Not one review? Do I really suck that much? If I do, feel free to tell me. Sigh. I'm sad now. Oh well. I'm adding the second chapter anyway just on the off chance that I've managed to improve. Rick and Evy finally meet, though don't expect wine and roses just yet or else there wouldn't be a story would there?

Disclaimer: None of these characters belong to me. If they did I'd be much happier and much too busy playing with them to bother writing about them.


Chapter 2: Making plans

"JONATHAN!"

Jonathan looked up from his paperwork, sheer panic written on his face. Before he could think of a place to hide however, the door of his office had been thrown open with such force that it hit the back wall, banging loudly, an in walked his very irate baby sister flanked by two black uniformed security guards. One was sporting a black eye, and the other was holding a hand to his obviously bleeding nose. Jonathan could only guess at what had happened to them.

"Hey sis," he greeted cordially enough, though his voice sounded much higher than he would have liked. "Something wrong?"

Rather than answering her brother's question, Evelyn chose to scream one of her own. "What the hell were you thinking?"

Jonathan didn't need to ask what she was referring to. She wouldn't be standing here with two rather dishevelled security guards if she hadn't already stumbled upon his little plan. Seeing that he wasn't going to bother denying anything, Evelyn pressed her argument. "You've pulled some stunts before Jonathan, but sending your goons to follow me was low even for you!"

"It was for your protection." Jonathan protested weakly, reaching for any excuse he could in order to avoid the truth. Evelyn narrowed her eyes.

"Protection from whom exactly?"

"Well…from…erm…"

"You were hoping they'd catch Imhotep doing something wrong weren't you?"

"I ah…you see I was…" Jonathan continued to fumble, wondering how she always managed to figure him out so quickly.

"For you're information," Evelyn continued smugly, ignoring him "Imhotep stopped a thief."

At that, all nervousness disappeared from Jonathan and his eyes widened in alarm as he turned to address the man with the black eye. "A thief? Ardeth is this true?"

"It is." Ardeth replied with a slight nod of his head.

"Is that how you two were injured?" Jonathan asked, the concern in his voice obviously more for what could have happened to Evy than the welfare of his men, not that Ardeth could fault him for that.

"He struggled as we were taking him into custody." Ardeth admitted. "That is how I was injured…"

"But?" Prompted Jonathan. The glare aimed at Evy by the second security guard was all the answer he needed. For her part, Evy merely shrugged.

"Well you shouldn't have tried to manhandle me into the car like some common criminal!"

"Speaking of common criminals," Jonathan interrupted before the poor man could make a comeback that would only get him hurt further. "Who is he?"

"He refuses to give his name." Ardeth answered, equally as eager to avoid a repeat demonstration of Evelyn's anger.

"What have you done with him?"

"He's in the holding cell while we wait for the police to come and collect him." Ardeth explained "Apparently they're rather busy right now, dealing with the robbery at Seti's."

"Ah yes, dreadful business."

Jonathan seemed to think this was an end to matters since he turned his attention back to the paperwork on his desk.

"Erm hello! Excuse me!" Evelyn called, irritated by such a sudden dismissal. "Don't you have something to say to me?"

If Evelyn was expecting her brother to apologise she was sorely mistaken. True his plan of catching Imhotep doing something he could use against him had not gone exactly to plan, but he prided himself on his quick thinking. It had gotten him out of many sticky situations – both in business and…other areas.

"Yes." He replied not even glancing up from his work. "It's obvious your betrothed is a magnet for trouble, attracting the wrong sort of people. I mean look at this mess. It's lucky you weren't hurt; that man was obviously dangerous – Ardeth's our best man after all."

"But…But…" Evelyn sputtered indignantly. She certainly hadn't expected this. Was there nothing that Jonathan couldn't manipulate to make Imhotep the bad guy?

"I don't want you put at risk Evy." He continued to speak over her "I don't want you anywhere near him."

"I'm not a child!" Evelyn shouted, sounding very much like she was one "You can't tell me what to do anymore."

Jonathan did look up at her then, the expression on his face seeming almost sad. He didn't want to do this. "Ardeth," he began, not wavering in his gaze, "escort my sister to her room and see that she stays there."

