Chapter 4

I have my tool kit in my hands, and try with the most dermination I can muster not to let my thoughts fall to O'Connell. It is overwhelming, but what I must not fail to remember that it isn't just us here, there is a whole team (well, three people including us) that need considering.

Ignoring the thoughts, I head in the direction of our 'area' (which Jon promptly named Juicy's place. Cretin.) He could at least show Mister O'Connell that his education wasn't a complete waste of time by calling its proper name, a sarnedji for crying out loud. It isn't my fault he could never quite get the hang of the Ancient language. I could faintly hear my brother talking to Rick, something along the lines of-

"If she tried a bit, you know, put a bit of make-up on now and again, she'd have all the young chaps after her! But Evy being Evy would never do that, would she?"

I hear an inarticulate grunt from Rick, and I laugh to myself.

"Well, that's what I thought old chap. She bought that bedouin dress for you O'Connell, I tell you. I've known Evelyn all my life and never would she dream of wearing anything like that."

I ignored my idiotic brother, safe in the knowledge that the, um, O'Connell matter is resolved. I grin to myself, remembering the soft feeling of his lips against mine...

I look over to my right, upon hearing Dr Chamberlain shouting at some diggers whilst the three americans play poker. How can they expect to discover, if they don't put down their cards? But that's perfectly alright, because if I have learnt one thing from my brother, it's to be competitve. And in this field of work, you need to be.

As I enter the chamber, not at all focused on where I am going, I hit my head on the ceiling. That hurt, I can tell you! I'm clumbsy at the best of times, but the more my thoughts wander into thinking about Rick, the accident prone I find myself...

I rest my purse and bag down at the entrance and settle down on an Anubis casket. Whilst rubbing my sore head something catches my attention upon the far wall. It is of course, a hieroglyphic scene, but only mentioning a warning to tresspassers that they will face a cruel death... I expect something more in reference to "He who shall not be named." but no such luck.

I brush about the place, searching for any reference to this mysterious person. But there isn't anything. No trace of anyone being buried here, apart from the whopping great sarcoughagus that my brothers' golfing antics discovered! Honestly, who plays golf in the ruins of an ancient city? I tut to myself.

I freeze when I hear shuffling and an eerie moan. A cold chill wraps itself around the room. I slowly lower my brush and walk quietly towards the entrance/exit of the catacomb. I hate to admit it, but I really wish that Jonathan or Rick were here right now...

"Hello?" I ask tentatively. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

I expect it to be Jonathan, afterall, he larks about at the museum, trying to scare me...why not here?

I bite my lip and quickly rush to the opening and peer out.

And I scream like a banshee!

"WHAT IN ALLAH!"

Is the accented reply that I get. A small man in a fez is standing infront of me. Cowardice seems to be radiating from him. Beni isn't it? I do recall O'Connell mentioning a 'friend' of his. He never did try to conceal his sarcasm upon his friends mention.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" I ask, bringing to aid my frostiest tone that Jon is all too familiar with. The little rat is rummaging through my purse and bag!

"You get away from my things right now or I'll-"

"You'll what?" he taunts cheekily, rising an eyebrow and showing no signs of releasing my posessions.

"Or I'll blow your head clean off, you sneaky little bastard." demands a deep baritone.

Now, that was most certainly not me answering! I look behind Beni to find Mister O'Connell and my brother standing there. O'Connell has two pistols out, steadily aiming them at Beni. I daren't breathe, as the tension in the room could be cut with a knife.

I feel my chest tighten, and I begin to wheeze. I get these fairly often, Panic attacks is what the doctor referred to them as. I clutch my chest as a get a soaring pain. I'm suprised that I haven't got one earlier, when the desert men attacked- but that's probably because I was pre-occupied last night...

"You okay old mum?" asks Jonathan, eyeing up the man before us and pulling a face. He slips past the two other men, and comes to my side. I stand defiantly by my brother, seeing that Beni is completely surrounded. I give the man a nasty glare. Rick's eyes are narrowed dangerously.

Beni suddenly seems scared out of his wits, and tries to weasel his way out with a big grin.

"Why O'Connell! I am so very very sorry! I did not know that the girl was with you. I'd better just-" He gave me back my things.

"Yeah, you better had." growls Rick, not lowering his guns.

I quickly check through my things. "Erm, O'Connell, some of my things are missing." I tell him, my eyebrows raised. He looks even more furious, if possible, and I can sense the anger radiating from him.

