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If you're reading this please drop me a line or two. Even a 'cool' or 'good' will make my day!

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Chapter Two: Lie Low? Yeah, Right!

Riley's head broke the surface first. He had stayed under for as long as he could. The Nile wasn't the cleanest river in the world and when he'd opened his eyes underwater, all he'd seen was black murk.

Duh, Riley. It's dark out. He spit out some water and looked around. Their pursuers seemed to be gone. Then he realized something.

"Natalie?" he coughed, treading water. He didn't see her.

Great. And I can't see anything underwater. He sucked in a deep breath to go back down and look for her when she came up a few feet from him, coughing and sputtering.

"Natalie!" he called, paddling over to her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes. Yes, I think so. Are they gone?"

"I think so." Riley took her hand. "Come on." They started for the opposite bank. Riley hauled himself onto the grass and pulled Natalie up behind him. They lay there on the bank for a few minutes, breathing hard. "Well," Riley said. "That was new."

"Do you try to get all the girls you've just met killed?" Natalie asked him.

He was slightly taken aback. "No. I usually break them in with a little Marine Corps boot camp first," he said. "Besides, I seem to remember you were the one who jumped into the river!"

Natalie rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry about that whole 'saving your life' thing," she shot back. "Did you have any other ideas, Indiana Jones?"

Riley stared up at the streetlight. "Actually, no," he admitted. "I'm not very good at this whole clandestine adventurer thing," he said. "That's more Ben's job- he's more the Indiana Jones type than I am." He sat up and began rifling through his bag. "Speaking of which...Ben should probably know about this." He grimaced and pulled his hand out, then dumped his bag out. Water spilled out, and his cell phone followed the stream. "Great."

Natalie propped herself up on her elbow. "What?"

"My cell phone's dead. Guess that's what happens when you take it for a swim." Riley looked over at Natalie. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can find a pay phone, would you?"

Natalie sighed. She stood up. "Come on."

Riley looked up at her. "Where?"

"You can use my phone to call Mr. Gates," Natalie said. "You can't go back to your hotel because if those men are looking for you, that's the first place they'll go." Then, she smiled. "You're really not good at this whole adventurer thing, are you?"

He found himself smiling back. "Not yet." He jumped to his feet and followed her down the road to the bridge. "But I'm learning."

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Natalie O'Connell lived in the ninth floor of an apartment building that had a great view of the roof of the Egyptian Museum from it. "You don't distance yourself from work very well, huh?" Riley said.

Natalie shot him a glare. "Do you want my help or not, Mr. Poole?"

He held up his hand. "Sorry." He looked around her place. It was a small one-bedroom apartment. On her table sat a laptop, but it was mostly buried by papers and photos. Books were stacked wherever there was space. The lone bookshelf was packed two deep. Pictures of the pyramids, the Sphinx and a location Riley didn't recognize were plastered on the walls. "So you're into Egypt, huh?" he asked. It was a stupid question. But Natalie didn't seem to notice. She had pulled the little red book from her bag and was trying to dry it out with a blowdryer.

"I've always been in love with this country," Natalie said. She turned the blowdryer off and looked at him. "My mother was from here. My dad came to Cairo on business. He went on a tour of the pyramids, met her there. She was a tour guide. They hit it off right away. They got married at the Great Pyramid." She handed Riley a photo. In it was a smiling man with black hair and Natalie's eyes. The woman was gorgeous, obviously from the area. Cheops's pyramid loomed in the backdrop. A stray camel had wandered into the picture on the left side. "Maybe a little cheesy, I know, but my mother loved the pyramids."

Then she pointed. "My phone's um..." she craned her neck, "um, it's under there somewhere."

"Oh." Riley stepped over a pile of books on the floor and cautiously looked under a mound of paper. "Ah. Yeah. There it is." He picked it up. "This'll be long distance to China..."

Natalie shrugged. "Oh, it's okay. I think I can make an exception in this situation, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah I guess so." Riley picked up the phone and dialed. He saw Natalie go into the bathroom, carrying the book and blowdryer. She shut the door, but he could still hear the low hum of the dryer.

"Hello?"

"Ben!" Riley said. "Hey, uh...how's China?"

"You caught me about to go onstage for a lecture," Benjamin Gates replied from half a world away. "What is it?"

"Ben...um, you need to come to Cairo. Soon. There's these guys after the treasure." Riley said, then waited.

There was a pause. "Are you okay?" Ben asked, his tone concerned.

