Lifetime of Celebration
By Jeannette Hetfield
Chapter 4
Never in her whole life had she wanted to be anywhere near Hamunaptra ever again. So how in the world did she talk herself into coming out to the very place that had caused more deaths than old age? Jensa could answer her own question. To protect Ardeth. Not that he needed any protection from her. He could protect himself considering he is a one-man-army, but if she wasn't there to keep an eye on Michael, then he might just kill Ardeth for the heck of it. If he even came as close to pointing his gun at Ardeth, then she would shoot him in the foot. Jensa had already given Michael this threat the morning they left for Hamunaptra. At first he just laughed. She was a woman. How could he take such a tiny woman seriously? But then he saw the cold as steel glare she was throwing at him and he thought twice about underestimating her. Where it came to Ardeth, she was the most irrational person he'd ever known.
Jensa glanced up at the cloudless desert sky, squinting. The sun beat down against her body bringing back vivid memories of the climate. Sand caked up into the corners of her eyes causing an irritating sting. She dug into her eyes and rubbed them hard, getting the sand out. Of course, that really didn't do any good. Little grains of sand were constantly blowing through the air as the hooves of the horses and camels stirred it up.
She was wearing black cotton pants, a navy blue linen top and black leather boots with heels. Even though she was already sweating quite a bit, she wore a matching black jacket with the collar pulled up around her neck. Her skin would be scorched through the thin linen otherwise. That morning she braided her long hair and coiled it around her head. Her neck was much cooler without the loose strands sticking to her sweltering skin. Atop her head she wore a black turban to shield her tender scalp. Yesterday, she went into the souk and bought it. It also came equipped with a veil and she had it pulled across her face, feeling quite satisfied with her protection against the sun. Since she was dressed like a man, she looked like one from a distance. Kerri rode beside her. They looked like twins in their masculine attire.
Asal was Jensa's palomino horse. She couldn't bear to part with her and insisted she bring her along to Egypt. Surprisingly, she was doing extremely well. Jensa had worried how she would cope with the weather being from such a cold part of New York, but Asal trotted happily along. It didn't matter where she was just as long as Jensa was with her. Asal reminded Jensa of a large golden retriever. In the stables back home, Asal would follow Jensa all around the corral. Every now and then, Jensa shared her water with Asal and kept a damp cloth handy to rub it around her muzzle and neck to keep her cool.
It was a fairly silent journey. There was not much to discuss except the endless dunes so everyone lapsed into their own thoughts. The expedition was half-way between Cairo and Hamunaptra. With every step, Jensa grew more apprehensive. How could one not grow nervous when the intended destination was Hamunaptra? Jensa was thankful that this time around, she wasn't headed into the City of the Dead unconscious. That had been a very unpleasant experience.
She stole a glance at the large party of treasure hunters riding around her. She hadn't realized that there was to be more than herself, Michael, Kerri and the Cravins. Most of the hired diggers were Egyptian civilians. It was shocking that they would even come to the cursed City, but the temptation of gold was too great and so was the salary her brother paid them. Her brother must be really bored, she thought. They certainly weren't hurting for any money. Financially, they were in want of nothing. Yes, Michael was bored and needed an adventure.
A majority of the diggers fidgeted nervously in their saddles. They too, knew it was a dangerous undertaking to venture into the middle of the desert. Just to reassure herself, Jensa reached down to her right boot and made sure the dagger was secure. Next, she brought her hand inside her coat flap. She was wearing a holster with guns fully loaded on either side. One could never be too safe in the desert.
Much to her annoyance, Jackson Cravin rode up beside her. His ensemble today was exactly like the day before, except that everything was the color of the desert. The silly bowler hat fit his rather large head like a child who had outgrown his favorite shirt, but was not able to part with it.
He grinned at her, pushing the brim of his hat up. His dark blond bangs popped out and drooped down on his forehead. "You're not getting too hot I hope?"
"You forget, Mr. Cravin. I lived here for many years and am quite acclimated to the heat." Her voice was muffled through the veil material.