"Are you alright though? Cos if this shit-"

"I'm fine." I manage to choke out, keeping eye contact with Rick to let him know that I am telling the truth, also trying to hide my red cheeks from his language.

I hate to tell on the man, as he is very scruffy, but he had stolen from me. Rick reaches out and grabbes the smaller man by the collar, and dragges him back towards me. He aimes his gun at the mans chest. I am rather shocked and unused to this violence, but given the past few days events I am hastily growing used to it.

"Give her her stuff back." Upon Beni's hesitation, Rick cocks the gun. "NOW!"

Frantically, Beni pulls out his pockets and returns my earrings, money and Jonathans's pocket watch.

"Hey! that's mine!" Jonathan snatches his watch back and gives the man a fierce look. I could take this moment to tell my darling brother how alike he is to O'Connells' friend, but I doubt he'd take that well!

I sigh heavily as Beni runs away. I clutch at my chest, panting heavily. "Thank you, Rick."

I freeze at using his first name, hoping that my brother hasn't heard me, afterall, he would jump to all the unlikely conclusions.

He looks at me with concern in his eyes. "You alright?"

I notice that he's careful not to get too close to me infront of my brother.

"Panic attack dear boy. Doesn't get them that often now, do you Evy?"

I shake my head, feeling it clear. "Thanks Jon." I smile, walking back to my half cleaned wall.

"By the way, why did you both come down here?" I ask, not facing them and making myself busy with excavating.

All the time this man is in my presence, I long to be next to him. Even in the heat of a battle, even facing annoying little men... I can't help but be confused at last night, even though everything was clear. I dread, but I am also excited at the prospect of being alone with Rick again. Dreading what he'll say, and dreading what he won't.

I am snapped out of my thoughts by Jon answering teasingly-

"We heard your screaming Evy! Anyone as far as Cairo could've heard that!" My brother gives me a hearty shove and a smirk.

"Oooooh! Push off Jon, he really scared me..." I reply, shoving him back.

"We thought that one of the yanks were giving you a hard time, or that juicy here had woken up." He grinned manically while gesturing to the mummy that still lay in it's sarcoughagus against the far wall. Rick laughed as he adjusted the strap on his gun bag.

"Why, really, you two..." I smile at Rick, then return to my brushing.

I smile at Evelyn's back. If she keeps slipping up and calling me Rick, then her brother is going to click that something is going on soon.

I watch her, her little concentrating face, her nose wrinkled, biting her lip...

And I want to be attached to that smart little mouth again.

I put my hands in my pockets as Jonathan paces around, no doubt trying to get re-accustomed to the place.

Evelyn seems to notice that I'm watching her, and shoots me an irritated look when her brother isn't looking.

"Where are you going?" She asks. I pull a face. I was too interested in her than to be paying attention to where her brother was.

"For a wander." He replies, as he hear his footsteps retreat.

Evelyn carries on brushing away at the same piece of wall. By now, there isn't a trace of anything left on it. I grin, wondering how long it's going to take her to come over.

I sit back on a casket and fold my arms.

I sigh.

"Ooooh!" She moans, dropping her brush and walking over to me, a gleam in her eyes. "How am I supposed to work when you're distracting me?"

"Um, you don't." I reply, half smirking. She smiles coyly at me. She's standing really close to me now, obviously wanting to shorten the distance even more. I keep my arms folded. That'll teach her for not coming over sooner.

I'm standing very close to him indeed. I don't know what has come over me, but the way he's looking at me I can tell he wants to kiss me.

I look at his folded arms. "Is that a hint, Mister O'Connell?" I say slowly.

I turn around, and head back to the wall. I look over my shoulder and jump to find him standing behind me.

He leans forward and just as our lips are about to meet-

My brother walks in, and we fly apart.

"What was all that about?" He asks.

"What?" demands Rick, a little too quickly.

"Who's leaving?" He asks, smirking. "Can't hack it Evy?"

"Of course I can. I really need to get that book Jonathan. I doubt 'hacking' it comes into it-"

And then it hits me. I have a brilliant idea!

"They found a book you said?" I ask O'Connell.

"Yeah, why?" He leans dashingly against the wall.

"And what are we looking for?" I smile.

"My dear sweet baby sister! I cannot believe that you are going to sneak into the Americans digging area and steal their book!" chirps Jonathan, clapping his hands.