Riley nodded, then realized Ben couldn't see that. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I met this girl that works at the Egyptian Museum. We're at her place."

"Riley, I'm getting on the next plane. Lie low for a while," Ben said. "Be careful."

"Gotcha," Riley said. Then, "Oh yeah, I owe you twenty bucks."

Ben chuckled. "You can pay me later, like when you're out of mortal danger. Abigail and I are coming, Riley. Stay safe."

"See you soon," Riley replied. He hung up just as Natalie came out of the bathroom, Adventure in the Sands in hand.

"Did you get through to your friend in China?" Natalie asked.

Riley nodded. "He's on his way here. He said to lie low for a while." He looked at the little book. "Is it okay?"

She didn't know what he was talking about at first. Then she remembered the book. "Oh! Yes. Yes, it's fine. A little water stained, but all right."

Awkward silence. "So..." Natalie said. "Do you want to-to sit down?" Then she looked at her couch. "Oh. Um...here." She stepped past him and picked up a pile of books and set them on the floor in an open space. "There. There you go."

"Uh, thanks." Riley took the spot on the couch. Natalie found the remaining open patch of floor and sat down there.

Awkward silence. "So, Natalie. How did you end up working at the museum?" Riley asked her.

Natalie tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I was a librarian in the archives," she replied. "Actually, it was the same job that my great-great grandmother had when she first came to Egypt."

"Really? So...how'd she end up in Egypt?" Riley asked.

"Her parents lived here. My great-great grandmother Evelyn Carnahan was born and raised in Egypt, then went back to England for school. She came back here and got a job."

"Is she in the book?" Riley asked her, nodding to it.

Natalie caressed the cover of the book lovingly. Her fingers traced the script. "My great-grandfather mentions her several times. She almost died once," Natalie explained.

Riley nodded to the little book. "You should tell me about it," he said. Then, embarrassed, "I mean, if you want to. You don't have to, I just figured...y'know, since we're gonna be here a while...or at least 'til Ben gets into town...maybe..."

Natalie held up a hand. "It's quite all right, Riley. This is a story I enjoy telling." She opened the book. "You see, Riley, my great grandfather Rick O'Connell was a French Legionnaire. He met Evelyn here in Egypt. She was with her brother Jonathan. They were on an expedition to find the City of the Dead, Hamunaptra." She pointed above his head. "That's the picture there."

Riley craned his neck to look behind him. The poster of the place he was unfamiliar with was the one she was talking about. "Anyway...it was them and a group of American explorers. Unwittingly, Grandma Evy released the spirit of Imhotep. Imhotep wanted to bring his lover, Anck-su-Namun, the mistress of Pharaoh Seti back to life-"

"I read this part on the Internet," Riley cut in. "Supposedly Imhotep was killed, his spirit sent back to the underworld."

Natalie smiled. "That is correct, Mr. Poole," she said. "Now fast forward about ten years, and that's when Adventure in the Sands takes place. My great-grandfather Alex was eight at the time. He was on an expedition with his mother and father in Egypt. Evelyn found the bracelet of Anubis. They brought it back to London, where they were attacked by followers of Imhotep, people who wanted to raise him back to life. Fortunately, Ardeth stepped in-"

"Who?" Riley cut in.

Natalie bit her lip. "Sorry. I've read this book so many times I feel as if I practically know everyone in it, though I've never met any of them. Ardeth Bey was a leader of a tribe of Medjai, ancient guardians of the pharaoh. It was their job to keep the location of Imhotep secret."

"Sounds like they did a bang-up job," Riley said.

"It wasn't their fault," Natalie told him. "There was a woman, Meela. She was Anck-su-Namun reincarnated. She found Imhotep. Ardeth followed them back to London. He tried to protect Grandma Evelyn, but they took her. Rick, Jonathan, Ardeth and Alex went after her."

"Did they save her?" Riley asked, intrigued now. It all seemed so unbelievable, and yet he was fascinated.

She nodded. "It was quite the firefight, or so says Grandpa Alex."

Just then, Natalie heard the sound of breaking glass. She looked up at Riley. He'd heard it too. Natalie went over to the window and looked down. "Oh, no."

"What?" Riley asked, coming over to the window.

She pointed. "Your friends have returned."

"How did they..." Riley shook his head. "Great."

"We have to get out of here." Natalie grabbed Adventure in the Sands, a few maps and the photo of her parents. She stuff them into a backpack and shouldered it. "Riley, come on." She eased open her door. "Come on!"

Riley followed her out. So much for lying low.