Jamila and Evelyn were sharing a cabin while Jonathan Mr. O'Connell had their own.
"I'm going to read on the deck, care to join me?" asked Evelyn.
"Sure," smiled Jamila as she grabbed her own book.
"He doesn't seem that bad," said Jamila.
"I still don't like him," said Evelyn. "And I'm still not sure he's actually been there.
"Suit yourself," said Jamila turning her attention back to her book.
A few short moments later a brown bag was plopped onto the table in front of them. Causing them both to jump.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to scare ya," said O'Connell.
"The only thing that scares me, Mr. O'Connell, are your manners," said Evelyn.
Jamila chuckled at the comment.
"Still angry about that kiss, huh?" he said taking off his coat.
"Well, if you call that a kiss," said Evelyn.
"Ouch," said Jamila.
Mr. O'Connell took that moment to unroll his bag. Strapped inside the bag were bullets of various caliber different guns.
"Um, did I miss something?" asked Evelyn. "Are we going into battle?"
"Lady, there's something out there," he said looking at one of his guns. "Something underneath that sand.
"Yes, well, I'm hoping to find a certain artifact," said Evelyn. "A book, actually. My brother thinks there's treasure. What do you think's out there?"
"In a word? Evil," said O'Connell. "The Bedouin and the Tuaregs believe that Hamunaptra is cursed."
"Oh, look, I don't believe in fairy tales and hokum, Mr. O'Connell, but I do believe one of the most famous books in history is buried there," said Evelyn. "The book of Amun-Ra. It contains within it all the secret incantations of the old kingdom. It's what first interested me in Egypt when I was child. Its why I came here – sort of a life's pursuit."
"And the fact that they say it's made out of pure gold makes no never mind to you?" asked O'Connell as he polished his shotgun.
"That's why I'm going," said Jamila. "I'm with Jonathan on the whole treasure thing. I could always use some more money."
"You're incorrigible!" said Evelyn to Jamila. "You know your history, Mr. O'Connell."
"I know my treasure," he said.
"Um…by the way…why did you kiss me?" asked Evelyn.
O'Connell chuckled, "I don't know. I was about to be hanged. It seemed like a good idea at the time."
"Ohh!" huffed Evelyn as she stood up from the table and left.
"What? What'd I say?" said O'Connell.
"That is not what you should tell a woman when she asks," said Jamila. "Even if it is the truth."
Jamila stood up from the table and follows Evelyn back to their cabin.
"George Bembridge…in eighteen-sixty" Evelyn read a she walked around the cabin. "Hmm.. 1865 was…was…Oh for heaven's sake, girl, it wasn't that good of a kiss, anyway."
"It seemed pretty good from where I was standing," laughed Jamila.
"Hush!" said Evelyn as she closed the window to their room.
She walked over to the mirror and started to brush her hair when her book fell off the counter. When she stood up again there was a man standing behind her. He grabbed her by the throat and put a hook up to her cheek. Evelyn looked around and saw that Jamila was lying on the floor unconscious.
"Where is the map?" asked the man.
"It's…it's…there," said Evelyn motioning to the table.
"And the key? Where is the key?" asked the hooked man.
"The key? The key? What key?" asked Evelyn.
"Evelyn!" shouted O'Connell as he kicked the door in.
O'Connell turned to shoot the man in black but he pulled Evelyn in front of him. That was when the window swung open and a man started shooting. In the fire fight O'Connell shot the lamp causing it to fall and catch the couch on fire. Evelyn grabbed the candle in front of her and stabbed the man in the eye with it.
She hid behind O'Connell as she made a run for the door. She was halfway down when she remember the map, and Jamila.
"The map! The map! I forgot the map!" she shouted turning around.
"Relax! I'm the map! It's all up here!" said O'Connell grabbing her hand.
"OH, that comforting!" said Evelyn. "But Jamila was in there too!"
"Christ!" said O'Connell.
At that Jamila came running out of the room coughing and waving smoke out of her face.
"Come on!" shouted O'Connell.
"Hold onto this," he said tossing his bag into Evelyn's arms while he reloaded his gun.
"We might want to move to a better hiding spot!" shouted Jamila when a man started shooting at the wall next to them. That was when Evelyn grabbed O'Connell to move him, a bullet hit the wall where his head had been.
The girls followed him across the deck while he shot at the various men dressed in black. When they reached the side of the boat he took his bag from her and tossed it on the ground.
"Can you swim?" he asked Evelyn.
"Of course I can swing, if the occasion calls for it," she said.
"Trust me. It calls for it," he said picking her up and tossing her over the side of the boat.
O'Connell turned to Jamila.
"Don't even think about!" she said.
O'Connell reached out and grabbed her arm and pulled her close to his body. "It's either stay on the boat or go for a swim. And you look like a swimmer," he said tossing her over the edge after her cousin. Not two seconds later a man in black jumped over the rail and attacked O'Connell.