Honestly. I roll my eyes.

"But I thought you were after a golden book, the book of Amun-Ra?" asks Rick puzzled.

"It might give us a clue as to where our book may be hidden. And according to you two, it's not stealing, it's called 'borrowing'." I tell him.

"You do one thing, yet you say another." tells Rick.

"Yes yes, rather a hypocrite, aren't you old mum?" Jonathan sits himself down on the Anubis casket, and drops his rucksack.

I shake my head. "I do not in the slightest contradict myself. I am only doing this because it is important. An exception to the rules. Yes, that's it, it's exempt because they did cheat us out of that dig site."

"Only 'cause you said they could have it!" recalls Mister O'Connell childishly.

"It wasn't worth you getting burnt, or shot over for that matter. I have consideration for human life, unlike Mister Chamberlain." I say with an air of finality. I pick up my brothers sack, and root through it. I pass Rick the tools that we were using yesterday to break up through to the American's chamber. I grab my toolkit and purse and set off out of our catacomb until we reach a dead end.

Jonathan pulls a face at me. "Where in arse are we going?"

I shrug back, and follow Evelyn to the dead end.

Never in a million years would I have thought she'd come up with a plan to steal from our competitors! She just didn't seem that kinda girl, to be honest. I like her, an awful lot. I mean I must do. Everything thing she does...

"And how exactly are we going to get into their area?" moans Jonathan wearily. I shoot him a glare.

"Ah! Now that's it!" She says cheerfully, ignoring her brother. Evelyn reaches up on the tips of her toes and points to a rather blackened area of the wall. She brushes away at it with her hand. I've only just properly noticed how small she actually is. Eventually, she finds some hieroglyphs and calls me over.

"Can you knock just this section through please?"

She smiles at me, and I grin back as I wack that part of the wall out with my hammer-thing.

"According to the hieroglyphs Mister O'Connell just destroyed, the antechamber, that's where the Americans are, is just along to the right and slightly up. We are on slightly higher ground, so I doubt it will be hard." She puts on her concentrating face again. "To get there undetected, we must get into this shaft and go left- instead of right- and we'll hopefully re-appear in there area."

She smiles triumphantly.

"Jonathan, I need you to distract them. Invite them to play poker or whatever it is you do." I tell him firmly, brushing my hands down on my dress and trying to see into the hole that Rick just made with his hammer-thingy.

"But Evy-" He begins childishly, in that annoying, whiny tone of his. I give him a look.

"You heard the lady." Interrupts O'Connell, looking unimpressed.

Jonathan shoots me a calculated glare, and slouches off, making no attempt to rush himself.

Rick must have seen me trying to glance in as he's suddenly next to me. He was able to see into the shaft a lot easier than me, due to his height and all. He looks in, and uses his flamboe to see through the distilled darkness.

"Do you realise that we're breathing in air that's over three thousand years old?" I tell him eagerly, relishing in this fact. He looks at me in confusion.

"It's amazing to think that this place has been deathly silent for three thousand years and that we're the people that disturb that quiet. Not one single soul has read these hieroglyphs since the day they were written and a select few after."

I don't expect him to enjoy the moment as much as I am, because not many people actually understand my feelings about this place...

He smiles at me, allowing me to see those handsome blue eyes clearly.

He looks in, focusing on what he can see.

"What can you see?" I ask him, in half a whisper.

"Not much. Can you hear them talking?"

I shake me head. Then go to speak. He puts a finger to his lips. A couple of seconds later- they seem to last a lifetime, which I fill by looking at his firmly focused face- he leans down and whispers to me, a breathy whisper that leaves me in a shiver.

"They've gone. Apart from that Egyptologist guy."

"I don't want to keep the book Rick. That would be wrong-"

"And you're against stealing. Yeah, I gathered." He smiles at me in a debonair fashion. "All you gotta do is read it, then put it back. Couldn't be simpler."

I ponder this for a second. I guess that he is right. I mean, he wouldn't lie about such a thing, would he?

"Hmm. Alright."

"Good. Ladies first."

He picks me up and before I can protest he's put me into the shaft.

"Well I never!" I cry, shocked, thrilled and British all in one motion.

"Just hurry up and get reading before Jonathan loses all his money and they come back." He tells me, grinning.

