I can't believe I let them dragged me into this. Jonathan always lied I just can't understand why Evelyn always fall for it. I walked behind Jonathan and Evelyn into the prison. I wore a long dress with a hat to block out the sun. "Welcome to Cairo Prison, my humble home." The short man said.
"You told me that you got it on a dig down in Thebes." Evelyn said to Jonathan.
"And you believed him?" I asked Evelyn. She glanced at me with her fast pace, "Yes, I did."
"Yeah well I was mistaken." Jonathan replied.
"You lied to us." Evy said.
"I lie to everyone what makes you so special? Azzy knew not to believe me."
"I am your sister."
"That makes you more gullible." When will this end? I love them, but their nagging bothered me to no end.
"Jonathan you stole it from a drunk at the local cashbah," I said from behind them scanning the area. "For an idiot you're pretty smart."
"Picked his pocket actually so I don't think it's a very good id-"he started turning around, but I stayed in place as Evelyn turned them back around.
"Stop being so ridiculous." She said.
I asked the warden when we approached him, "What exactly is this man in prison for?" I walked around Evy and Jonathan.
"This I don't know." The warden said, "But when I heard that you were coming, I asked him that myself." his accent was thick. It was a little hard for me to understand.
"And what did he say," Evy asked.
"He said that he was just looking for a good time."
The guards opened the door. A man with long hair with dirt all over him was shoved in the cell. My eyes narrowed at the man. But then it hit me. Rick. He's different: taller, longer hair, more muscle. This is not good. The man I've been trying to find is locked up in a prison. Looking for a good time. Never mind that I did leave him. I quickly run behind Evy and Jonathan with them paying attention to the men. Meeting him like this wasn't a good idea for either of us. The guards hit him on the back and I flinch when he fell to his knees. Evy looked at me funny, but I ignored it and turned away.
"This is the man that you stole it from?" Evy asked Jonathan
"Yes. Exactly. So why don't we just go sniff out a spot of tiffin." Jonathan replied trying to leave, but Evy wasn't having it.
Rick interrupted them, "Who are you?" his voice sent a shiver down my back. "And who's the broad? Excuse me, broads?" he said and tilted his head trying to look at me.
"Broad," Evelyn said offensively. I just snickered at her.
Jonathan stepped in afraid of what Rick might do, "I'm just a local sort of missionary chap, spreading the good word and all that. But this is my sister Evy. And our friend Aziza." Rick heads snaps up to me, but I hide my face with my hat.
"How do you do?" She asked him and glancing confusingly as to why I was hiding with Rick trying to see me.
"Oh, well. Guess she's not a total lost."
"I beg your pardon?"
The warden yelled something to which I couldn't understand. I pull my hat done further on my head and stare at Rick. He was staring at me until Evy directed a question towards him. He slowly turns his head, "Hello, excuse me?" he looks at her, "We both found your puzzle box and we've come to ask you about it."
"No," he just said.
"No?" she asked.
"No. You came to ask me about Hamunaptra." Of course that's what they want. A headache was forming in my temples from the outcome that's going to happen today. Evy will find her way out there and I would be stuck with her because I always had the instinct to protect her from danger. I look back to see that Rick had punched Jonathan in the face. Jonathan landed on the ground and Evelyn stepped over him.
She whispered, "You were actually at Hamunaptra?"
He smiled, "Yeah, I was there."
"You swear?"
"Every damn day."
"I didn't mean that."
"I know what you mean. I know I was there. Seti's place. City of the dead."
"Wait you went to the City of the Dead? And you're still alive. How is that possible?" The words poured from my mouth before I could stop them. "Sorry." I quickly spun around to the men working and nudged Jonathan with my foot. He was out cold.
"Could you tell me how to get there?" I took a peek at Evy. Rick looked at her in disbelief. The warden's voice came back to us. "I mean the exact location."
"You want to know?" She started to lean in.
"Well, yes." He gestured for her to move closer.
The next thing I see is that he grabs her face and kisses her. "Then get me the hell out of here." The guards start to hit him and drag him back behind the door. He had the nerve to do that right in front of me. I groaned to myself, this was not the time for that.
"Where are they taking him?" I asked the short warden.
"To be hanged. Apparently he had a very good time."
They brought Rick onto the platform to be hung. I stood next to Evy hoping that she could convince him otherwise. If not I was going to get him down myself. My eyes stayed on him the whole time. They went back and forth with the prices. The warden said that he was lonely and my hand went straight to my gun at his disgusting move on Evy. She whacked him on the hand. The warden said to let him go. "Rick!" I shouted his name and leaned over the railing. But his neck didn't break from the rope.
I looked to Evy encouraging her to talk. She sat down and started to talk. I kept my ears on them as I watch Rick. My gun was out of its holster. The percent was rising and falling. When I heard Evy say deal I quickly pulled out my gun and shot the rope holding him up. His body fell to the ground and Evy stood. Rick looked up at us. I ducked my head down and left the section.
Jonathan had left to go get a drink and Evy walked behind me, staying with my fast pace. "Aziza what happened back there? Did you know him? Well of course you did, you yelled his name and he recognized you from earlier." Evy told me.
