Death's Advantages

He was a tall man, with proud steps and regal features. His tawny skin looked like gold in the flickering light of the torches. His eyes were dark and frightening, and his faint smirk had an air of cruelty that made his face all at once handsome and repulsive. Gretchen took a step backwards, her gaze fastened on the striking and surreal figure. The curator whispered that he was, in fact, the Creature--fully regenerated. And even though she had seen him before he was whole, and watched him transform into a sandstorm, Gretchen couldn't help seeing a human rather than a monster. Monsters could be defeated with a magic spell or silver bullets--but humans...people held the trump card. Imhotep was determined and real and tragic--the brutality in his eyes glistened with the triumph of retaliation--and he could not be a monster because he had a reason to be one. He needed to be vindicated--it was in his harsh gaze--and destroying him would never really be a victory.

Her breath caught with that passing musing--that was not her typical way of thinking. Sure, he was a person, but people were torturous, harmful creatures--especially when they were in power. A cold fear gripped her suddenly--not simply because she had been sympathizing with the Creature, but because someone else's words had been in her head.

But Imhotep's words were filling the air now.

"'Come with me, my princess. It is time to make you mine--forever.'"

She knew that voice. Gretchen jerked her attention away from the undead priest, meeting Beni's eyes in shock. He met her gaze and winked snidely.

"'For all eternity,' idiot," Evelyn corrected with a glare.

Beni caught Gretchen's eye again and jerked his head at the Englishwoman obviously, but the prostitute only sighed. She thought it was obnoxious of the librarian to correct him, too, but she also thought that making fun of her was unwise at this point.

Imhotep began to speak again, but stopped short. His eyes bored into Gretchen's, making her stomach clench with fear. He said something else that she didn't understand.

"He wants to know how you know Anck-su-namun," Beni stammered, quirking his head to the side in cofusion.

Gretchen could feel the wondering gazes of those around her, and wasn't sure where to look. She glanced at Ardeth helplessly, but he only stared back. She saw something like realization glimmer in his eyes--but then, it may have just been the firelight.

"I don't...I don't know," she answered slowly.

I will spare your life, but you must come to me.

Beni glanced up at Imhotep, plaintively translating Gretchen's words. The Creature continued to stare at her as he spoke again. Beni swallowed, turning his attention to Evelyn.

"'Take my hand, and I will spare your friends.'"

He jerked his head at Gretchen. "You are free no matter what they do."

She glanced at the others, confusion reflecting obviously in her weary brown depths. But they were not concerned with her; they were the ones in danger.

"Have you got any bright ideas?" Evelyn breathed.

O'Connell's eyes blazed with frustration, his gaze darting about the diseased crowd. "I'm thinking, I'm thinking."

Sheswallowed difficultly, catching his wandering eyes and locking them with her own. "Well, you'd better think of something fast, because if he turns me into a mummy--you're the first one I'm coming after."

Gretchen felt her throat tighten as Evelyn calmly stepped forward, resting her hand on Imhotep's. O'Connell started to protest, but her words and Ardeth's hands held him back.

"He still has to take me to Hamunaptra to perform the ritual."

The Med-Jai nodded his agreement. "She's right. Live today--fight tomorrow."

Gretchen watched O'Connell let her go--heard the growling threat in his voice as he promised the Creature that they would meet again, and saw the the smirking retort. Imhotep yelled something indistinguishable, and suddenly Evelyn was struggling--and the crowd was closing in. Beni easily picked his way over to Jonathan, wrenching something from his grasp. With a superior grin, he slipped over to Gretchen. He looked her over, nodding at her in acknowledgment.

"I have always known we are alike."

Gretchen glared. "Fuck you."

He shrugged. "I will be certain to let you, when this is all over." He winked. "See you at the end of the world."

Beni offered all of them an ugly grin before vanishing into the mess of people. Gretchen suddenly found herself alone in a clearing of the crowd, the diseased attackers closing in around the men. She twisted her head frantically, searching in desperation to meet one gaze. She prayed for the unnatural blue of O'Connell's eyes, and locked with the endless dark of Ardeth's.

"Ghazi's!" she yelled above the chanting. The Med-Jai might have nodded; before she could be sure, he disappeared into the chaos.

Gretchen took a breath and started running.

She had lived in Cairo long enough to know her surroundings, but her confusion and fear made the buildings and landmarks indistinguishable. Still, she ran on, eyes welling with frustrated tears and a pain knotting in her chest. She didn't know why, but she took a turn into an alley, and then raced onto another mainstreet. Her heart was pounding in her ears, but she could not stop--could not even slow down. She didn't know why she took a final turn until her feet skidded to a halt, air burning in her lungs. She blinked away the haze in her eyes, staring up at the rickety sign. The disheveled building looked even more sorry in the grim darkness around her.

Come to me.

Gretchen swallowed and mounted the steps. She leaned into the door, but it did not budge. Her brow furrowed in surprise; the whorehouse was always open at night. Too tired to be confused, she simply banged her fist against the rotting wood until she heard footsteps. The lock rattled and the door was opened a sliver. She met Ghazi's black, beady eyes urgently.