Jonathan cringed at the look Evy threw him as Ardeth led her from the room. If he didn't get something concrete of Imhotep fast, he was going to pay for this dearly…

…Evelyn fumed as Ardeth maintained a gentle yet unyielding grip on her arm. She suspected that there was little chance she would get away from him, and even less chance that she could talk him into actually letting her go – he was a stickler for doing his duty. Her greatest hope was that she might think of a way out of this once she was on her own, for while Jonathan wouldn't be able to keep her under lock and key permanently, he would undoubtedly give it a good try anyway.

Ironically, Evelyn thought, Jonathan's efforts were rendered somewhat superfluous by the fact that Imhotep was at this very moment on his way to Cairo and wouldn't be back in Hamunaptra for at least a week. As such she hadn't actually had plans of being anywhere near him. Now however, she was determined to make Jonathan pay for this humiliation.

It was when the second security guard whose nose was still bleeding copiously leaned forward to unlock her bedroom that inspiration struck. She did her best to smother her pleased smile as she turned to Ardeth, summoning all the desperation she could into her voice.

"Ardeth please don't do this." She begged, placing her free hand on his chest as if to emphasise her plea while holding him back from his designated task.

Ardeth shook his head sadly. "I must do my job miss."

"You're a smart man. Surely you can see Jonathan is being unreasonable!" There was perhaps the slightest glimmer of hope in side of Evelyn that Ardeth may in fact let her go rather than carry out the bizarre orders of his employer. She knew relatively little about him, the employees of Carnahan security having not had much impact in her life until recently, but from what she had seen of this man he seemed calm and reasonable. He hadn't even lost his temper when that nasty thief had landed that vicious punch. "Please."

The door to the bedroom was open now and security guard number two (Evelyn neither knew nor cared what his name was) was standing watching the exchange but his hand never left the door handle, obviously intending to slam it closed the second she was inside. Evelyn let her arms fall to her sides, appearing to accept defeat.

"I am sorry that this is to be done." Ardeth explained sincerely even as he walked Evelyn into her room. "But while this seems harsh, I do not believe that Imhotep is a trustworthy man."

Evelyn's resolve hardened when she heard these words, and any sympathy she may have felt towards Ardeth for the trouble her actions would cause him were quickly quelled. She watched him walk away and it was not until she heard the unmistakeable sound of a key being turned in the lock that she lifted her hand that was clenched tightly into a fist. As she studied the small, inconspicuous key that rested in her palm she smiled. Never had she been more grateful to Jonathan and his undesirable friends…

…Rick paced his tiny holding cell irritably, alternately cursing the people who had caused this and himself for being so foolish in the first place. No matter what happened now he was in a world of trouble. He didn't know what had happened to the bag he'd had with him when those armed guards had grabbed him, but he doubted he'd ever see it again.

In the best case scenario, someone at the airport had picked it up and was going to have themselves a real good time with his well earned…okay more like appropriated…new wealth. If that had happened and he ever got out of here, he didn't want to think about what he'd have to do to appease Lock. The worst case; the bag was in the hands of the police and he was about to go down for a very long time. The only good thing about such a situation being that Lock may have forgotten about his existence by the time he got out…a man could dream couldn't he?

He glanced at the door for the hundredth time since he'd been thrown in here several hours ago. Any slight noise from the other side would cause him to do this in the hope that it might open and he could either make his escape or at least be told what the hell was going to happen to him. No matter what it was, knowing was better than this endless wondering and theorising – it was giving him a headache…

…Evelyn quickly moved around her room, throwing whatever she might need into the small suitcase she was allowing herself. She would take whatever cash she had, not to mention her credit cards – she could buy whatever she needed on the way. As that thought crossed her mind she ceased in her frantic packing, a new worry nagging at her.

She'd already decided she was going to follow Imhotep to Cairo, for where else would she go? Where else could she go? She had friends in Hamunaptra, but Jonathan knew each and every one of them. She'd be found in an instant and right now she wanted nothing more than to get away from her brother. If she got to Cairo, Imhotep would protect her. He wasn't scared of Jonathan.