I can hear him in the shaft behind me, and I do feel slightly claustraphobic. It's pitch black because he had to leave the flamboe. I don't like it one bit.

But truth be told, there isn't another person I'd rather be stuck in here with.

Still thinking along that train of thought, I cry out when I feel my head hit something dawns on me. Oops. I hadn't thought about that.

I'm right behind her. I'm feeling sort of uncomfortable in this small space, maybe 'cause I'm bursting it's seams? Damn, it stinks! Dunno why she loves three thousand year old air so much...

I hear a bang that echoes throughout the shaft. What the f-

"Evelyn? Was that you?" I ask, coughing as dust makes it's way past me.

"Hmm. Ouch." I hear the fabric of her dress moving.

"Why've you stopped?" I ask impatiently.

"I forgot something. The exit to the shaft is blocked up." She whispers.

"Right." I reply slowly. And why didn't she tell us that earlier? Like before we got into the stupid thing? "Can't you try and hit through it? NOT with your fists."

I hear her pushing against it, then, I have no idea how, she manages to sit herself down on her ass and kick at it.

"It's not going anywhere." She replies, sighing.

Great. Just great. I'm gunna have to get past her with my size elevens and kick the damn wall through.

"I'll try at it. How can I get infront of you? It's not very wide is it?" I ask her.

I hear her breathing- half out of breath and half to indicate that the space is too small. "It's too cramped."

"It's okay. We'll be out in a second." I reassure her.

I reach out, and find her shoulder. "That is you, isn't it Evelyn?" I joke.

"Yes." She replies, giggling. Good, at least I made her laugh.

"This is going to get cramped. Why can't we just go back?" I ask, thinking how we can work this.

"Because we're facing forwards, silly. And if we go back then Jonathan will be back and we'll have wasted time." She informs me.

I reach forward, and jab at the wall. My knuckles are bleeding but I heard a satistfying "crack" as some of the wall fell away.

"Oooh! I thought you said no fists!" She argues, hastily turning to face me.

I look to my right. He's leaning from behind me, and I can feel his stubble on my cheek. My eyes are beginning to adjust to the dark now, and I am not enjoying the cramped conditions at all. I'm getting squashed, not that I wasn't really squashed before.

He punches at it again. "Stop it!" I shout. "You'll injure yourself!"

Out of frustration, I kick out as hard as I can and a large shaft of light appears from where the square of wall once was.

I smile to myself, and lean forward as he leans back. I look down, just to check that we are in the Americans area, and I go to get out.

Of course, being me, I under-estimate the drop and land on my rear. I hear a thud next to me, and the shifting of sand.

"Hey Evelyn, are you okay?" He asks me, extending a hand for me to take. I take it and he pulls me up. For a second longer than he should have, he doesn't let go.

I'm lost in his eyes again, but I really need to get on-

I look down and notice his knuckles. "They're bleeding. You really need to take your own advice sometimes, Mister O'Connell." I tell him, examining his cuts.

"I'll sort it later." He tells me, pulling his hand away, and nodding towards the area behind me.

I smile and walk over to the compartments but find nothing that hints at the Book of the Living. I hear Rick get out his guns. I can almost sense him surveying the room.

I kneel down on the grainy sand where Mister Chamberlain left the Book of the Dead. My dress is soon rubbing my knees, as gauze and sand obviously aren't the best for comfort. I cannot believe that I am finally in the presence of one of the most saught after books in history. I wonder what father would have said if he'd been here...

My hand reaches out of its own accord, and glides over the gold and dark parts of the book. I am mesmerised. My eyes sting, just from the excitement of it all, and the wishing that it could have been in better circumstances; that I had found the book, that there hadn't been all of the competition and trouble and that my mother and father could have been here, to see how I'm trying and hopefully suceeding...

I try the locks, but with no luck. I can't open it. The clasps are holding the cover firmly in place.

Rick must've heard me struggling as he's come over. "What's the matter?" he asks.

"It appears to be locked with something." I tell him, pulling a face.

He takes it from me, and checks it over. He then whips out a butterfly knife.

I jump up and snatch the book from him. "What are you going to do with that?!" I cry.

"Um, open it?" He replies jokingly.

"We can't just cut open a priceless artefact! Never mind the fact that the Americans will notice that someone has tampered with it. The clasps are pure gold anyway, and I don't think that Mister Chamberlain has figured out how to open it yet."

