*Annabelle's P.O.V.*

"Come, come! Welcome to Cairo Prison, my modest home," the warden of the Cairo Prison greeted us as we stepped through the gates that led to the courtyard. Evy's eyes were wide and she looked like she was going to get sick as she clinged onto Jonathan, her arm hooked through his. I was walking on her other side, making sure that she won't suddenly run off. There were many prisoners on left and right, and we were all slightly on edge. I was a little more calm, seeing as I had my gun hidden underneath my dress. We were here for only one reason: to find out where the puzzle box actually came from. We were here to see the man who owned it before Jonathan stole it from him.

"You told us you found in on a dig in Thebes," Evy scolded, not happy to be here at all.

"I was mistaken," Jonathan replied nonchalantly.

"You lied to us!" Evy said accusingly.

"He lies to everyone," I said with a sigh, turning to my younger sister. "What makes us so special?"

"We're his sisters!" she exclaimed.

"Which makes you more gullible," Jonathan chuckled nervously, making me roll my eyes.

"You stole it from a drunk!" Evy exclaimed in disbelief as we neared the cell of the prisoner we came to see.

"Picked his pocket, actually," Jonathan smiled nervously, pulling Evy back and turning her around, hoping that he will succeed in making us leave. Thankfully I was still here, so I just grabbed his other arm as he was turning around and pulled him back.

"Don't be stupid," I huffed and pulled him and Evy towards the warden as he stopped in front of a cell. Well, it wasn't actually a cell. It was a square of courtyard surrounded by bars. It was more like a cage, "What is this man in prison for?" I asked, and the warden looked at me.

"Now, this I did not know, so when I heard you were coming, I asked him that myself," he replied, staring at me the entire time, which made me cringe. He was absolutely disgusting! He smelled disgusting, looked disgusting; his teeth were even green and rotten!

"And what did he say?" Evy asked, and I thanked her silently as the Warden's attention now turned to her.

"He said he was just looking for a good time," the warden replied simply, making me roll my eyes slightly. Just as he finished the sentence, the door to the internal cells opened, and two guards came out dragging a man in shackles. They shoved him against the bars, and when he just stood there stiffly, they hit him in the back with a metal stick, causing him to fall on his knees. I examined him quickly. He has obviously been here for a long time. His dark red hair is long and knotted, he has a scraggly beard, and he obviously hasn't washed in a while.

"This is the man you've stolen from?" Evy asked in disbelief, and Jonathan cringed as she said that out loud, not wanting the man to hear what she said.

"Way to go, Evy."

"Who are you?" the man asked in an American accent, staring at Jonathan, before his eyes landed on me and Evy, "And who are the broads?" Evy looked completely outraged at what he called us, but I just sighed and rolled my eyes, crossing my arms across my chest. I've been called worse.

"I am a missionary who spreads the word of God, and these are my sisters: Anna and Evy," Jonathan said nervously, stepping forward and pulling us with him.

"How do you do?" Evy asked with a small smile, trying to be polite.

"Yeah well, I'm sure they're not a total loss." The man said, his eyes lingering on me a little longer than on Evy. I rolled my eyes again, whilst Evy looked at him outraged and offended.

"I beg your pardon?!" she choked out in disbelief, but was interrupted by the warden shouting something in Arabic to someone across the courtyard.

"I'll be right back," he threw at us, before walking away. I sighed in relief as the horrible smell of his left the air.

"Ask him about the box," Jonathan whispered to Evy.

"Um, we have found your, your puzzle box, and we've come to ask you about it," Evy said politely with a smile.

"No," the man shook his head, causing Evy's smile to falter.

"No?" we both repeated.

"No. You came here to ask me about Hamunaptra," the man said, and my siblings quickly looked around to make sure that no one around us was paying attention to what we were saying.

"How do you know the box pertains to Hamunaptra?" I asked, and the man turned to me.

"Because that's where I found it. I was there," he simply replied, and Jonathan suddenly stepped forward, leaning down to look him in the eyes, whilst Evy stood there, stunned.

