Chapter II: A Not-So-Good Night's Rest
"Alex?" Evelyn said and gently nudged her sons arm. They had just gotten home to their mansion in London.
"Huh?" Alex said sleepily.
"We're home, Sport." Rick said, getting out of the car and heading towards the trunk to get the luggage.
Jonathan woke up a few moments later as Rick slammed the trunk.
"Get out." Rick said, giving a cold look to Jonathan.
Jonathan got out of the car, followed by Alex. Alex rubbed his eyes and stumbled towards the house. Evelyn unlocked the door and walked inside, not saying a word.
Rick walked up to Evelyn after Jonathan and Alex had left the room, "Anything wrong?"
"No . . . Well, I wish we could have stayed longer, that's all."
"Evelyn, why on Earth would you want to take that risk? You saw what that guy tried to do to Alex!" Rick said with no real expression on his face.
"Oh Rick . . . I don't know . . . It's just . . . Oh never mind." she said and started walking into the opposite room.
"Evie." Rick said after her, getting no reply. Rick dropped the luggage he was holding and walked after her, "Just what?" he said, hoping to get an answer.
Evelyn looked at him somewhat sadly, "I . . . feel more at home there, like there's a piece of me that's missing, that only my passion of Egypt can fill . . ." she said, not wanting to admit to any of it.
Rick stared at Evelyn for a moment, "Well . . . I'm gonna go, uh, un-pack. . ." he said awkwardly, nodding towards the luggage, then picked it up and walked upstairs.
Evie stood in the hallway, shocked at what she just said, "Rick . . ." She says more to herself than anyone. Suddenly, a yell came from downstairs, "DAD!". It was Alex.
Rick and Evelyn ran down the stairs, and there stood a man, neither of the two had seen before. He was of average height, had deep black hair, down to his mid-back, and his skin was a rich tan color. He had a very attractive face, except for one defining feature, a massive scar running from the top, left-hand corner of his forehead, down to the middle of his neck. The man was wearing a long, black robe, and a belt with a sword holder, which was empty, seeing as he had his sword to Alex's neck.
Evelyn squinted at his belt, she could see writing; "Warrior for Aten . . ." she said quietly, to herself.
"Let him go now!" Rick said, taking a step towards the man.
"Where is the book?" The man said, his voice slow and dry.
"None of your business!" Rick said, getting closer again to the man.
The man put the sword closer to Alex's neck, "If I were you, I would tell." he muttered, glaring at Rick.
Rick looked at him and smirked, "Well, I'm not you, am I?" he said, pulling out his 'safety gun' and shooting the sword out of the man's hand.
The man made a quick dart towards his sword, which now lay half-way across the room. Rick made another shot at the man, this time at his hand, but he managed to pull away, just before getting hit. The man then grabbed a sword from the display case on the wall and swung it at Rick, who had grabbed the man's sword off the floor. Rick managed to block several swipes from his opponents sword. He then thrust his sword towards his invaders stomach.
The man dodged the attack and sprinted out the door, Rick hot on his heels.
Rick was unable to come close to catching up to the man, so he pulled a pocket knife out of his pocket and threw it at the man. The knife hit him right in the shoulder. Instantly, the man stopped dead in his tracks, which gave Rick a chance to catch up. When Rick got close enough, he kicked the stranger in the back of the knees, knocking him to the ground. " Tell me your name." Rick said.
"Never." The man said, glaring at the ground "If I were you, I would tell." Rick mocked him.
The man didn't reply.
Just at that, another man, no stranger to the O'Connell's, ran from inside Rick's house to where Rick was standing. It was a good friend to Rick and his family. Audeth-Bay. He was a Madji, and fortunately for them, a good one. "Ah . . . Zemti. So we meet again." Audeth said to the mysterious man.
"Unfortunately . . . for you!" Zemti said and pulled the knife out of his own shoulder and threw it at Audeth, missing him by only mere inches.