We both came to a stop outside the prison. I said "He was just someone I knew in the past. And if he remembers me he most likely hates me."
Mr. Bey will be angry as us from not rearranging the books that Evy knocked over. I did get some men to help me pick them up with pay. But we got busy with packing and we had to leave the next day. I was just nervous as to what Rick would do. Maybe wait until we were alone to talk. He was never the one to have his business out in the open.
"Do you really think that he's going to show up?" Evelyn said the next morning as we walked towards our boat.
"Yes, undoubtedly knowing my luck. He's a cowboy, but I know the breed. His word is his word."
I snorted at Jonathan. "You have rubbish luck Jonathan, but it's true a promise is a promise." I said.
"Well, personally I think he's filthy, rude, a complete scoundrel. I don't like him one bit." She said bitterly.
"Anyone I know?" Rick pops up behind us. Evy stares at Rick with a look that makes me angry, but I just shake it off.
"Smashing day for the start of an adventure, eh O'Connell?" Rick checks his pocket and I just smile. I shake my head and pick up my bags. I turn around and walk onto the boat.
"And Azzy," Rick said before I left. "It was nice seeing you again." All I did was smile and head back on the boat not having the courage to tell him anything yet. Quiet funny when I've been searching for him for so long.
Later that night I sat on the railing of the boat close to Evelyn as she read a book. My mind was preoccupied by the feeling of dread that washed over me since Evy planned on going to the City of the Dead. My head leaned towards the moon with my eyes closed. A feeling of someone passing by me almost caused me to fall, but then it was gone. I leaned on the pole with the lamp.
A loud slam made me snap opens my eyes. My body jerked almost throwing me into the river. I grab the pole and twist my body onto the boat. My feet land on the solid ground. "Now who the hell-"I stopped there. Rick stood before me with a smile on his face.
"Were you always so jumpy?" he asked me.
I shrugged my shoulders, "I don't believe so."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare ya." He told me and turned to Evy.
"The only thing that scares me, Mr. O'Connell, are your manners." She said looking at him.
"Still angry about that kiss, huh?"
"Well, if you call that a kiss." I almost laugh. Sometimes Evy can have a backbone.
Rick unrolls his pack that's filled with weapons of different kinds. I got back on the railing and faced the water. I listened to the talk as I hummed a tune my parents used to sang to me. The small waves hit the side of the boat. Evy said something that made me pause in my humming.
"By the way, why did you kiss me?"
"I was about to be hanged. It seemed like a good idea at the time." Evy made an angry sound and got up from her seat storming off. "What? What did I say?"
I laughed, "Rick a woman doesn't want to be kiss because you're about to die. A woman wants to be kiss because she deserves it." I shook my head, "What happened to your charm?"
"It's still there." he paused in his talking. "Where have you been for the last few years?" Straight to the point.
I sighed and sat down in the seat Evy was in, "I went back to my home in America. I couldn't stay here until I knew they- I just came back a few months ago to look for you."
"And you found me in a prison. Why did you leave?" he wasn't looking at me, but out to the river.
"It was to keep you safe Rick. You keep you and my family safe. I was threatened-"
"I don't want to hear it. You could have told me. We both could have left together." He laughed humorlessly. "Can you believe we're still married? You're gone for four years and you think I would take you back?" he set his gun down on the table and looked me in the eye. "Did you even love me?"
"Of course I did and I still do. Rick this won't be easy, but I love you and I do hope that you forgive me from. You'll learn one day as to why. And maybe sooner than we think." I got up from the chair and left Rick to himself.
I went back to my room to dress in my long, black nightgown. I was sharping my knives and pacing back and forth. "Why did I come back?" I asked myself. "I could put us all in danger. I should have convinced Evy to just stay in Cairo, but no I was too curious." The moon shines bright through the window of my cabin. Sudden gun shots were heard on the boat. Without hesitation I grab my gun and knives and run out of the room.
When I got to the deck of the boat there were fires and people being shot. I pulled out my gun and started to shoot the men in black robes. Rick was just throwing Evy off the boat when I caught up with them. "Rick," I shook my head, "And here I thought your charm was gone."
He rolled his eyes, "You're next." A man jumped over the railing and onto Rick. I watched as they fought and tried to get a good shot, but Rick had it handled. After he pushed the man in the fire he came back to me and picked up his pack.
"O'Connell, O'Connell! What are we going to do?" The warden said running up.
"Wait here," Rick told him. "I'll go get help."
I jumped in the freezing water and Rick followed. We were the only ones that went to this side of the river. Everyone was climbing onto shore with Evy complaining, "We lost everything! All of our tools, all of the equipment. All of my clothes."
"Please Evy, just stop. We know what happened. We were just there. We have to focus on getting to the next town." I said wringing out my dress.
Someone started yelling from the other side of the river. "O'Connell! It looks to me like I've got all the horses!"
"Hey, Beni. Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!"
I laughed and walk ahead of the group and wrap my arms around myself. My hair flowed down my back in its natural curls. This made me think about when I was back in America where the Everest's had a pond on their land and they would let me go swimming, but when it got cold I would always run back home in the night.