"And how do we know that's not a load of pig swallow?" my brother asked, and recognition suddenly flashed across the man's face.

"Hey, do I know you?"

"No, I just have this face-" the man's eyes suddenly widened as he realized where he saw Jonathan before, and cut my older brother off by punching him square in the nose. Jonathan fell back to the ground, holding his face, and Evy quickly rushed to his aid, while I just picked up the hem of my dress slightly and stepped over him, wanting to find out more about Hamunaptra from this man. One of the guards clubbed him in the back for hitting Jonathan, but I could care less at the moment. My brother deserved it. Besides, it's not like his nose was broken.

"You were actually in Hamunaptra?" I asked, intrigued. The man's eyes fell on me, and a sly grin started to form on his face.

"Yeah, I was there."

"You swear?"

"Every damn day," I couldn't help the small smirk that grew on my lips as I heard his reply, while Evy looked up at him from where she was on the ground, helping Jonathan sit up.

"No she meant-"

"I know what she meant," the man cut her off, before looking at me once again, "I was there, alright? The City of the Dead." He said, waving his hands shakily as he said 'The City of the Dead', mocking the creepy part.

"Could you tell me how to get there?" I asked, and he raised his eyebrows at me. I turned around as I heard the warden coming back, and quickly took off my hat and held it at the side of my face as a barrier so that no one would hear what I was saying. "I mean, the exact location."

"You want to know?" the man asked.

"Yes."

"Do you really?"

"Yes," I repeated, growing a bit annoyed and leaning further in as he gestured for me to do so. The next thing I know, he grabbed my chin with his hand and pulled my lips onto his. The kiss was short, but I couldn't pull away even if I wanted to because I was in too big of a shock.

"Then get me the hell out of here," he said as the guards started pulling him away. He put up a fight while I stepped back, still in shock. "Do it!"

"Did he just...?" Evy stood up and stood next to me, looking at the retreating man in disbelief, unable to finish her sentence. I couldn't even find my voice so I just nodded.

"Where are they taking him?" I asked the warden, forcing myself to speak, as he came over to us.

"To be hanged," he replied nonchalantly, causing mine and my sister's eyes to widen. "Apparently, he had a very good time,"

"I will give you 100 pounds to spare his life," Evy said as we and the warden sat on a balcony where we could see the gallows. One of the guards led the man who kissed me up the steps, and forced him to stand still.

"I would pay 100 hundred pounds just to see him hang," the warden replied, and I sighed, closing my eyes briefly. This is not good.

"Two-200 pounds!" Evy tried.

"Proceed!" the warden called, ignoring her.

"300 pounds!" my sister pressed as the hangman tied the noose around the man's neck.

"We're not letting him go, right?" the hangman suddenly mocked after exchanging a sentence or two, which we could not hear because we were too far away and we could barely hear anything because of all the prisoners' yells, with the man, but still looked at the Warden for opinion.

"Are you out of your mind? Of course we're not letting him go!" the warden called back, and the hangman smacked the man who kissed me at the back of his head.

"500 pounds!" I tried, and the warden raised his hand, signalizing for the hangman to wait, and turned to me, interested.

"And what else? I'm very lonely," he said, putting his hand on my left knee. As fast as a flash, I took out my gun from my holster on my right leg, and pointed it at his head.

"Get... your hands... off me," I ordered dangerously, and he quickly did so while I put my gun away. Suddenly, he yelled something in Arabic to the hangman, causing him to pull the lever that opened the trap door beneath the man who kissed me.

"No!" Evy and I both yelled and got up on our feet, as the man who kissed me fell down and started hanging. He started making choking sounds, trying to free himself as Evy and I watched in horror. The warden let out a laugh.

"His neck did not break!" he exclaimed as if it were the best thing ever. At the moment though, it probably was. The prisoners then started pushing against the guards, trying to reach the gallows, while my sister and I fell back onto our chairs, "Oh, I'm sorry. But now we have to watch as he strangles to death," he addressed me and Evy as we watched in worry.

