As nightfall blanketed the world in darkness, the river boat chugged along the Nile. Whilst the world around them seemed to sleep, the people aboard the barge seemed to come alive. There was a group of Americans who sat around a table playing poker with Jonathan. The redhead who sat in the back corner alone couldn't quite hear what was being said, but she assumed they were all talking trash to one another. There was another man at a table not too far away that Eden easily recognized as Doctor Chamberlain. She remembered reading about him in the paper and how he was considered a laughing stock back in the states.
Eden watched as her brother made his way through the masses, speaking with Jonathan and the Americans for a few moments. He looked a bit startled for a moment, before grinning. As he walked away, he grabbed the older Carnahan sibling by the shoulder rather tightly. Rick then made his way over to Eden, checking on her. The two spoke for only a moment before Rick wandered off, no doubt to find Evy.
The redhead stood, cracking her back as she went before meandering out of the dining room and to her shared cabin with Evelyn. Upon reaching the room, she found the brunette already there, stepping out of the powder room and dressed for bed in a white nightgown. She couldn't help but to think that the woman looked flustered, upset, and a little pissed off.
"Oh," Evy startled, seeing the other woman enter the cabin. "Hello, Eden."
The redhead smiled. "Hi," she replied smoothly. "I'm gonna take a shot in the dark here and guess that Rick said something stupid and insensitive."
Evy gave a shy smile, nodding her head. "Yes," she replied. "But I hope you don't think I would let that reflect poorly on you, Eden. You seem to be a bit less, well, abrasive than your brother."
Eden snorted out a chuckle, flopping down on one of the bunks. "I can be," she said easily, pillowing her head on her arms. "But, I also know how to read social cues and hold my tongue," she said. "Sometimes," she added with a shrug and a cheeky grin. "But, Rick means well. Even if he does have a funny way of showing it. My brother is what I consider an acquired taste."
Evelyn chuckled at the redhead. "I consider my brother an acquired taste, as well," she said with a fond smile. "Much like you and Rick, Jonathan and I only have each other." She sat down softly on the bunk across from Eden. "Our parents died in a plane crash. My mother was Egyptian, so we have dual citizenship. Jonathan and I have made a home here, and though we've taken separate paths, we still stick together."
Eden nodded. "Rick and I are pretty similar," she explained. "We grew up in an orphanage, mom died and dad just vanished. We scrapped to get by, but we did. Rick taught me to fight and how to use a weapon. We traveled a lot, even going separate ways, but we always kept in touch." She then sat up, crossing her arms over her knees with a faraway look in her blue-green eyes. "I got really worried, coming back to Cairo for a while when I hadn't heard from him. He's my best friend," she said. Eden then brought her gaze back to Evy, the brunette slightly taken aback by the emotion in her eyes. "And I thank you for saving him when I couldn't."
Evy smiled, nodding her head. What could she say to the woman who looked at her so earnestly and openly? There was nothing she could say, and Eden took her silence as a sign of understanding, laying back on her bunk once more, and closing her eyes.
Eden could hear Evy moving about the cabin, the pitter patter of her footsteps and the closing of the window. However, one sound stood out. A creaking floorboard. The redhead then shot up, eyes wide, as Evelyn was grabbed by the neck by a man dressed head to toe in black. His left hand was wrapped around her throat, his right hand a nasty looking hook.
"Where is the map?" he questioned with a thick accent.
Eden acted quickly, tearing the revolver from her hip and aiming it at the man with the hook. The sound of her gun loading a bullet in the chamber caught his attention, his dark gaze moving away from Evelyn to the redhead.
"Let her go," Eden ground out.
There was a banging sound, tearing her attention from the hooked man to the door. Eden watched as her brother burst through, a revolver in each hand as he called out their names. The man with the hook quickly turned Evelyn, holding her in front of him. The window burst open at that moment as well, another man in black aiming his weapons at Rick. Eden acted quickly, shooting the man and firing several shots alongside her brother. One managed to hit the lantern that was on the wall, the oil lamp shattering and quickly setting the small settee ablaze.
Eden turned back to Evelyn upon hearing a screech of pain. She saw that the brunette had grabbed the candlestick, shoving it into the man's eye before running to Rick's side. Eden followed suit, grabbing her rucksack and following behind Evelyn and Rick. The man from before popped back up in the window just as the three made their way out of the cabin, Rick shooting back at him as Eden covered Evy.
Once out in the hall, they began to run. However, Evy stopped short, gasping and eyes wide as she exclaimed, "The map! I forgot the map!"
Rick easily grabbed her arm, stopping her from running back into the blazing cabin. "Relax," he told her, the epitome of calm. "I'm the map. Its all up here," he assured her, pointing to his temple.
Evy rolled her eyes, allowing herself to be dragged along while muttering sarcastically, "Oh, that's comforting."
Eden, despite the situation, couldn't help but let out a chuckle. "Trust me," she assured the brunette. "Man's got a good memory."