"O'Connell! O'Connell!" shouted the warden running up to him. "What are we going to do?!"
"Stay here! I'll go get help!" shouted O'Connell as he dove over the side with his gun bag.
The warden stood there for a moment before shouting a going over the edge of the boat after him.
"We've lost everything! All our tools, all the equipment! All my clothes All Jamila's clothes" said Evelyn as they made it to the river bank.
"O'Connell! Hey! O'Connell!" shouted Beni from the other side of the river. "It looks to me like I got all the horses!
"Hey Beni! It looks to me like you're on the wrong side of the river!" shouted O'Connell.
Beni looked around before he started cursing and kicking the water.
The group collected what little that had and made their way inland hoping to find a town soon.
They soon found a town that was willing to help them. Jonathan and O'Connell set off to find transportation while the women took Evelyn and Jamila into a tent to get them decent clothes to wear. The women of the village kept tossing the warden out of the tent while the girls changed clothes.
The girls caught up to the men as they walked over with the camels. Evelyn was dressed in a black sheer-like dress and matching veil. Jamila had on a burgundy on with a matching veil. She could see the way O'Connell was staring at her cousin. They each took a camel and started out across the desert. It was going to be a long journey with not much to look at.
"Never did like camels," said Jonathan. Filthy buggers. They smell, they bite, they spit. Disgusting.
Jamila had to laugh. It was almost as if he were describing the warden.
"I think they're adorable," said Evelyn petting her camel.
The warden took that time to start singing. Jamila knew the song but she didn't like hearing him sing it. During their travel they hit a small sand storm. Everyone pulled a veil or covering over their face and kept going.
As the sun set Evelyn fell asleep on her camel. She started to lean and O'Connell tried to right her. The warden started snoring and Jonathan woke up and smacked him with his stick. It was then that both O'Connell and Jamila noticed the men sitting on the ridge not far from them. O'Connell didn't look happy.
As the sun rose they came across Beni and the Americans. Both groups came a stop and looked out over the desert.
"What the hell we doing?" asked one of the Americans.
"Patience, my good barat'm. Patience," said Beni.
"Remember our bet O'Connell. First on to the city, 500 cash bucks," said Henderson.
"Hundred of them is yours if you help us win that bet," said Daniels looking at Beni.
"Oh, my pleasure," said Beni. "Hey, O'Connell. Nice camel.
O'Connell just smiled and pet the camels head
"Get ready for it," said O'Connell.
"For what?" asked Jamila.
"Were about to be shown the way," said O'Connell.
The group watched in awe as the sun rose and with it the city of Hamunaptra. It was almost as if it were a mirage.
"Will you look at that," said Henderson
"Can you believe it?" said Daniels.
"Hamunaptra," said Burns.
"Here we go again," said O'Connell.
Once the city was in full view everyone took off towards it at once. Jonathan, O'Connell and Beni were in the lead with Evelyn and Jamila coming up behind. O'Connell pulled Beni off his camel. As he hit the group Evelyn said something to him before her camel took off and into the city behind the walls that were left.
"Go Evy! Go!" shouted Jonathan
Jamila laughed as they entered the city.
O'Connell found a secluded spot and tied up his camel. He helped Evelyn and Jamila down from their before he tied up their animals.
"We'll make camp here," he said.
Evelyn nodded as she dusted off her dress. They grabbed a few things and then set off to start their dig. Jamila took this time to wander around the city, still in sight of her cousins; at Evelyn's urging.
"You realize we're standing inside a room no one has entered in over 3000 years," said Evelyn.
"Whoo! What is that God awful stench?" asked Jonathan.
Jamila tapped his shoulder as the warden came climbing down the rope. She smiled as she walked away from the rope and farther into the room. Evelyn walked over to a mirror and dusted off the cobwebs. She tilted it towards the opening in the roof.
"And then there was light," she said with a smile.
The light bounced off the mirror and shot around the rooms to the other mirrors giving the entire room light.
"Hey, that is a neat trick," said O'Connell.
"Oh, my God," said Evelyn as she looked around the room. "It's a sah-net jer."
"Huh?" said O'Connell.
"A preparation room," she said.
"Preparation room for what?" asked O'Connell.
"For entering the afterlife," Jamila said in a spooky voice.
Evelyn rolled her eyes. "She's right."
"Mummy's, my good son. This is where they made the mummies," said Jonathan catching up with them.
They made their way through the dark corridors. As they entered one corridor they heard a loud skittering noise. They all turned on the spot looking in different directions but didn't see anything.
"What was that?" asked Jamila.
"Sounds like…bugs," said O'Connell.
"He said bugs," said Evelyn.
"Bugs? I hate bugs!" said the warden looking around him again.
They entered a dark room and slowly made their way towards the base of the Anubis statue. The heard a groaning and scraping noise as they looked around. O'Connell pulled one of his pistols out as they leaned against the base of the statue. When he turned the corner they were face to face with the Americans, and their guns.