"He knows the location of Hamunaptra," I finally blurted out, and the warden turned to me.

"You lie."

"She would never!" Evy exclaimed.

"Are you telling me that this filthy, godless son of a pig knows the location of the City of the Dead?" the warden asked skeptically, but with a hint of greed in his eyes.

"Yes," I replied.

"Truly?!"

"Yes. And if you cut him down, I'll give you..." I trailed off as I looked at the hanging man, whose eyes started to roll back into his head. "10 percent!'

"50," the warden started negotiating.

"20,"

"40,"

"30,"

"25," he said, and I grinned, knowing that he didn't even realize he made the deal better for me.

"Aha! Deal!" I grinned in triumph. Realization dawned on him and he groaned, for a second looking like he wanted to smack himself across the face.

"Cut him down!" he yelled, and the guard cut the rope the was hanging on, causing him to fall down. He now could breathe, and I stood up, looking at him with my eyebrows raised. The man rolled over on his back and stared at me in surprise, but also gratitude and amazement in his eyes, making me smile.

"Do you really think he's going to come?" Evy asked Jonathan skeptically as we made our way through the crowd of people at the Giza Port the next day. We were supposed to meet Richard O'Connell here, the man we saved the day earlier.

"Undoubtedly," Jonathan assured. "I know his breed. He may be a cowboy, but his word is his word,"

"Personally, I think he's filthy, rude, and a complete scoundrel," Evy said with a bit of disgust in her voice. "I don't like him one bit,"

"Anyone I know?" I heard an American accent from behind me, making the three of us turn around. Mr. O'Connell walked up to us; shaved, showered, with a new haircut. I have to admit, he is a very handsome man. Evy's jaw dropped, and she looked at him with wide eyes. Mr. O'Connell raised his eyebrows at her, and she cleared her throat, setting her bags down on the ground as she looked at him with a dumbfounded expression.

"Oh... Um... Hello,"

"Smashing day for the start of an adventure, eh, O'Connell?" Jonathan asked with a chuckle, patting Mr. O'Connell's chest as if they were best of friends.

"Yeah," Mr. O'Connell agreed with a strained smile as he shook my brother's hand, "Yeah, smashing," He then quickly pulled out his wallet to check if it was still in his pocket, which made me chuckle quietly as I also set my bags on the ground.

"Oh, no. I'd never steal from a partner, partner," Jonathan said, which made Mr. O'Connell relax a bit as he chuckled as well.

"Oh, yeah. Since we're on that, sorry about the..." he trailed off and made a punching motion with his fist.

"Oh, no," Jonathan waved him off. "It happens all the time,"

"Mr. O'Connell, can you look me in the eye and guarantee that this is not some sort of flimflam?" Evy asked daringly.

"Because if it is, I'm warning you-"

"You're warning me?" Mr. O'Connell cut me off with raised eyebrows, before looking me dead in the eye," My whole damn garrison believed in it so much that, without orders, we marched halfway across Libya and into Egypt to find that city. And when we got there, all we found was sand, and blood," he said with a tiny hint of pain in his eyes, before breaking the eye contact, "I'll take your bags," he offered, before grabbing my bags and walking away to step onto the boat, leaving me to stare after him with a puzzled yet intrigued expression.

"Yes, yes, you're right," Jonathan told Evy sarcastically, "Filthy, rude, and a complete scoundrel. Nothing to like there at all," Evy just stared at him before laughing a little, before grabbing her bags, ready to get onto the boat as well.

"Greetings, everyone," I heard an Arabic accent and smelled a foul smell, before seeing the face of the warden whom I negotiated with yesterday.

"Oh, no, what are you doing here?" I groaned in annoyance as he started walking up the stairs that led onto the boat.

"I came to protect my part of the deal," the warden simply replied, which made me sigh in irritation. This is going to be a long trip.

