Night soon fell. And this place was creepy at night. I didn't have a very good feeling about this. Quite frankly, I would just be glad when all of this was over. There were skeletons everywhere, and I couldn't help but to grip my weapon. Ardeth noticed this and placed a hand on mine.

"This place just freaks me out." I muttered.

He nodded. "I get the same feeling."

Jonathan on the other hand was freaking out, and stayed close behind Rick and bumped into him from time to time. I snorted and rolled my eyes at my cousin's antics.

"Come on." Ardeth gently said to me, taking my hand so we could catch up with the others. Once we had got to a cliff area, that's when we set all of our supplies down and started cleaning weapons and getting guns ready.

I made sure my crossbow was ready to go.

"You hear that?" Rick asked.

"What?"

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing." Rick said. I hadn't been paying much attention to noises, but as I focused, I realized I hadn't heard anything in awhile, not even the sounds of nature. That wasn't anything good.

Meanwhile, Jonathan had been looking around our area. "I say chaps, look at this. Shrunken heads. "I'd love to know how they do that."

We all gave Jonathan a strange look.

"Just curious." He shrugged.

"Trust me." I shook my head. "You don't."

"Do so."

I raised an eyebrow at him. I shrugged. "Okay then." I told him. "First of all, they would have to remove the skull from the person's head. The skin and stuff is removed from the skull and they place red seeds in the eyelids before sewing the eyes and mouth shut. The flesh and head is boiled in water with herbs and then the head is dried with hot rocks and sand, while molding it to retain its human features. The skin is then rubbed down with charcoal ash." I informed him.

Jonathan looked almost sick. "You were right Aaliyah. I didn't want to know."

"Told you." I shrugged, going back to the crossbow.

He then picked up the other gun. "You any good with that?" Ardeth asked, walking over.

"Three times Fox and Hound's grand champion, I'll have you know." I rolled my eyes at that statement and shook my head, not looking up from what I was doing. "You any good with that?" He asked, in turn, to Ardeth.

"You'll know soon enough." I looked up when I heard Ardeth unsheathe his sword in a demonstration to Jonathan. "Because the only way to kill an Anubis warrior is by taking off its head."

"I'll remember that."

I stood up once I was satisfied that my crossbow was in working order. When Jonathan went back to looking around again, Ardeth looked at me. "You know this will probably the last time that I see you for a bit." He told me. "After this, I am going to let the commanders know where we are."

"I know." I nodded. I didn't like it, but I knew that he had to, if we had any chance at defeating Imhotep once again.

"And in that chance we don't see each other after this is over, I'll meet you in Cairo later."

"Okay." I nodded again. "Just, please, be careful."

He nodded. "I will." He said. "And I trust you'll do the same." I nodded and looked at him. And what he said next totally threw me off guard. "I love you." He said. "Remember that."

While it took me off guard, I didn't look shocked, like he probably would've expected me to. And I didn't have to think about it, because I already knew that I loved him too, I had figured that one out years ago. "I love you too."

He kissed me then too, something else that surprised me, but I kissed him back before pulling away, knowing that they had to go. Rick lightly hit Ardeth's shoulder and then they left. I watched them go with a sigh. I probably looked like I wanted to cry.

I felt Evy's hand on my shoulder. "It isn't easy is it?"

I shook my head. "No, it's not."

"They'll be fine. We just have to keep telling ourselves that." She murmured, going back to look over the cliff.

"C'mon cuz." Jonathan lightly put an arm over my shoulder and led me over to Evy where we watched, and waited for something to happen.

It wasn't long before we spotted people, and raised our weapons in preparations.

"Jonathan?" Evy looked at her older brother.

"Yes?"

"That's my husband and my son down there. Make me proud."

"Today's that day Evy." Evy crouched down and cocked her rifle.

We saw Rick and Ardeth joining in on the gunfight, and I raised my crossbow, putting my hand on the trigger, but not squeezing it, not yet. Something appeared to be dragging some of the men down. And when we saw other men surrounding Rick and Ardeth, is when we starting firing. We also saw Alex, and started firing at people in Rick's way of getting to him.

I spotted Lock-Nah fighting with Ardeth again. Another man seemed to be coming up behind him, and I shot at that man, taking him down. I scanned around the fighting men. I found myself holding my breath a bit, watching Ardeth and Lock-Nah. Ardeth had the upper hand and soon took down Lock-Nah, and just as soon as I started to let out my breath, another man started to hold up a gun to him. However, Jonathan fired a shot at him, taking him down and I was able to sigh in relief.

"Oh thank you Jonathan."

He just gave me a nod.

Everything started dying down, and Evy looked at us. "Let's go."

"Thank God for that." I followed Evy and Jonathan followed me.

Rick caught up with us and set Alex down, and Evy quickly wrapped him in a hug. I was relived to see my nephew, but I was still a bit worried about Ardeth, even though I shouldn't be. I knew that he could take care of himself. That I knew was something I could count on.

Rick seemed to notice that and wrapped an arm around my shoulder as he caught his breath. "He'll be fine Aaliyah." He said. "You and I both know that he can take care of himself."

"Yeah, I know." I nodded. "Just like I know you can take care of yourself." I looked at my older brother. "And that's something that Alex got from you."

My brother looked over at Jonathan. "Hey. Nice shootin' Tex."

My cousin nodded. "What were those creepy little pygmy things?"

"Just the local natives." Rick waved it off.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. It was nothin'."

I raised a brow at that. "Nothing? Are you sure?"

However, my train of thought was interrupted by Alex. "Come on, Mom! Come on! Come on Dad!" He looked at us. "We have to get to the pyramid. I have to get the bracelet off now!"

"Oh, leave it on, Alex. Looks good on you." Jonathan said.

"No you guys! You don't understand!" He said. "He told me that the bracelet would kill me if I don't get inside the pyramid before the sun hits it!" He exclaimed. "Today!"

My eyes widened and I looked at my brother. "Rick..."

"Oh my god." Evy said, and I heard a screeching and turned around to see the pygmies. "And there are the local natives."

"Time to go!" Rick yelled and picked up Alex and started running.

"I thought you said it was nothing!" Jonathan yelled, following me.

"Where's Jonathan?" Evy asked, and I turned to look behind me and saw he wasn't there.

"He was just behind me." I said, but I turned back around and ran a bit faster.

We came across a fallen tree to cross over the water, and Rick waited until Alex, Evy and I went first, before taking up the rear.

"Wait for me!" I heard Jonathan yell.

"Hurry up Jonathan!" Both Evy and I yelled to him.

"Wait for me! What's that for?" He asked, noticing that Rick had a stick of dynamite in his hands. Knowing my brother, he probably had a trick up his sleeve.

"Ah nothin'. Just a little something in case of an emergency." He threw the lit dynamite to the pygmies, and one of them caught it. Then two of them started fighting over it, and the first one kicked the other one off the tree log. They got half way across the log before it went off.

"Rick." We all turned to look at what Evy noticed. It was the rising sun.

"Let's go Alex." Rick grabbed him and we started running again.