do you know what will happen to you if the authorities catch you? And your boss? Life in prison. Death, maybe?"
"Shutup. I'm not stupid. I know what happens."
"If you just let me go..."
"Now why the hell would I let you go? I've made plenty of deliveries. This is second nature. All of them have gone fine."
"What if this is the one that fails?"
Jack stared at Yami and gritted his teeth.
"It won't."
"Are you sure?" This little talk was amusing Yami. He smiled mischievously and kept looking into Jack's eyes. With his powers he could almost read the discomfort radiating from the kidnapper. Jack didn't like what he was doing.
"You have no problems with sending men to death?" asked Yami coolly, seeing the anger in the other's eyes.
Jack smirked.
"I have no problems sending you to death."
"How do you sleep at night? I'm just wondering."
Jack was gritting his teeth again.
"Shut up. This is just business."
"Is it? I have friends...think of them! I'm sure all of the other victims had loved ones too. Imagine a little boy crying. Just think. It's your fault."
"Shut up. I only deliver. I never killed anyone."
"You helped. Tell me, who do you work for?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"How do you know that they'll kill me? How well do you know this boss?"
"Shut up."
Yami smiled again. "Ok. But one day you'll get your just desserts."
"Shut up! Didn't I beat you enough? Don't you understand that you're the one captive here!"
"You're also captive. Captive in the thought that you have no part in men's death. (i know that sounds stupid but bear w/ me I had bad writer's block) You do. You're a criminal. Cold blooded killer."
"Shut up!!"
With that, Jack lunged forward and grabbed Yami around the neck. Just as he did this, Tom came scrambling into the back and pulled Jack away, shouting, "Stop it! What's happened to you!?"
Yami laughed quietly. If he had to go through this madness, he might as well give his captor a little taste. Tom glared down at Yami. "You've got nerve. Do you realize that you are only a few hours away from the final destination? I don't know what the boss wants with you but I'd keep my mouth shut. You're in our hands."
"If I'm gonna' die anyway...what's the point of obedience?"
With that, Tom walked back into the cockpit. "Don't let him get to you Jack. Remember, you're not tied up, he is."
***
The alley was cold, uninviting, the papers blowing in the cold wind. Yugi looked around. He had searched the whole Egyptian section and asked everyone who he saw if they had seen Yami. No one had seen him leave. So where was he? Yugi had spotted the open door to the storage room and noticed the back door to the alley. He had crawled out into the dark, dank area and was glancing around frantically. No sign of anyone. He walked out a little further and came to the end. Here he looked around. Both ways down the street were dark and no cars came. No sign had been left from the scuffle which had occurred there only a few hours ago. A feeling of panic was steadily rising in Yugi's throat. He had no idea where Yami could have gone. Maybe out for the night? With this Yugi walked back through the alley and into the storage room. He would have to just wait it out.
Yugi arrived back at the house and it was 8:30. After watching some t.v. he went upstairs and stared at the ceiling. Where was Yami? Yugi knew that he was probably safe and sound and he tried to sleep, nuzzling himself into the sheets. Eventually, late at night when fatigue won over his worry, he drifted off and slept restlessly.
**
Dark had enveloped the plane. It seeped into every corner of the cargo hold, and there was only a small light in the corner. Jack had been replaced by Tom and Tom was busily writing something, by a small table in the corner of the plane. Every so often turbulence would knock some of his papers off the small, portable table. The radio had been switched off, the plane was thrown into silence. Every so often a whisper could be heard from the cockpit, between the pilot and the other kidnappers.
Yami wasn't thinking as sharply now. Everything before had just been a shock to his system but the silence and the dark yielded way for the panic to move in. Before it had been a mere shadow. Now it had grown to a great sea of blackness. Yami felt lost in it, every second more questions came into his head. But then he remembered that he could make it, and his strength returned. Slowly he regained composure and was able to keep his mind with him for a few more minutes. The hunger was eating away at him and so was the silence. The dim lighting in the cargo hold didn't help either. Yami's ribs ached where he had been kicked and all in all, he felt like his body was jarred more now, both inside and out. The tight cords around his waist seemed like curling snakes, with every breath he took they strangled the air out of him. His mind was beginning to drift again. The panic, hunger and lack of good air was affecting him for the worse and Tom, looking up could see this. Yami's head was drooping on his shoulders, his eyes barely open, even though he knew he couldn't sleep.
"Jack, is there any more food up front?" asked Tom realizing that they needed to keep their prisoner healthy if they wanted good pay. His voice sliced through the thick silence.
There was a rustle and Jack answered quietly, "For who?"
"Me."
The rustling commenced and Jack finally walked back into the cargo hold and handed Tom a paper bag. "This is it all I'm sparin'."