"Jack, I told you to call me Jack."
"We only just met."
"Meaning once we get to know each other better, you'll call me Jack?"
She could feel his eyes roaming over her figure, leaving her more uncomfortable with each passing second. He was a lot more hopeful and eager than he had been the day before. "Not in the slightest," she said, hoping to deflate his balloon, but clearly the message was not received.
"I'm a likable guy, Jensa."
"I've no doubt," she muttered and glanced over at Kerri for help. Kerri merely gave her a silly grin letting her know that she was on her own. Some friend, thought Jensa. "And you, Mr. Cravin, have not yet earned the right to call me Jensa."
"Oh, I see how it is. We have to earn points with each other."
Of course, he doesn't see, she thought with irritation. Like most men, he ego was so big that he couldn't see the real picture. Jackson thought his looks and charm would get him on the inside. Moron. She was already sick of his undivided attention and wondered vaguely why he had changed his mind about her twice already. Last night after they met, he put on full charm to ingratiate himself with her. After they spoke of killing the Med-jai, she threatened to kill them and Jackson backed off. Now all of the sudden, he was at it again. He certainly wasn't looking at her with caution anymore. Must be the money. It always came back to the money. All the men who had ever been interested in her was only because she came from a wealthy family. None of it was true love, for their love was easily bought. Jensa was not going to make the same mistake twice. She would marry who she wanted to and when she wanted to. She had to make sure his feelings were true and not goaded by the checks her father wrote that had more than six zeros in the figure. Jensa was beginning to think that the only reason any man wanted her was because of the financial ties. But wait. One man had wanted her, loved her for herself, but knew what the consequences would have been had he taken what he wanted. Well, she was grown up now. Ardeth could still take what he wanted. But would he still want her?
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"No, thank you. I have all the pennies I need." Jensa gave him an icy glare. Even though only her eyes were visible due to the veil, he finally read the cold message in her green depths.
"Suit yourself," he said resignedly and trotted on ahead to ride beside his brother.
Michael glanced over his shoulder at her and smirked, slowing his horse until they were next to each other. "He's not making any headway is he?"
"Of course not. Actually, there was no headway to begin with and Kerri was no help," she shot her friend a dirty look.
"You were doing splendidly by yourself and didn't need my help. He left you alone, didn't he?"
Michael laughed with amusement. "Yep, I'm afraid he isn't quite seeing the brick wall he keeps running into. Speaking of brick walls, seen anyone following us yet?" He looked around the various dunes. There were a few cliffs in the distance, but it was too far to see if anyone was there. Jensa told him this.
"The farther out we get without seeing them, the better I will feel," he said.
Kerri interjected, "We should be there by early tomorrow morning. I've no doubt we'll be paid a rather hostile visit."
"Which reminds me," he looked to both of them. "The two of you armed?"
"We're our own personal arsenals," came his sister's reply.
* * *
The sun was already up by the time they arrived at Hamunaptra to remind them that it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. Everyone was in the tent setting up ritual, getting the temporary living arrangements ready before heading into the City. Jensa and Kerri decided to share a tent away from the other men. Ironically, they were close to the statue of Anubis. Jensa walked up to face it. "Long time no see." Anubis stared back. "Wasn't long enough for me." It was just a statue, but the evil jackal face glared down at her. She shivered remembering the horrible ordeal of being tied to that thing. Sick of looking at it, she turned around to see Michael standing right behind her. He startled her so much she let out a tiny yelp.
"Saying hello to old ghosts?"
She punched him on the arm. "Michael Ferris James, don't ever do that to me again!" Her heart beat wildly in her chest.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said rubbing his arm.
"I know. I wish I was saying good-bye to old ghosts rather than hello."
"You can always leave if you—"
"No!" she interrupted. "I'm not going anywhere."
"Didn't think so. We're about ready to head inside. You and Kerri coming?"
"I can't believe this," she voiced her thought aloud.
"What?"
"I said I would never come back and yet, here I am. This place is pure evil and we're right in the middle of it."
