Sorry for the delay, it isn't my best but after such a long hiatus I need to get back into it and it wouldn't fair on you guys or the story (or me!) to not update my favourite work.

------------------------

I feel my back start to blister with the heat...but my mind shakes it away as I would a sore throat. This isn't just about me anymore and sure, I'll be the first to admit to regretting signing on but taking one look at her face makes me realise I'd do it all again in an instant. I've never had worse odds against me, but somehow I manage to keep the quips coming, and keep Jonathan from fully realising the extent of this- which I'm not sure about I mean, is that a good thing?

Without realising it I've cocked my gun three times in the past minute, and Ardeth is giving me a look.

"Is everything alright O'Connell?"

No, does it goddamn look alright? You guys failed at your job of stopping him getting woke up for christs' sake! We all know now that she shouldn't have read from the book but surely they shouldn't let Hamunaptra be so readily found. I mean, if a guy like me can remember the directions...

"Everythings swell aint it." I grit my teeth, barely trying to hide my sarcasm.

"I will do all I can to help you get the girl." He says, grasping his machine gun. I'm amazing he even knows how to use it but then again once this is all over I could ask him for some knife tricks.

"That girl is my sister and she has a bloody name!" argues Jonathan, still spluttering sand, trailing behind.

"Evelyn-" I stress. "Needs us now. I don't have time for this!"

I feel for him I really do. It's his baby sister. If I had family I'm pretty damn sure I'd be the same, except I'd move my ass a bit quicker than he is.

I speed ahead, breaking into an even run. I won't stop, I can't stop. I've seen too much in my life to let it all fall away. I trip, rocks and sand pass me...I keep going. It's got to be so much more than coincidence for me to have gone with the legion, for her to come the day I was to hang... I faintly hear Jonathan calling me.

"Get a goddamn move on boy!"

And then we're there. At the entrance and I'm dragging Jonathan over blocks and sand like there's no tomorrow.

And without Evelyn, there may as well not be.

My face is gleaming with sweat, patched with dust and sand. I don't have time to wipe it away. I practically throw the brit down our entrance only just giving him time to grab the rope. Then there's Ardeth and me.

If that undead bastard has hurt her, I can't even explain to myself what I'll do but he will it'll be a hell of a lot worse than getting buried alive I can assure ya. This girl, the feeling she's stirring up inside me and I don't mean those kind. Sure there's them, I'm attractive to her physically but then there's her spirit, her determination.

And as for Beni getting what he deserves...the bastards been living on borrowed time as it is. I shoulda shot his ass on the boat. If there's one thing I can't stand apart from liars it's a liar that lies about their true colours. He's a weasel if I ever met one. We were never friends- just two guys who ended up in the legion, serving their time. If he had it his way he'd be right back where he was six years ago I reckon.

The corridoors seem darker but we quickly get them lit- Jonathan finds perfect excuses to avoid physical excursion so we just make him carry the flamboes. Not a word is spoken between us and I can't stand it any more.

"How long to shift these rocks?"

"With three of us? I'd say about 15 minutes." replies the arab strongly.

"Too long." I shake my head.

Then her brother pipes up. "Count me out boys, my back-" He clutches his back for good measure. Lazy ass.

"This is your sister! You-" I try and grab him, a mixture of disbelief and anger on my face. The Medjai interrupts us without breaking the tussle.

"O'Connell-O'Connell! We can do it, let him be. We can do it."

Jonathan meets my eyes for a second and I have to push him off. I can't let him see how she's got to me. She's inside my head, amongst other places- but a soldier never lets anything personal get in the way. I've got through enough on my own. Seen things people should never see, had to do things people should never have to do in their life only once, and I've done them countless. I can only imagine what Imhotep could do to her-

"Fine. We'll do it ourselves." I drop my gunny sac whilst giving him a cold stare. My whole body tenses as it ponders and replays that last thought.

"That's it! Chop Chop! Take the smaller ones from the bottom otherwise the whole thing will cave in on us-"

I allow my rock to fall. I turn and raise my eyebrow: when will he learn to shut up?

"Hmm yeah right chaps you get the idea! I'll just-"

I shift more rocks, and then my hand flies to my holster when I hear- "AAARGHH! MY ARM! MY ARM! O'CONNELL HELP!"

Part of me wants to ignore him but my insticts have kicked in already and I spin round to find him squirming against the wall, scratching and clawing at his left arm frantic...blood begins to seep through his shirt.

I grab his scrawny arm and tear his shirt sleeve open, my mind racing. What could do this? There is a whole in his hand the size of a quarter. What the hell? Blood is oozing with entrails of skin and membrane...I can see the tendons flexing with his struggling.

"Hold him Ardeth!"

Jon see's my expression and his wild eyes meet mine. "GET IT OUT!"

"WOAH!" Suddenly there is a bulge in his upperarm that is unmissable.I find my butterfly knife and look at him sharply. He ain't gonna like this.

I dig the blade in, trying to avoid any veins or arteries, I nip a few but nothing too serious. I feel something hit the blade, almost pushing it away deeper into his body. I press harder, and the Brit squeals in pain.

"Hurry my friend!" urges the Arab.

I flick the blade up. and a black thing pops out landing a few feet away from us. Those scuttly little bastards! Scarabs...

My gun finishes him off with a satisfying 'pop'. I smile at Jonathan whilst wiping the blade on my pants. "All sorted."

He's white and shaking, spitting on the floor. "What a nasty critter. Argh.." He wrapping his arm up, stemming the blood flow.

"Nice and tight now Jon, don't want your arm fallin' off."

I pull more stones than it probably took to build Rome, but you'd have to ask Evelyn how many that is.

And I fully intend to, once I've finished with that undead bastard.