Chapter 5
Tattoo
Have I mentioned I don't own The Mummy?
++++
Evelyn rushed toward the front desk of the hotel she and Rick had spent the last two nights in, Jonathon close behind her.
"Excuse me," she said as she rudely pushed aside a woman the clerk, Muhammad, had been helping. The woman humphed and walked away. Evelyn didn't care. "Did you see my husband leave this morning?"
Muhammad looked at her, excited. "Mrs. O'Connell. Yes, yes, I did. He was with a strange man. There was a slight scuffle between the two, and so I went to investigate. By the time I got there, they were acting quite normal. Mr. O'Connell slipped something into my hand along with a 5-pound bill.
"'Mr. Muhammad,' he said, 'please tell my wife that I had some business to attend to that is out of my control, and that I'll be back soon.' He smiled at me and the two went on their way. When I looked in my hand to see what he had given me, I found this." Here Muhammad paused to search quickly through the drawers in front of him. Evelyn sighed impatiently.
"Ah, here it is." Muhammad handed her a gold ring.
"Thank you, Muhammad. You have been of great assistance." Evelyn turned and hurried away toward the door, Jonathon in tow.
"Well, Evy, what do you think?"
"There's some sort of insignia on this ring, but I don't know who it belongs to." Evelyn stopped in her tracks.
"But I think I know who will."
And she was off.
++++
Rick couldn't believe his luck.
He'd been so happy, so content. They'd gotten rid of the Mummy, he'd become rich beyond his wildest dreams, Evelyn loved him AND married him, and just when he was beginning his new life, he'd gotten kidnapped. And heaven knew what Evelyn would think if she didn't talk to Muhammad.
Sitting silently in the passenger's seat of the car, he fumed to himself. He glanced over at the dark man driving, and directed as much mental hate at him as possible. Stupid bastard, Rick thought, I'll teach you to ruin my life.
But there was nothing Rick could do. The dark man had the gun, and knew where Evelyn was.
After a few hours of driving, the dark man pulled into a long driveway, far outside of Cairo. He led Rick into the mansion the driveway took them to. Taking Rick into the Library, he pushed Rick into a chair and stood near the door.
A few minutes later, and tall Egyptian man approached. He was dressed well, and walked with an air of arrogance.
"Mr. O'Connell, I hope you have found your drive here comfortable." Rick said nothing. "I am sorry for the inconvenience to you, but it could not be helped. You see, I knew you would never willingly agree to assist me, and that is unacceptable."
Rick glared at him. "Oh, yeah? Why's that?"
The Egyptian man smiled cryptically at him. A cold smile. Colder than an Indiana night in December. "My name is Sheftu Rasheed. I seek something only you can lead me to." He walked over the Rick and grabbed his right arm. Pushing back Rick's sleeve, Rasheed turned Rick's arm over to reveal his wrist. There he saw a blue tattoo in the shape of a pyramid.
An alarm went off in Rick's head. 'Not good,' he thought. 'Not good.'
Rasheed smiled again in victory. "You truly are the one. Long have I waited for this day. Long indeed." He turned to the dark man. "Nekonkh, prepare the car. We'll be leaving shortly." Turning back to Rick he said, "It is time."
A sentence came tumbling out of Rick's mouth. He had no idea why he said it. "Not if I can help it."
Rasheed only smiled at him.
++++
Ardeth Bey sat cross-legged silently under the desert sun. He breathed deeply, smelling the hot wind that blew gently from the east. Forcing time to slow with the beat of his heart, he focused on the calm center within him, and-
"Ardeth!"
He jumped to his feet lightly, drawing his sword in a rush. Then he stopped short.
"Evelyn. It is you. Where is Rick?"
"He's been kidnapped."
"That is unfortunate."
"Yes, and that is why I am here."
"In what way can I help?"
Evelyn pulled the ring from her pocket. "I need you to tell me where to find someone wearing a ring like this one."
Ardeth took the ring from her and looked at the insignia. "By Allah."
"By Allah what?" Jonathon asked.
"This ring bears the crest of the Hath'ne."
"Who are they?"
Ardeth didn't answer. "This is a horrible occurrence."
"Yes, my husband is gone," Evelyn said, attempting to gain Ardeth's attention.
"This is worse than your husband's disappearance, Mrs. O'Connell. This could mean Armageddon."
++++
Ah, a typical Ardeth thing to say. Hope you enjoy the suspense. I'll try to update quickly.