Without a second look at anything else he went back up front and sat down. A second later Tom got out of his seat and slowly approached Yami. The Pharaoh couldn't acknowledge him with more then a glance. He stayed quiet.
"You're weak. Eat this. That chloroform has a bad affect on people."
Yami looked at the bag and then looked away. He would not give in, despite his hunger. He had fought them and he would continue to do so.
Tom saw the rebellion on his face.
"Don't be stupid. Just eat this and you'll feel better. I can't have you dying on me."
"That would be too soon, right? I'll have to wait." Yami spoke slowly, weakly. He kept staring at the ground determined to be stubborn, even if he was tired and hungry. Tom seemed to be getting annoyed.
"Listen. I don't like doing this job. It's just for the money, ok? I'm gonna get rich from delivering you but I don't hate you. Maybe you won't die. Who knows. But do yourself a favor." He put the bag on the floor and loosened the extremely tight bindings around Yami. The pharaoh breathed easier now and if he chose to, he would be able to eat. His arms and body were the only things tied and his hands were free. Tom kept his gaze locked on Yami and finally stood up. With a sigh he walked over to the table and started writing again. It seemed as if he had a soft spot. Yami could never forgive any of them but at least this one wasn't cruel. Suddenly, from the cockpit came a loud voice.
"We're landing!" shouted the pilot.
Tom walked quickly to the cockpit and then came back in the hold and sat down once more. The plane was cooling off rapidly. Yami felt dread approaching but at least the cooler air was bringing his mind back to him. The plane started to dive and soon the whoosh of the air along the sides grew thunderous. The light was a little brighter now, still dark but mixed with gray. The rumbling of the wheels of the plane on ground could be heard as it landed. Finally it came to a stop. Tom hoisted Yami to his feet and untied the cord from around his waist. Then he tied his hands behind his back and lead him out with a small push. Yami was surprised to see that the landing strip was surrounded on all sides by sand. In fact, the strip seemed to lead to nowhere but darkness. The sand was blown against their faces as a cool gust of desert wind blew by. The stars were bright white specks and there was no obstruction to make them dimmer, no lights except small fires in pits on the sides of the landing strip.
Yami swallowed hard. It couldn't be, could it? The scent of the air, long since forgotten came back to him, and with it a barrage of memories. Egypt. There was no other place like it. Even from seeing so little there was no doubt in his mind that that was where he was. Egypt.
**
"What is up with this?!" laughed Jack. An airstrip in the middle of nowhere!"
"Oh well, the coordinates came out right. This is the right one. Weird though, there's no airport. No nothing. Like someone just built it a while ago and forgot to complete it."
"I bet the boss set this up for us. Look, there's the jeep that he told us would be here."
Just as the men were talking, someone emerged from the car. "Finally got here. Been waitin' all night. C'mon. The boss is waiting."
The man who said this was tall and dressed nicely. He motioned for them to follow.
"What about the plane?" asked Tom.
"As soon as you drop em' off you can go. It's a special place that the boss picked out. Don't know how he found it but there is a small path we can follow, through the dunes. I guess no one knows much about this area of the desert."
"So that's where we are? The middle of the desert?"
"Yup. Get in."
The men obeyed, Tom pushing Yami along, Yami looking around in awe. Soon they were inside the jeep. The man in the front started it up.
"Should be about five minutes. The boss constructed the strip just near it. He planned this all out for you."
***
About five minutes later, the jeep was still driving slowly against the sand, on a path that seemed to be flattened by many tire marks. Yami couldn't believe it. How would the Egyptian government not have found out what these men were planning? How could they have just ignored a base in the middle of a desert? His question was answered abruptly.
"This is it."
"Huh? There's nothing there!" remarked Ryan.
The man stepped out of the car and walked over to a huge boulder. The other's followed. He dusted off the sand on the rock and then pressed something. About five feet from the jeep a sound came and a large stone slab pulled back, revealing a black opening underground.
"What the f-" shouted Ryan as he watched. "Where is this place? Come on, we've never made deliveries like this."
"Down there."
The man in the suit pointed down the trap hole. The men cautiously followed the suit into the darkness. Tom hesitated and then pushed Yami onto the stairs. There were sounds coming from underground, faint talking.
"Some underground base or something? Wow," remarked Tom.
"Shh... just hurry up." The man lead them down a flight of dusty stairs into the blackness. They emerged in a torch lit hallway, built of old stone. The roof was low. Yami fell over his feet, his exhaustion and hunger trying to knock him down. Tom felt him stagger and pulled him back up again. Soon, after walking for what seemed like an eternity to the King of Games, they arrived in a small chamber, with iron doors at the end. On the doors, hieroglyphics and a symbol of Osiris were imprinted. Yami knew this had to be an ancient temple of some sort. He felt almost at ease in here, if it weren't for the fact that he was kidnapped. The air was cool and moist and the stone was damp to the touch. The torches completely lit this small chamber. Finally, the man stopped. "This is it."