"Just let me in."

He swallowed and reluctantly allowed her through. She heard him lock it hurriedly behind her.

"Where the hell have you been?" he demanded hoarsely.

Gretchen gulped, suddenly remembering her unmentioned abscence. She decided to ignore that question for now. "Ghazi, you're a Med-Jai--"

He shrugged. She realized, just then, that his entire bulky frame was glistening with sweat. "Yes."

"Who's Anck-su-namun? How would she know me?"

A feral scream ripped through the building; Ghazi glanced upward and closed his eyes. "Where did you hear that name?" he whispered.

Gretchen swallowed, struggling to recover her breath. "I went on this dig to Hamunaptra. And ever since I got in the desert, I've had these weird dreams about Meela and that name..." She glared at him impatiently. "So can you tell me or not? 'Cause I'm starting to think I'm nuts."

The pimp sighed, gripping her hand in his own pudgy digits. "Come with me."

He led her up the creaking stairs, down the familiar hall to Meela's room. He motioned to the door sadly. Gretchen gnawed on her lip, afraid to glance inside. She stared at Ghazi in fearful confusion, but he only nodded at the threshhold again. With a defeated sigh, Gretchen pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Meela sat rigid in her chair, her hands and feet chained together. Her eyes were wet and her make-up was ruined from tears, but she met Gretchen's gaze calmly.

"I know why you're looking for me."

Gretchen stood stiffly on the other side of the cramped room, taking a breath. "Who is Anck-su-namun?"

Meela's shoulders rose and fell. "I am."

Gretchen forced a nervous laugh. "That's not--I mean...Okay."

"You've had dreams," she whispered, a sad and knowing smile in her eyes, "heard voices, seen strange things in your mind. I know. I have, too...my whole life. She haunts me because I am her."

Gretchen's brow furrowed, pretending to understand. "Hmm."

Meela's eyes flashed dangerously. Her voice cried out in pained defeat, "She wants my body! She says it is hers, and she wants you to take me to him!"

The American woman took a step back, her muscles tightening nervously. "He's taking someone else--"

"She wants me!" the Egyptian yelled. She let out a scream, tears streaming down her face. Pitiful sobs wracked her body until she finally had the strength to whisper. "And I want to be free of her."

Gretchen stared into the black, desperate depths of Meela's beautiful eyes, fear freezing her veins. She wanted to run out of the room, but a frightening tragedy in the other woman paralyzed her. Swallowing uneasily, Gretchen managed to pull the mystery together.

"So she bothered me...and--and spared me from dying and the plagues and all that--because she wanted me to bring you to Imhotep."

Meela nodded wearily. "You know what it's like, this life..." Her eyes brimmed with fresh tears, and she pressed her lips into a thin line. Closing her eyes against a sob, she let out a bitter sigh. "This dirty business...You know what it is to be unloved, and...and used..." She clenched her teeth, and her gaze flicked up with revived ferocity. "You know what it's like to think this whole world is shit and men are animals--you've felt it! This hopelessness! This...lie!"

Gretchen breathed heavily, gnawing on her bottom lip. She glanced away from Meela's eyes, afraid to acknowledge the pricks of truth in her words.

"She knew you did! She saw that in you! And she thought, perhaps, you would have sympathy for her...for me."

Gretchen swallowed hard, taking a few more steps backwards. "I'm going to need a drink."

But the Egyptian woman was shaking her head, eyes widening with urgency. "You need to get me out of here--you need to take me to him!"

Gretchen scoffed, grasping the doorknob readily. "No--"

A sob caught in Meela's throat; she screamed again. "Please!"

Gretchen opened the door, slipping out of the room quickly. The unfortunate woman's cries echoed through the building; Gretchen met her pimp's gaze in horror. She struggled for the words to demand, ask, wonder, state...but nothing came forth from her frazzled mind. Ghazi nodded knowingly, gripping her wrist in his hand and leading her quietly back down the stairs. She was surprised to see O'Connell, Ardeth, and Jonathan standing in the lobby. She was even more surprised to see the bottom halves of their pants soaked and smelling. O'Connell's glare forbade her from asking for details.

"You're alive," she managed with a wry smile.

Jonathan loosened his collar. "Yes, well. Barely."

Ghazi looked them over grimly, meeting Ardeth's eyes with something like reverence. "Imhotep will bring her back one way or another. I thought I could stop him by hiding Anck-su-namun's chosen vessel. But I was a fool."

Ardeth shook his head. "The only way to stop him is the Book of Amun-Ra."

"And what about Evy?" Jonathan piped up. O'Connell nodded his agreement.

"We must return to Hamunaptra and destroy him before he performs the ritual," Ardeth pronounced firmly. O'Connell nodded again, glancing around their company.

"I know a way we can get there fast." His eyes stopped on Gretchen, confusion knitting in his brow. "Whose side are you on?"

She froze, staring blankly back at him. "The good side...?"

O'Connell watched her a moment longer before his shoulders rose in a simple shrug, accepting her at her word, "Alright then. Let's go."

Gretchen supposed that, when the world was ending, cross-examination really became more of a formality.