I was now sitting on a chair at one of the tables on the boat, reading a book I borrowed from Evy, seeing as she was already asleep in our cabin. The lamp on the table gifted me with just the right amount of light I needed to read, and the music played in the background. I decided to read about the Lost City, Hamunaptra, or at least anything that was so far recorded about it, seeing as no one has ever been there and returned to tell the tale. Except for Mr. O'Connell, of course. But then again, we only had his word for it.

I was snapped out of my reading when a duffel bag suddenly dropped on the table in front of me, with whatever that was inside of it making a big noise, making me jump and gasp in surprise. I looked up, only to see Mr. O'Connell standing above me, smiling a small smile.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," he apologized as he took off his jacket, allowing me to see him in a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a brown gun holster strapped to his shoulders.

"It takes a lot more than that to scare me, Mr. O'Connell," I replied before looking back to my book as I muttered, "Your manners, for instance,"

"You still angry about that kiss, huh?" he asked, making me look up again.

"If you can even call it a kiss," I said, before going back to my reading. Just a moment later, a whole collection of different kinds of weapons and ammunition rolled out on the table in front of me as Mr. O'Connell sat on the other side of the table, "Did I miss something?" I asked as I looked at the multiple weapons laid out in front of me, which included even dynamite. "Are we planning to fight a battle?"

"Well, there's something out there." Mr. O'Connell said as he checked if the chamber of his pistol was empty, "Something underneath that sand," he said before putting the gun back in his holster.

"Yes, well, my sister is hoping to find a certain artifact - a book, actually - while my brother thinks there's treasure," I said as Mr. O'Connell took out another gun, "What do you think is out there?" I asked as I grabbed one of his knives and inspected it in the light.

"One word: evil," Mr. O'Connell replied, "The Bedouin people believe that the city is cursed," he said as he watched me while I looked at his knife. "Well, it looks like you at least know how to hold a weapon properly, that's good," he mused, and I rose my eyebrows as I looked at him.

"I know more than just how to hold a weapon, Mr. O'Connell. I know how to handle one," I said as I put down the knife and took out my gun from the holster that was on my thigh underneath my dress. His eyes widened, and he looked at my face with something close to admiration, or impressiveness in his eyes.

"Whoa," he muttered, making me smile a small smile as I put my gun away.

"Anyways, my sister doesn't believe in curses, hokum, and fairy tales, so there is no way you can tell her that without being laughed at," I said.

"What about you? Do you believe in curses?" Mr. O'Connell asked, and I fell quiet for a second.

"No," I answered, looking down for a second before looking back up at Mr. O'Connell, only to see him watching me intently. "However, I do believe that the book of Amun-Ra is buried there. It contains all the secret incantations of the Old Kingdom. Evy and I were both interested in it as children, which is why I even let her come with me on this expedition in the first place. Usually I wouldn't, seeing as she doesn't even know how to punch someone in the face without breaking her own hand, but I couldn't say no this time. It's been her dream for as long as I can remember, and I can't take that opportunity away from her,"

"And the fact that it's made out of pure gold makes no never mind to you and your sister?" Mr. O'Connell asked in what seemed to be slight disbelief, but with a small smile on his face.

"You know your history," I smiled.

"I know my treasure," he corrected, making me chuckle as he cocked his shotgun.

"Um, by the way..." I trailed off as I waited for him to look at me. "Why did you kiss me?"

"I don't know, I was about to be hanged. It seemed like a good idea at the time," he answered nonchalantly with a small smirk as he cleaned another one of his guns, making me scoff and shake my head as I grabbed Evy's book and stood up, walking away from him. Men, "What?" I heard him ask quietly, but didn't pay attention anymore. "What'd I say?" I simply shook my head once again and walked further away before I stopped by the camels and petted one on the head. It nuzzled my neck, making me chuckle as I took a step back. Suddenly, I felt two pairs of eyes watching me, making me turn around, only to see O'Connell with a scrawny-looking man next to him watching me. I looked at O'Connell for a second, before walking away and heading towards mine and Evy's cabin.