"You really believe all that "curse of the hom-dai" stuff? Really, Jensa! I didn't know you were so fanciful." Michael genuinely was taken aback.
"I'm not a fanciful person and that proves this place is no good and should be destroyed. You're down there meddling with a power you should be nowhere near."
Michael laughed at her. "Oh, give me a break! Ardeth Bay filled your head up with a lot of nonsense."
"I believe every word he said."
"You would."
"Laugh all you want, big brother. If you awaken the mummy, even if by accident, you'll get no help from me. He can just turn you into a mummy and this place can be your permanent residence for all I care." Jensa folded her arms in a huff, a gesture common for her when she was angry.
Michael, still laughing, repeated, "So are you coming inside or not?"
"Absolutely not."
"I am."
Jensa whirled around to Kerri. "Are you crazy? Why in heaven's name would you want to go in there?"
"I'm sure there's no harm in just looking around. I won't touch anything. I'm only curious." She left with Michael and they went to his tent. He picked up some digging tools and headed through a doorway with Kerri at his heels, disappearing into the pitch black mouth of the ruins.
Jensa crawled inside of her tent and busied herself with cleaning her guns. She decided that working slowly took longer. But this, of course, took less time than she wanted. She sat in the silence of the tent staring into space. First, she laid down and tried to nap, but she was nowhere near being sleepy. Sitting up frustrated, she frowned in thought. Against everything her mind was telling her to do, she exited the tent and headed over to the entrance in the City where her brother and the others had gone. On the sand next to the entrance, some available torches were awaiting use. She dug around in her pockets for matches, but found none.
"Typical," she said with annoyance at her forgetfulness. Jensa hurried back over to the tent and grabbed a matchbook from her knapsack. She stuck the torch under her armpit and opened the matchbook. As she yanked out a match, something made her stop in her tracks and glance toward one of the cliffs that overlooked the City.
"Med-jai."
Nearly twenty riders swathed in their infamous black robes watched the City…and her. "I wonder if he's there?" From this distance, it was too hard to see their faces. There was a horse and rider sitting taller than the others. He was directly in the middle. Jensa knew it was Ardeth. Her heart fluttered, her knees nearly buckled and she broke into a cold sweat. She shook her head. He still brought about all of these sensations in her and he was too far away to do anything about it.
Despite her warm feelings, Jensa could not suppress a shudder. Although they had guarded this place for over three thousand years, their stealth in being efficient killers only increased with the passing of time.
* * *
Ardeth Bay and the Med-jai observed the latest expedition that had traversed the desert to find the City of the Dead. More fools. None of them had any idea what danger they were putting mankind in. After receiving the message from one of their contacts in Cairo about the latest group on their way to Hamunaptra, the small group with Ardeth sped to the City as quickly as possible, arriving by the time the moon was up. There, they had waited until sunrise and saw the expedition arriving. They had to be stopped. Tonight, the Med-jai would attack and get rid of the threat.
Everyone had gone into the depths of the City, but Ardeth noticed one of the visitors walking around, apparently the last to go inside. He was wearing a black turban. Just as he was about to go inside, he stopped. The man had noticed them. Ardeth was too far away to be sure, but it felt like this man was looking straight at him. He knew this person. Ardeth was not sure how he knew him, but he just did. It did not matter though, they would be destroyed one way or the other.
From their distance, the man did not look like much and appeared to be quite small. Ardeth's eyes were sharper than normal and he observed a gun holster through the black jacket he wore. For a second, Ardeth considered that this could be a woman. The stature was small and as he stared harder, he realized it was a woman. Her full feminine frame was unmistakable. The veil was across her face, obstructing her features. Ardeth felt her gaze bearing into him as it broke through the edges of his soul and pierced the core. He noticed that his pulse had quickened and beads of sweat formed on his brow. There was a stirring deep within the pit of his stomach. He had to get to closer to her, but who was she? Allah, what was happening to him? He thought back to when he felt like he knew this person, but did not have the foggiest idea where that notion had come from.