Out of Egypt Chapter Fourteen.
Authors Note: I really have to get back into the swing of this story! It's been ages since I've worked on it. Anyways, on we go (hopefully). I do have a vague idea where this story is going to go, so hopefully it works out.
Disclaimer: None besides the characters you don't know belong to me. :D No infringement is intended!
Evie pushed her way off the train, barreling into people left and right.
"Sorry, excuse me, sorry," Alex said apologizing for his mother's rudeness.
"Evie!" Rick caught Evie's arm, "calm down." He dropped his hand to the small of her back, Jonathan shifted uneasily from foot to foot. His hands were jammed deep in his pockets and he looked tired from the tedious hours in the train.
"We need to go to that University, march in there—."
"We can't just march in there," Rick said.
"And why not?" Evie demanded.
Alex sighed, "Mum, you know Frankie. If you storm in there and demand she comes home, it will only make her more intent in staying in Egypt."
Evie's shoulders slumped and she nodded her head, "I know." She brushed her sweaty hair back from her forehead, "I just have the oddest feeling that she's—."
"—Raising the dead?" Rick deadpanned. "That's funny I have the same feeling."
A shrill scream rang out through the desert.
"Get away! Get them away!" Dierdre screamed, Frankie grabbed Dierdre's hand.
"Dier—" she began trying to calm her terrified friend, "calm down! Stop wait—just calm down!"
Dierdre screamed again and Frankie shook her sharply, "Stop shouting Dierdre it's all right, you're fine. I'm fine, we're both fine." Frances heard someone clear their throat and she turned around to survey the group of tired Mah'jai who surrounded them. "Well, so to speak."
Dierdre still looked frightened.
"Listen," Frankie said slowly. "You're. Not. Dead."
"Who are these men?" Dierdre blurted.
Both girls looked at each other at once.
"Pardon?" They said in unison.
There was a pause of confused silence.
"What do you mean 'I'm not dead'?" Dierdre wondered, "of course I'm not dead."
"Who are which men?" Frankie wondered, "these men? They're the Mah'jai."
"The who?"
"Ancient guards, used to protect the pharaoh. It's not important, what is important—"
"—not important? I think Frankie, anytime ancient guards who at one time used to protect the pharaoh come into the picture, it's pretty important." Dierdre pushed herself to a sitting "in fact, I'd say it's pretty damned important."
"The important thing is—" Frankie began again, "is we need to figure out exactly what—"
"What exactly did you get me into Frances O'Connell?"
Frankie paused mid sentence, her mouth hung open. She looked pretty disheveled. Her blouse was ripped and soiled with dust and dirt. Her hair had fallen out and hung in tangled ringlets down her shoulders. Her left cheek was scraped from their bout down the tunnel slide and she had burnt her finger with the match.
Dierdre, didn't look so hot herself. Her sweaty hair was stuck to her face, and her shirt was in the same shabby condition as Frankie's.
"What did I get you into?" Frankie demanded.
"Yes, I'd really very much like to know!" Dierdre exclaimed.
"I didn't get you into anything!"
"Oh," Dierdre replied sarcastically, she pushed her self to her feet, "well I guess the last three hours of my life must have been part of my imagination." Dierdre stumbled.
Frankie's face flushed with anger, "don't you dare put this all on me!"
"You? Need I remind you, that you're the one who—who—who wrenched the hand from the statue!"
"Ladies," Ardeth began, he had a feeling where this conversation was headed. And he was far to tired to deal with it.
"Well," Frankie replied, mocking Dierdre's tone, "need I remind you that you're the one who packed the bloody bag so full! If you hadn't done that, none of this would never have happened!"
"Please Frankie," Ardeth said, holding up his hand. But both girls paid him no mind, too caught up in their own argument.
"I knew it was a mistake to be paired with you!" Frankie shouted.
"Why didn't you just stay at home where you belong!" Dierdre screamed in retort.
The girls stopped, they were each breathing heavily. Clenching their fists and narrowing their eyes.
"Please ladies, would you please—"
"Why I ought to!" Frankie lunged at Dierdre.
"I wish I'd never met you!" Dierdre lunged at Frankie.
Ardeth closed his eyes.
Frankie pushed Dierdre, "don't you touch me!" Dierdre snarled, pushing Frankie back.
"Don't you push me!" Frankie snapped, giving Dierdre another shove.
"You have some—"
"LADIES!" Ardeth screamed, firing off a round on his rifle.
Frankie started and Dierdre screamed, latching onto Frances's arm.
"Do you see how mindless bickering gets you know where?" Ardeth demanded.
"She started it!" The girls cried out in unison.
"Nevermind!" Ardeth fired off another round, "that's not what's important." He glared at each girl in turn. "what is important is finding out how to stop what you've awoken." Ardeth shifted his weapon and Deirdre flinched, Ardeth shouldered his weapon. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"
To be quite honest, neither girl really knew exactly what they'd awoken with their carelessness. But by the look on Ardeth's face; both decided it was probably better to keep quiet.
Ardeth looked from Frances to Dierdre. "I just hope you Mother and Father get here as soon as they can."
Frances flinched, she could just imagine when they got here. She hoped Alex was there, he always came to her rescue. No matter how bad Frankie screwed up.
"Inyotef ," Ardeth began, "Would you mind getting Frankie and Dierdre something to eat," Ardeth turned to another soldier, who looked no taller than Frankie. When he pulled his hood away from his face Frankie saw that he was young.
"Wait a minute," Frankie said.
"—Den," Ardeth continued, ignoring Frances, "Get them blankets, and cloaks," Ardeth looked to Frankie, "we'll sleep here tonight." He explained in English.
"Here?" Dierdre squeaked, she smacked her arm, "we'll be eaten alive," Dierdre realized what she just said, "by God knows what, it isn't safe!"
"It will have to do," Ardeth replied, he looked at Frankie, "do you have a problem?"
Frances shook her head.
"Good," Ardeth turned and spoke to his men, they all pulled back their hoods and took packs from their horses backs. "It's late, and we're all tired. We'll figure out what to do tomorrow. I suggest you sleep, because tomorrow is going to be a long day."
Frances shifted her eyes to Den, who was staring at her stoically, somehow she didn't doubt that fact.
Anyways, tbc…per usual. Leave a review with your comments, but no flames please!