Rick shrugs and flips away the knife. I try to read the back, but stop instantly when I hear murmours and echos. Sand blows infront of us.

"Someone's coming!" I say as I place the book down again. O'Connell pulls me over to the shaft and lifts me into it, then he climbs in behind me.

I hurry through the small space and come out the otherside. I manage to get out and brush down my dress. O'Connell soon follows behind me.

"That was close." I breathe.

"Yeah." He grins.

I hope she doesn't get on to the reason about why I keep putting her in the shaft first...

I grin at thought of her being unaware that I was looking at her.

I feel bad now. I suppose I'll tell her later.

She smiles at me, and takes a step closer. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there Rick..." She flutters her eyelashes.

"Good thing then, ain't it Miss?" I reply, deepening my voice. I open my arms and she walks into them.

"I'm not used to all this you know." She tells me, as she rests her head on my shoulder.

"All this what?" I ask, confused.

"Attention. I wouldn't act this way around you if we hadn't had that heart-to-heart last night..."

"Last night what?" Demands Jonathan as he strides in. "What the bloody hell is going on here?"

His beady eyes flicker from me, then to Evelyn who's facing away from him. She goes stiff in my arms. I think quickly.

"She fell out the shaft. I've just picked her up-"

If he believes that...

"Good, nice to see you're looking after her. Made sure that she hasn't got concussion?" He asks, instantly believing my story. Well I'll be damned!

He turns his back, and in that second she stands away from me and pulls an annoyed face. I plant a kiss on her lips that lasts half a second and finishes just as her brother turns back around, frowning.

"I'm fine." She answers, smiling at her brother. Jonathan grins.

"As long as you're sure old mum."

He takes a seat on the anubis casket. I'm sure that really would annoy the guys who put it there...

After all the excitement just then, I don't know what to do with myself. I do actually feel rather queasy...

"Aren't you going to ask what we did?" I say, then wince at Rick's pained face and the passive shake of his head.

Perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say.

"I really don't think older brothers should be hearing that about their little sisters!" He cries, incredulous and jocular.

"Ooooh." I moan. Honestly, he is so childish at times.

Rick has taken an alert stance behind my brother. I raise my eyebrows at him. Jon misreads this and laughs.

"All right then, what did you do?"

"We got the book, didn't we, O'Connell?" I stress the intended use of his nickname. "But we couldn't open it." I smile, hoping that Rick will continue before I dig myself a deeper hole.

I was never good a lying. Jonathan has the art of that craft. I'm finding very hard not to let myself think-

"Yeah. So we left it. Just as you came back. I'm sure Evelyn has a better idea though." He grins.

I blink and nod at the same time. Oh no!

"Yes I have-?" I enquire, carefully.

"Sure you have." replies Rick incredolously.

"Hmmm." I shoot him an annoyed glare. "Oh yes! We'll solve that mishap later Jon. I assume that you got to winnings from the bet from them?"

"Yup." He grins.

"Well done." laughs Rick, folding his arms across his chest.

The silence in awkward to say the least. "It's a bit stuffy down here, isn't it?" I say, feeling very warm. "I'm just going to get some fresh air."

I head out, hoping that neither of them follow me. I'm certainly not in the mood to be aggitated. How could I have been so stupid? Me and my big mouth. My and my stupid idea...the book obviously would open like that now, would it?

Evelyn, you're letting this man get to you.

No I'm not. He does that all by himself. There's no letting him involved. I smile to myself and sigh when the fresh air hits my face.

I go to follow her, laughing inwardly at how tactless she is.

"Just a second." demands Jonathan. I turn to face him, with a look of disbelief on my face.

"Yeah?"

"I hope that, um, nothing is going on between you and my sister. I won't have it, do you hear me?"

"Yeah." I lie. "I hear you Jonathan. I certainly hope that you aren't threatening me."

"When it comes to Evy, I don't leave it to threats." He tells me, his sharp blue eyes staring at mine. "Just so you know though O'Connell. I'm not assuming that anything is going on-" He raises his hands here. "-But I don't want to see Evelyn get hurt because she's the only girl out here, understand?"

"Jonathan." I sigh. "I understand."

He nods and then grins. "But I know that you fancy her."

And with that he turns tail and gets out of the chamber as quick as a wink.

That was close. Sneaky little-

Anyways. I wonder what Evelyn's plan is? I do feel kinda bad for making her have to think one up...