Tattoo
Have I mentioned I don't own The Mummy?
++++
Evelyn rushed toward the front desk of the hotel she and Rick had spent the last two nights in, Jonathon close behind her.
"Excuse me," she said as she rudely pushed aside a woman the clerk, Muhammad, had been helping. The woman humphed and walked away. Evelyn didn't care. "Did you see my husband leave this morning?"
Muhammad looked at her, excited. "Mrs. O'Connell. Yes, yes, I did. He was with a strange man. There was a slight scuffle between the two, and so I went to investigate. By the time I got there, they were acting quite normal. Mr. O'Connell slipped something into my hand along with a 5-pound bill.
"'Mr. Muhammad,' he said, 'please tell my wife that I had some business to attend to that is out of my control, and that I'll be back soon.' He smiled at me and the two went on their way. When I looked in my hand to see what he had given me, I found this." Here Muhammad paused to search quickly through the drawers in front of him. Evelyn sighed impatiently.
"Ah, here it is." Muhammad handed her a gold ring.
"Thank you, Muhammad. You have been of great assistance." Evelyn turned and hurried away toward the door, Jonathon in tow.
"Well, Evy, what do you think?"
"There's some sort of insignia on this ring, but I don't know who it belongs to." Evelyn stopped in her tracks.
"But I think I know who will."
And she was off.
++++
Rick couldn't believe his luck.
He'd been so happy, so content. They'd gotten rid of the Mummy, he'd become rich beyond his wildest dreams, Evelyn loved him AND married him, and just when he was beginning his new life, he'd gotten kidnapped. And heaven knew what Evelyn would think if she didn't talk to Muhammad.
Sitting silently in the passenger's seat of the car, he fumed to himself. He glanced over at the dark man driving, and directed as much mental hate at him as possible. Stupid bastard, Rick thought, I'll teach you to ruin my life.
But there was nothing Rick could do. The dark man had the gun, and knew where Evelyn was.
After a few hours of driving, the dark man pulled into a long driveway, far outside of Cairo. He led Rick into the mansion the driveway took them to. Taking Rick into the Library, he pushed Rick into a chair and stood near the door.
A few minutes later, and tall Egyptian man approached. He was dressed well, and walked with an air of arrogance.
"Mr. O'Connell, I hope you have found your drive here comfortable." Rick said nothing. "I am sorry for the inconvenience to you, but it could not be helped. You see, I knew you would never willingly agree to assist me, and that is unacceptable."
Rick glared at him. "Oh, yeah? Why's that?"
The Egyptian man smiled cryptically at him. A cold smile. Colder than an Indiana night in December. "My name is Sheftu Rasheed. I seek something only you can lead me to." He walked over the Rick and grabbed his right arm. Pushing back Rick's sleeve, Rasheed turned Rick's arm over to reveal his wrist. There he saw a blue tattoo in the shape of a pyramid.
An alarm went off in Rick's head. 'Not good,' he thought. 'Not good.'
Rasheed smiled again in victory. "You truly are the one. Long have I waited for this day. Long indeed." He turned to the dark man. "Nekonkh, prepare the car. We'll be leaving shortly." Turning back to Rick he said, "It is time."
A sentence came tumbling out of Rick's mouth. He had no idea why he said it. "Not if I can help it."
Rasheed only smiled at him.
++++
Ardeth Bey sat cross-legged silently under the desert sun. He breathed deeply, smelling the hot wind that blew gently from the east. Forcing time to slow with the beat of his heart, he focused on the calm center within him, and-
"Ardeth!"
He jumped to his feet lightly, drawing his sword in a rush. Then he stopped short.
"Evelyn. It is you. Where is Rick?"
"He's been kidnapped."
"That is unfortunate."
"Yes, and that is why I am here."
"In what way can I help?"
Evelyn pulled the ring from her pocket. "I need you to tell me where to find someone wearing a ring like this one."
Ardeth took the ring from her and looked at the insignia. "By Allah."
"By Allah what?" Jonathon asked.
"This ring bears the crest of the Hath'ne."
"Who are they?"
Ardeth didn't answer. "This is a horrible occurrence."
"Yes, my husband is gone," Evelyn said, attempting to gain Ardeth's attention.
"This is worse than your husband's disappearance, Mrs. O'Connell. This could mean Armageddon."
++++
Ah, a typical Ardeth thing to say. Hope you enjoy the suspense. I'll try to update quickly.