The problem now however was how exactly she was to get to Cairo in the first place. There was no way she would be able to fly after the commotion at the airport that afternoon. She'd be recognized in an instant. If anyone realized she was gone before she got there, or to the bus or train stations for that matter, she had no doubts that Jonathan would call one of his many contacts to make sure no one would sell her a ticket out of the city. He would also be able to trace her car.

Her shoulders slumped as more and more holes in her once seemingly flawless escape plan became glaringly apparent. It was becoming increasingly obvious that she was ill prepared for such a venture. She had spent nearly all her life in Hamunaptra, yet she could think of no one amongst her own friends and acquaintances who would be willing or even able to help her.

Just as she was beginning to think that her situation was hopeless, she caught sight of the newspaper where Jonathan had thrown it during his tirade that morning. She didn't know what made her walk over and pick it up, but as one headline in particular leapt out at her, she began to read…

HAMUNAPTRA TIMES

Seti's Jewellers Robbed

Seti's, the most popular jewellers in Egypt was victim to a break in last night by an unknown assailant. Police are certain that a professional carried out the theft as no alarms were tripped and nothing was disturbed save the substantial quantities of gold bars used in the manufacture of Seti's famous pieces. It is highly likely that the thief knew exactly what he was looking for. Employees in the Hamunaptra branch would in fact have remained ignorant of the break in until Monday morning if not for an off duty police officer leaving the Sultan's Kasbah opposite Seti's. The officer, Mr Hassan, had this to say:

"I was coming out of the bar it would have been around midnight, and I saw someone leaving the shop. No one's ever around that time of night and he was dressed head to toe in black. A big man he was. I called out and told him to stay where he was but he took off running.

I gave chase but he was too quick. I got one shot off but if it hit him it didn't slow him down at all."

Since there are no fingerprints at the scene of the crime, there is little which might provide useful in identifying this man. The only clue the police have is an image captured by one of the security cameras in the vault before it was disabled. (See photo below). Police urge anyone who recognises this, or has any information on who the thief might be to contact them on…

Evelyn's eyes squinted as she tried to make out the blurred black and white image shown. As best as she could tell, it was a man's wrist, exposed by the gap between his sleeve and his glove. The picture would have been entirely unremarkable if not for the tattoo marring the skin. She could make out the eye of hours in the centre of a pyramid, and there appeared to be a figure kneeling at either side. Though unaware of the significance of the symbol, she had a nagging feeling that she had seen it somewhere very recently. If only Imhotep were here, she'd be able to ask him…

That's it! That's where she'd seen it before!

Her mind flashed back to several hours earlier when that nasty man had reached out for Imhotep's wallet. He wasn't wearing gloves and his jacket had been grey, but as his sleeve had slid back, a tattoo in black ink could be seen clear as day on his wrist. It was him! The very man who had robbed the most prestigious jewellery store in Egypt was right now, sitting in the holding cell of the security office just two floors beneath her.

Surely he'd be as desperate to get out of here as she was.

Evelyn's hand unconsciously reached to touch the small key now sitting in the pocket of her jeans. A new plan was taking shape…

…At first glance, it would look like Rick was fast asleep. His eyes were closed and his head was lent back against the wall where he sat on the bench in the corner of the cell. Appearances however, can be deceptive, as he would soon find out for himself. He was actually wide-awake, but he had given up staring at the door in an effort to open it with the power of his thoughts. He hadn't heard anything from beyond the two-inch thick metal for over an hour. He could only assume that the police had more important things to do than to pick up yet another criminal, and that the men holding him had little interest in him at all.

Due to his resignation that he was likely to spend the rest of the night here, it was with some surprise that he heard the peephole on the door being slid open, undoubtedly so someone could peer in at him, and it took all of his self control not to open his eyes and sate his curiosity. When he heard the peephole slide closed again he let out a sigh, guessing that that was his excitement over for the night.

He jumped when instead of hearing footsteps move away, he heard the sound of a key working the lock and the squeal of rusty hinges as the door was pulled open.

"Are you awake?"