"Where's our money?"
"Come inside."
With that, the guard pushed with a great effort on the iron doors. They opened with a rumbling like an earthquake. A gust of cool air blew by them which carried the scent of flower petals and sweet perfumes. Everyone walked inside cautiously. The chamber was immense, and many other passageways could be seen leading off from the far wall. A great throne was in the middle, glistening and shining in the torchlight. This room was very bright, radiating light into the hallways. The floors were polished as well as the walls. Men stood on both sides of the chamber, looking around and speaking with short whispers. A dull sound like thunder shuddered from a far off passageway.
In the middle of the chamber sat a huge rectangular pond, with many orange fish swimming to and fro. It was from this pool that the perfume scents wafted. It was also from this pool that a young woman emerged, dressed in a red robe, which revealed much of her dark skin. Behind her a great bird, which seemed to have been a statue, ruffled it's feathers and raised it's huge, scarlet wings, creating what seemed to be a backdrop for the magnificent scene. Yami did not see the woman emerge, for in the excitement of the moment, Tom had let him slip from his arms and the Pharaoh had slumped to the ground, head down. On his knees he had his eyes closed, thoroughly exhausted. This was not to say that the woman did not spot him. Her hair was curly and black and cascaded over her shoulders like tumbling waterfalls. She stood up in the pool and snapped her fingers. The water on her body suddenly started to fizzle, and in a second, it burst and was gone. She was now completely dry; it was as if the water was immediately repelled from her living body and was deposited back in the pool. The kidnappers stared in awe. The woman's brown and gold eyes swept over them and she nodded with a devious smile to the guards. They walked forward and presented the men with two suit cases and then went back to their spots. The kidnappers were speechless. Taking the suitcases they turned on their heels and fled from the room, Jack shouting, "Good luck to whoever crosses her!"
With this comment, the beautiful woman stepped out of the pool with the grace of a great cat and walked cautiously towards the weak figure on the ground. Yami had not yet looked up. His teeth were gritted and he was completely convinced that this was the end of him. The panic was finally taking over.
The young maiden stopped walking and halted in front of Yami. She looked down with a slight smile and then bent and picked up his chin in her slender hand. She gently turned his face to her and then her slight smile turned into a sly grin. Yami opened his eyes and was immediately bombarded by an impossible sight. He stammered, lightly, "Meera?"
"Welcome, Pharaoh."
***
Hehehe a sort of a cliffhanger....please review!!!
****
The four men had driven Yami to where the boss had planned, the older, private airport just outside of Domino where they had scheduled the takeoff with the staff. This place was frequently used for the storage of private planes and flying lessons, so not many people took off from it. They checked to make sure that the many cans of gasoline were tucked securely away in the plane's compartments. Making some pitstops along the way, her men would be able to make it to Egypt without too much difficulty. After all, this had all been planned.
The largest of the men, wearing a regular white tank top and a pair of cargo pants gruffly pulled Yami from the back seat of the car which was parked close to the plane, looked both ways to make sure no one was looking and carried him into the back. No one had seen him. There were only a few people on the job today and they were inside the "airport." It was a small, white building where people bought tickets for the lessons and registered their planes for storing them there.
The leader leaned Yami against the wall and called one of the men in to watch him in case he awoke. But Yami was completely unconsious, his fair face left with a look of sadness on it. His clothes were ruffed up from the scuffle. His breathing was shallow and every so often one of the men would press two fingers to his neck to make sure he had a pulse. He was to be brought alive and well, the boss had said.
Finally, the man in charge wearing the tank climbed into the cabin and started the plane.
**
About an hour into the flight Yami started to stir. His head was pounding and his vision was blurry, but he was able to make out the shape of a man sitting across from him, eating a sandwich and bobbing his head to a song from his cd player. The air was thick and humid and there was no breeze. Yami tried to move but he felt numb, and saw that he was tied tightly by a thick cord around his arms and waist. He took a quick breath as his senses started returning and murmured,
"Where am I?"
At these words the man looked up, removed his head phones, got to his feet (barely missing the roof of the cargo area) and turned toward the cockpit.
"He's up."
"Huh?" muttered a still half-drugged Yami.
"Shut up." With this the man kicked him hard in the ribs.
Yami cringed and nearly slid onto his side. The kick took him out of his drugged stupor and he opened his eyes. He painfully asked again, with more determination,
"Who are you?"
"I said, shut up." Again the man kicked him.
"Hey! Hey, stop. Just drug him again. The boss will get pissed if his pride and joy is toyed with before he gets to," mumbled a man from the cockpit.
This comment echoed in Yami's head. Who was he talking about? A sharp pain in his temples caused him to grit his teeth. His side was sore and the cords cut into him.