""You scared the bejesus out of, O'Connell," said Henderson.
"Likewise," said O'Connell starting to lower his guns.
"Hey! That's my tool kit," said Burns seeing Evelyn with the familiar bag.
"No, I don't think so," he said pointing his gun at Burns.
"Okay! Perhaps I was mistaken," said Burns backing away.
"Well, have a nice day gentlemen," said Evelyn. We have a lot of work to betting along with."
"Push off! This is our dig site," said the Egyptologist.
"We got here first," said Jamila pushing her way to the front of the group.
The groups raised their guns and Jamila rolled her eyes.
"This here's our statue, friend," said Burns.
"I don't see your name on it,…pal," said O'Connell.
"Yes, well, there's only for of you and 15 of me," said Beni. "Your odds are not so great, O'Connell.
Jamila saw Evelyn look down at the corner of her eyes. She turned to see what she was doing. She was kicking rocks into a hole next to the statue.
"I've had worse," said O'Connell.
"Yeah, me too," said Jonathan.
Jamila could only roll her eyes at the statement.
"Oh, look, for goodness' sake, let's be nice, children," said Evelyn pushing O'Connell's arms down. "If we're going to play together, we must learn to share. There are other places to dig," she said giving O'Connell a knowing look.
"According to the hieroglyphics we're underneath the statue," said Evelyn. "We should come up right between his legs."
"When those damn Yanks go to sleep – No offense…" said Jonathan.
"None taken," said O'Connell as the picked at the celling.
"We'll dig our way up and steal that book right out from under them," said Jonathan.
"Are you sure we can find the secret compartment?" asked O'Connell.
"Oh, yes, if those beastly Americans haven't beaten us to it," said Evelyn. "No offense."
"None taken," said O'Connell.
"You can tell they aren't fond of the Americans can't you," laughed Jamila.
"Where did our smelly little friend go?" asked Jonathan.
"Don't know, don't care," said Jamila. "He was giving me the creeps anyway. He kept staring at me like I was a piece of meat. Maybe you should let me have one of those guns, ya know, to defend myself."
Evelyn and O'Connell looked over at her with disapproving looks.
"It was just a suggestion," she said. "Jonathan has guns, why can't I?"
"I don't trust Jonathan with one," said Evelyn. "Let alone you."
"Let me get this straight," said O'Connell. "They ripped out your guts and stuffed them in jars."
"They'd take your heart out as well," said Evelyn. "You know how they took out your brains?"
"Evy, I don't think we need to know this," said Jonathan.
"Yeah, I agree with Jon on this one," said Jamila.
Evelyn continued as if she hadn't heard them. "They'd take a sharp, red-hot poker, stick it up your nose, scramble things about a bit and then rip it all out through your nostrils."
"That's gotta hurt," said O'Connell touching his nose.
"It's called mummification. You'll be dead when they do this," said Evelyn.
"For the record, if I don't make it out of here, don't put me down for mummification," said O'Connell.
"Likewise," said Jonathan continuing with his "golf" game.
As he hit the rock the ceiling gave out and a huge sarcophagus fell to the floor. Jamila had only moved out of the way just in time.
"Oh, my God. Its uh…it's a sarcophagus," said Evelyn in shock and amazement. "Buried at the base of Anubis. He must have been someone of great importance."
"Or he did something very naughty," said Jamila coming to look at the sarcophagus.
"Do you hear something?" asked Jamila looking up.
Evelyn shrugged her shoulders and went back to work.
"Well who is it?" asked Jonathan.
"He that Shall Not Be Named," read Evelyn.
O'Connell blew more of the sand off the top revealing an indent in the sarcophagus. "This looks like some sort of lock," he said pointing at it.
"Well, whoever's in here sure wasn't getting out," said Jonathan.
"Yeah, no kidding," said O'Connell. "It'd take us a month to crack into this thing without a key."
"A key?" said Evelyn with her brown knit together. "A key! A key! That's what he was talking about!"
"Who was talking about what?"
"The man on the barge," said Evelyn digging through the bags. "The one with the hook. He was looking for a key."
"Hey, that's mine," said Jonathan.
Jamila rolled her eyes and elbowed him in the side causing him to grunt. Evelyn stood up with the puzzle box and started to fiddle with it. After a moment the top popped open. She smiled as she placed the key into the hole and turned it.
It was then they could hear the warden screaming.
"I told you I thought I heard something!" shouted Jamila as she chased after the groups.
When they ran into the hall the warden ran past them screaming and grabbing his head. When he reached the end of the hall he slammed head first into the wall and fell back on the ground. Jamila closed her eyes and leaned into Jonathan.
"I think that's enough for today," said Evelyn.
"Yeah, I agree," said Jamila into Jonathan's coat.
The group made their way back up to the surface and back towards their camp.