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Evelyn run to find Rick and they soon went back there. More people have been added, while she was standing at the corner of the room, untied but in no better condition, with two guns and some swords pointed at her. She was standing silent, frowned, and proud. Eve expected to see them trying to abuse her but they weren't even talking to her. Rare thing she thought, because people like those were usually quite talkative.
Rick leaned towards her to whisper in her ear.
"They are too many for us to try and to something about Heterity now and here. We have to watch them. We have to find an opening later. Damn! I knew we would get in trouble again!" he concluded through clenched teeth, though still in low voice.
At the same moment Heterity told something to the red-haired man. They couldn't hear her voice, but her expression was challenging, ironic. The man snapped something back at her and she told him something that made one of the men with the guns push her violently. The chief held a hand up to him. They obviously wanted her unharmed.
~
I all the days the travel lasted they watched them periodically. They didn't treat her badly, they gave food to her and they still didn't talk very much unless she talked to them. And apart from the first days she didn't talk to them either. The way they acted puzzled both of them greatly. This was not usual. Probably they needed something from her though. But all that until they arrived at Egypt. They managed to hide in a car that took them away, in the desert in a campsite. And then the situation changed dramatically.
~
The guarding was rather poor there, but still too much for just two people. Rick noticed that Heterity was escorted to a small tent heavily guarded. He also noticed another heavily guarded tent bigger than the other, probably the biggest in the camp. Rick managed to slide under the tent from the behind (after cutting a part of it!) and Evelyn followed soon. There, hidden by a large cushion they saw a man sitting on several others. He was in his mid-forties, a handsome man with dark hair, black eyes, slightly beaked nose and harsh eyes. The red-haired man was sitting on his right, while two guards dressed in dark robes were standing tall and heavily armed.
Immediately, four more brought Heterity there. They were happy to see her well but they wondered what was going to happen now. They didn't appear as gentle as the last time as they forcibly pushed her to stand before the man. Her wrists were tied behind her back but she was still holding her head up proudly and her eyes were shining wildly. The man smiled coldly.
"Welcome to my humble home Heterity. We are not honored every day by the visit of so… important people." He told her ironically, the cold smile never leaving his face. She struggled and glared at her guards.
"Who are you and what do you want of me?" she demanded.
"Ah… we will talk about everything in time. Don't worry. For the time being I want to know if the myth that was passed down from my ancestors in true? Is it true that you are very proud? That you never bend your knee to anyone? I would like to see it myself." Her expression has become very dark.
"Who are you?" she asked again even louder and struggled harder, thing which was pointless, since she received a painful blow at the ribs. She barely flinched though.
"Very well… If you insist…" he leaned back and stared at her. "My name is Ibrahim, but I doubt that this will mean something to you. I am extremely proud of my ancestor, who was a great warrior named Nehti. I believe you recognize the name."
"He was the one who killed me! This is impossible, he died without children!"
"So you think." His voice was not teasing anymore. "He had a son, and some of his men survived. While the dutiful med-jai were taking care of their kings even if they were dead we waited. And got stronger and stronger. Each leader laid on his son's shoulders the same task. Revenge. Against you, against the med-jai, against a particular med-jai. And the time has come Heterity. Now bow to me. You may live a little longer in this way."
"Never." She answered sharply. Anger and disgust were written on her handsome face. Ibrahim made an invisible gesture to the guard closer to Heterity. He delivered a strong blow on her temple. She almost lost balance for moment as she close her eyes. She appeared ready to collapse, but then she steadied herself again as much as possible.
"I haven't bowed to anyone, even to the ones who deserved it. I am not going to bow now to an animal with animal blood thick in his veins." She said majestically and spat in front of his feet. This time the guard didn't need encouragement. He brought his hand on the back of her neck using all of his strength. Heterity crashed to her knees and the guards held her there. Not that it was very difficult as she was dazed from the hit. Ibrahim looked down at her.
"Now who has the upper hand?" he asked adopting a teasing tone of voice again.
This moment a man came in the room. In his hand was the golden scimitar with the precious red stone. Heterity's head shot up again but was brutally brought down. The man gave it to Ibrahim with a quick bow and disappeared. The guards took Heterity away while she still tried to turn her head to the direction of the weapon.
~
Rick, Evelyn and Alex kneeled behind the tent where Heterity was kept. They had managed to sneak there under the guards nose. This very dark night was helping them. Neither stars nor moon shined on the sky. Just endless rolling clouds that made the night look haunted. Rick examined the material of the tent and made for his knife. He searched in every possible place but he just couldn't find it. This was very annoying. He turned to his wife.
"Evy, I think I forgot the knife back in the other tend." He could only guess her look as he couldn't see her face. He glanced at the place where the knife laid. He could see the bright light of a torch. There were guards there. Damn!
He tried to tear the fabric but it was too thick. He stopped abruptly disappointed and cursed under his breath.
"Maybe someone cal slip under the tent." Evelyn proposed. Rick shook his head.
"No, I have already thought of it. It will just bring the whole tent down and alarm the guards."
"Then maybe we can dig under it?"
Rick looked at the sand under the tent.
"Yes… that could be possible but the sand is very hard here. We will never manage to dig a big enough hole before we are discovered."
"Dig a smaller one. I will go inside to talk with her at least." Alex spoke. Evelyn looked down at her son proudly. Rick didn't reply but he started digging as quickly as he could. His wife soon joined him.
~
Heterity wasn't sleeping. She couldn't sleep. All she could do was think. Think about the stone, the descendant of her murderer, Ardeth, the med-jai and the O'Connells. The bitter irony of the case was that she could escape, but couldn't do it because she didn't know were her friends were. They might be looking for me and get in trouble with no reason, she though. Suddenly a small noise caught her attention. She turned to the back of the tent and saw a small whole and a little blond head coming out of it. Her eyes widened in pleasant surprise and moved to him. She gently placed her hands under his small body and pulled him inside.
"Alex! What are you doing here?"
"Mum and dad are here, so we dug a hole and I came in to tell you that we are here for you." He told her without taking a breath. She smiled and stroke his hair.
"And you came in here alone? You are a very brave child Alex! Now listen to me. Go outside and tell your parents to leave."
"Leave? No, we are not leaving without you. They promised to help you."
"Listen to me Alex! At the north of this camp is a small oasis. Start now, or they will notice you. Dawn is not far away. Take two horses, not camels they are very slow and disobedient. Wait for me there. I will join you before midday. Leave now! Don't worry about me, just go immediately there. Do you understand?"
Alex nodded surprised.
"Good. Now go and say it all to your parents."
She helped him to slip outside and then sighed. Things were taking a better turn than she hoped.
~
"We shouldn't have listened to her! She just wanted to get us out of there!" Rick yelled angrily. Heterity has promised to be there before midday. Now it was evening. "What the hell? Is she coming on foot or what?" he added with less tension in his voice this time.
"Uh… Dad… I think she is coming on foot." Alex pointed to his father a dark small figure walking towards their direction. The pair rushed to their sons side.
"This is impossible." Evelyn said. "It is too far, and besides the noon heat could have killed her."
In the meantime she was approaching. When she finally reached them she smiled at them looking very tired. The small wound on her temple was covered with dried blood.
"How did you come here?" Rick asked.
"Well, by horse of course. But I urged it too much and it collapsed somewhere near here, so I had to cover the rest of the distance on foot. It wasn't very much though. Now, lets go back to Hamunaptra. Things are much worse than I might have ever imagined."