Glancing down he saw that his clothes were torn a little.
"What's the big deal? Not like I'm gonna kill him," taunted the man who had just kicked Yami.
He smiled down at him with a malicious look in his eyes.
"So this is supposed to be a powerful guy? Doesn't look like much."
Yami looked up, but chose to ignore the comment. If he said anything, he'd most likely get kicked.
"You're just gonna take it?" teased the man.
Yami looked away. He was so confused. Why was he here? He thought of Yugi back home, and all his friends. Home? Wait, was he on a plane? All he knew was that the thing he was in was moving quickly, due to the noise and vibrations, but their were no windows in this area and he couldn't move enough to see the cockpit. Questions flooded through his head.
"Where are you taking me?" he managed to ask. He knew it would probably end up in another kick but he had to know.
"Should we tell em?" asked the man standing over him, eating the last piece of sandwich.
"Why not," answered the man in the front. "He could probably guess on his own. The boss seems to really hate this guy."
The man laughed.
"Alright, we're takin you somewhere. That's all I'm saying. Somewhere nice and hot. And deadly, for you."
Yami narrowed his eyes and then fell silent. A blank look came over the pharaoh's eyes as he realized that he would probably never get home and the truth sank in that he was helpless and confused as to what was happening, but it seemed that he was in very great danger of being killed. But by who?
The man eating his sandwich stopped chewing like a cow for a second and studied the King of Games with a half smile.
"My name's Black Jack, as the boys like to call me, but to you I'm just Jack. That is, if you're gonna talk. I know you probably hate me but I'm just doin' my job. We're gettin' a big payoff from the boss."
"Why you talkin to him? Not like he's gonna answer after you kicked him," joked the guy in the cockpit. He turned around, looked at the two of them and Yami's blank face, shook his head and then turned back around.
"Whatever," muttered Jack with an annoyed glance. He walked towards a giant black duffle bag in the back of the plane and took out a white, unlabeled bottle and a rag.
"Eh? You like this stuff? Pretty strong, huh?"
Yami looked over at him and then back at the cords tying his waist. He desperately didn't wanna be drugged again but he wouldn't lower himself to begging. Jack doused the rag with some of the clear liquid and then sauntered back over towards Yami, giving a little wobble at a slight bit of turbulence. He dangled the rag in front of Yami's face.
"Talk to me," he grinned, "or I'll make sure that you can't."
With defiant eyes Yami stared into Jack's brown ones and then spoke, slowly and clearly, "You're not worth it. I'd rather be drugged then have to listen to you."
Jack's face broke into an angry contortion and he pulled back. Then, shaking it off he shrugged his shoulders. "Suit yourself."
With this he put the rag to Yami's face and held it there without resistance until the pharaoh's eyes closed. Then he backed away.
"Black Jack, what didja' do? He wasn't doin' anythin."
"Why keep him awake? We don't need anyone bad mouthin' us. He's the one whose tied up, not us."
"Oh, poor Jackie, did he insult you? It seems like whenever you watch anyone for the boss you always get all hot and bothered. What did this one say?"
"Nothin, Ryan, just shut up."
With that the disgruntled Jack sat down and continued to bang his head to the heavy metal drifting through his head phones.
***
"Yami? Are you here?" Yugi walked slowly into the house, shutting the door behind him. He walked to the counter in the kitchen and took a handfull of cereal out of the box. Munching loudly, he called again, "Yami?" When no answer emerged from the warmly lit house he went into the living room and flicked on the t.v. Hardly anything good was on and Yugi decided that he'd take a nap. Curling into a ball on the couch he shut his eyes and let the warmth of the bright golden sun pour in from the window and lull him to sleep. It had been a fun day and soon it would be sunset. But now sleep was resting itself gently on Yugi's shoulders, and he drifted off in complete bliss, thinking of the beautiful face of Tea Gardener, smiling down on him and laughing.
***
"Wake the hell up." Jack stood over Yami and was pushing him with his toe. The drug had been wearing off for a few minutes now but Yami tried to stay asleep, not wanting to wake up just to find out that he was still captured. When the prodding became more severe he opened his eyes with great effort and looked dully up at the cruel face above him.
"What do you want?" he asked in a cold, hard tone, which made Jack step back.
"We're landin' to gas up. The airstrip that we gotta' stop at has guards. They'll probably search the plane and if you're in here "sleepin'" they're gonna doubt that we come in peace. I untied you."
"So why should I cooperate?"
"If you don't," hissed Jack, "then we'll make you."
Yami shrugged. "Your drugs and tough-guy attitudes don't scare me."
Jack just scowled down and then grabbed Yami by his shoulder and squeezed it hard. Again the pain was the thing that fully woke the Pharaoh up.