Audeth sighed as Rick started after the man again, 'Let him go." Audeth said.
Rick turned to face Audeth, "What? Why?!"
"Come inside, I'll explain everything."
Rick and Audeth had just gotten inside when Rick noticed that Evelyn had been standing in the very same place she had when they had first come downstairs.
"Evie? You OK?" Rick asked, looking at her.
No answer.
"Eeevviiieee." Rick said waving his hand in front of her face.
"Huh?" Evelyn said, coming out of her trance-like state.
"What's wrong?"
"That man -" She started, and after a moment of silence continued, "I . . . He . . . Looks familiar somehow."
"Well . . . maybe you've seen him somewhere before." Rick said trying to end the conversation, leading Audeth into another room. "So. What is going on?" Rick asks Audeth curiously.
"She hasn't seen him before. Not in this lifetime." Audeth replied.
"Whadda ya mean?" Rick said perplexed.
Audeth sighed, "Never mind. Listen, The book. He seeks it, as do many others. . . The creature . . . it's regaining power."
"You mean he's comin' back?"
"I do not know. But for your families sake, I hope not."
"Wait a second. What do we have to do with this?"
"You have the book, and they will do anything to obtain it."
Rick looked at Audeth, starting to think he was crazy, "Who?"
"The Madji of The Dark Side. We need to stop them."
"We?"
"I am sorry, my friend, I do not wish to bring this burden upon you and your family, but you are the only one's who can stop this."
"Why us?" Rick asked.
"Your family . . . It is different from others."
"Jonathan is different allright." Rick muttered.
"There is no time for jokes, my friend. We must leave now. They know we are here."
"Were are we supposed to go then?"
"The resting place of the creature in Ahm Shere. We must prevent the creature from awakening."
Rick sighed and walked in the opposite room to where Evelyn was. "Evie. We need to talk." Rick said.
Evelyn looked at him, "Is everything OK?"
"Well, sorta." He said leading her upstairs to their bedroom to talk alone, where he told her everything Audeth had just said.
"But. . . Do we have to go?" Evelyn asked, quite concerned.
"Yes. We're a 'different family' " he said, with mock sarcasm. "Well, what about Alex?" Evelyn asked, with now more concern in her voice.
Rick looked at the floor, obviously thinking, when Jonathan burst in;
"Where's the -" Jonathan began, but stopped abruptly when his sister slapped him.
"What was that for?!" Jonathan said quickly.
Evelyn glared at him "You knock before you barge in someplace!"
"Geez! Ok ok! Sor-ry!" he said with a hint of sarcasm, and reluctantly walked away.
Just as Jonathan had left, Alex walked up the stairs, "What's going on?" he asked.
Rick and Evelyn looked at each other. "Nothin', kiddo. You look tired, why don't you go on to bed?" he said, ruffling Alex's hair.
"Dad!" Alex said impatiently, "I'm not a kid, y'know!"
"Yes you are. Now go." Rick said, giving Alex a gentle shove out of the room.
Evelyn looked at Rick, "What are we supposed to do with Alex?"
Rick thought for a moment, "Er . . . we could leave him here with Jonathan."
Evelyn laughed, "Jonathan? Here with our house with Alex?! I don't think so!"
"Well then, I guess he has to come." Rick said.
Evelyn sighed, "I guess your right . . ."
"Go where?" Alex said, from behind the door.
"Alex!" Evelyn exclaimed, "Were you eves-dropping?"
"Uh . . . No?"
Rick gave Alex a stern look, "Alex."
"Yes . . . " he muttered under his breath.
"Go to bed, now, Alex." Rick said sternly.
"B- "
"No but's! Go!"
Alex sighed and left the room.
"It's dangerous, you know." Evelyn said.
"I know." Rick replied.
Jonathan quietly knocked on the door, "Ah . . . So where are we going?"
Rick rolled his eyes and walked out, followed by Evelyn.
"After all I did for them, they still treat me like a child . . ." Jonathan said quietly to himself.