The three quickly made their way from the interior of the barge to the main deck. Eden couldn't help but to take in the chaos around them, Rick grabbing his gunny sack and dropping it in Evy's arms with a quick, "Hold this."
As he went to reload his gun, shots were fired from one of the upper decks, hitting the wall next to the trio. Eden had taken it upon herself to keep Evy shielded at all times, watching the woman's back and trying to keep her safe. It was the least that she could do after she had saved her brother from the noose. Rick just continued on loading his weapon as more bullets kept coming. Eden grinned, watching his calm disposition melt away as Evy yanked him by his holster strap before the bullet hit him. He quickly pried her hand away, nodding at his sister, before both of them came out from around the corner guns blazing.
The siblings made quick work of the men in black robes, making their way quickly to the railing of the ship. Eden, however, somehow found herself separated from her brother and Evy. The sound of a sword being drawn caught her attention, and she quickly abandoned her gun for the large knife she kept at her waist. Spinning on her heel, Eden blocked the oncoming attack, gritting her teeth at the power behind it. With great difficulty, she pushed the sword away from her, along with the man who wielded the weapon. She then crouched into a defensive position, holding her knife close to her, and watching the man before her.
He came forward, slashing at her again, but she blocked quickly. Eden crouched low, rolling to his side and popping back up behind him. She raised her knife to attack, but the man moved fast, dodging it, but not before the blade had caught his turban, tearing into the scarf that covered his face.
The fabric fell away, and Eden's eyes widened at the man that stood before her. Were this not a life or death situation, she would have commented on how handsome he was, with fathomless dark eyes and neatly trimmed facial hair that matched the dark waves that framed his face. This man was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. The tattoos on his face and forehead, hieroglyphic symbols that she couldn't decipher at the moment, added a mysterious element.
The man regarded her for a moment, chest heaving from exertion. The two continued their staring contest, almost ignoring the chaos around them, until she heard her brother's voice yelling for her. Shaking her head, the auburn haired woman turned her back to the man and ran. She didn't know if he had decided to give chase and follow or not, but she didn't care. She had to find her brother.
Upon reaching Rick, he regarded her with a glare, asking, "What happened to staying on my ass, huh?"
Eden rolled her eyes. "I'll remember that next time I'm in a fight!" She then grabbed the rail, throwing her legs over and jumping into the dark depths of the Nile.
Kicking her feet, Eden broke the surface, quickly making her way to the shore as her brother followed. Evelyn had thankfully found her way to the river bank, Jonathan as well. The quartet watched as the warden broke the surface of the water, struggling, but managing to make it all the same. Eden had half a mind to shoot the man and blame it on the tribesmen who attacked the barge, but she knew that Rick wouldn't let her.
"I can't believe this," Evelyn exclaimed, walking next to Rick, Jonathan leading the way. "We've lost everything! All of our tools, our equipment!" She then looked down at herself, voice small. "All of my clothes."
Eden shook her head. Trudging through the silt, she made her way to Jonathan, ignoring his complaints of, "Hey! That's mine!" as she derobed him of his suit jacket. The sight of Eden cocking a refined brow in irritation got him to shut up, and the redhead gave him a cheeky grin before making her way over to Evy.
"Here," she told the other woman, placing the jacket on her shoulders. "It's still wet, but it should help you to keep some modesty."
Evy nodded, smiling in thanks and wrapping the fabric around herself. She then looked to Rick, following his gaze across the river as someone began shouting, "O'Connell! Hey! O'Connell! Looks to me like I got all the horses!"
Without missing a beat, Rick yelled back to the little weasel in an almost sing-song voice, "Hey, Beni! Looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!" He then shook his head, turning back to the group. Taking in the sight of a shivering Evy and bloody Eden, Rick made the decision that they would travel to the closest village for supplies and clothes before continuing on their journey.
Eden felt very pretty, wrapped in the soft fabric that the local women had dressed her and Evelyn in. The brunette looked breathtaking in ebony silk, the fabric accentuating her figure and very flattering with her sun-kissed skin. She bore a sheer veil with gold beads, the material wrapping around her hair and her shoulders. Eden had been dressed in something similar, though in a navy blue. The gown was lovely, reaching down to her ankles and showcasing her womanly figure that she usually hid beneath men's clothing. Her hair was left loose, the tresses thick and wavy, pulled back from her soft face and held back by a scarf that had been wrapped around her head.
The two women thanked the local ladies, Eden throwing her now dry clothing into her brother's rucksack. They then made their way to where their brothers were. Jonathan was haggling with one of the local vendors over camels, arguing loudly. "Five! I only want five! Not a whole bloody herd! Can you believe the price of these fleabags?!" Eden giggled, listening to him continue to bicker as Rick yelled at him to "just pay the man" in exasperation. "Yes! Very happy! Can you believe the cheek?"
Rick laughed at the other man. "We probably could've gotten them for free," he said with a grin. "All we had to do was give him your sister."
"Or yours," Jon replied quickly, catching sight of the two young women. "It sounds awfully tempting."