"Get up. You better cooperate. If you say anythin' stupid they won't listen anyway. These guys don't speak too much English. And by the way, if you say a word in the first place then you won't feel so smart when you get back on the plane."
"I'm shaking." Yami gruffly got to his feet, staggering a little, and held onto a cold metal shelf loaded with bags. The plane was not roomy, but it wasn't tiny either. Now that he was standing he realized how much shorter Jack seemed. It would be easy for him to attack the guard, but what good would that do? He didn't know how to fly a plane.
"Now listen," explained Jack. "Don't say anything. Just shutup and stand there. They're gonna search the plane a little and then we can get on our way."
Yami glared at him and then spoke. "Say I run. What could you do?"
"Chase you and beat you until you bleed when we get back. Plus, where would you run to? You don't even know where you are."
This was all true. Yami's doubt had been growing. He had no idea where he was, only now he knew he was on a plane. And if they were flying to somewhere foreign, which is what it seemed, he would be completely lost. He was completely lost, and alone.
Sighing he held on and braced himself along with Jack for landing.
The plane stopped momentarily and as soon as it came to a complete hault the doors were opened abruptly. Jack looked at Yami. "Get off." He flashed a small pocket knife hidden in his coat.
Obediantly Yami hopped out of the plane. He knew it was no use fighting. It was 4 on 1 and he had nothing to defend himself with. And no millennium puzzle.
Three men in army suits trotted over. They had dark skin and black hair and one of them carried a gun over his shoulder.
In broken English, the head of the group approached the leader of the kidnappers and spoke slowly. "Why do you land here?"
"We have to gas up our plane. There wasn't any more strips around. I'm very sorry to bother you but we needed a place to land. As soon as we get gassed up we're on our way."
The man nodded and looked from face to face. He stopped on Yami and then motioned towards the plane.
"A quick search, ok?"
Then the other men hopped into the plane and noisily searched around. Yami wondered how they would pull off hiding weapons and the chloroform. But this could not bother him now. They were right. If he said anything, it wouldn't get him far. And he felt the cold steel of the pocket knife, now on the small of his back. Jack was behind him subtly holding him to silence. The tension was rising in him. Yami could feel Jack's nervousness but he himself was also very tense. He tried to relax. The air blew warm here and the base where they had landed had people scattered here and there. The sky was pink and the outline of a city in the distance could be seen over the horizon. This was a risky place for the men to stop. Yami glanced around to see if there was any place he could escape to. None. The small airstrip continued on. Coarse grass grew on the sides of the strip and further on a field could be seen. But no houses. Yami held his breath as he felt the steel press harder into his back.
"Remember, don't say anything." Jack's voice whispered into his ear, hardly audible. Finally the men emerged. They nodded to their leader and then the leader shook hands with the pilot of the plane. "You may now refuel your plane."
After the men disappeared Yami was lead back into the cargo hold. Jack shoved him and commanded him to sit down again. With the help of one of the other men he tied Yami down. His job was done for now. Again he took his seat across from the Pharaoh and twiddled the blade of the knife between his fingers.
**
Yugi walked into the old museum. It was 7:30 at night and Yami hadn't returned yet. Yugi doubted he was still here but he refused to just wait until he came home. He had been gone too long and Yugi was worried.
The museum's lights had been turned on and more people were browsing around. The cool yellow light shining from the friendly hanging lamps reflected off the sides of Yugi's Millennium Puzzle. He gazed around in silence. An old woman dusting a case in the corner saw the distressed look on the little boy's face. She remembered seeing someone just like him, or was that him? come in today. She wore the regular plum colored museum uniform, with an ID around her neck. The nametag read, "Silverston, Fran" and a smiling picture of the older woman was included. She walked with short steps over to Yugi, smiling the whole way. "Can I help you, young man?"
Yugi turned around and nodded cheerfully. He put on his most polite attitude. "Yes, did you happen to see someone come in today that looked like...um...just like me? He's my older brother and..."
The old woman patted him on the back.
"He was very polite, also! And yes, to answer your question, I saw him a few hours ago. He was at the Egyptian wing, down there."
Yugi frowned. A few hours ago?
"Did he leave?"
"Now I'm not quite sure...I didn't see him go by me again, maybe he went out one of the other exits."
Yugi nodded and then shook the old woman's weathered hands. "Thankyou!"
She smiled and watched him walk away.
***
Yami was growing hungry and the light was quickly fading in the cargo hold. Jack had grown restless and often snapped at his co-workers, chatting away in the front. The King of Games had stayed quiet, wanting to listen in on their conversations. The loneliness had grown immensely in Yami. He was more unsure now than ever. His mind was clouded with questions, but he tried to relax. Panicking wouldn't help and now he realized that they were not well stocked, weapon wise, and he could most likely find a way to get out of this once they landed.