"Alex?" Evelyn said and gently nudged her sons arm. They had just gotten home to their mansion in London.
"Huh?" Alex said sleepily.
"We're home, Sport." Rick said, getting out of the car and heading towards the trunk to get the luggage.
Jonathan woke up a few moments later as Rick slammed the trunk.
"Get out." Rick said, giving a cold look to Jonathan.
Jonathan got out of the car, followed by Alex. Alex rubbed his eyes and stumbled towards the house. Evelyn unlocked the door and walked inside, not saying a word.
Rick walked up to Evelyn after Jonathan and Alex had left the room, "Anything wrong?"
"No . . . Well, I wish we could have stayed longer, that's all."
"Evelyn, why on Earth would you want to take that risk? You saw what that guy tried to do to Alex!" Rick said with no real expression on his face.
"Oh Rick . . . I don't know . . . It's just . . . Oh never mind." she said and started walking into the opposite room.
"Evie." Rick said after her, getting no reply. Rick dropped the luggage he was holding and walked after her, "Just what?" he said, hoping to get an answer.
Evelyn looked at him somewhat sadly, "I . . . feel more at home there, like there's a piece of me that's missing, that only my passion of Egypt can fill . . ." she said, not wanting to admit to any of it.
Rick stared at Evelyn for a moment, "Well . . . I'm gonna go, uh, un-pack. . ." he said awkwardly, nodding towards the luggage, then picked it up and walked upstairs.
Evie stood in the hallway, shocked at what she just said, "Rick . . ." She says more to herself than anyone. Suddenly, a yell came from downstairs, "DAD!". It was Alex.
Rick and Evelyn ran down the stairs, and there stood a man, neither of the two had seen before. He was of average height, had deep black hair, down to his mid-back, and his skin was a rich tan color. He had a very attractive face, except for one defining feature, a massive scar running from the top, left-hand corner of his forehead, down to the middle of his neck. The man was wearing a long, black robe, and a belt with a sword holder, which was empty, seeing as he had his sword to Alex's neck.
Evelyn squinted at his belt, she could see writing; "Warrior for Aten . . ." she said quietly, to herself.
"Let him go now!" Rick said, taking a step towards the man.
"Where is the book?" The man said, his voice slow and dry.
"None of your business!" Rick said, getting closer again to the man.
The man put the sword closer to Alex's neck, "If I were you, I would tell." he muttered, glaring at Rick.
Rick looked at him and smirked, "Well, I'm not you, am I?" he said, pulling out his 'safety gun' and shooting the sword out of the man's hand.
The man made a quick dart towards his sword, which now lay half-way across the room. Rick made another shot at the man, this time at his hand, but he managed to pull away, just before getting hit. The man then grabbed a sword from the display case on the wall and swung it at Rick, who had grabbed the man's sword off the floor. Rick managed to block several swipes from his opponents sword. He then thrust his sword towards his invaders stomach.
The man dodged the attack and sprinted out the door, Rick hot on his heels.
Rick was unable to come close to catching up to the man, so he pulled a pocket knife out of his pocket and threw it at the man. The knife hit him right in the shoulder. Instantly, the man stopped dead in his tracks, which gave Rick a chance to catch up. When Rick got close enough, he kicked the stranger in the back of the knees, knocking him to the ground. " Tell me your name." Rick said.
"Never." The man said, glaring at the ground "If I were you, I would tell." Rick mocked him.
The man didn't reply.
Just at that, another man, no stranger to the O'Connell's, ran from inside Rick's house to where Rick was standing. It was a good friend to Rick and his family. Audeth-Bay. He was a Madji, and fortunately for them, a good one. "Ah . . . Zemti. So we meet again." Audeth said to the mysterious man.
"Unfortunately . . . for you!" Zemti said and pulled the knife out of his own shoulder and threw it at Audeth, missing him by only mere inches.
Audeth sighed as Rick started after the man again, 'Let him go." Audeth said.