Rick's eyes did snap open when he heard the distinctly feminine voice whispering to him. That was certainly not what he'd expected. It took him several seconds to adjust to the change in light, but when he did he was instantly angered by what he saw. There in the doorway stood the woman who'd been there when he was apprehended at the airport. It didn't matter that with her long dark hair, smokey eyes and delicate lips she was one of the most attractive women he'd ever seen. It was partly her fault that he was here and that was enough to taint her beauty.

Apparently unaware or uncaring of his ire and irritated by his silence the woman spoke once more, her tone distinctly patronising. "You do speak English don't you?"

"Who are you?" Rick growled, not in the mood to cater to the morbid curiosity of high society brats. Why would she be here if not to get a look at 'the way the other half lived'?

"Evelyn Carnahan." She replied, her nose in the air, and Rick had the feeling she was used to people being impressed by her very presence. Of course he recognised the name, she was something of a celebrity around these parts, but he wasn't about to let her know that.

"What are you doing here Miss Carnahan?" he asked, forcing as much boredom into his voice as he could muster and pretending to study his fingernails intently.

He could see the slight furrow in her brow from the corner of his eye and hid his smile at the fact he seemed to be annoying her with his feigned indifference. For some reason, he instinctively knew that bating her was going to be fun.

"I have a proposition for you." She informed him primly. Rick replied with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "Oooh! It's nothing like that I can assure you."

"Shame." Rick shrugged. "You're not a total loss."

"Well I never!"

"Now that I believe."

"Look," Evelyn began again, frustrated by the direction this conversation seemed to be heading in and slightly embarrassed by his words "I'm serious."

Realising she wasn't likely to leave him alone until he at least heard what she had to say, Rick let out a put upon sigh before speaking with mock politeness "Then pray continue."

Narrowing her eyes but refusing to rise to the bait, Evelyn took a deep breath and mentally crossed her fingers that he wouldn't laugh in her face once she had explained everything.

"I know it was you who robbed Seti's - "

"Chalk one up for your side!" Rick interrupted pretending to be impressed with her little revelation. He'd figured it was only a matter of time before someone put two and two together anyway and saw no point in denying anything. "How'd you work that one out?"

"Your tattoo." She replied with a huff, disliking the constant interruptions – time was of the essence after all.

"They got a photo of that?" Rick asked rhetorically, lifting his wrist to study it as if he'd almost forgotten the mark was even there. "Go figure."

"Anyway," Evelyn continued, doing her best to reign in her temper "I assume you want to get out of here before the police come to collect you." Rick didn't bother to respond. "Well I need to get out of Hamunaptra too."

"What does that have to do with me?" Rick had a feeling he knew what was coming, but he wanted to hear it from her. She was part of the reason he was in this mess so he had no intention of making things easy on her.

"If I get you out of here," Evelyn explained as if talking to a very dim five year old "you help me get out of Hamunaptra and into Cairo."

It seemed simple enough, he reasoned. Too simple in fact.

"Why do you need me? Surely you of all people can afford a plane ticket."

"That's none of your concern." Evelyn insisted haughtily.

"I'm the one taking all the risks here baby," Rick told her, enjoying the angry flush his use of the word 'baby' brought to her cheeks. "I think I'm well within my rights to know why I'm doing it."

Evelyn, to her credit, refused to play his game. "Do we have a deal or not?"

Rick was silent as he considered his options. If he stayed here he would eventually end up in the hands of the police and he had little doubt that if he refused to help her, Evelyn would have no qualms about telling them what she knew. Even if she didn't, he'd be up the creek without a paddle once they spotted his tattoo. He'd been in prison before and really had no wish to go back.

If he went with Evelyn, she would certainly be a handful and probably drive him to distraction, but once they reached Cairo he would be rid of her and he could work out someway to sort things out with Lock, even if he couldn't get out of the country anymore.

It seemed pretty clear what he had to do.

"Okay." He grinned, "You got yourself a deal."

TBC…


A/N: So what do you think, any better? Please, please review and let me know if I should continue or quick while I'm…well not ahead exactly but you know what I mean. Reviews really do help my muse…I'm not above begging J

Thanks for reading.

KT x