So far the men had talked about everything, mostly women and t.v. and things that they had bought or were looking forward to getting once they were paid. Apparently they were working for a new boss, they did "deliveries" for all sorts of rich and powerful people and even for some foreign countries.Yami had found out many things about them just by hearing them talk. Jack was a stuck-up, tough guy who was constantly picked on by his fellow men and was quick to anger. He was their weak link. The pilot's name was Andrew and he was short on words. He hardly ever was seduced to anger but his size was immense. Yami didn't want to see him even close to anger. Ryan, the co-pilot, let words flow from his mouth like a broken fountain, never stopping. He continuously had something to say and often started singing loudly when he heard a song on his portable radio that he liked. The last man was Tom, the brains of the operation who was definitely strong. He was the one who had helped tie Yami down. This man seemed to take his job very seriously and frequently reminded his fellow kidnappers what they came to do. This was no joy ride, they were to deliver, receive and go. He was obviously the leader of this expedition.
Yami listened intently and occasionally looked over at Jack to see exactly what he was doing. Jack would just stare back and occasionally taunted Yami. A few times Yami had probed him for answers as to where they were taking him but he couldn't make Jack talk. He didn't try questioning anyone else, they hardly looked at him. To them, he was just a piece of luggage.
Soon the boredom started to eat away at Yami. The hum of the plane engine, the thick air and the sound of the radio in the cockpit was starting to become irksome. Yami noticed that Jack was also annoyed. Yami's fear had worn away slowly. He realized that most of the kidnappers were not extremely smart and he could probably scare them more with his mind then they could scare him with their weapons. Plus, he knew that they couldn't hurt him. If he was dead, then they would receive absolutely no money. Yami sat there, still tied and decided that he would be strong. Whatever was to come, he would defeat it. But first a little fun.
"Is this your idea of fun?"
Yami looked intently at Jack who was leaning back against the wall. It was hard to hear Yami from the cockpit if he talked softly. The men only heard Jack because he yelled.
"So you're finally talking. What did you say?" snapped Jack.
"I said...is this fun for you?"
Jack shifted around.
"You mean baby-sitting guys who are gonna die? It's not bad. I mostly do it for money."
Yami smiled.
"What's so funny?" asked Jack, looking rather annoyed.
"You. You sit there and act like you know what you're doing. Do you know what will happen to you if the authorities catch you? And your boss? Life in prison. Death, maybe?"
"Shutup. I'm not stupid. I know what happens."
"If you just let me go..."
"Now why the hell would I let you go? I've made plenty of deliveries. This is second nature. All of them have gone fine."
"What if this is the one that fails?"
Jack stared at Yami and gritted his teeth.
"It won't."
"Are you sure?" This little talk was amusing Yami. He smiled mischievously and kept looking into Jack's eyes. With his powers he could almost read the discomfort radiating from the kidnapper. Jack didn't like what he was doing.
"You have no problems with sending men to death?" asked Yami coolly, seeing the anger in the other's eyes.
Jack smirked.
"I have no problems sending you to death."
"How do you sleep at night? I'm just wondering."
Jack was gritting his teeth again.
"Shut up. This is just business."
"Is it? I have friends...think of them! I'm sure all of the other victims had loved ones too. Imagine a little boy crying. Just think. It's your fault."
"Shut up. I only deliver. I never killed anyone."
"You helped. Tell me, who do you work for?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"How do you know that they'll kill me? How well do you know this boss?"
"Shut up."
Yami smiled again. "Ok. But one day you'll get your just desserts."
"Shut up! Didn't I beat you enough? Don't you understand that you're the one captive here!"
"You're also captive. Captive in the thought that you have no part in men's death. (i know that sounds stupid but bear w/ me I had bad writer's block) You do. You're a criminal. Cold blooded killer."
"Shut up!!"
With that, Jack lunged forward and grabbed Yami around the neck. Just as he did this, Tom came scrambling into the back and pulled Jack away, shouting, "Stop it! What's happened to you!?"
Yami laughed quietly. If he had to go through this madness, he might as well give his captor a little taste. Tom glared down at Yami. "You've got nerve. Do you realize that you are only a few hours away from the final destination? I don't know what the boss wants with you but I'd keep my mouth shut. You're in our hands."
"If I'm gonna' die anyway...what's the point of obedience?"
With that, Tom walked back into the cockpit. "Don't let him get to you Jack. Remember, you're not tied up, he is."
***
The alley was cold, uninviting, the papers blowing in the cold wind. Yugi looked around. He had searched the whole Egyptian section and asked everyone who he saw if they had seen Yami. No one had seen him leave. So where was he? Yugi had spotted the open door to the storage room and noticed the back door to the alley. He had crawled out into the dark, dank area and was glancing around frantically. No sign of anyone. He walked out a little further and came to the end. Here he looked around. Both ways down the street were dark and no cars came. No sign had been left from the scuffle which had occurred there only a few hours ago. A feeling of panic was steadily rising in Yugi's throat. He had no idea where Yami could have gone. Maybe out for the night? With this Yugi walked back through the alley and into the storage room. He would have to just wait it out.