Rick turned to face Audeth, "What? Why?!"
"Come inside, I'll explain everything."
Rick and Audeth had just gotten inside when Rick noticed that Evelyn had been standing in the very same place she had when they had first come downstairs.
"Evie? You OK?" Rick asked, looking at her.
No answer.
"Eeevviiieee." Rick said waving his hand in front of her face.
"Huh?" Evelyn said, coming out of her trance-like state.
"What's wrong?"
"That man -" She started, and after a moment of silence continued, "I . . . He . . . Looks familiar somehow."
"Well . . . maybe you've seen him somewhere before." Rick said trying to end the conversation, leading Audeth into another room. "So. What is going on?" Rick asks Audeth curiously.
"She hasn't seen him before. Not in this lifetime." Audeth replied.
"Whadda ya mean?" Rick said perplexed.
Audeth sighed, "Never mind. Listen, The book. He seeks it, as do many others. . . The creature . . . it's regaining power."
"You mean he's comin' back?"
"I do not know. But for your families sake, I hope not."
"Wait a second. What do we have to do with this?"
"You have the book, and they will do anything to obtain it."
Rick looked at Audeth, starting to think he was crazy, "Who?"
"The Madji of The Dark Side. We need to stop them."
"We?"
"I am sorry, my friend, I do not wish to bring this burden upon you and your family, but you are the only one's who can stop this."
"Why us?" Rick asked.
"Your family . . . It is different from others."
"Jonathan is different allright." Rick muttered.
"There is no time for jokes, my friend. We must leave now. They know we are here."
"Were are we supposed to go then?"
"The resting place of the creature in Ahm Shere. We must prevent the creature from awakening."
Rick sighed and walked in the opposite room to where Evelyn was. "Evie. We need to talk." Rick said.
Evelyn looked at him, "Is everything OK?"
"Well, sorta." He said leading her upstairs to their bedroom to talk alone, where he told her everything Audeth had just said.
"But. . . Do we have to go?" Evelyn asked, quite concerned.
"Yes. We're a 'different family' " he said, with mock sarcasm. "Well, what about Alex?" Evelyn asked, with now more concern in her voice.
Rick looked at the floor, obviously thinking, when Jonathan burst in;
"Where's the -" Jonathan began, but stopped abruptly when his sister slapped him.
"What was that for?!" Jonathan said quickly.
Evelyn glared at him "You knock before you barge in someplace!"
"Geez! Ok ok! Sor-ry!" he said with a hint of sarcasm, and reluctantly walked away.
Just as Jonathan had left, Alex walked up the stairs, "What's going on?" he asked.
Rick and Evelyn looked at each other. "Nothin', kiddo. You look tired, why don't you go on to bed?" he said, ruffling Alex's hair.
"Dad!" Alex said impatiently, "I'm not a kid, y'know!"
"Yes you are. Now go." Rick said, giving Alex a gentle shove out of the room.
Evelyn looked at Rick, "What are we supposed to do with Alex?"
Rick thought for a moment, "Er . . . we could leave him here with Jonathan."
Evelyn laughed, "Jonathan? Here with our house with Alex?! I don't think so!"
"Well then, I guess he has to come." Rick said.
Evelyn sighed, "I guess your right . . ."
"Go where?" Alex said, from behind the door.
"Alex!" Evelyn exclaimed, "Were you eves-dropping?"
"Uh . . . No?"
Rick gave Alex a stern look, "Alex."
"Yes . . . " he muttered under his breath.
"Go to bed, now, Alex." Rick said sternly.
"B- "
"No but's! Go!"
Alex sighed and left the room.
"It's dangerous, you know." Evelyn said.
"I know." Rick replied.
Jonathan quietly knocked on the door, "Ah . . . So where are we going?"
Rick rolled his eyes and walked out, followed by Evelyn.
"After all I did for them, they still treat me like a child . . ." Jonathan said quietly to himself.