Rick seemed stumped at the sight that greeted him. Eden grinned behind her hand, watching as Evy and Rick seemed to get lost in one another for a moment. "Awfully," her brother mumbled, patting the camel that headbutt him, taking his attention away from Evy.
Eden quickly grabbed the woman's hand, pulling her along. "Ah, young love," the redhead spoke, laughing as Evy seemed to choke on and trip over nothing, honey brown eyes wide as she took in the other woman. "It's okay, Evy. You're the only woman I've met so far whose actually deserving of my brother. You guys have me rooting for you."
Evy sputtered, mounting her camel as Eden did the same. She glared at the redhead as she heard her soft giggles fill the air. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about," she denied.
Eden simply clicked her tongue, urging her mount forward. She gave Evy one last cheeky smile and a quick wink, before looking ahead to the desert that awaited them. And then, they were off.
Eden O'Connell was lost in thought as the small group made their way through the desert sands and scorching sun. She was thankful for the camels being their mounts rather than horses, lest the journey take even longer. The beasts upon which carried them were sturdy, built for long travel and the harshness of the Sahara. They were quite loyal, as well, Eden's own mount being a loveable creature and rearing its head back for scratches quite often. The redhead would only giggle softly at him, scratching his head lovingly before clicking her tongue to urge him on further.
Jonathan began complaining as the sun began to set, whining about their rides. "Never did like camels," he grumbled, pulling on the reins. "Filthy buggers. The smell. They bite, and spit." Everyone then watched as the fat warden spit something from his mouth, leaning over the side of his own mount before sitting upright once again. "Disgusting," Jon pointed out.
"Don't get the camels confused with pigs, Jon," Eden warned, a glint of amusement in her blue-green eyes and a grin on her full lips. "It's an insult to camels everywhere, my friend."
Evy giggled along with the redhead, leaning up and patting her camel on the head in affection. "I think they're adorable," she proclaimed, smiling all the while.
Rick said nothing, instead sharing a small smile with his sister. It was quickly wiped from his face, however, when the warden began singing loudly and off key. He rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath about "killing that pig and making it look like an accident". Eden let out a maniacal cackle, riding past her brother and trying to calm herself before she fell.
The group rode on late into the night, each of them slowly nodding off as the sun was replaced by the moon. Jonathan was comically bobbing along with the movement of his camel, using the whip to hold himself upright. The warden rode next to him, snoring loudly. The sound must have woken Jon, because he jerked up, whipping his head in the direction of the fat man. Eden bit her lip to stop herself from laughing out loud as Jon quickly smacked the warden, before making it seem as though he hadn't moved. The warden startled awake for a moment, looking around in surprise before shrugging it off and beginning to doze once again.
Eden let her eyes travel from the comical duo to that of her brother. She could see him riding next to Evy, shushing her camel as he nudged her upright, stopping her from falling and taking a tumble into the sand. She was going to comment on how sweet he was, but the sound of horses stopped her short.
She urged her camel forward, riding next to Rick as they both looked up to the plateau that rose above the desert sands. A group of men, silhouetted by the moon and dressed all in black, watched them intently. Eden's gaze never left the men as she asked her brother, "They've been following us, haven't they?"
Rick nodded, his own gaze locked onto the men. "Yeah," he replied. He then turned to Eden, watching as she seemed to struggle to look away. "No doubt we'll see them again."
"Yeah," Eden mumbled in reply. "No doubt."
He resided upon his horse, his men flanking him on either side as they overlooked the small group below them. The moon shone brightly behind them and his steed gave a soft whiny, the man reaching forward to pat the beast in a calming manner.
He could see two members of the group turn to look at them, taking note of their presence in the darkness of night. The man he could easily see was the same man from years before. He had been sure at that time that the desert would surely end him and his bones would fade away with the sands like so many others. Yet, here he was, leading a group to the cursed and sacred city just a few years later.
He knew of the woman in black, as well. A trusted source of his had told him that she had somehow gotten hold of the map, as well as the key. He had followed them just a day before, trying to retrieve the key and map whilst they were still on the boat in hopes of stopping them. However, that plan had failed. One of the other men in the group had made off with the key and the map had been burned to ash along with most of the barge and any poor soul trapped on it.
The other woman in blue he recognized as well. She had been dressed in masculine clothes on the barge, fighting as well as any of his brothers. The woman was fierce and formidable, dodging his attacks with speed and grace. When she had managed to rip through his face covering, his deep brown eyes had locked onto her blue-green ones and he had found himself unable to look away. The woman was enchanting, with pale skin and hair as fiery as her spirit. He remembered being unable to move, something in him screaming that he knew this woman from somewhere. But where? He would remember a woman such as her.
Shaking his head free from those thoughts, he inclined his head in the direction of the American man, telling his brothers, "This one is strong," in his native tongue.
They continued to watch the group as they descended further into the Sahara, before urging their steeds to move on. They needed to regroup with the others. And soon.