Yugi arrived back at the house and it was 8:30. After watching some t.v. he went upstairs and stared at the ceiling. Where was Yami? Yugi knew that he was probably safe and sound and he tried to sleep, nuzzling himself into the sheets. Eventually, late at night when fatigue won over his worry, he drifted off and slept restlessly.
**
Dark had enveloped the plane. It seeped into every corner of the cargo hold, and there was only a small light in the corner. Jack had been replaced by Tom and Tom was busily writing something, by a small table in the corner of the plane. Every so often turbulence would knock some of his papers off the small, portable table. The radio had been switched off, the plane was thrown into silence. Every so often a whisper could be heard from the cockpit, between the pilot and the other kidnappers.
Yami wasn't thinking as sharply now. Everything before had just been a shock to his system but the silence and the dark yielded way for the panic to move in. Before it had been a mere shadow. Now it had grown to a great sea of blackness. Yami felt lost in it, every second more questions came into his head. But then he remembered that he could make it, and his strength returned. Slowly he regained composure and was able to keep his mind with him for a few more minutes. The hunger was eating away at him and so was the silence. The dim lighting in the cargo hold didn't help either. Yami's ribs ached where he had been kicked and all in all, he felt like his body was jarred more now, both inside and out. The tight cords around his waist seemed like curling snakes, with every breath he took they strangled the air out of him. His mind was beginning to drift again. The panic, hunger and lack of good air was affecting him for the worse and Tom, looking up could see this. Yami's head was drooping on his shoulders, his eyes barely open, even though he knew he couldn't sleep.
"Jack, is there any more food up front?" asked Tom realizing that they needed to keep their prisoner healthy if they wanted good pay. His voice sliced through the thick silence.
There was a rustle and Jack answered quietly, "For who?"
"Me."
The rustling commenced and Jack finally walked back into the cargo hold and handed Tom a paper bag. "This is it all I'm sparin'."
Without a second look at anything else he went back up front and sat down. A second later Tom got out of his seat and slowly approached Yami. The Pharaoh couldn't acknowledge him with more then a glance. He stayed quiet.
"You're weak. Eat this. That chloroform has a bad affect on people."
Yami looked at the bag and then looked away. He would not give in, despite his hunger. He had fought them and he would continue to do so.
Tom saw the rebellion on his face.
"Don't be stupid. Just eat this and you'll feel better. I can't have you dying on me."
"That would be too soon, right? I'll have to wait." Yami spoke slowly, weakly. He kept staring at the ground determined to be stubborn, even if he was tired and hungry. Tom seemed to be getting annoyed.
"Listen. I don't like doing this job. It's just for the money, ok? I'm gonna get rich from delivering you but I don't hate you. Maybe you won't die. Who knows. But do yourself a favor." He put the bag on the floor and loosened the extremely tight bindings around Yami. The pharaoh breathed easier now and if he chose to, he would be able to eat. His arms and body were the only things tied and his hands were free. Tom kept his gaze locked on Yami and finally stood up. With a sigh he walked over to the table and started writing again. It seemed as if he had a soft spot. Yami could never forgive any of them but at least this one wasn't cruel. Suddenly, from the cockpit came a loud voice.
"We're landing!" shouted the pilot.
Tom walked quickly to the cockpit and then came back in the hold and sat down once more. The plane was cooling off rapidly. Yami felt dread approaching but at least the cooler air was bringing his mind back to him. The plane started to dive and soon the whoosh of the air along the sides grew thunderous. The light was a little brighter now, still dark but mixed with gray. The rumbling of the wheels of the plane on ground could be heard as it landed. Finally it came to a stop. Tom hoisted Yami to his feet and untied the cord from around his waist. Then he tied his hands behind his back and lead him out with a small push. Yami was surprised to see that the landing strip was surrounded on all sides by sand. In fact, the strip seemed to lead to nowhere but darkness. The sand was blown against their faces as a cool gust of desert wind blew by. The stars were bright white specks and there was no obstruction to make them dimmer, no lights except small fires in pits on the sides of the landing strip.
Yami swallowed hard. It couldn't be, could it? The scent of the air, long since forgotten came back to him, and with it a barrage of memories. Egypt. There was no other place like it. Even from seeing so little there was no doubt in his mind that that was where he was. Egypt.
**
"What is up with this?!" laughed Jack. An airstrip in the middle of nowhere!"
"Oh well, the coordinates came out right. This is the right one. Weird though, there's no airport. No nothing. Like someone just built it a while ago and forgot to complete it."
"I bet the boss set this up for us. Look, there's the jeep that he told us would be here."
Just as the men were talking, someone emerged from the car. "Finally got here. Been waitin' all night. C'mon. The boss is waiting."
The man who said this was tall and dressed nicely. He motioned for them to follow.
"What about the plane?" asked Tom.
"As soon as you drop em' off you can go. It's a special place that the boss picked out. Don't know how he found it but there is a small path we can follow, through the dunes. I guess no one knows much about this area of the desert."
"So that's where we are? The middle of the desert?"
"Yup. Get in."
The men obeyed, Tom pushing Yami along, Yami looking around in awe. Soon they were inside the jeep. The man in the front started it up.
"Should be about five minutes. The boss constructed the strip just near it. He planned this all out for you."
***
About five minutes later, the jeep was still driving slowly against the sand, on a path that seemed to be flattened by many tire marks. Yami couldn't believe it. How would the Egyptian government not have found out what these men were planning? How could they have just ignored a base in the middle of a desert? His question was answered abruptly.
"This is it."
"Huh? There's nothing there!" remarked Ryan.
The man stepped out of the car and walked over to a huge boulder. The other's followed. He dusted off the sand on the rock and then pressed something. About five feet from the jeep a sound came and a large stone slab pulled back, revealing a black opening underground.
"What the f-" shouted Ryan as he watched. "Where is this place? Come on, we've never made deliveries like this."
"Down there."
The man in the suit pointed down the trap hole. The men cautiously followed the suit into the darkness. Tom hesitated and then pushed Yami onto the stairs. There were sounds coming from underground, faint talking.
"Some underground base or something? Wow," remarked Tom.
"Shh... just hurry up." The man lead them down a flight of dusty stairs into the blackness. They emerged in a torch lit hallway, built of old stone. The roof was low. Yami fell over his feet, his exhaustion and hunger trying to knock him down. Tom felt him stagger and pulled him back up again. Soon, after walking for what seemed like an eternity to the King of Games, they arrived in a small chamber, with iron doors at the end. On the doors, hieroglyphics and a symbol of Osiris were imprinted. Yami knew this had to be an ancient temple of some sort. He felt almost at ease in here, if it weren't for the fact that he was kidnapped. The air was cool and moist and the stone was damp to the touch. The torches completely lit this small chamber. Finally, the man stopped. "This is it."
"Where's our money?"
"Come inside."
With that, the guard pushed with a great effort on the iron doors. They opened with a rumbling like an earthquake. A gust of cool air blew by them which carried the scent of flower petals and sweet perfumes. Everyone walked inside cautiously. The chamber was immense, and many other passageways could be seen leading off from the far wall. A great throne was in the middle, glistening and shining in the torchlight. This room was very bright, radiating light into the hallways. The floors were polished as well as the walls. Men stood on both sides of the chamber, looking around and speaking with short whispers. A dull sound like thunder shuddered from a far off passageway.
In the middle of the chamber sat a huge rectangular pond, with many orange fish swimming to and fro. It was from this pool that the perfume scents wafted. It was also from this pool that a young woman emerged, dressed in a red robe, which revealed much of her dark skin. Behind her a great bird, which seemed to have been a statue, ruffled it's feathers and raised it's huge, scarlet wings, creating what seemed to be a backdrop for the magnificent scene. Yami did not see the woman emerge, for in the excitement of the moment, Tom had let him slip from his arms and the Pharaoh had slumped to the ground, head down. On his knees he had his eyes closed, thoroughly exhausted. This was not to say that the woman did not spot him. Her hair was curly and black and cascaded over her shoulders like tumbling waterfalls. She stood up in the pool and snapped her fingers. The water on her body suddenly started to fizzle, and in a second, it burst and was gone. She was now completely dry; it was as if the water was immediately repelled from her living body and was deposited back in the pool. The kidnappers stared in awe. The woman's brown and gold eyes swept over them and she nodded with a devious smile to the guards. They walked forward and presented the men with two suit cases and then went back to their spots. The kidnappers were speechless. Taking the suitcases they turned on their heels and fled from the room, Jack shouting, "Good luck to whoever crosses her!"
With this comment, the beautiful woman stepped out of the pool with the grace of a great cat and walked cautiously towards the weak figure on the ground. Yami had not yet looked up. His teeth were gritted and he was completely convinced that this was the end of him. The panic was finally taking over.
The young maiden stopped walking and halted in front of Yami. She looked down with a slight smile and then bent and picked up his chin in her slender hand. She gently turned his face to her and then her slight smile turned into a sly grin. Yami opened his eyes and was immediately bombarded by an impossible sight. He stammered, lightly, "Meera?"
"Welcome, Pharaoh."
***
Hehehe a sort of a cliffhanger....please review!!!